Iran has denied any plans for direct talks with the United States in Islamabad, even as both sides step up diplomatic activity in Pakistan. Tehran has insisted that its position will be conveyed indirectly through Pakistani interlocutors.Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei confirmed Tehran’s stance that no meeting was scheduled between Iranian and US officials during the ongoing engagements in Islamabad, where mediation efforts are under way.Posting on X, Baqaei said, “We arrive in Islamabad, Pakistan, for an official visit. FM Araghchi will be meeting with Pakistani high-level officials in concert with their ongoing mediation & good offices for ending American imposed war of aggression and the restitution of peace in our region. No meeting is planned to take place between Iran and the US Iran’s observations would be conveyed to Pakistan.”The statement came as Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in the Pakistani capital for high-level discussions with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and army chief Gen Syed Asim Munir.Earlier in the day, announcing his visit to Pakistan, Araghchi said that his visit was a “timely tour” for “coordinating with partners on bilateral matters and consulting on regional developments.” Ending his statement he remarked, “Our neighbors are our priority.”
US envoys to travel to Pakistan; Vance on standby
US President Donald Trump has dispatched special envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner to Islamabad, with US officials indicating they will engage with Iranian representatives through mediated channels.A US logistics and security team is already on the ground to support the talks.The White House has suggested the possibility of further escalation in engagement, with US vice president JD Vance kept on standby.Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that Vance could travel to Pakistan “if we feel it’s a necessary use of his time,” adding that Washington had “certainly seen some progress from the Iranian side in the last couple of days.”Iranian media, however, has sharply pushed back against US claims of direct engagement. Iranian news agency Tasnim reported that Iran has not made any request to talk with the Americans, and, on the contrary, it has completely rejected the requests of the Americans for negotiations due to their arrogance until this moment.The report further added that “there is no decision to negotiate with the United States ‘currently and under the existing conditions’ due to the excesses of the United States.”
Trump says US dealing with ‘those in charge’
Even as both sides publicly diverge, Trump has signalled optimism about the trajectory of talks.“They’re making an offer and we’ll have to see,” he said in an interview with Reuters, adding that US officials were now “dealing with the people who are in charge” in Tehran.He also acknowledged uncertainty about Iran’s leadership structure, saying, “They’re delaying it because they — we don’t know who to deal with. They know who the leader is in this country. We don’t know who the leader is in Iran.”
