US sends delegation to Pakistan for talks with Iran without Vance, but Iran states no direct negotiations

US negotiators are expected to fly to Pakistan on Saturday, but Iran has stated that its officials do not plan to meet with Americans to discuss ending the war that has claimed thousands of lives and shaken global markets, writes UNN citing Reuters.

Details

Special envoy of US President Donald Trump, Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law Jared Kushner are set to depart on Saturday morning for talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, the White House press service reported.

As Politico notes, US Vice President JD Vance, who joined Witkoff and Kushner for peace talks with Iranian officials earlier this month in Islamabad, will not go to Pakistan but will be "on standby" to join the negotiations.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told journalists that Iran has a chance to strike a "good deal" with the United States.

"Iran knows it still has the opportunity to make a wise choice," he said. "All they need to do is abandon nuclear weapons in a verifiable manner."

Iranian delegation with Araghchi arrives in Islamabad for talks24.04.26, 22:37 • 3112 views

Araghchi arrived in Pakistan's capital Islamabad on Friday. However, a representative of the Iranian Foreign Ministry posted on X that Iranian officials do not plan to meet with US representatives and that Tehran's concerns will be conveyed to the Pakistani mediator.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Iran's statement.

Washington and Tehran are at an impasse that is costing dearly, as Iran has largely closed the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of global oil supplies usually pass, while the US is blocking Iranian oil exports. The conflict, now in its ninth week, has driven energy prices to multi-year highs, fueling inflation and worsening global economic growth prospects.

On Friday, Trump told Reuters that Iran plans to make an offer aimed at meeting US demands, but he does not know what it entails. He declined to say with whom Washington is negotiating, "but we are dealing with those who are currently running the country."

Trump: Iran prepares proposal for US ahead of talks in Pakistan24.04.26, 23:59 • 4054 views

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that the US has made some progress on the Iranian side in recent days and hopes for further progress this weekend, and US Vice President JD Vance is also ready to head to Pakistan.

Vance, Witkoff, Kushner and Araghchi, as well as Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, participated in fruitless talks in Islamabad two weeks ago.

Araghchi, who posted on X that he will also visit Pakistan, Oman and Russia, met on Friday with Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar at the Serena Hotel, where previous talks were held, while a US logistics and security team was in Islamabad, Pakistani sources reported.

On Tuesday, Trump unilaterally extended the two-week ceasefire to give more time for resuming negotiations.

Oil prices surged sharply this week, with Brent crude futures rising 16% amid uncertainty over the fate of peace talks and outbreaks of violence in the region.

Shipping data for Friday showed that five vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz in the previous 24 hours, compared to about 130 ships per day before the war began, which the US and Israel launched on February 28. Among these vessels was an Iranian tanker carrying petroleum products, but none of the massive supertankers carrying crude oil that usually supply global energy markets.

Trump announces three-week extension of Israel-Lebanon truce24.04.26, 00:54 • 19861 view

On Thursday, Israel and Lebanon extended the ceasefire for three weeks at a White House meeting organized with Trump's mediation, but there were virtually no signs of a cessation of hostilities in southern Lebanon.

Last month, Israel invaded its northern neighbor to root out Iran's allies from "Hezbollah" after the militant group opened fire across the border. Tehran says a ceasefire there is a prerequisite for talks.

Lebanese authorities reported six deaths from an Israeli strike and that "Hezbollah" shot down an Israeli drone. Israeli military stated that they destroyed six armed "Hezbollah" members in southern Lebanon.