U.S. negotiators are scheduled to leave for Pakistan on Saturday, but Iran said its officials did not plan to meet the Americans to discuss ending the war that has killed thousands and roiled global markets, Reuters reports.
President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner are due to depart on Saturday morning for talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, the White House said.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters that Iran had a chance to make a "good deal" with the United States. "Iran knows that they still have an open window to choose wisely," he said. "All they have to do is abandon a nuclear weapon in meaningful and verifiable ways."
Araqchi arrived in the capital, Islamabad, on Friday. But an Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson posted on X that Iranian officials did not plan to meet with U.S. representatives and that Tehran's concerns would be conveyed to mediator Pakistan.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Iranian statement.
Washington and Tehran are at a costly impasse as Iran has largely closed the Strait of Hormuz, which normally carries one-fifth of global oil shipments, while the U.S. blocks Iran's oil exports. The conflict, entering its ninth week, has pushed energy prices to multi-year highs, stoking inflation and darkening global growth prospects.
Trump told Reuters on Friday that Iran planned to make an offer aimed at satisfying U.S. demands but that he did not know what the offer entailed. He declined to say who Washington was negotiating with, "but we're dealing with the people that are in charge now".
Vance, Witkoff, Kushner and Araqchi, as well as the speaker of Iran's parliament, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, took part in inconclusive talks in Islamabad two weeks ago.
Araqchi, who posted on X that he would also be visiting Pakistan, Oman and Russia, met Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday at the Serena Hotel, where the earlier talks were held, while a U.S. logistics and security team was in place in Islamabad, Pakistani sources said.
