“I can confirm special envoy Witkoff and Jared Kushner will be off to Pakistan again tomorrow morning to engage in talks, direct talks — intermediated by the Pakistanis, who have been incredible friends and mediators throughout this entire process — with representatives from the Iranian delegation,” she told Fox News, News.Az reports.
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Leavitt said the Iranians reached out, “as the president called on them to do,” and requested the in-person conversation.
CNN reported earlier Friday that Trump would be sending the pair for talks this weekend with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and that Vice President JD Vance would be on stand by to travel to Islamabad if the talks progress.
“The vice president remains deeply involved in this entire process, and he’ll be standing by here in the United States, along with the president and the Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and the entire national security team for updates,” Leavitt said.
“Of course, everyone will be on standby to fly to Pakistan if necessary,” she added.
Semi-official state media in Iran has denied reports that Araghchi is planning to negotiate with US officials in Pakistan.
“Currently there are no negotiations with the Americans on the agenda, and Mr. Araghchi’s trip to Islamabad is not for negotiations with the Americans but rather to discuss Iran’s considerations about ending the war with the Pakistani side,” Tasnim news agency reported.
