Araghchi arrives in Pakistan, US says its delegation will hold talks with Iranians, Iran says no direct talks planned

On Friday, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said that special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would be visiting Islamabad for fresh US-Iran talks. (Image via Reuters)

Seyed Abbas Araghchi, the Foreign Minister of Iran, landed in Pakistan’s Islamabad on 24th April, as a part of his planned three-nation tour to Pakistan, Oman and Russia. Araghchi said that his tour is to “coordinate with our partners on bilateral matters and consult on regional developments.”

On Friday, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said that special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would be visiting Islamabad for fresh US-Iran talks.

“Yes, I can confirm, special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will be off to Pakistan again tomorrow morning to engage in talks. The Iranians reached out, as the President called on them to do, and asked for this in-person conversation. We’re hopeful that it will be a productive conversation and hopefully move the ball forward towards a deal,” Leavitt said.

While the US has claimed that there will be talks between an American and Iranian delegation, Iran has said that there will be no direct US-Iran talks this time.

Esmaeil Baqaei, Head of the Centre for Public Diplomacy and spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, 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 the American-imposed war of aggression and the restoration of peace in our region. No meeting is planned to take place between Iran and the U.S. Iran’s observations would be conveyed to Pakistan.

Written by OpIndia Staff
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