Iran has denied any plans for direct talks with the United States in Islamabad, even as both sides have increased diplomatic activity in Pakistan. Tehran has insisted that its position will be communicated indirectly through Pakistani interlocutors.Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail 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 underway.Posting on Twitter, Bakayei said, “We have arrived in Islamabad, Pakistan for an official visit. FM Araghchi will be meeting with Pakistani high-level officials in coordination with the ongoing mediation and good offices to end the aggressive war imposed by the US and restore peace in our region. No meeting is planned between Iran and the US, Iran’s comments will 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 General Syed Asim Munir.Earlier in the day, announcing his visit to Pakistan, Araghchi said his visit was a “timely visit” for “coordination with partners on bilateral matters and consultations on regional developments”. Concluding his statement, he commented, “Our neighbors are our priority.”

US envoy to Pakistan; Vance on standby

US President Donald Trump has sent special envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner to Islamabad, with US officials indicating they will hold talks with Iranian representatives through mediation 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 talks by keeping US Vice President JD Vance on standby.Press Secretary Carolyn Leavitt said Vance could travel to Pakistan “if we feel it is a necessary use of his time,” adding that Washington “has certainly seen some progress from the Iranian side over the last few days.”However, Iranian media have strongly disputed US claims of direct involvement. Iranian news agency Tasnim reported that Iran has not made any requests to the Americans to negotiate, and on the contrary, it has completely rejected the Americans’ requests for negotiations because of its arrogance until this moment.The report further stated that “there is no decision to negotiate with the United States ‘at the present time and under the prevailing circumstances’ due to the United States’ excesses.”

Trump says America is dealing with ‘the people in charge’

Even though the two sides publicly differ, Trump has signaled optimism about the direction of the negotiations.“They are making an offer and we have to see,” he said in an interview with Reuters, adding that US officials are now “dealing with the people who are in charge” in Tehran.He also acknowledged uncertainty about Iran’s leadership structure, saying, “They are 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.”