Iran's foreign minister arrives in Pakistan for talks as US envoys head there despite Tehran rejecting direct discussions
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is in Islamabad, with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner also set to be in Pakistan later today
US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are on their way to Pakistan for further peace talks with Iran, despite Tehran claiming there are no plans for a direct meeting between the two countries.
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The pair are due to meet Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to continue the negotiations in an effort to end the war in the Middle East and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
US president Donald Trump confirmed on Friday night that he had sent a team to the Middle East because Iran was "making an offer and we'll have to see".
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But Tehran has insisted there are no plans for direct talks with the US, as Mr Araghchi was pictured arriving in Islamabad on Saturday for meetings with senior Pakistani officials, including the country’s armed forces chief.
A senior Iranian official has said Araghchi’s visit is focused solely on "bilateral relations", with nuclear negotiations off the table and described as a “red line”.
Speaking on Friday, Trump gave little detail on which Iranian officials the US was negotiating with, but said his team was negotiating "with the people who are in charge now".
Heavy security has been put in place across Islamabad ahead of the talks, with road closures and increased police presence around key areas of the capital.
The latest developments come as expectations for a breakthrough remain low, with any discussions likely to take place indirectly via Pakistani officials.
Vice President JD Vance is not currently planning to attend but he will be on standby to travel to Islamabad if negotiations progress.
"The Vice President remains deeply involved in this entire process, and he'll be standing by here," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News.
"Everyone will be on standby to fly to Pakistan if necessary."
Despite the announcement, Iranian state media has insisted that its officials will only use Pakistani officials as intermediaries in peace talks.
In a statement on X confirming that report, Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson says "no meeting is planned to take place between Iran and the US", and Iran's observations will instead be "conveyed to Pakistan".
The announcement comes as US President Donald Trump announced an extension of a two-week ceasefire with Iran earlier this week.
A two-week pause in hostilities between the two countries had been due to expire on Wednesday evening, Washington time. Trump did not give a deadline for the ceasefire extension.
However the US will continue to blockade Iranian ports until Tehran presents a "unified proposal", President Trump added.
The global benchmark wholesale oil price dipped to $97.60 (£72.14) a barrel after the announcement.
However the price climbed back up again amid reports of ships being attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, hitting $100 a barrel before dropping slightly.
Energy markets have been in continuous flux since the US and Israel attacked Iran on 28 February.
Iran responded by effectively blocking the Strait of Hormuz waterway, which is one of the world's busiest oil shipping lanes.
In an interview on The John Fredericks Show, Mr Trump warned Iran that if it did not negotiate it wold see "problems like they’ve never seen before".
"They're [Iran] going to negotiate. And if they don't, they're going to see problems like they've never seen before," the US president said.
"And they're going to negotiate, and hopefully they'll make a fair deal, and they'll build their country back up."