Iran indicates it will not have direct talks with US, will convey its 'observations' to Pakistan

An Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Friday that the upcoming talks between their government and the United States will be facilitated by Pakistan and therefore, they will not have direct peace negotiations with the Trump administration.

President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff are expected to head to Islamabad, Pakistan, this weekend for the next round of peace talks at Iran's request. 

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will meet with Pakistani officials as part of its efforts to end the "American imposed war of aggression and the restitution 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," he added. 

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt expressed optimism Friday that the talks over the weekend will lead both sides closer to a peace deal that would formally end the conflict.

“We’re hopeful that it will be a productive conversation and hopefully move the ball forward towards a deal,” Leavitt said. “The goal of Operation Epic Fury was to ensure that Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon, and we’ve now transitioned into this diplomatic phase to get that done through the means of a deal."

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.