US President Donald Trump's special envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, will meet Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Pakistan this weekend. According to The New York Times, Araghchi is expected to submit an official written response to the American proposal for an agreement.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the details in an interview with Fox News and revealed that the initiative for the meeting came from Tehran.
"The Iranians reached out and asked for this face-to-face meeting," Leavitt said. "The president sent Witkoff and Kushner to hear what they have to say, in the hope of advancing a deal." Leavitt added, in a tone of cautious optimism, that "we have certainly seen some progress from the Iranian side over the past two days."
President Donald Trump said in a phone interview with Reuters that Iran intended to submit a proposal that would meet American demands, adding that the US was "in contact with the people currently in control."
The blockade continues
Despite its willingness to engage in talks, Washington is stressing that its tough policy toward Iran has not changed. Leavitt said the naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, under Operation Epic Fury, was producing results on the ground.
"We are choking their economy, and it is getting weaker by the second," she said. "The president has given the green light for lethal, kinetic action if necessary."
The American demands at the center of the Iranian response include the handover of Tehran's enriched uranium and a commitment to halt its ballistic missile project. The White House said Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were closely involved in managing the move, and that Trump "remains flexible on extending the ceasefire, but his red lines are very clear."
