White House: If second round of Iran talks is scheduled, it will likely be held in Pakistan

The next round of in-person talks between the US and Iran will likely be held in Pakistan, the White House says, while clarifying that a second meeting hasn’t yet been set, even though efforts toward that end are proceeding productively.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, during a briefing, denies reports that the US has formally requested an extension of the two-week ceasefire with Iran that is slated to expire on April 21.

However, she says that talks with Iran since the US abruptly left the first in-person meeting over the weekend have been “productive and ongoing.”

Asked if the second meeting would again be held in Pakistan, Leavitt responds that the talks “would very likely be in the same place as they were last time.”

“The Pakistanis have been incredible mediators throughout this process… They are the only mediator in this negotiation. While there have been many countries around the world who want to offer their help, the president feels it’s important to continue to streamline this communication through the Pakistanis,” she adds.

As for reporting that China has been supplying weapons to Iran, Leavitt says that Chinese President Xi assured US President Donald Trump that that is not the case, indicating that Washington takes Beijing at its word, as it did when similar allegations were made regarding Russia.