- Iranian media has dismissed reports claiming senior officials travelled to Islamabad for talks with the United States.
- State outlets said Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and others remain in Tehran carrying out duties.
- Meanwhile, Pakistan continues preparations for the reported Islamabad talks amid conflic
Iran's official news agencies have dismissed reports by international outlets claiming that a senior delegation, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, has travelled to Pakistan for negotiations with the United States, as per ANI.
Citing senior officials, the agencies denied reports claiming the delegation had arrived late Thursday, asserting that both leaders remain in Tehran performing their national duties, it added.
“The news from some media outlets that an Iranian negotiating team has arrived in Islamabad, Pakistan, to negotiate with the Americans is completely false,” a source told Tasnim News Agency, as mentioned by ANI.
Meanwhile, Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar stated on X that the government has issued a directive for visa-free boarding to accommodate all delegates and journalists arriving for the Islamabad talks.
While Tehran maintains that its senior officials remain in the capital and will not participate until a ceasefire is established in Lebanon, Pakistan has moved forward with high-level logistics, deploying over 10,000 security personnel, as per reports.
Simultaneously, Israeli envoy to the US, Yechiel Leiter, has strongly criticised Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif for his recent remarks labelling Israel a "problem" rather than a legitimate mediator. In a pointed post on X, Leiter affirmed that "even if it is to your dismay, Israel is here to stay," adding that the country's existence is not up for negotiation.
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