US-Iran talks in Pakistan: Trump to send JD Vance, Kushner and Witkoff for talks; first round on Saturday

President Donald Trump is sending a high-level negotiating team to Islamabad, Pakistan, this weekend to engage in talks with Iranian officials. Vice President JD Vance will lead the delegation, which includes special envoy Steve Witkoff as well as Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. “I can announce that the president is sending his negotiating team led by the Vice President of the United States, JD Vance, special envoy Witkoff, and Mr. Kushner to Islamabad for talks this weekend,” Leavitt told reporters in the White House briefing room. Leavitt added that the first round of discussions is scheduled for Saturday morning local time.

White House defends Trump’s threat to wipe out ‘whole civilization’

Leavitt also defended President Donald Trump’s warning about destroying an entire civilization amid tensions with Iran, arguing that his rhetoric is part of a broader negotiating strategy. On Tuesday, Trump wrote in an early morning Truth Social post, “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” if Iran failed to return to negotiations and reopen the Strait of Hormuz before a set deadline. “Well, I understand the questions about the president’s rhetoric, but what the president cares most about is results, and in fact, his very tough rhetoric and his tough negotiating style is what has led to the result that you are all witnessing today,” Leavitt said.

In a follow-up exchange, she said the world “should take his word very seriously in understanding that the president is always most interested in results.” She that Trump “absolutely has the moral high ground over the Iranian terrorist regime,” despite criticism of his comments. Pressed further, Leavitt said the remarks were decisive in shifting Iran’s position. It “was a very, very strong threat from the president of the United States that led the Iranian regime to cave to their knees and ask for a ceasefire and agree to reopening the Strait of Hormuz.”

Also Read: 'Ceasefire violations reported across conflict zone': Pak PM Shehbaz Sharif urges all parties to exercise restraint

US may seek revenue from Strait of Hormuz, discussions underway

Leavitt also revealed that Trump has raised the possibility of the United States earning revenue from the Strait of Hormuz, though discussions are still ongoing. “It’s something that will continue to be discussed over the course of the next two weeks. But the immediate priority of the president is the reopening of the Strait without any limitations, whether in the form of tolls or otherwise,” she told reporters during the White House press briefing on Wednesday.

White House: Iran proposals split between ‘unserious’ & ‘workable’

The White House provided new details on the status of negotiations, saying Iran initially presented a proposal that was rejected before offering a revised plan. The 10-point plan that the Iranians had initially pitched was “fundamentally unserious, unacceptable, and completely discarded,” Leavitt said. However, just hours before Trump’s 8 pm ET deadline, Iran “put forward a more reasonable and entirely different and condensed plan.”

According to Leavitt, the Trump administration considers the updated proposal a “workable basis on which to negotiate,” potentially aligning it with Washington’s own 15-point framework. She also suggested a gap between Iran’s public messaging and private discussions with US officials. Negotiators are now expected to work toward merging both frameworks during closed-door talks set to begin in Islamabad on Saturday. “The president’s red lines, namely, the end of uranium enrichment in Iran, have not changed,” Leavitt said.

White House rejects reports Strait of Hormuz is closed

Responding to reports from Iranian state media, Leavitt dismissed claims that the Strait of Hormuz had been shut.

She said Trump had been briefed on the reports and described them as “unacceptable,” while emphasizing that private communications suggest otherwise. According to Leavitt, there has been an “uptick” in traffic through the strait, contradicting public claims of closure. She reiterated that Trump expects the waterway to reopen “immediately,” adding that officials have been told privately that this is already happening and that reports suggesting otherwise are false.

Iran’s enriched uranium remains a key priority for US

Leavitt stressed that Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium remains a central focus for Trump as negotiations move forward. “This is on the top of the priority list for the president and his negotiating team as they head into these next round of discussions,” she said, calling it a “red line” the administration will not compromise on.

“This is a red line that the president is not going to back away from, and he’s committed to ensuring that takes place. We hope it will be through diplomacy,” she added. Earlier on Wednesday, Trump also addressed the issue directly, saying the US would work with Iran to eliminate the material. “There will be no enrichment of Uranium, and the United States will, working with Iran, dig up and remove all of the deeply buried (B-2 Bombers) Nuclear ‘Dust,’” he wrote on Truth Social.

Earlier, Leavitt opened the briefing by calling Operation Epic Fury a ‘victory’ achieved within Trump's self-imposed four-to-six-week timeline. According to the White House, the campaign met its primary goals, ending Iran’s nuclear programme and dismantling its naval, drone, and missile capabilities, and officials described the effort as ‘swift and successful’. What comes next is far less clear. The Trump administration views the ceasefire as an ‘opening’ for renewed discussions around a ‘workable’ proposal from Iran. Details remain limited. It is still uncertain what Iran included in its ‘modified’ proposal, which Leavitt said was submitted following Trump's threats on Tuesday. Any further developments are expected to remain largely undisclosed, as negotiations continue behind closed doors.

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, the US, Gulf nations, and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos, and videos.