Senior U.S. officials and regional mediators have been in talks about convening a high-level meeting with Iran potentially as early as Thursday, though those efforts are contingent on a response from Tehran, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the discussions.
Officials involved in the back-and-forth say mediating countries - notably Pakistan, along with Egypt and Turkey - have been relaying communications between Washington and Tehran. Pakistan publicly said it "stands ready and honored" to host talks if both the United States and Iran agree to meet. That Pakistani message was shared by Trump on his Truth Social platform.
At the same time, Iranian officials have publicly rejected assertions that secret negotiations are underway, while confirming that they have received messages and proposals from the United States. The apparent tension between denial of clandestine talks and acknowledgment of received outreach underscores the uncertainty surrounding any imminent diplomatic engagement.
If a summit does move forward, planners say Vice President Vance is likely to play a role in the event. One source familiar with the situation cautioned that it remains uncertain whether there will be substantive material for U.S. representatives to engage with, noting, "But it’s not clear if there is anything to be involved in. Everyone is trying to figure out if it’s real."
U.S. officials involved in the exchanges describe Iran's governing apparatus as chaotic and say that internal communication within Tehran is proving difficult. That assessment is presented by U.S. sources as a factor complicating the ability to secure a timely and definitive Iranian answer.
For now, the sequence of message-passing by third-party states and the mixed signals from Iranian authorities leave the prospect of a Thursday meeting unresolved. Mediators and U.S. officials continue to await clarity from Tehran before setting any formal schedule or confirming who will participate.
Brief analysis
The situation remains fluid: offers of mediation and hosting have been made public, communications have been exchanged, and U.S. officials report organizational challenges within Iran. Whether outreach develops into an actual summit depends on Tehran's internal decision-making and its response to the proposals transmitted through regional intermediaries.