White House offers few new details on ongoing negotiations between U.S. and Iran
Administration officials familiar with the ongoing negotiations between the U.S. and Iran remain bullish that another in-person meeting between the two will be arranged soon and likely take place before the ceasefire expires next week.
Communication between negotiators from both countries have continued at a steady clip since the first round of talks wrapped, two U.S. officials said, adding that these conversations have taken place primarily though indirect channels but also via direct lines.
The administration’s goal is to bring both sides to the brink of an overarching deal to end the conflict that can then be pushed over the finish line in a second face-to-face meeting, according to the officials.
The officials acknowledge that technical talks to hammer out the fine details and implementation of the arrangement will likely take longer to complete, perhaps eventually necessitating an extension of the initial ceasefire, but that pushing back the truce’s expiration date isn’t a top priority for the administration at the moment.
Vice President JD Vance, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have continued to be involved in negotiations throughout the week, but it’s not guaranteed that all three would represent the U.S. in second round of talks, one official said.
-ABC News' Shannon K. Kingston
