▲ White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during a press conference at the White House in Washington on April 8, 2026, in this photo released by the Associated Press. (Yonhap)

(LEAD) US-Iran-negotiations

(LEAD) U.S., Iran to hold 1st round of talks on peace deal in Pakistan on Saturday: White House

(ATTN: ADDS more remarks in paras 5-13)

By Song Sang-ho

WASHINGTON, April 8 (Yonhap) -- The United States and Iran will have the first round of their negotiations in Pakistan this weekend to end their war, the White House said Wednesday, a day after they agreed to a two-week ceasefire.

During a press briefing, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the two sides will meet in Islamabad on Saturday morning (local time), as uncertainty lingers over whether they could bridge their differences to end their conflict that began in late February.

"I can announce that the president is dispatching 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," she said, referring to Steve Witkoff, Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

"The first round of those talks will take place on Saturday morning, local time, and we know we look forward to those in person," she added.

Asked if Iran has given an indication that it will turn over its enriched uranium, Leavitt said, "They have, yes."

"This is on the top of the priority list for the president and his negotiating team as they head into these next rounds of discussions, she said. "That is a red line that the president is not going to back away from."

She stressed that Trump is "committed to ensuring that (this) takes place."

"We hope it will be through diplomacy," she said.

Her remarks came after Trump wrote on social media earlier in the day that "there will be no enrichment of uranium," and that in cooperation with Iran, the U.S. will "dig up and remove all of the deeply buried nuclear dust."

During a Pentagon press briefing on the day, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that Iran will hand over its enriched uranium, or the U.S. will "take it."

The U.S. has been concerned that they could be used to make nuclear bombs.

The uranium issue is expected to figure prominently when Washington and Tehran begin their negotiations to end the war.

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