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State Department calls Saturday’s Iran meeting a ‘first step’ to test Iranian seriousness, declines details
Summary
State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce described an arranged meeting with Iranian officials this Saturday as a single, technical meeting intended to determine whether Iran is serious about negotiations. She declined to discuss arrangements or speculate about progression to direct talks.
Tammy Bruce, State Department spokesperson, said Wednesday that a meeting arranged for Saturday with Iranian representatives is intended to test whether Iran is serious about negotiations and to determine whether follow-up talks would be appropriate.
Asked whether the meeting would be indirect at first and then move to direct talks, Bruce said the specifics of arrangements are not her office’s decision and that she would not speculate. "What happens on Saturday would I suppose determine whether there's more," she said, and described the session as "a meeting to determine whether or not the Iranians are serious."
Reporters pressed about disagreements over whether talks would be direct; Bruce declined to provide details about room arrangements or participant placement, saying those logistical matters were not available for comment.
Bruce also said the meeting is not part of a larger preexisting framework but rather a discrete effort to assess Iranian intentions. She declined to forecast outcomes, noting that senior diplomats are involved in negotiations.
The State Department did not provide further information about the meeting’s location, participant list or agenda.
