Trump Cancels Pakistan Envoy Trip as Iran War Diplomacy Stalls
US President Donald Trump cancelled a planned trip by US special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner to Pakistan for Iran war negotiations on Saturday, shortly after Tehran’s delegation had left Islamabad.
“All They Have to Do Is Call”
Trump said Witkoff and Kushner’s trip would waste “too much time,” adding that if Iran wanted to talk, “all they have to do is call.”
Earlier, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi held talks with mediator Pakistan, saying afterwards he had shared Iran’s position on ending the war but was yet to see whether the US was “truly serious about diplomacy.”
Strait of Hormuz Standoff
Diplomatic efforts have stalled despite Trump’s extension of a ceasefire that had been due to expire on April 22 to allow talks to continue. Both sides have been locked in a standoff over the Strait of Hormuz — through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil supply passes — with Iran restricting passage in the wake of US and Israeli strikes in February, as well as disagreements over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
The US has since increased its naval presence in the strait to block Iranian oil exports.
Conflicting Signals on Negotiations
The White House had said the Iranians “want to talk” when the trip was announced on Friday, but Iran said there were no plans for a direct meeting. Trump said the ceasefire would hold on Saturday despite hopes of another round of face-to-face talks fading.
Asked whether cancelling the US trip meant the war would resume, Trump told Axios: “No, it doesn’t mean that. We haven’t thought about it yet.”
Trump: “Tremendous Infighting” in Iran
Trump announced the cancellation saying there was “tremendous infighting and confusion” within Iran’s leadership and that “nobody knows who is in charge, including them.”
He wrote on Truth Social: “Also, we have all the cards, they have none! If they want to talk, all they have to do is call!!!”
The White House had said US Vice-President JD Vance had been “on standby” to join the talks had they proved successful. He had led the US delegation in the first round of talks earlier this month, and his absence from the initial planned delegation perhaps signalled that a major breakthrough was not expected.
Iran’s Position
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian previously said Tehran remained open to talks but that “breach of commitments, blockade and threats are main obstacles to genuine negotiations.”
Araghchi, whose trip also includes visits to Oman and Russia, wrote on X that his Pakistan visit had been “fruitful,” adding that he had “shared Iran’s position concerning a workable framework to permanently end the war on Iran,” but said he had “yet to see if US is truly serious about diplomacy.”
Araghchi is expected to return to Islamabad after visiting Oman.
Lebanon Situation Escalates
Meanwhile, at least four people were killed in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon on Saturday, according to the country’s state news agency. The Israeli military said Hezbollah had fired rockets at Israel.
Despite a ceasefire between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group, both sides have continued to exchange fire in recent weeks. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the military had been ordered to “vigorously attack Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.”
Source: BBC News