US President Donald Trump on Saturday (local time) announced that he is canceling the visit of US envoys to Pakistan to engage in peace talks with the Iranian delegation.
Speaking to Fox News, he said, “I’ve told my people a little while ago they were getting ready to leave, and I said, ‘Nope, you’re not making an 18-hour flight to go there. We have all the cards. They can call us anytime they want, but you’re not going to be making any more 18-hour flights to sit around talking about nothing.”
This comes after Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his delegation flew out of Islamabad, Pakistan, on Saturday (local time) after holding talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other top officials, Reuters reported.
Araghchi leaves without meeting the US delegation
While the details of the talks were scant, Araghchi laid out Tehran’s demands and its reservations about Washington’s positions as Islamabad made a renewed attempt to end a war that has killed thousands across the Middle East and rattled the global energy markets.
According to a spokesman for the Islamic Republic’s Foreign Ministry, Araghchi was only meeting with Pakistani officials to convey the country’s “observations”, with no talks planned with the US delegation.
The development comes a day after Araghchi arrived in Islamabad for bilateral talks, a move that was seen to bring signs of a renewed peace deal between the US and Iran. While officials of the Islamic Republic clearly stated that they had no plans to meet the US delegation, the White House earlier said that Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner would travel to Pakistan on Saturday.
The two countries have been at an impasse after Tehran effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow yet key waterway responsible for transporting a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments, while the US has enforced a naval blockade on Iranian ports.
Iran lays out demands, sets position
According to a statement posted on the minister’s official Telegram account, Araghchi “explained our country’s principled positions regarding the latest developments related to the ceasefire and the complete end of the imposed war against Iran.”
Asked about Tehran’s reservations regarding the US’s position in the talks, an Iranian diplomatic source in Pakistan said, “Principally, the Iranian side will not accept maximalist demands.” Earlier, the US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters that Tehran had a chance to make a “good deal.” He said, “Iran knows that they still have an open window to choose wisely,” and added, “All they have to do is abandon a nuclear weapon in meaningful and verifiable ways.”
US-Iran peace talks in limbo again?
The developments come after Trump announced earlier this week that there could be “good news” regarding peace talks with Iran and hinted at a “possible” breakthrough.
While Trump made these remarks, Tehran denied such claims, accusing the US President of lying. Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported that the Islamic Republic did not make any such official statement about sending a delegation to Islamabad.
The peace talks between the two sides seem to be in limbo once again. Earlier this month, the two sides held negotiations in Islamabad for 21 hours. However, the talks concluded without reaching an agreement. Following this, Trump announced a blockade on Iranian ports, and in retaliation, Tehran continued its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz. According to Iranian officials, the second round of talks would take place once the US removes the naval blockade, whereas the US President says that the blockade would stay in place until a deal is agreed upon.
While Trump extended the ceasefire “indefinitely,” citing requests from Pakistani officials, it remains to be seen if there will be any change in the stalemate between Washington and Tehran or a meaningful revival of peace negotiations.
