Trump cancels Witkoff, Kushner trip to Pakistan

US President Donald Trump cancelled a trip to Islamabad by two envoys to meet Iran war mediator Pakistan on Saturday after Iran’s foreign minister flew out of the Pakistani capital following talks, dealing a new setback to peace prospects.

Trump said in a social media post that he had called off the planned visit by his special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner, citing what he said was tremendous confusion it the Iranian leadership.

“Too much time wasted on traveling, too much work! Besides which, there is tremendous infighting and confusion within their “leadership.” Nobody knows who is in charge, including them. Also, we have all the cards, they have none! If they want to talk, all they have to do is call!!!” he wrote.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi had earlier left Islamabad without signs of a breakthrough in talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other senior officials.

Tehran has ruled out a new round of direct talks with the United States and an Iranian diplomatic source said Tehran would not accept Washington’s “maximalist demands”.

During his visit, Araghchi met Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif, Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.

Also read: Iran says it won’t accept ‘maximalist demands’ as Islamabad hosts peace push

Araghchi, according to an Iranian statement, thanked Pakistan for its efforts but “explained our country’s principled positions regarding the latest developments related to the ceasefire and the complete end of the imposed war against Iran”.

“Very fruitful visit to Pakistan, whose good offices and brotherly efforts to bring back peace to our region we very much value. Shared Iran’s position concerning workable framework to permanently end the war on Iran. Have yet to see if the U.S. is truly serious about diplomacy,” Iranian FM wrote in a social post after the meeting.

Pakistan’s Dar posted on social media that the meeting with the Iranian delegation lasted around two hours and Pakistan emphasised “the importance of dialogue and diplomacy”.

On Friday – as urgency mounted to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital conduit for the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) – White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt had said Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would leave for Pakistan on Saturday.

“The Iranians reached out, as the president called on them to do, and asked for this in-person conversation,” she said then, adding the talks would “hopefully move the ball forward towards a deal”.