Trump abruptly cancels Witkoff, Kushner's Pakistan trip for Iran talks
What's the story
United States President Donald Trump has called off a planned trip by his envoys to Pakistan. The trip was meant for talks with Iranian officials about ending the ongoing war. According to Fox News, Trump made the announcement when his envoys were preparing to leave on an "18-hour flight." He said, "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."
Diplomatic stance
'Iran can call us anytime they want': Trump
Despite canceling the trip, Trump clarified that this decision doesn't imply a resumption of hostilities in Iran. When asked if the cancellation would mean a restart of the war, he said, "No. It doesn't mean that. We haven't thought about it yet." He also asserted that the United States has all the leverage in this situation and added, "Iran can call us anytime they want."
Confirmation
Trump's Truth Social post
Trump confirmed his move in a Truth Social post. He said, "I just canceled the trip of my representatives going is Islamabad, Pakistan, to meet with the Iranians," adding, "Too much time wasted on traveling, too much work!" He further stated, "Besides which, there is tremendous infighting and confusion within their 'leadership.' Nobody knows who is in charge, including them."
Araghchi departs
Araghchi questions US commitment to diplomacy
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has arrived in Muscat, Oman, as stated in an announcement from his office. He recently left Islamabad after concluding discussions with Pakistani officials. In a post on X, Araghchi described his visit to Pakistan as "very fruitful." He conveyed Iran's position regarding a workable framework to permanently end the conflict concerning Iran but expressed uncertainty about whether the United States is genuinely committed to diplomacy.