Trump cancels Witkoff, Kushner visit to Pakistan for US-Iran talks

This latest decision by Trump came after Tehran completely ruled out any talks with the United States, given US blockade of Iranian ports despite the ceasefire. Iran called US blockade a violation of the ceasefire.

US President Donald Trump canceled a planned visit of his Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared ​Kushner to Pakistan intended for the peace talks with Iran, Fox News reported on Saturday.

While giving the reasoning behind his decision, Trump argued that it is not worth the US delegation taking the 18-hour flight to Pakistan when the US already has all the cards in the conflict with Iran. 

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He further said that Iranian leadership can reach out to the US at any time they up for the talks. 

"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’," Trump said, reported Fox News. 

This latest decision by Trump came after Tehran completely ruled out any talks with the United States, given US blockade of Iranian ports despite the ceasefire. 

Trump also claimed that Iranian regime is suffering from "tremendous infighting and confusion".

In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, “I just cancelled the trip of my representatives going [to] Islamabad, Pakistan, to meet with the Iranians. 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!!!” Trump added. 

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi made a trip to Pakistan on Friday, which many including US leadership believed to pave the way forward for further talks. 

However, Araghchi, while informing about his visit to Islamabad in a post on X, clearly said his visit would be bilateral in nature, ending speculation of potential talks with the Washington aimed at ending the two month long conflict.

According to several media reports, Araghchi has already left Islamabad, following his meeting with the Pakistani Prime Minister along with other senior officials on Saturday.

Also Read | 'Won't accept 'maximalist...': Iran conveyed its demands amid Islamabad's peace push

Earlier, on Friday the White House had announced that the President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner will visit Islamabad on Saturday for 2nd round of peace talks.

Meanwhile, Araghchi said on Saturday that he's 'yet to see if the US is truly serious about diplomacy'.

Iranian FM made this remark on X after his meeting with Pakistan's PM Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad. 

"Very fruitful visit to Pakistan, whose good offices and brotherly efforts to bring back peace to our region we very much value," Araghchi said. "Shared Iran's position concerning workable framework to permanently end the war on Iran."