ISLAMABAD: President Donald Trump said on Saturday he had canceled a planned visit by his negotiating team to Pakistan, shortly after Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi left Islamabad before the US delegation could arrive in the city for peace talks.
Araghchi, who arrived in the capital late Friday, held talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan’s Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir earlier in the day, as Pakistan stepped up efforts to bring US and Iranian officials back to the table.
The White House had announced on Friday Trump’s special Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner would travel to Pakistan for talks, saying Tehran had requested in-person engagement, though Iran said its delegation would not hold direct negotiations with US representatives and would instead convey its position through Islamabad.
“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,” Trump told Fox News in a phone call.
“We have all the cards,” he added. “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.’”
Araghchi had announced prior to his departure on Friday he was embarking on a “timely tour” to Islamabad, Muscat and Moscow. His visit to Pakistan rekindled hopes for peace talks, though Iranian media said the tour was bilateral in nature, in which regional matters would also be discussed.
The Iranian foreign minister met top Pakistani officials in what he later described as a “very fruitful visit to Pakistan” before leaving Islamabad.
“Shared Iran's position concerning workable framework to permanently end the war on Iran,” he said in a social media post. “Have yet to see if the U.S. is truly serious about diplomacy.”
The Pakistani prime minister also appreciated the “cordial exchange of views on the current regional situation,” adding the two sides also focused Pakistan–Iran bilateral relations.
Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, who was present during the meeting, said it lasted for about two hours.
“The Prime Minister emphasized ... the importance of dialogue and diplomacy for the peace and stability in the region and beyond,” he said.
While details of the talks were scant, an Iranian diplomatic source in Islamabad told Reuters that Tehran would not accept Washington’s “maximalist demands” when asked about Iran's reservations regarding US positions in the talks.
Later, the Pakistani prime minister also held a telephone call with Iranian President Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian that lasted for about fifty minutes.
Sharif said Pakistan would continue its “sincere and honest endeavours” to promote regional peace and security, according to a statement circulated by the Prime Minister’s Office.
The Iranian president also thanked the Pakistani leadership for contributing to the peace efforts, the statement added, and expressed confidence that the ties between Iran and Pakistan would continue to strengthen and expand in the future.
Pakistan has tried to get US and Iranian officials back to negotiations after Trump announced an indefinite extension of the ceasefire with Iran at Islamabad’s request.
Tensions, however, remain high in the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway through which around one-fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas is shipped during peacetime.
Iran has tightened its control over traffic through the strait, while the US has maintained pressure on Iranian exports, underscoring the fragility of the ceasefire and the uncertainty surrounding diplomatic efforts.
- With input from AFP
