https://arab.news/28ywe
- Seyed Abbas Araghchi left for Muscat on Saturday after holding talks with Pakistani officials in Islamabad
- Trump canceled a planned visit by US delegation to Islamabad, saying Iran’s revised peace offer was “not enough”
ISLAMABAD: Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi is set to return to Islamabad tonight after concluding his visit to Oman, the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported on Sunday, hours after US President Donald Trump canceled a US delegation’s planned visit to Pakistan for peace talks.
Araghchi arrived in Islamabad on Friday to discuss Tehran’s tensions with Washington after the Israel-US strikes against Iran in February triggered a war between the three sides that lasted for more than a month.
The Iranian foreign minister concluded meetings with Pakistani officials without a breakthrough and left for Oman on Saturday night. A US delegation comprising envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner was due to arrive in Islamabad for talks with Iran. However, Trump told Fox News he had canceled the visit, saying that Iran’s revised peace offer was “not enough.”
“Iran’s foreign ministry has announced that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is set to visit Pakistan again after concluding his trip to Oman and before traveling to Russia,” IRNA reported.
IRNA said part of Araghchi’s delegation returned to Tehran after talks with Pakistani officials in Islamabad on Saturday night. The Iranian delegation had arrived in Tehran to seek guidance on issues related to ending the war, IRNA said, adding that it is expected to rejoin Araghchi in Islamabad on Sunday night.
Iran’s foreign minister had announced on Friday he was traveling to Islamabad, Muscat and Moscow as part of a diplomatic trip aimed at strengthening coordination with these countries.
’VERY FRUITFUL’ VISIT
Trump’s cancelation of the US delegation’s visit dealt a fresh setback to mediation efforts centered in Islamabad, where Araghchi met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir.
While Araghchi described the visit as “very fruitful,” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told Sharif that Tehran would not enter “imposed negotiations” under threats or blockade, urging Washington to remove what he called operational obstacles, including restrictions on Iranian ports.
Washington and Tehran remain at an impasse, with Iran effectively restricting traffic through the Strait of Hormuz— a key artery for global energy shipments— while the US maintains curbs on Iranian oil exports.
Iran has struck Israel, US bases and Gulf states since the war began in February. Ongoing hostilities and tensions have pushed up energy prices to multi-year highs, stoking inflation and darkening global growth prospects.
Pakistan has positioned itself as a key mediator during the war. While Pakistan shares a border with Iran and enjoys cordial ties with Tehran, it has forged a strong bond with Washington under the Trump administration.
The first round of talks between both sides was held in Islamabad on Apr. 11, but both failed to reach an agreement. Disagreements between Iran and the US persist over Iran’s nuclear program, its control over the Strait of Hormuz and sanctions targeting Tehran as a ceasefire brokered by Pakistan remains in place.