ISLAMABAD: Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Sunday returned to Islamabad for more consultations on the war with the United States (US), Iranian media and diplomatic sources said, despite President Donald Trump calling off US envoys’ planned trip to Pakistan.
According to the Iranian news agency ISNA, Araghchi will sit down with Pakistani officials to convey “Iran’s positions and views on the framework of any understanding to completely end the war,” which began on Feb. 28.
The minister had already been in Islamabad only the day before, after which he traveled to Oman, while other Iranian envoys went to Tehran “to consult and obtain the necessary instructions on issues related to ending the war,” according to ISNA.
“We can confirm that he has arrived in Islamabad,” an Iranian diplomatic source told Arab News, when asked about Araghchi’s arrival and agenda of the visit.
“But for the other programs we do not have any details as of now.”
Before Saturday’s Iran-Pakistan meetings in Islamabad, the White House had announced that Trump’s peace envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner were planning to leave for Pakistan to engage in further negotiations.
But Trump later told Fox News he had scrapped the trip, saying there was no point “sitting around talking about nothing.” He dismissed Tehran’s negotiating position, but added that it had revised its proposal within minutes of his decision.
“They gave us a paper that should have been better and — interestingly — immediately when I canceled it, within 10 minutes, we got a new paper that was much better,” he told reporters, without elaborating.
Asked separately whether halting the trip meant a return to open hostilities, Trump said: “No, it doesn’t mean that. We haven’t thought about it yet.”
‘VERY FRUITFUL’
On Saturday, Araghchi met Pakistan’s military chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, a key mediator, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, before flying on to Muscat.
He described his initial Pakistan trip as “very fruitful” but signalled skepticism over Washington’s intentions.
“Have yet to see if the US is truly serious about diplomacy,” he said.
Araghchi is expected to go to Moscow after the latest talks in Islamabad.
Authorities in Islamabad intimated public about possible diversions of traffic, shortly after parts of the city began to reopen after days of closures in anticipation of a second round of US-Iran talks.
“Citizens are requested to travel with extra time,” an Islamabad police spokesman said. “Citizens should cooperate with the traffic police and show patience.”
Pakistan, which has positioned itself as a key mediator in the war, hosted the first round of talks on April 11-12, which ended without a breakthrough.
Araghchi returns to Islamabad follows an indefinite ceasefire reached between both sides this week. However, 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.
Pakistan’s top political and military leadership was continuing to mediate between the US and Iran, with indirect ceasefire talks “still alive” despite mounting tensions between the sides, two Pakistani officials told AP on Sunday.
— With additional input from wire agencies.
