Planned US-Iran talks in Pakistan cancelled: Trump

ISLAMABAD: US President Donald Trump said he cancelled the planned visit of Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner to Pakistan for talks with Iran, which the White House had announced earlier.

The development came after the Iranian delegation arrived in Islamabad late Friday and reportedly left on Saturday without holding any formal meeting with US officials.

In an interview with Fox News, Trump said Witkoff and Kushner would no longer travel to Pakistan for negotiations.

“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.

Following his interview, the president also took to his account on social media platform Truth Social.

He wrote, “Too much time wasted on travelling, too much work! Besides which, there is tremendous infighting and confusion within their “leadership.”

He added, “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!!!” he wrote.

Earlier, expectations were high that the Iranian delegation, led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, would participate in the second phase of the “Islamabad Talks.” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt had also confirmed to Fox News that Kushner and Witkoff would fly for joining the US–Iran negotiations in Pakistan, since the Iranian leaders were in Pakistan.

However, the meeting did not materialise as the Iranian delegation returned after a short stay in Islamabad.

A ceasefire between the US and Iran is currently in place following Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts after an earlier 14-day ceasefire expired last week. The agreement reportedly extends the truce for 60 days, allowing space for further negotiations.

Earlier, senior US officials, including Vice President JD Vance, along with Witkoff and Kushner, met Iranian representatives comprising Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Foreign Minister Araghchi, and others in Islamabad. The engagement, termed the “Islamabad Talks Phase-I,” marked the first direct interaction between the two sides, though no agreement was reached.

Officials and analysts say a final deal will take time. Former UN ambassador Maleeha Lodhi noted that further rounds of engagement are still expected during the 60-day window.

Experts believe the “Islamabad Talks Phase-II” could take place in the coming weeks if diplomatic momentum continues.

Meanwhile, Araghchi said his visit to Pakistan was very productive and the next step is to see whether the US is truly serious about engaging in negotiations. “Iran has shared a framework for a lasting end to the war”, Araghchi added.