Setback hits US–Iran peace push as Trump cancels US envoys' visit after Iranian delegation leaves Islamabad

• FM Araghchi-led Iranian delegation depart after meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz, CDF Munir

• Iranian delegation discusses overall regional situation, besides matters of mutual interest in separate meetings

• US president tells Fox News he had cancelled a planned trip to Pakistan by envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff for peace talks with Iran

• Asked whether cancellation meant he would resume the war, Trump told Axios: ‘No. It doesn’t mean that. We haven’t thought about it yet’

 ISLAMABAD/WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump cancelled a planned visit to Pakistan by envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff for peace talks with Iran following the departure of the Iranian delegation from Islamabad on Saturday.

The Iranian delegation, led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, left Islamabad after holding high-level meetings with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir.

US envoy on Middle East Steve Witkoff and presidential adviser Jared Kushner were expected to depart for Pakistan later in the day for talks involving Iranian interlocutors.

However, the planned visit was called off after the Iranian delegation concluded its engagements in Islamabad and returned, marking a sudden shift in the diplomatic schedule.

Earlier, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had discussions on the overall regional situation with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir in separate meetings.

The meetings focused on the evolving regional landscape and broader diplomatic efforts linked to ongoing Iran–US engagement channels.

Trump cancels US envoys’ visit

Hours after Araghchi departed the federal capital, the US president told Fox News he had cancelled a planned trip to Pakistan by envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff for peace talks with Iran.

🚨 BREAKING: President Trump just told me over the phone he has unilaterally cancelled Witkoff and Kushner’s trip to Pakistan to meet with the Iranians.

"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…

— Aishah Hasnie (@aishahhasnie) April 25, 2026

“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,’” Fox News reported the president as saying in a phone call.

Asked whether the cancellation meant he would resume the war, Trump told Axios: “No. It doesn’t mean that. We haven’t thought about it yet.”

Subsequently, he posted on his Truth Social platform, reiterating that the visit had been cancelled.

pic.twitter.com/MisVsPTihC

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 25, 2026

BREAKING: Karoline Leavitt confirms Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff will head back to Pakistan tomorrow for peace talks with Iran.@AmericaRpts @johnrobertsFox pic.twitter.com/npLePI513c

— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 24, 2026

“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!!!”

On Saturday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt had said that Witkoff and Kushner would be leaving for Pakistan on Saturday for a second round of talks with Iran.

“I confirm special envoy Witkoff and Jared Kushner will be off to Pakistan again tomorrow morning to engage in talks — direct talks — intermediated by the Pakistanis, who have been incredible friends and mediators throughout this entire process, with representatives from the Iranian delegation,” she told Fox News.

“Everyone will be on standby to fly to Pakistan if necessary, but first, Steve and Jared will be going over there to report back to the president, the vice president and the rest of the team,” Leavitt said.

Araghchi terms his Islamabad meetings ‘very fruitful’

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi termed his visit to Pakistan “very fruitful”. In a post on X, he said, “Very fruitful visit to Pakistan, whose good offices and brotherly efforts to bring back peace to our region we very much value.

Very fruitful visit to Pakistan, whose good offices and brotherly efforts to bring back peace to our region we very much value.

Shared Iran's position concerning workable framework to permanently end the war on Iran. Have yet to see if the U.S. is truly serious about diplomacy.

— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) April 25, 2026

“Shared Iran’s position concerning a workable framework to permanently end the war on Iran. Have yet to see if the US is truly serious about diplomacy,” he said.

A Pakistani source told Reuters that Araghchi delivered Tehran’s negotiating demands, as well as its reservations about US demands, to Pakistani officials.

Araqchi “explained our country’s principled positions regarding the latest developments related to the ceasefire and the complete end of the imposed war against Iran”, said a statement on the minister’s official Telegram account.

“Regional developments and bilateral ties came under discussion,” state-run Pakistan TV reported about Araghchi’s meeting with the premier.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has held a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Regional developments and bilateral ties came under discussion.@CMShehbaz@araghchi@IRIMFA_EN@ForeignOfficePk #IslamabadTalks #PMShehbazSharif #PakistanDiplomacy #AbbasAraghchi… pic.twitter.com/qQCxe0NUWT

— Pakistan TV (@PakTVGlobal) April 25, 2026

CDF Munir, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, and Iran’s Ambassador Reza Amiri Moghadam were also present during the meeting held at the Prime Minister’s House.

PM Shehbaz called the meeting a “most warm, cordial exchange of views on the current regional situation”.

“We also discussed matters of mutual interest, including the further strengthening of Pakistan–Iran bilateral relations,” he said.

Was pleased to meet H.E. Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Foreign Minister of Iran, and his delegation in Islamabad today. Had a most warm, cordial exchange of views on the current regional situation. We also discussed matters of mutual interest, including the further strengthening of… pic.twitter.com/ZGLQNuGOK6

— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) April 25, 2026

Dar said that the meeting lasted “approximately two hours”.

“The prime minister emphasised on the importance of dialogue and diplomacy for peace and stability in the region and beyond,” he said.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif received Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi at the Prime Minister House today and the meeting lasted around two hours approx.

Along with Prime Minister @CMShehbaz, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar… pic.twitter.com/SpUoHyfoRR

— Ishaq Dar (@MIshaqDar50) April 25, 2026

 Araghchi arrives in Islamabad

Araghchi arrived in Islamabad late on Friday and was received by Deputy PM Dar and CDF Munir as renewed diplomatic activity gathered pace.

Ahead of the visit, he had held separate telephone conversations with Dar and CDF Munir, focusing on the cea­sefire and the diplomatic track.

The visit comes at a delicate moment in the US-Iran standoff, with a fragile, indefinitely extended ceasefire holding on paper, while core disputes over the naval blockade, nuclear restrictions and sequ­encing of concessions remain unresolved.

Pakistani officials said the Iranian minister’s trip was primarily aimed at conveying Tehran’s considered response after internal consultations.

“The purpose of my visits is to closely coordinate with our partners on bilateral matters and consult on regional developments. Our neighbours are our priority,” Araghchi said in a post on X before departing Tehran for his three-country tour, which also includes stops in Oman and Russia.

In his statement, Baqaei clarified, “No meeting is planned to take place between Iran and the US. Iran’s observations would be conveyed to Pakistan.”

He said Araghchi would meet with Pakistani “high-level officials in concert with their ongoing mediation and good offices for ending American-imposed war of aggression” and the restoration of peace in the region.

Trump claims Iran planning to make offer

Trump told Reuters on Friday that Iran planned to make an offer aimed at satisfying US demands but that he did not know what the offer entailed. He declined to say who Washington was negotiating with, "but we're dealing with the people that are in charge now".

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the US had seen some progress from the Iranian side in recent days and hoped more would come this weekend, while Vice President JD Vance was ready to travel to Pakistan as well.

Vance, ⁠Witkoff, Kushner and Araqchi, as well as the speaker of Iran's parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, took part in inconclusive talks in Islamabad two weeks ago.

Araghchi, who posted on X that he would also be visiting Pakistan, Oman and Russia, met Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday at the Serena Hotel, where the earlier talks were held, while a US logistics and security team was in place in Islamabad, according to Pakistani sources.

Germany sending minesweeper for potential Hormuz deployment

The German navy is sending a minesweeper to the Mediterranean to prepare for a potential deployment in the Strait of Hormuz, said Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, according to Al Jazeera.

He told the German newspaper, Rheinische Post, that the vessel would be deployed alongside a command and supply ship, but did not say when.

Al Jazeera reported Pistorius said preconditions for any deployment would include a sustained ceasefire between the US and Iran, a legal framework under international law for the operation and a mandate from Germany’s Bundestag, the lower house of parliament, according to the DPA news agency.

Pistorius noted Germany’s naval capabilities, saying it traditionally plays a leading role within NATO in mine clearance.

Ceasefires in place, few ships crossing Hormuz

Trump unilaterally extended a two-week ceasefire on Tuesday to allow more time for ⁠the negotiators to reconvene.

Oil prices surged this week, with Brent crude futures soaring 16%, on uncertainty over the fate of the peace talks and as violence flared in the region.

Shipping data on Friday showed that five ships had crossed the Strait of Hormuz in the previous 24 hours, compared to around 130 a day before the war that the US and Israel launched ⁠on February 28. The ships included an Iranian oil-products tanker, but none of the vast crude-carrying supertankers that normally feed global energy markets.

On Thursday, Israel and Lebanon extended their ceasefire for three weeks at a White House meeting brokered by Trump, but there was little sign of an end to the fighting in southern Lebanon.

Israel has been attacking Lebanese territory for the past year, and invaded ⁠its northern neighbour last month to root out Iran's Hezbollah allies after the militant group fired across the border. Tehran says a ceasefire in Lebanon is a precondition for talks.

Lebanese authorities reported an Israeli strike killed six people, and Hezbollah downed an Israeli drone. Israel's military said it had killed six armed Hezbollah members in southern Lebanon, in addition to the thousand-plus civilians and multiple journalists that Israel has killed or otherwise targeted.

Pakistan’s diplomatic push

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Islamabad late on Friday as renewed diplomatic activity gathered pace, with Pakistan continuing efforts to facilitate communication between key regional and global actors. He was received by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir.

Ahead of his visit, Araghchi held separate telephone conversations with Ishaq Dar and Field Marshal Munir, focusing on the ceasefire arrangement and ongoing diplomatic track.

The visit comes at a sensitive moment in the US–Iran standoff, with a fragile and indefinitely extended ceasefire holding on paper, while core disputes over the naval blockade, nuclear restrictions and sequencing of concessions remain unresolved.

In a post on X before departing Tehran for his three-country tour, which also includes stops in Oman and Russia, Araghchi said: “The purpose of my visits is to closely coordinate with our partners on bilateral matters and consult on regional developments. Our neighbours are our priority.”

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani clarified that no meeting is planned between Iran and the United States, adding that Iran’s position would be conveyed through Pakistan.

He said Araghchi would meet Pakistani “high-level officials in concert with their ongoing mediation and good offices for ending American-imposed war of aggression and the restoration of peace in the region.”

The first round of direct US–Iran talks was held in Islamabad on April 11 and 12, lasting more than 20 hours without agreement but keeping the diplomatic channel open.

Since then, exchanges have continued indirectly through Pakistan, with both sides calibrating positions while avoiding a formal breakdown.

The ceasefire, originally brokered around April 7 and 8, has been extended without a defined timeline, creating diplomatic space while also prolonging uncertainty.