Trump cancels Pakistan talks with Iran; Araghchi flags ‘workable framework’

Donald Trump on Saturday said he had cancelled a planned visit by US envoys to Islamabad for talks with Iran, signalling a shift in Washington’s approach to ongoing diplomatic efforts.“I’ve told my people… you’re not making an 18-hour flight… We have all the cards. They can call us anytime they want,” Trump said, according to a Fox News report. In a separate post on Truth Social, he also pointed to “tremendous infighting and confusion” within Iran’s leadership, questioning who was in charge.

The decision came even as the US had indicated a day earlier that envoys including Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner could travel to Pakistan for indirect talks with Iranian representatives.
Meanwhile, Abbas Araghchi concluded a visit to Pakistan, where he met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Army Chief Asim Munir as Islamabad sought to mediate.Calling the trip “very fruitful”, Araghchi said Iran had shared a “workable framework” to permanently end the war, while adding it remains to be seen whether the US is “truly serious about diplomacy”.

Pakistan said the nearly two-hour meeting focused on dialogue and a peaceful resolution, even as Iran reiterated its preference for indirect engagement. Iranian state media later confirmed that the delegation had departed Islamabad after completing its engagements, amid continued uncertainty over the next steps in negotiations.