Islamabad, April 25, 2026: US President Donald Trump has said that senior US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will no longer travel to Pakistan for talks involving Iran, stating that Washington sees no need for lengthy negotiations abroad.
Speaking to Fox News White House correspondent Aishah Hasnie, Trump said he had instructed his team to cancel the planned trip. “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,’” he remarked.
Meanwhile, an Iranian delegation led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has left Islamabad after high-level meetings with Pakistan’s leadership, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir.
A Pakistani source involved in the discussions told Reuters that Araghchi conveyed Tehran’s negotiating position, including its demands and concerns over US proposals. In a statement shared on his official Telegram account, the Iranian foreign minister said he outlined “principled positions regarding the latest developments related to the ceasefire and the complete end of the imposed war against Iran.”
State media reported that regional developments and bilateral relations were also discussed during Araghchi’s meeting with the prime minister at the Prime Minister’s House. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, along with Iran’s Ambassador Reza Amiri Moghadam, also attended the high-level engagement.
The diplomatic exchanges come amid heightened regional tensions and ongoing international efforts to mediate between Washington and Tehran, with Pakistan playing a facilitating role in backchannel discussions.
