Blow to Iran war breakthrough as Trump cancels US envoys’ Pakistan trip

United States President Donald Trump has cancelled a ‌trip by two U.S. envoys to Iran war mediator in Pakistan, dealing a new setback to peace prospects.

Trump, in a social media post on Saturday, April 25, 2026, said he had called off the planned visit by his special ​envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner, citing what he said was tremendous confusion within the Iranian leadership.

Trump wrote: “I just cancelled the trip of my representatives going Islamabad, Pakistan, to meet with the Iranians.

“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!!!”

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi earlier left the Pakistani capital without any sign of a ​breakthrough in talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other senior officials.

Araqchi later described his visit to Pakistan as “very fruitful,” adding in a social media post that he had “shared Iran’s position concerning (a) workable framework to permanently end the war on Iran. Have yet to see if the U.S. ​is truly serious about diplomacy”.

Latest developments in Middle East war

Iranian media reported that Araqchi had flown to Oman’s capital Muscat, saying he will meet with ​senior officials to “discuss and exchange views on bilateral relations and regional developments”.

Iran has ruled out a new round of direct talks with the ‌United ⁠States and an Iranian diplomatic source told Reuters Tehran would not accept Washington’s “maximalist demands”.

Washington and Tehran are at an impasse as Iran has largely closed the Strait of Hormuz, which normally carries one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, while the U.S. blocks Iran’s oil exports.

The conflict, in which a ceasefire is in force, began with U.S.-Israeli airstrikes ​on Iran on February 28. Iran ​has since carried out ⁠strikes against Israel, U.S. bases and Gulf states, and the war has pushed up energy prices to multi-year highs, stoking inflation, and darkening global growth prospects.