Donald Trump has called off a planned trip by American envoys to Islamabad, stalling the second round of peace talks with Iran and signalling a tougher US stance on negotiations.
In an interview with Fox News, Trump said the long journey was not justified, asserting that Washington holds the upper hand. He indicated that Iran should initiate contact if it is serious about talks, rather than expecting US officials to travel.
He later took to Truth Social to criticise Iran’s leadership, alleging internal divisions and a lack of clarity over who is in charge. Trump also suggested that further diplomatic engagement would depend on Tehran showing greater coherence and intent.
The cancelled visit would have involved US representatives, including Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, travelling to Pakistan for discussions facilitated by Islamabad. The move came shortly after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi concluded meetings with Pakistan’s leadership, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Asim Munir.
Tehran has maintained that it will not agree to what it describes as “maximalist demands” from the US, while continuing to express distrust stemming from past nuclear negotiations that were followed by military escalation involving the US and Israel.
Although an indefinite ceasefire remains in place, tensions persist. Disruptions near the Strait of Hormuz have raised concerns over global energy flows, impacting supplies of oil, natural gas and fertilisers.
Iran has reiterated that any further engagement would be indirect, with Pakistan acting as a mediator. The first round of talks earlier this month—led by US Vice President JD Vance—lasted nearly 20 hours but ended without a deal, despite being the highest-level direct contact between the two sides since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
With positions hardening and diplomacy slowing, the chances of a breakthrough in the near term appear slim.
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