Trump Cancels U.S. Delegation’s Visit to Pakistan
On Saturday, President Donald Trump announced that he was canceling a visit by U.S. representatives, including special envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner, to Pakistan for meetings with Iranian officials. Trump cited wasted travel time and what he described as “infighting” and “chaos” in Iran’s government as reasons for the cancellation.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said, “I just canceled a trip for my delegation to Islamabad, Pakistan to meet with the Iranians. Too much time wasted on travel and too much work! On top of that, there is tremendous infighting and confusion within their ‘leadership.’ No one knows who is in charge, including them. Also, we have all the cards and they have none! If you want to talk, just call!”
When asked if canceling the trip indicated a potential return to war, Trump replied, “No, that doesn’t mean that. I haven’t thought about it yet,” according to a message on X.
This cancellation followed earlier announcements from the White House stating that Witkoff and Kushner were preparing to go to Islamabad to renew negotiations with Iran. White House press secretary Caroline Levitt noted that the visit was aimed at advancing talks after Iran expressed a desire for direct dialogue. Vice President J.D. Vance was also mentioned as being available if needed.
During talks in Islamabad, Pakistani officials highlighted the importance of dialogue and diplomacy, as Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Alaghushi met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Asim Munir to discuss mediation efforts.
While in Islamabad, Alaghushi left before the expected arrival of the U.S. envoy, and Iranian state media suggested he did not intend to meet with U.S. officials directly, viewing Pakistan as a means to communicate proposals instead. Pakistani officials characterized his visit as an element of wider efforts to foster peace and stability in the region.
Messages from Iranian officials emphasized unity, with President Massoud Pezeshkian and others affirming the government’s commitment to a cohesive approach. However, there are indications of internal divisions between “moderates” and “hardliners” regarding negotiations with the U.S.
This week, Trump also extended a previously set two-week ceasefire without specifying an end date, citing internal disagreements within Iran as a significant barrier to talks. He suggested that the extension was partly in response to a request from Pakistan’s leadership for Iran to come forward with a unified negotiating position.
