WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump canceled a planned trip by his special envoy Steve Witkoff and senior adviser Jared Kushner to Pakistan on Saturday amid stalled efforts to negotiate an end to the conflict involving Iran, the White House said.
Trump announced the decision after Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi left Islamabad following talks with Pakistani officials but without meeting U.S. representatives. The cancellation came hours before the U.S. delegation was scheduled to depart for what would have been a second round of indirect negotiations mediated by Pakistan.
"I just cancelled the trip of my representatives going to Islamabad, Pakistan, to meet with the Iranians," Trump said in a statement. "Too much time wasted on traveling, too much work!"
White House officials had confirmed on Friday that Witkoff, Trump's special envoy, and Kushner would travel to the Pakistani capital on Saturday to engage in the talks. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had hosted Araghchi earlier in the day, where the Iranian diplomat presented a framework for potential de-escalation, according to Pakistani and Iranian officials.
The abrupt halt follows weeks of diplomatic maneuvering aimed at securing a lasting ceasefire in the ongoing conflict. A fragile ceasefire had been extended by the U.S. side earlier this month to facilitate further discussions, but progress has been limited.
Iranian officials have expressed skepticism about U.S. intentions, with Araghchi stating that it was unclear whether Washington was "truly serious about diplomacy," according to reports from Tehran. Trump, in comments to reporters, cited internal divisions within Iran's leadership as a complicating factor and described the latest Iranian proposals as insufficient.
Pakistan has positioned itself as a mediator in the dispute, hosting multiple rounds of separate discussions with U.S. and Iranian delegations in recent weeks. No direct talks between American and Iranian officials have occurred in Islamabad.
As of Sunday, no new in-person meetings were scheduled. Trump indicated that discussions could continue by telephone or other channels if Iran made what he described as a more satisfactory offer. Details of the specific proposals exchanged remained unclear.
The State Department and Pakistani Foreign Ministry had no immediate further comment on next steps. The situation in the region continues to be monitored closely by international actors.
