President Donald Trump has cancelled a planned visit to Pakistan by two U.S. envoys, including his son-in-law Jared Kushner. The move is seen as a significant setback to hopes for a breakthrough in the Iran conflict.
Trump cited "tremendous confusion within the Iranian leadership" and "tremendous infighting" as reasons for the cancellation. He stated that if Iran wishes to talk, they should initiate contact. This decision follows Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi's departure from Islamabad after talks with Pakistani officials, which yielded no apparent progress.
Araqchi described his visit as "very fruitful," but noted Iran had yet to see if the U.S. was "truly serious about diplomacy." Iran has ruled out new direct talks and expressed unwillingness to accept U.S. "maximalist demands."
The U.S. and Iran remain at an impasse, with Iran controlling the Strait of Hormuz and the U.S. blocking Iranian oil exports. The conflict, which began with U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Iran in February, has disrupted global energy markets and contributed to inflation.