Trump said he scrapped the visit after being unimpressed with Tehran’s negotiating position, adding that a revised proposal followed within minutes of his decision.
The White House had said Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff were heading to Pakistan for talks with Iran aimed at moving “towards a deal” but Trump told Fox News he had scrapped the trip.
Asked separately whether the cancellation meant a return to hostilities, Trump said: “No, it doesn’t mean that. We haven’t thought about it yet.”
Shortly beforehand, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrapped up a visit to Islamabad after meeting Pakistan’s military chief Asim Munir, a key mediator, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.
Iran said Araghchi had left for Muscat and would return to Pakistan after meetings in Oman before travelling on to Russia for talks on ending the war launched by the United States and Israel on February 28.
Araghchi described his Pakistan trip as “very fruitful” but signalled scepticism over Washington’s intentions.
Sharif said he had spoken to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and reiterated Islamabad’s commitment to facilitating “durable peace”.
On the war’s Lebanese front, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the military “to forcefully attack Hezbollah targets”, after the armed forces accused the Iran-backed group of violating a ceasefire that was extended earlier this week. (AFP)
