US Envoy Trip to Iran Canceled Following Departure of Pakistani Diplomat

US President Donald Trump has announced that his envoys will not be traveling to Pakistan for talks with Iranian officials after Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi departed the country. According to Trump, he ordered Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to cancel their plans to visit Islamabad, despite earlier claims that Iran was making an offer aimed at resolving the conflict.

Trump stated that he had decided not to make an 18-hour flight for talks, citing that “we have all the cards” and that Iran can call him anytime they want. Araghchi had already left Islamabad, which was part of a three-leg tour including Oman and Russia. The Iranian official shared his position on workable framework to end the war with Pakistani officials before departing.

Trump later posted on social media that any future talks would be taking place over the phone, stating “if they want to talk, all they have to do is call!!!”. He also mentioned that nobody knows who is in charge in Iran and that there is “tremendous infighting and confusion within their leadership”.

The US naval blockade and the presence of over 50,000 troops in the region are being referenced by Trump’s comments. The ongoing standoff in the Strait of Hormuz has led to energy markets turmoil due to Iran’s blocking of the waterway.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated that they have no intention of ending their effective blockade of the waterway. Trump was asked if the cancelled trip meant a resumption of hostilities, and he replied that it does not mean that. The US Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that Araghchi had arrived in Muscat for meetings with Omani officials before traveling to Russia to discuss efforts to end the war.

Source: Al Jazeera