Islamabad: Peace talks between Iran and the United States in Pakistan have collapsed again after the Iranian delegation refused to engage with the US side and immediately returned home following negotiations with the Pakistani Prime Minister. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump has canceled the U.S. envoy's trip to Pakistan.
According to Thai News Agency, President Donald Trump canceled the U.S. delegation, led by Steve Whitkoff and Jared Kushner, that was traveling to Islamabad, Pakistan, for peace talks with Iran. This decision came just hours after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi departed Pakistan for Oman without a direct meeting with the U.S. delegation. Trump posted on Truth Social that the trip was a waste of time and exhausting, citing a lengthy flight and internal disagreements within Iranian leadership, making it unclear who the real decision-makers were.
Trump also stated that Iran had sent a written proposal through Pakistan, but he considered it unsatisfactory, even though he later claimed to have received a much better document just 10 minutes after announcing the cancellation of the US negotiating delegation. Despite the cancellation, Trump emphasized that it didn't mean an immediate return to conflict, stating that the US holds the upper hand and Iran could call him anytime if they truly wanted to talk.
Meanwhile, Araghi posted via X that his visit to Pakistan was very fruitful, but questioned whether the US was serious about a diplomatic solution to end the conflict with Iran. He is expected to return to Tehran immediately after concluding his visit to Oman, signaling clearly that Iran has rejected a new round of direct negotiations with the US. This aligns with Iranian diplomatic sources indicating that Iran will not accept Washington's highest demands.
Currently, the US and Iran face a costly stalemate, with Iran having closed much of the Strait of Hormuz, a significant shipping route for about a fifth of the world's oil, while the US has imposed a naval blockade on Iran and restricted its oil exports. The conflict, now in its ninth week, has pushed energy prices to multi-year highs, fueled inflation, and dragged down global economic growth prospects.