US President Donald Trump has abruptly cancelled a planned trip by his envoys to Pakistan for potential talks with Iranian officials, after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi left Islamabad. In an interview with Fox News, Trump stated he ordered Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to scrap the 18-hour flight, declaring, "We have all the cards. They can call us anytime they want."
Araghchi had departed Pakistan on Saturday after meetings with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar. In a post on X, he said he shared Iran's position on a framework to end the war but questioned US seriousness about diplomacy.
Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported that Araghchi is expected to return to Islamabad on Sunday night after stops in Oman and Russia, with part of his delegation returning to Tehran for consultations.
Earlier, Trump suggested future talks would be conducted by phone, writing, "If they want to talk, all they have to do is call!!!" He claimed uncertainty about who leads Iran, citing internal strife.
Al Jazeera's Rosiland Jordan noted Trump's comments indicate the US sees no Iranian concessions, with the president's talk of holding "all the cards" referring to the naval blockade and over 50,000 US troops in the region.
Pressure for a permanent end to the conflict mounts amid the ongoing standoff in the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran's Revolutionary Guard has vowed to continue blocking the waterway, disrupting global energy markets. Asked if the cancelled trip meant resumed hostilities, Trump said, "No. It doesn't mean that. We haven't thought about it yet."
Araghchi arrived in Muscat on Saturday for meetings with Omani officials, according to Iran's Foreign Ministry.