US President Donald Trump abruptly canceled a planned high-level diplomatic mission to Pakistan on Saturday, April 25, stating that the United States holds a dominant position and has no need to pursue talks on Iranian terms, Fox News reported.
Special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were ordered to stand down just as they were preparing to depart for Islamabad for mediated talks.
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Trump told reporters before boarding Air Force One that he saw no reason for his team to endure 18-hour flights to “talk about nothing” when “we have all the cards.” Interestingly, the President claimed that within 10 minutes of the cancellation, Tehran submitted a new, “much better” proposal than their previous offer, which he characterized as “not enough.”
The cancellation coincided with the departure of Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi from the Pakistani capital following meetings with local officials.
Meanwhile, according to CNN, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian struck a defiant tone during a call with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Pezeshkian stated that Tehran would not participate in “forced negotiations” under the pressure of a naval blockade, asserting that Washington must first remove “operational obstacles” and cease “hostile actions” before dialogue can proceed.
This diplomatic pivot underscores Trump’s “hard-nosed” approach to regional stability. While the US maintains a third aircraft carrier in the Middle East and a strict naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, Trump suggested that internal “infighting” among Iranian leadership is weakening their position.
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