Trump cancels US-Iran talks in Pakistan, says Washington has 'all the cards'

Prefer on Google by Sonya Bandouil U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a healthcare affordability event in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., US, on April 23, 2026. (Will Oliver/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images) U.S. President Donald Trump said on April 25 that he had canceled a planned trip by American envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Pakistan for talks with Iran, arguing the visit would amount to “talking about nothing.” Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said he personally halted the trip, noting there was no reason for the delegation to make such a long flight for negotiations he believes would be unproductive. “I said, nope, you're not making an 18-hour flight to go there. We have all the cards,” Trump claimed. “They can call us anytime they want." The canceled trip follows Trump’s April 21 decision to extend Washington’s ceasefire with Iran indefinitely after Pakistan requested more time for Tehran to formulate what Trump called a “unified proposal” to end the conflict. Witkoff and Kushner had been expected to travel to Islamabad on April 25 for another round of indirect negotiations, after earlier U.S.-Iran talks in Pakistan were postponed earlier this week. According to Fox News, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had already left Islamabad after meeting with Pakistan’s prime minister, effectively ending prospects for the planned U.S.-Iran meeting. The latest diplomatic setback comes as regional instability continues to disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passes each day. Traffic through the strait has declined sharply since U.S.- Israeli strikes on Iran began Feb. 28, with Tehran targeting tankers and regional energy infrastructure in response. The conflict has pushed up global energy prices in recent weeks, indirectly benefiting Russia through stronger oil revenues and expanded demand for its exports amid broader market disruptions. To drive down oil prices, the U.S. issued a waiver in March that exempted Russian oil from sanctions. After the ceasefire was reached, the U.S. said on April 15 it would not renew the waiver. Despite the promises, the U.S. eventually renewed the waiver for Russian oil on April 17.