Iran’s Foreign Minister Leaves Pakistan as Trump Cancels U.S. Delegation Travel
“Iran’s observations will be conveyed to Pakistan,” he wrote on X.
The announcement of planned travel by U.S. and Iranian officials to Pakistan came on the same day Israel’s military said it carried out strikes in southern Lebanon, targeting what it described as positions belonging to the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement. In response, Hezbollah also fired rockets toward Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly instructed the Israel Defense Forces to intensify operations against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, according to his office.
This escalation came despite President Donald Trump’s earlier announcement that Israel and Lebanon had agreed, during White House-mediated talks, to extend their ceasefire by three weeks. Hezbollah was not part of those negotiations and has rejected the arrangement.
The fragile ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon is linked to broader U.S. diplomatic efforts aimed at winding down tensions with Iran. Tehran, however, has insisted that any further negotiations depend on maintaining a halt in the Lebanon conflict.
Earlier this week, Trump extended the Iran ceasefire unilaterally just hours before it was due to expire, without specifying a new end date.
Iran has rejected the extension, calling it “meaningless,” and has accused the United States of violating the agreement through its continued naval blockade of Iranian ports. Tehran says it will not return to negotiations unless the blockade is lifted.
Witkoff and Kushner Trip to Pakistan for Iran Talks Canceled
President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he had canceled a planned visit by U.S. officials to Islamabad for Iran-related talks. The decision came shortly after Pakistani officials confirmed that Iran’s Foreign Minister had already left the capital.
Speaking to reporters on his return to the White House from Palm Beach, Florida, Trump said too much time was being wasted on long-distance travel for face-to-face negotiations.
“We have all the cards. We’re not going to spend 15 hours on airplanes all the time going back and forth just to be given a document that was not good enough,” Trump said.
He added that future discussions would continue by phone, saying, “We’ll deal by telephone, and they can call us anytime they want.”
On Friday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Fox News that President Donald Trump was sending Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Islamabad to hear directly from Iranian officials.
She expressed optimism that the meeting could be productive and help advance negotiations toward a potential agreement, adding that Iran had requested the talks.
Leavitt also confirmed that Vice President JD Vance, who previously led a U.S. delegation in earlier discussions, would not be traveling this time.
She said Vance would remain in the United States and stay closely involved in the process alongside President Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and the broader national security team, who would continue monitoring developments.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Islamabad on Friday, saying on social media that the purpose of his visit was to closely coordinate with regional partners on bilateral issues and consult on broader regional developments. He also noted plans to travel to Oman and Russia.
Araghchi did not confirm whether he would take part in any talks with the United States. A statement from Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said he was meeting with senior Pakistani officials during his visit.
On Thursday, President Donald Trump said he was in no rush to reach an agreement to end the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran. Speaking to reporters, he said, “I don’t want to rush. I want to take my time,” adding that he was willing to wait for what he called “the best deal.”
However, on Saturday, after canceling the U.S. delegation’s trip to Pakistan, Trump said Iran had returned with what he described as a “much better” proposal.
“They offered a lot, but not enough,” Trump told reporters.
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