Donald Trump announced that he had cancelled the proposed trip to Pakistan for ceasefire talks. Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law, along with top diplomat Steve Witkoff, were scheduled to travel to Islamabad for renewed negotiations with Iran. “Too much travelling, takes too long, too expensive. We’re not going to be travelling for 15 or 16 hours to have a meeting with people nobody has heard of before,” Trump told reporters while confirming the cancellation. It has now been five days since the ceasefire ended, following Trump’s earlier extension without a specified deadline.
Ongoing Efforts at Negotiation
The decision to cancel the trip comes amid ongoing efforts at diplomacy. While there have been no direct talks since the last ceasefire meeting, dialogue is still continuing through intermediaries, particularly Pakistan. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi held high-level talks with Pakistan yesterday, where discussions focused on diplomatic solutions along with bilateral talks. Additionally, the Iranian delegation presented its official list of demands to the Pakistani leadership.
Meanwhile, the US president claimed that within minutes of the trip being cancelled, he received a “better” offer, without elaborating on its contents. He stated that he is ready to have a deal with “whoever is running the show.” He further added, “there’s internal fighting in Iran to not be a leader” as the US had “knocked out two levels of leaders.”
What are the Key Points of Disagreement?
A major sticking point between the countries remains halting Iran’s nuclear enrichment program. The US is adamant that this is essential in any deal, while Iran is open to negotiation but refuses to completely abandon the program. Tensions have also escalated around the Strait of Hormuz. Previously open, the key waterway has been closed by Iran following the US-Israel attack. For the past few days, tensions have increased around the waterway and the Gulf of Oman as Iran continues to control the strait, while there is a US blockade on Iranian ports.
Another concern is Lebanon. While a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon was announced, attacks are continuing in Lebanon. Yesterday alone, four people were killed in Israeli raids. In response, Hezbollah struck back with further attacks. This renewed fighting can also affect the ceasefire talks.
Amid these developments, there seems to be very little trust between the two countries. Public statements and social media exchanges have further deteriorated trust, making it difficult to broker an agreement. It has been 57 days since the war began, and a permanent end to hostilities still appears distant.
