'Nobody Knows Who's In Charge': Why Trump Cancelled US Delegation's Pakistan Visit For Iran Talks

Last Updated:April 25, 2026, 22:51 IST

The sudden move comes as Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi recently departed from Islamabad after holding talks with the Pakistani leadership.

US President Donald Trump on Saturday cancelled a planned visit by special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner to Pakistan for peace talks with Iran, denting hopes for an end to the ongoing conflict.

In his post on Truth Social, Trump said one of the main reasons for his decision was the tremendous confusion in the Iranian leadership. “Too much time wasted on traveling, too much work! Besides which, there is tremendous infighting and confusion within their “leadership"," he said.

“Nobody knows who is in charge, including them. Also, we have all the cards, they have none! If they want to talk, all they have to do is call," Trump further said, keeping the doors open for diplomacy.

The sudden and unilateral move comes as Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi recently departed the Pakistani capital, where he had been engaging with the top leadership. Araghchi also handed over Iran’s list of demands for an end to the war.

Will US Resume War With Iran?

Earlier, Trump told Fox News, “I’ve told my people a little while ago, they were getting ready to leave, and I said, ‘Nope, you’re not making an 18 hour flight to go there’. We have all the cards."

Despite the cancellation of the visit, Trump said it did not mean the resumption of war with Tehran. “No. It doesn’t mean that. We haven’t thought about it yet," he said in a call with Axios.

The White House had previously said Trump emissaries Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were headed to the Pakistani capital for an “in-person conversation" with the Iranians that would “hopefully move the ball forward towards a deal".

Meanwhile, Iran’s foreign ministry said Araghchi had left Islamabad and arrived in Muscat on Saturday for meetings with Omani officials. He is also expected to travel on to Russia to discuss efforts to end the war, which the United States and Israel began against Iran on February 28.

Araghchi described his Pakistan trip as “very fruitful" in a post on X, adding he had shared Iran’s position on a “workable framework to permanently end the war". He also said Iran is yet to see if the US is “truly serious about diplomacy."

READ MORE: No Direct US-Iran Talks For Now: Iranian FM Leaves Islamabad After Meeting Pakistani Leadership

The urgency of striking a deal to permanently end the war has mounted as the Strait of Hormuz, a vital conduit for the world’s oil and gas supplies, has remained closed. Iran said it had no intention of ending its effective blockade of the waterway, which has thrown energy markets into turmoil.

Iran has refused to participate in direct talks as long as the US naval blockade around Iranian ports remains in place. However, Trump has refused to remove the blockade and ordered the military to fire on any vessels attempting to lay mines in the Strait of Hormuz.

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