Related videos:
The president Donald Trump announced this Saturday that he canceled the trip of his representatives to Islamabad, Pakistan, where they were scheduled to meet with the Iranian delegation to continue nuclear negotiations, and demanded that Iran call him directly if they wish to negotiate.
"I just canceled my representatives' trip to Islamabad, Pakistan, to meet with the Iranians. Too much time wasted on travel, too much work," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "Moreover, there is tremendous confusion and infighting within their 'leadership.' No one 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."
The cancellation comes a day after White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt confirmed on Fox News that Trump was sending his envoys "to listen to the Iranians."
The representatives expected for this third round were Steve Witkoff, special envoy for the Middle East, and Jared Kushner, son-in-law and advisor to the president.
The decision comes amidst stalled negotiations and increasing chaos in Iranian leadership. The first round of talks in Islamabad, held from April 10 to 12, concluded without an agreement after 21 hours of negotiations. The second round, scheduled for April 21 and 22, was rejected by the Iranian delegation itself, which demanded the end of the U.S. naval blockade, the release of frozen assets, and the resolution of the crisis in Lebanon.
The positions of both parties remain incompatible. The U.S. demands the total dismantling of Iran's nuclear program and a 20-year moratorium on uranium enrichment. Iran, for its part, is only offering a five-year pause and is seeking $270 billion in compensation.
The confusion in Iranian leadership that Trump points out has documented grounds. Following the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on March 1, 2026, during Operation Epic Fury —a joint offensive by the U.S. and Israel— his son Mojtaba Khamenei was chosen as the new Supreme Leader on March 8, but he suffered serious injuries in the attacks, including the amputation of a limb. According to sources cited by The Telegraph, Iranian commanders have no real contact with him: "No one knows anything about Mojtaba... He has no control over the war because he is not here."
That paralysis has left the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), led by General Ahmad Vahidi, as the dominant faction, actively blocking the diplomatic efforts of the pragmatic wing led by Chancellor Abbas Araghchi. The Iranian negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf reportedly considered resigning from the delegation due to internal divisions.
Since April 13, the U.S. has maintained a naval blockade at Iranian ports with over a dozen ships, 100 aircraft, and 10,000 personnel, costing Iran about 500 million dollars daily. In response, Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz on April 19.
The spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Esmaeil Baghaei, stated this Saturday that "there is no meeting planned between Iran and the U.S." and that Tehran's observations would be conveyed through Pakistan, a key mediator in the process.
Trump indefinitely extended the ceasefire on April 21 at the request of Pakistan, whose government has acted as a mediator between the parties since the beginning of the discussions.
Filed under: