Uncertainty over Iran ceasefire after Trump cancels planned peace talks in Pakistan
Trump says if Iran wants negotiations ‘all they have to do is call’
U.S. President Donald Trump canceled the planned trip of negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Islamabad, Pakistan for another round of talks with Iran, Fox News reports.
Speaking with Fox News’ White House correspondent Aishah Hasnie, President Trump said the U.S. has the advantage in the negotiations, and that if Iran is interested in negotiations, it can reach out to the U.S.
“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,” Trump told Hasnie.
“We have all the cards,” Trump continued. “They can call us anytime they want, but you're not going to be making any more 18-hour flights to sit around talking about nothing.”
"And I canceled the trip, and I said, 'Anytime they want to phone us, we're ready, willing and able, but we're not going to waste a lot of time,” he explained.
In a post to his Truth Social account, Trump also expressed the same assessment shared by Vice President JD Vance, that the Iranian regime is fractured.
“I just canceled the trip of my representatives going to Islamabad, Pakistan, to meet with the Iranians,” Trump wrote to Truth Social. “Too much time wasted on traveling, too much work! Besides which, there is tremendous infighting and confusion within their ‘leadership.’”
“Nobody knows who is in charge, including them,” the president continued. “Also, we have all the cards, they have none! If they want to talk, all they have to do is call!!!”
Later, speaking to reporters before flying back to Washington, D.C., for the White House Correspondents' Dinner, Trump claimed that Iranian officials in contact with the U.S. presented a better proposal “immediately after” he announced the cancellation of Witkoff and Kushner’s trip to Islamabad.
“They gave us a paper that should have been better,” Trump told the reporters. “And interestingly, immediately when I canceled it, within 10 minutes, we got a new paper that was much better.”
🚨 HOLY CRAP! President Trump just revealed that after he canceled the Pakistan-Iran trip, they SENT HIM A BETTER DEAL
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) April 25, 2026
Art of the Deal, in motion.
"They gave us a paper that should have been better. And INTERESTINGLY, immediately when I canceled it, within 10 MINUTES, we got a… pic.twitter.com/EAChHxzCPg
However, he also indicated that the new position paper was still not sufficient. “They offered a lot but not enough.”
While Trump had spoken of sending Witkoff and Kushner, and possibly Vice President Vance, to Islamabad for renewed talks, the Iranian regime had not yet committed to participating, with several regime officials condemning the ongoing U.S. naval blockade of Iranian vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
According to a report in Reuters, an Iranian delegation which visited Pakistan over the weekend delivered Tehran’s negotiating position to Pakistani officials.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian confirmed that Iran had no plans to attend the “imposed negotiations” in a phone call with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Pezeshkian reportedly said the U.S. should remove “operational obstacles,” including the blockade of Iranian vessels, before talks can resume.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to return to Islamabad for talks with Pakistani officials after conducting a state visit in Oman, regime-affiliated IRNA reported on Saturday. However, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said that despite the return to Pakistan, there would be no meeting with U.S. officials.
“We arrive in Islamabad, Pakistan, for an official visit,” Baqaei wrote. “FM Araghchi will be meeting with Pakistani high-level officials in concert with their ongoing mediation & good offices for ending American imposed war of aggression and the restitution of peace in our region.”
We arrive in Islamabad, Pakistan, for an official visit. FM Araghchi will be meeting with Pakistani high-level officials in concert with their ongoing mediation & good offices for ending American imposed war of aggression and the restitution of peace in our region.
— Esmaeil Baqaei (@IRIMFA_SPOX) April 24, 2026
No meeting… pic.twitter.com/1vP51xIoep
“No meeting is planned to take place between Iran and the U.S. Iran's observations would be conveyed to Pakistan.”
Araghchi posted a message in English to 𝕏, saying his group had a “very fruitful visit to Pakistan, whose good offices and brotherly efforts to bring back peace to our region we very much value.”
Noting that he presented “Iran's position concerning workable framework to permanently end the war on Iran,” he continued saying, “Have yet to see if the U.S. is truly serious about diplomacy.”
Meanwhile, President Trump indicated that the cancelling of the talks did not mean that the U.S. and Israeli war effort against Iran was set to resume. Asked by Axios whether the cancellation meant the resumption of military operations, Trump responded, “No. It doesn’t mean that. We haven’t thought about it yet.”
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
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