WASHINGTON (Reuters) – US President Donald Trump canceled a planned trip to Pakistan by envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff for peace talks with Iran, Fox News reported on Saturday.
The network said Trump told Fox about the trip’s cancellation.
Speaking to Fox News, Trump said “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. 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,” he added.
US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were meant to head to Pakistan on Saturday. Vice President JD Vance was not set to attend but, would have instead been on standby in case his presence is “necessary”, the White House said.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Pakistan on Friday evening for the planned talks, but left the country on Saturday afternoon, prior to Trump’s announcement.
During his visit to the Pakistani capital Islamabad, Araghchi met with Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir on Friday night.
On Saturday morning, he met with Munir and Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, officials said.
A first round of negotiations between Iran and the US took place in Pakistan earlier this month but both sides failed to reach a deal.
Pakistan has emerged as the leading mediator in efforts to end the war, with an initial round of negotiations held in its capital earlier this month.
