Trump tells Fox News he's no longer sending Witkoff and Kushner to Pakistan for Iran talks

• News
• Weather
• Sports
• Features
• Entertainment
• Español
• Newsletters
• Contact

ISLAMABAD (AP) — President Donald Trump said helium has told U.S. envoys not to spell to Pakistan for much talks with Iran, soon aft Iran’s apical diplomat near Islamabad precocious Saturday.

Trump added to Fox News: “They tin telephone america anytime they want.” The White House connected Friday said Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would beryllium going to Pakistan's superior to effort to revive ceasefire negotiations.

Iran ’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi near Pakistan connected Saturday evening, 2 Pakistani officials told The Associated Press, speaking connected information of anonymity due to the fact that they were not authorized to talk to the media.

Araghchi had met with Pakistani Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif astir what helium called Iran’s reddish lines for negotiations, and said Tehran would prosecute with Pakistan’s mediation efforts “until a effect is achieved.” Iran had said talks would beryllium indirect.

An open-ended ceasefire has paused astir fighting, but the economical fallout grows with planetary shipments of oil, liquefied earthy gas, fertilizer and different supplies disrupted by the near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian officials person openly asked however they tin spot the U.S. aft talks past twelvemonth and aboriginal this twelvemonth implicit Tehran’s atomic programme ended with it being attacked by the U.S. and Israel.

Iran has said talks volition beryllium indirect

Islamabad had been successful near-lockdown up of the expected talks. Pakistan has been trying to get U.S. and Iran backmost to the array since Trump this week announced an indefinite hold of the ceasefire, honoring Islamabad’s petition for much diplomatic outreach.

The White House connected Friday said Trump was sending Witkoff and Kushner to conscionable with Araghchi. But Iran's overseas ministry said immoderate talks would beryllium indirect and Pakistani officials would convey messages.

The archetypal circular of talks successful Pakistan, led connected the U.S. broadside by Vice President JD Vance, lasted implicit 20 hours and were face-to-face, the highest-level nonstop talks betwixt the longtime adversaries since the Islamic Revolution successful 1979.

Araghchi and Trump's envoys held hours of indirect talks successful Geneva connected Feb. 27 but walked distant without a deal. The adjacent day, Israel and the United States started the war.

The standoff astir the strait continues

The terms of Brent crude oil, the planetary standard, is inactive astir 50% higher than erstwhile the warfare began due to the fact that of Iran's grip connected the Strait of Hormuz, a strategical waterway done which a 5th of the world’s lipid passes successful peacetime.

Iran attacked 3 ships this week, portion the U.S. maintains a blockade connected Iranian ports. Trump has ordered the subject to “shoot and kill” tiny boats that could beryllium placing mines.

Germany’s Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said Saturday his state is sending minesweeper ships to the Mediterranean to assistance region Iranian mines from the Strait of Hormuz erstwhile hostilities end.

The compression connected shipments done the strait has rippled done planetary maritime trade, including done the Panama Canal astir halfway astir the world.

Also Saturday, Iran resumed commercialized flights from Tehran’s planetary airdrome for the archetypal clip since the warfare began with U.S. and Israeli strikes 2 months ago. Flights were scheduled to depart for Istanbul, Oman’s superior of Muscat and the Saudi metropolis of Medina, according to Iran’s state-run television. Iran partially reopened its airspace earlier this period owed to the ceasefire.

A increasing toll adjacent arsenic ceasefires hold

Since the warfare began, authorities accidental astatine slightest 3,375 radical person been killed successful Iran and much than 2,490 radical successful Lebanon, wherever caller warring betwixt Israel and the Iran-backed militant radical Hezbollah broke retired 2 days aft the Iran warfare started.

Additionally, 23 radical person been killed successful Israel and much than a twelve successful Gulf Arab states. Fifteen Israeli soldiers successful Lebanon, 13 U.S. work members successful the portion and six members of the U.N. peacekeeping unit successful confederate Lebanon person been killed.

Trump announced Thursday that Israel and Lebanon had agreed to widen a ceasefire betwixt Israel and Hezbollah by 3 weeks. Hezbollah has not participated successful the Washington-brokered diplomacy.

___

Ahmed reported from Islamabad and Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press writers Melanie Lidman successful Tel Aviv, Israel; Bassem Mroue successful Beirut; and Will Weissert successful Washington contributed.

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.