US President Donald Trump has said he cancelled planned trips by US special envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner to Pakistan for talks with Iranian officials, according to media reports on Saturday.
Speaking to Fox News, Trump said he halted the travel shortly before departure.
“I 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,’” he said. “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.”
In a separate phone interview with Axios, Trump said he saw “no point in sending them”, adding that the discussions could just as easily be handled remotely.
“We can do it just as well by telephone,” he said. “The Iranians can call us if they want. We are not gonna travel just to sit there.”
When asked if it means he is going to resume the war, Trump told Axios: "No. It doesn't mean that. We haven't thought about it yet."
The first round was held in Islamabad two weeks ago but failed to reach an agreement to end the conflict that began on February 28 and engulfed the entire Middle East. Those talks came after Pakistan brokered a two-week ceasefire on April 8, which was later extended by Trump.
Iran has refused to engage in direct talks with the US, saying its observations would be conveyed to Pakistan.
Some of the sticking points are said to be the Strait of Hormuz, the US blockade of Iranian ports, and Iran’s enriched uranium.
