Trump cancels Iran envoys' Pakistan trip, talks collapse

The second round of U.S.-Iran peace talks scheduled to take place in Pakistan this weekend collapsed after President Donald Trump cancelled the planned visit of his envoys, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner, to Islamabad. Pakistani officials, speaking anonymously because they were not authorized to discuss the matter, said the country's top political and military leadership were scrambling to reignite negotiations between the two countries. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spent most of Sunday in Oman, which borders the Strait of Hormuz, before reportedly returning to Islamabad on Sunday evening before departing for Moscow. The breakdown occurred despite a ceasefire announcement by Trump last week, which has paused most fighting but left significant economic disruptions as global oil shipments remain affected by the near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Pakistan, which has been hosting the mediation efforts, deployed more than 10,000 security personnel and implemented strict traffic restrictions in Islamabad and Rawalpindi in anticipation of the cancelled talks. Araghchi met with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir on Saturday before departing for Oman, describing the visit as "very fruitful" while stating that Tehran was "yet to see if the US is truly serious about diplomacy." Iran insists that the United States must lift its maritime blockade of Iranian ports before launching a new round of negotiations. Trump, however, told reporters that within 10 minutes of cancelling the trip, Iran sent a "much better" proposal and said Iran could simply "call if they want to talk," while reiterating his condition that Iran will not possess a nuclear weapon. The talks were torpedoed after mounting tensions, with Iranian officials questioning how they can trust the United States after its forces started blockading Iranian ports in response to Iran's control of the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway through which a fifth of the world's oil flows in peacetime. Iran's joint military command warned that if the U.S. continues aggressive military actions, including naval blockades, it will face a "strong response." The economic fallout continues to mount, with Brent crude oil now nearly 50 percent higher than when the war began in late February. Since the conflict started, at least 3,375 people have been killed in Iran, 2,496 in Lebanon, 23 in Israel, more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states, 15 Israeli soldiers in Lebanon, 13 U.S. service members in the region, and six U.N. peacekeepers in southern Lebanon. A separate ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, which Trump announced was extended by three weeks on Thursday, was also shaken on Saturday as each side fired at the other, with Israel striking southern Lebanon and killing at least six people it said were Hezbollah militants.