President Donald Trump abruptly canceled a diplomatic mission to Islamabad on Saturday, telling reporters that an initial written proposal from Iranian officials fell short of his requirements for a peace deal.
The decision grounded envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner just as they were slated to begin direct negotiations in Pakistan, a country that has served as a primary intermediary in recent weeks.
Speaking from the tarmac in Florida before boarding Air Force One, Trump characterized the Iranian offer as underwhelming.
“They gave us a paper that should’ve been better,” Trump said, though he noted that his decision to pull the plug triggered an immediate reaction from Tehran. “Interestingly, immediately when I canceled it, within 10 minutes we got a new paper that was much better.”
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Despite the improved second offer, the President remained firm on his core demand regarding Iran’s nuclear capabilities. “They will not have a nuclear weapon, it’s very simple,” Trump stated. “They offered a lot, but not enough.”
The reversal comes more than 50 days into a military campaign involving U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iranian targets.
While White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt had previously confirmed the Witkoff-Kushner duo would seek a “lasting peace deal” via the Islamabad talks, Trump signaled on Truth Social that he was tired of the logistical hurdles and perceived instability within the Iranian government.
“I just canceled the trip of my representatives going to Islamabad, Pakistan, to meet with the Iranians,” Trump posted, citing the long travel times and internal “infighting” among Iranian leadership. “Too much time wasted on traveling, too much work! Nobody knows who is in charge, including them. Also, we have all the cards, they have none!”
The diplomatic situation in the region remains fluid. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with Pakistani Prime Minister Shebaz Sharif on Saturday before departing for Oman. While the U.S. team is no longer headed to the region, Trump indicated the door is not entirely closed, provided the Iranians take the initiative.
“There’s no reason to have to wait two days, have people traveling for 16, 17 hours, and we’re not doing it that way,” Trump told reporters. “When they want, they can call me. If they want to talk, all they have to do is call!”
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