US cancels Pakistan trip/Iranian Foreign Minister holds talks in Oman

2026-04-26 15:38:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Iran's foreign minister held talks with Oman's leader a day after two top US envoys abruptly pulled out of planned talks to end the war in Iran, which has been going on for more than two months.

Abbas Araqchi's meetings in Muscat on Sunday are part of "mediated" diplomacy and complicated negotiations aimed at resolving the war in Iran, which has reverberated around the world, leading to a significant increase in energy prices.

The talks, scheduled in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, were seen as an opportunity for progress towards reaching an agreement to end the conflict.

The talks included Araqchi, as well as two White House envoys: Steve Witkoff and US President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

However, Kushner and Witkoff's trip was canceled at the last minute on Saturday.

It is not entirely clear why Trump canceled the trip, but in a post on social media he implied that Iranian negotiators are having disagreements with authorities in the country.

"A lot of time wasted on travel, a lot of work! Moreover, there is great conflict and confusion within their 'leadership' ," he said.

The United States and Israel have suspended bombings of Iran, in accordance with the ceasefire announced by Trump, which he extended on April 21 indefinitely.

In a brief interview with Axios, Trump said that canceling the trip of US envoys does not automatically mean that US operations will resume.

Araqchi, however, traveled to Islamabad for what he called a "timely visit" to meet with Pakistani officials, who have played a key role in efforts to find a solution to end the fighting.

In his talks with Pakistani army chief Marshal Asim Munir, Araqchi conveyed Iran's "views and considerations" on ending the war, as well as its reservations about US demands, according to Reuters, which cited an anonymous source.

On Sunday, Araqchi met with the Sultan of Oman in the capital Muscat, where the two sides discussed the regional situation and mediation efforts, Oman's state news agency reported. It gave no further details.

Iranian media have reported that Araqchi may also go to Moscow.

Russia has close ties to Tehran and has provided it with important intelligence that has helped Iran strike US forces in the region, but has largely played a secondary role in peace talks.

Iran has conditioned its return to the negotiating table on the lifting of the US naval blockade of Iranian ports, a demand that Trump has so far rejected.

Tehran has also rejected Trump's unilateral extension of the ceasefire as "nonsense" while the blockade remains in place.

The US naval blockade, as well as Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz, have caused global energy prices to rise sharply, causing fuel shortages in some countries and disruptions to international air travel.

In recent days, Iran has seized two ships near the strait and fired on another ship after the US seized an Iranian-flagged vessel.

Iran's joint military command warned on Saturday that it would respond if the United States continued the blockade. /REL