U.S. Negotiators Will No Longer Fly to Pakistan - Trump 0 16

U.S. officials will no longer fly to Pakistan for negotiations with Iran to end the war, said U.S. President Donald Trump. In a telephone interview with the hosts of The Sunday Briefing, which aired on Sunday, April 26, on Fox News, the American leader justified this decision by the superiority of the U.S. in the war with Iran, writes DW.

"We have all the cards. If they want to talk, they can come to us or call. The phone is there," Trump said. "We have good, secure lines of communication, although, to be honest, I'm not sure any phone line can be completely secure, but we have secure lines."

According to the U.S. president, sending negotiators to Pakistan takes a lot of time. "If they want, we can talk, but we are not going to send people on an 18-hour journey to meet," Trump summarized.

Planned Negotiations in Pakistan at the End of April Fell Through

The day before, the U.S. president canceled the already announced trip of his negotiators Stephen Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Islamabad, where another round of negotiations with Iran was supposed to take place at the end of April.

"Too much time is wasted on the road, too much work! Moreover, there is huge infighting and confusion in their 'leadership.' No one knows who is in charge, including them. Besides, we have all the cards, and they have none!" Trump wrote on his social media.

On the same day, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, representing the country in the negotiations, left Pakistan. "We presented Iran's position on realistic frameworks for a final cessation of the war against Iran. It remains to be seen how serious the U.S. is about diplomacy," Araghchi emphasized.

U.S. and Iran Negotiations Failed, Although There Was a Pause in Hostilities

The first direct negotiations between the U.S. and Iran took place in the capital of Pakistan on April 11, a few days after a ceasefire was reached between the two countries. The discussions did not lead to a positive outcome. The very next day, Trump announced the start of a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran later accused the U.S. of violating the ceasefire.

Tehran called the lifting of the blockade of Iranian ports by the Americans a condition for progress in the negotiations. Trump, however, stated that Iran must stop demanding the right to resume its nuclear program, as allegedly the development of nuclear weapons by Tehran was the reason for the start of the U.S. and Israel's war against Iran.

At the same time, a pause in hostilities continues to operate in the Middle East, which was initially introduced for two weeks. Shortly before the expiration of the designated ceasefire period, Trump stated that the ceasefire would be extended "until the negotiations are completed one way or another." The U.S. president claims that he made this decision at the request of the Iranian side.