by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
WASHINGTON/JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – U.S. President Donald J. Trump said Saturday he ordered his envoys not to travel to Pakistan for talks with Iranian officials.
“I’ve 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 told U.S. broadcaster Fox News.
Special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law, were to make the trip after it was already decided that Vice President JD Vance would not join them.
On Saturday, Trump blamed Tehran for the interruption. “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.”
Iran has accused the United States of sticking to “maximalist” demands in talks and cited a lack of trust in Washington.
Earlier, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi delivered Tehran’s negotiating demands, as well as its reservations about U.S. proposals, to Pakistani officials during his visit to Islamabad, a Pakistani source involved in the talks said.
STICKING POINTS
The main points of friction include disputes over control and access to the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global shipping route through which a significant share of the world’s oil and gas supplies passes.
Iran has asserted greater control over the waterway, while Washington has insisted on full freedom of navigation.
Another key issue is Iran’s nuclear program. The United States and its allies have pushed for stricter limits on uranium enrichment, while Iran maintains its program is for peaceful purposes and has resisted demands to halt enrichment entirely.
Sanctions relief remains a major obstacle, with Tehran seeking the lifting of U.S. economic restrictions, while Washington has favored a phased approach tied to verifiable steps.
Broader tensions over Iran’s regional role and security concerns among U.S. allies have further complicated efforts to reach a deal, as well as ongoing efforts by Israel to counter Iran’s leadership and its network of regional proxies, which Western officials and Israeli leaders say aim to undermine or threaten the Jewish state.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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