Islamabad : US -Iran second round of talks over the Middle East (ME) war suffered a serious blow on Saturday when the US president , Donald Trump , cancelled visit to Islamabad of his team comprising Steve WitKoff and Jared Kushner saying ” His representatives can not travel for 18 hours to travel to Islamabad for useless negotiations on the ME conflict”.
Trump had previously announced to send his 2-member team for talks with the Iranian side in Islamabad, but he changed his mind when Iranian delegation led by Foreign minister , Abbas Araghchi, left for Oman from Islamabad on Saturday after having meetings with Pakistani leadership during a short visit.
Iranian delegation’s departure probably sent a message to the US president that Iran was just not showing seriousness for having second round of talks with US team.
Iran team had very important meetings during his 20 -hour stay in Islamabad. It held top level meetings with Pakistan leadership. Iran team had meeting with prime minister , Shahbaz Sharif , which was also attended by Chief Defence Forces (CDF) and army chief , Syed Asim Munir.
A few lines handout of the Prime Minister Office (PMO) issued here after departure of Iranian delegation from Islamabad said ” Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi called on Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar and Chief of Army Staff & Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir were also present in the meeting”.
Since Mr Araghchi’s visit had rekindled hopes of early round of talks with US in Islamabad , his departure after bilateral meetings with Pakistan leadership sent a negative message to those forces which want early resolution to Iran-US war.
In a related development , Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a telephone call with His Excellency Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran on Saturday evening.
PMO said during their warm and cordial conversation that lasted fifty minutes, the two leaders had a detailed exchange of views on the current regional situation and ongoing efforts to promote peace and stability in the region.
He appreciated the participation of the high-level Iranian delegation in the talks held in Islamabad on 11-12 April 2026.
He also welcomed Iran’s decision to send a delegation led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to Islamabad, that held important meetings earlier today, including a detailed two-hour meeting with the Prime Minister.
While sharing with the Iranian President an overview of his recent diplomatic outreach to a number of world leaders, the Prime Minister emphasized that these interactions had been helpful in building broader consensus in support of sustained dialogue and diplomacy aimed at achieving lasting peace in the war-affected region.
The Prime Minister also expressed appreciation for the fruitful discussions conducted by the Iranian leadership with Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir during his recent visit to Tehran
earlier this month.
While reassuring the Iranian President of Pakistan’s firm commitment to regional peace, the Prime Minister said that Pakistan would continue its sincere and honest endeavours to promote regional peace and security.
President Pezeshkian thanked the Prime Minister, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar for their significant contribution to the peace efforts. While expressing Iran’s desire for peace, he also expressed confidence that the fraternal ties between Iran and Pakistan would continue to strengthen and expand in the future.
The Prime Minister conveyed his respectful greetings and regards to the Supreme Leader, His Eminence Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei.
Both leaders agreed to continue their close coordination.
