News
The Islamabad round shifted from a chance to test negotiations into a suspended diplomatic scene. Abbas Araghchi arrives in Pakistan, meets the political and military leadership, then leaves for Muscat. After that, Tehran announces that he will return again to Islamabad, while Trump cancels sending his U.S. delegation, arguing that the long trip is not worth it if it ends in talk with no result.
Details
• The expected round began with contradictory signals. Pakistani media, especially Dawn, treated Araghchi’s visit as a positive sign for U.S.-Iran dialogue, amid tight security measures in Islamabad’s Red Zone. But Tehran stressed early on that Araghchi would hold talks only with Pakistani officials, not directly with the U.S. delegation.
• According to Dawn, the Iranian delegation left Islamabad after meeting Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, with Araghchi set to return to Pakistan after visiting Oman and before heading to Russia. This means the track has not ended, but it has not led to direct negotiations either.
• The Iranian account through IRNA added another dimension: part of Araghchi’s delegation is returning from Islamabad to Tehran for consultations and instructions on files related to ending the war, and is expected to rejoin Araghchi in Islamabad on Sunday evening.
This formula suggests Tehran is still negotiating through internal settlements, not through a final decision already on the table.
• In return, Trump canceled Witkoff and Kushner’s trip to Pakistan after the talks stalled, citing the cost and length of the trip and his dissatisfaction with the Iranian proposal, while Araghchi said his visit to Pakistan was productive and that Tehran remains committed to the diplomatic track.
• The Associated Press described the scene as a clear setback: Araghchi leaves without meeting U.S. officials, and Trump says he stopped sending his envoys. But it also noted that Iran later presented a revised proposal, which Trump described as better than the previous one but still not enough.
• The most important statement came from Trump himself via Fox News, where he said he told his team not to make an 18-hour trip to Pakistan just to sit and talk with no result, adding: We hold all the cards, and they can call us anytime they want.
• Diplomatically, Pakistan is moving as the main mediator, but its role still looks closer to managing messages than producing a final agreement.
• On the Iranian side, Tehran appears to be distributing its cards between Pakistan, Oman, and Russia. The Muscat visit gives it a quieter traditional channel with Washington, while Moscow gives it political cover at a moment of military and economic pressure.
Comparing the Narratives
What’s Next?
The Islamabad round has not fully collapsed, but it has lost its initial momentum. Araghchi’s possible return to Pakistan means Tehran does not want to shut down the mediation channel, while the return of part of the delegation to Tehran means the final decision still rests with the leadership, not the negotiating team. In return, Trump is using the cancellation as a pressure message: we will not wait in meeting rooms; call us when you are ready. The track now has three possibilities: a new indirect meeting through Pakistan, a return to the Oman channel, or tougher U.S. pressure if Washington concludes that Tehran is using the rounds to buy time.
