U.S. President Donald Trump has abruptly cancelled a planned trip by American envoys to Islamabad, Pakistan, where they were expected to hold indirect talks with Iranian representatives, citing wasted time, internal Iranian disarray, and a strong U.S. negotiating position.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump confirmed the decision, writing: “I just cancelled the trip of my representatives going to Islamabad, Pakistan, to meet with the Iranians. Too much time wasted on traveling, too much work!”
He added that “tremendous infighting and confusion” within Iran’s leadership has left nobody clear on who is in charge, and emphasized America’s dominant position.
“Besides which, there is tremendous infighting and confusion within their ‘leadership.’ Nobody knows who is in charge, including them. Also, we have all the cards, they have none! If they want to talk, all they have to do is call!!!”
The cancellation marks a sharp shift in diplomatic mechanics for what had appeared to be an effort to engage Tehran through back-channel or third-party mediation in Pakistan.
Such indirect formats are common when direct U.S.-Iran talks are politically or logistically difficult, particularly amid ongoing tensions over Iran’s nuclear program, regional proxies, and sanctions.
The move comes amid heightened regional volatility. Analysts have noted persistent factional rivalries inside Iran, especially between hardline elements of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and more pragmatic factions within the government, which have complicated Tehran’s foreign policy coherence in recent years.
No immediate comment was available from the State Department or Pakistani officials on the cancelled trip. Iranian state media has yet to respond to Trump’s post.
