Second US-Iran Talks Collapse Again; Trump Says Better Offer Came After Pakistan Trip Was Canceled

A second round of U.S.-Iran talks expected this weekend has collapsed. President Donald Trump said April 25 that he remains open to talks with Iran at any time after the latest breakdown. The failure of a second attempt underscores how wide the gap between the two sides remains. Still, hopes for face-to-face talks later in the week persist after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was set to return to Pakistan on April 26.

Trump wrote on Truth Social that he had canceled a planned trip to Pakistan by a U.S. delegation consisting of Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law. He also kept up pressure on Tehran, saying the U.S. holds "all the cards."

"Too much time is wasted in traveling, and there is much to do," Trump wrote. "Their 'leadership' is embroiled in tremendous infighting and confusion. Nobody, including them, knows who is actually in charge." He added that "we have all the cards, and they have no cards," and said Iran can "just call" if it wants to talk.

Trump later told reporters before boarding Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport in Florida to return to the White House that Iran is mired in infighting. But he also said he would negotiate with anyone if necessary, reaffirming his willingness to engage.

Asked what had changed between "yesterday and today" to prompt the cancellation of the delegation's Pakistan trip, Trump said "nothing." He said only that "they should have brought us a better document." He also claimed that less than 10 minutes after he canceled the trip, the U.S. received a much better new document.

The remarks came after it was confirmed that Araghchi had left Pakistan on April 25 after staying in Islamabad, the capital of the mediator country. A day earlier, the White House had said the U.S. delegation would depart for Pakistan on the morning of April 25 for face-to-face talks with Iran.

That had fueled expectations that a second round of talks would resume. For now, however, another in-person meeting this weekend appears effectively out of reach. The U.S. and Iran held a first round of talks in Islamabad on April 11 but failed to reach an agreement. A second round had been scheduled for April 22, but it did not take place after the Iranian side did not attend. With this weekend's talks also scrapped, the two sides still appear far from narrowing their differences.

Iran has consistently maintained that it had no plans to hold direct talks with the U.S. in Pakistan. Araghchi, who arrived in Pakistan on April 24, met Pakistani officials including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and conveyed Iran's position on ending the war. He then left for Oman on April 25.

Araghchi wrote on social media that during the Pakistan visit he had shared Iran's position on "a workable framework" for ending the war. He added that "it remains to be seen" whether the U.S. is genuinely serious about diplomacy, signaling that conditions for talks have yet to take shape.

Still, The Washington Post reported that a U.S. official who asked not to be identified said Iran had confirmed it would attend direct talks, despite Tehran's public position that there would be no such meeting. Otherwise, the official said, Washington would not have scheduled the delegation's trip to Pakistan.

The back-and-forth highlights how far apart the two sides remain on key issues including the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's nuclear program. They have yet to find common ground on matters such as the length of any halt in uranium enrichment, how stockpiles would be handled and how the Strait of Hormuz would be managed.

Even as Trump increases pressure on Iran, he has left room for dialogue. Attention is also turning to whether talks could resume after Iranian state media reported that Araghchi plans to visit Pakistan again after his Oman trip and before heading to Russia.

State-run IRNA reported April 25, citing the Foreign Ministry, that Araghchi is "scheduled to visit Pakistan again after completing his Oman trip and before heading to Russia." His original itinerary had been Pakistan, Oman and Russia, but he is now set to return to Pakistan after leaving for Oman.

IRNA said part of the delegation led by Araghchi returned to Tehran to discuss the war-ending process and receive necessary instructions.

They are set to rejoin Araghchi in Islamabad on the night of April 26. Why he is returning to Pakistan, despite his previously known schedule, remains unclear.

Oh Jung-min, Hankyung.com reporter blooming@hankyung.com