April 25, 2026
President Donald Trump said he ordered envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff not to proceed with a planned trip to Islamabad for talks with Iranian officials, halting their roughly 18-hour flight. Speaking to Fox News and posting on Truth Social, Trump portrayed the United States as holding the leverage and said Tehran could pick up negotiations if it wished, while criticizing Iranian leadership for internal divisions.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi left Islamabad after meeting Pakistani officials but did not hold direct talks with the US envoys. Tehran has publicly dismissed direct negotiations with US representatives and questioned whether Washington is genuinely committed to diplomacy. Iranian state media reported that part of Araghchi’s delegation returned to Tehran to consult on ending the conflict and would rejoin him in Islamabad; Araghchi is due to visit Oman next and then Russia.
Pakistan reiterated its role as mediator. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Islamabad remains committed to acting as an honest, sincere facilitator to help reach lasting peace and that he had spoken with Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian. In Islamabad, Araghchi held meetings with Pakistan’s army chief, Asim Munir, and other senior officials.
Amid the diplomatic movement, Iran’s Defense Ministry and military issued stern warnings. They said they would respond if a reported US naval blockade of Iranian ports continued, condemning the blockade as banditry and piracy. Officials also asserted that Iran retains a substantial missile inventory and that domestic arms production continues, though those claims cannot be independently verified.
At home, President Pezeshkian urged citizens to conserve electricity because of severe supply shortfalls, blaming infrastructure attacks and what he described as an economic siege. Commercial flights resumed from Tehran’s international airport for the first time since the conflict began, with state television reporting services to Istanbul, Muscat and Medina.
Regional and international developments connected to the conflict included:
– Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon that Lebanese authorities say killed four people, despite a ceasefire that had been extended; Israel warned residents not to return to areas near the border.
– Turkey signaled it could consider joining multinational efforts to clear mines from the Strait of Hormuz if a peace agreement is reached, while emphasizing it would not participate in operations that would make it a party to renewed fighting.
– Germany announced plans to pre-deploy a minehunting vessel and a command-and-supply ship to the Mediterranean as preparation for a possible role in securing the Strait of Hormuz, subject to a sustained ceasefire, a legal mandate and parliamentary approval.
Other notable items: Iran said it executed a man identified by semi-official media as Erfan Kiani, accusing him of working for Israel’s Mossad and of involvement in vandalism and violence during January anti-government protests; Iranian authorities have increased the number of executions in recent weeks. Iranian state media and officials have cited US naval actions and pressure on ports as factors behind Tehran’s reluctance to enter direct talks.
A ceasefire mediated by Pakistan has kept large-scale fighting largely on hold since April 8, but efforts to translate the pause into a durable settlement continue to be hampered by deep mistrust, competing demands and uncertainty over whether either side will make the concessions needed for lasting peace.