By Tom Ozimek

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi left Pakistan for Oman on Saturday without meeting U.S. negotiators. Araghchi met senior Pakistani officials in Islamabad, even as U.S. President Donald Trump abruptly canceled a planned visit by his envoys.

Iranian state-affiliated media outlet Fars reported on April 25 that Araghchi departed Islamabad for Muscat, the second stop on his regional tour, following meetings with Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and other officials.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry later confirmed that Araghchi had already arrived in Muscat, where he will meet with Omani officials for talks on bilateral relations and regional developments.

In a post on X, Araghchi described his visit to Pakistan as “very fruitful,” adding that he conveyed to Pakistani officials Iran’s position regarding a “workable framework to permanently end the war on Iran.”

“Have yet to see if the U.S. is truly serious about diplomacy,” he added.

The development came as Trump said he had called off a trip by U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Pakistan, citing a lack of progress in negotiations, as well as “infighting and confusion” on the part of the Iranian leadership.

“I just cancelled the trip of my representatives,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. “Too much time wasted on traveling, too much work! Besides which, there is tremendous infighting and confusion within their ‘leadership.’ Nobody knows who is in charge, including them.”

Trump added: “We have all the cards, they have none! If they want to talk, all they have to do is call.”

In a phone interview with Axios reporter Barak Ravid, Trump said that the decision did not necessarily signal a return to hostilities.

“No, it doesn’t mean that. We haven’t thought about it yet,” Trump said when asked whether the move implied a resumption of the war. Araghchi’s visit to Islamabad was part of a broader diplomatic push involving Pakistan as an intermediary between Washington and Tehran, amid efforts to find a negotiated settlement to the conflict. 

Video and official statements showed Araghchi meeting Sharif and Pakistani army chief Asim Munir, alongside other senior officials.

Sharif, in a post on social media, described the talks as “warm” and “cordial,” saying the two sides exchanged views on regional developments and ways to strengthen bilateral ties.

Ahead of Araghchi’s trip to Islamabad, Iranian officials had consistently signaled they were not planning direct engagement with Washington during the visit. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said late Friday that Tehran’s positions would be conveyed through Pakistan rather than through face-to-face talks with U.S. representatives.

The White House had initially said Witkoff and Kushner would travel to Islamabad for potential negotiations under a fragile ceasefire, with officials citing signs of progress and a possible Iranian proposal addressing U.S. demands.

The diplomatic push followed weeks of escalation after coordinated U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, prompting Tehran to retaliate by effectively blocking the Strait of Hormuz—a key route for global oil and gas shipments. The disruption has sharply reduced vessel traffic through the chokepoint, roiling energy markets and raising fears of prolonged supply shocks. Fatih Birol, head of the International Energy Agency, told CNBC the situation represents the “biggest energy security threat” the world has ever seen, with some 13 million barrels per day of oil lost and “major disruptions” in key commodities like fertilizer, highlighting the global stakes of the conflict.

Previous rounds of talks in Islamabad on April 11–12 failed to produce a breakthrough, and Trump had earlier extended a two-week ceasefire to allow more time for diplomacy.

War Pressure and Maritime Disruptions

The renewed diplomatic activity comes against the backdrop of an escalating U.S. pressure campaign targeting Iran’s economy and military capabilities, including a widening naval blockade of vessels linked to Iranian ports.

U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said this week that at least 34 ships had been turned back under the blockade, which Washington says is aimed at cutting off Tehran’s oil revenues and supply networks.

Military officials have expanded enforcement globally, boarding and seizing vessels suspected of transporting Iranian oil and tracking ships beyond the initial blockade zone.

Meanwhile, Iran’s restrictions on vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for global energy flows, have sharply constrained oil shipments. Just five vessels transited the strait in the past 24 hours, shipping data on April 24 showed, down from roughly 130 per day before hostilities erupted on Feb. 28.

The disruption has rattled energy markets, with Brent crude surging about 16 percent this week amid uncertainty over both the conflict and the prospects for a diplomatic settlement.

In an effort to ease domestic supply pressures, Trump on Friday extended a waiver of the Jones Act for 90 days, allowing foreign-flagged vessels to transport fuel between U.S. ports.

Meanwhile, even as diplomacy appears to be gaining momentum, regional tensions remain high. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said earlier this week that Israel was prepared to launch “different and deadlier” large-scale operations against Iran, pending U.S. approval.

Katz said the aims of the potential military operation would include further decimating Iran’s leadership and crippling the country’s critical infrastructure.