Trip cancellation a sign of how far apart the sides arepublished at 17:23 BST
Joe Inwood
World news correspondent
There had been little hope for any diplomatic breakthroughs this weekend. Now, what little there was is gone entirely.
The proposed US delegation, led by Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, already lacked the weight of the vice-president. JD Vance was “on standby”, but was not going to be initially involved.
The fact that even the lower-level team have now cancelled their trip is a sign of how far apart the sides are.
Speaking yesterday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said “we hope that positive developments will come from this meeting” – despite the fact Tehran had flatly denied any meeting was even planned.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi did travel to Pakistan – which has been mediating – but only for bilateral talks with the hosts. His statements after that meeting didn’t give much, if anything, away, but they did give the sense that Iran has not shifted dramatically from its previous positions.
As well as thanking his Pakistani hosts, he said he set out Iran’s “views and considerations” and expressed “readiness to continue Pakistan’s mediation efforts until a result is achieved”. In short, we’re ready to negotiate, but don’t expect capitulation.
The primary sticking point seems to remain the Strait of Hormuz, that crucial waterway which both sides are now partially blockading. The fact that an issue that was not even on the agenda before the war started is now front and centre, suggests that a lasting resolution to this war is a long way away.
