The MSC Francesca ship is seen during seizure by the IRGC in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran, in this image obtained by Reuters on April 24, 2026. Meysam Mirzadeh\/Tasnim\/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS<\/p>\n
US-Iran Peace Hopes Fade As Trump Scraps Talks<\/p>\n
By Saad Sayeed, Ariba Shahid and Steve Holland<\/p>\n
ISLAMABAD\/WASHINGTON, April 26 (Reuters)\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Hopes of a diplomatic breakthrough in the\u00a0U.S.-Israeli war with Iran\u00a0faded on Sunday, as efforts to revive talks stalled and both Tehran and Washington showed little sign of softening their positions.<\/p>\n
While Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi continued to shuttle between mediating countries over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump scrapped a visit to Islamabad by his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.<\/p>\n
U.S. forces removed security equipment from the Pakistani capital, Pakistani government sources said, signalling that any U.S. delegation was unlikely to return for talks soon.<\/p>\n
Although a ceasefire has paused full?scale fighting in the conflict, which began with U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, no agreement has been reached on terms to end a war that has killed thousands, driven up oil prices, fuelled inflation and darkened the outlook for global growth.<\/p>\n
Tehran has largely closed the<\/p>\n
, which normally carries a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, while Washington has imposed a<\/p>\n
IRAN SAYS U.S. SHOULD REMOVE MARITIME BLOCKADE<\/p>\n
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif by phone that Tehran would not enter \u201cimposed negotiations\u201d under threats or<\/p>\n
, according to a statement from the Iranian government.<\/p>\n
He said the United States should first remove obstacles, including its maritime blockade, before negotiators could begin laying the groundwork for a settlement.<\/p>\n
Araqchi nevertheless described his visit to mediator Pakistan as \u201cvery fruitful.\u201d After leaving Islamabad he flew to Oman \u2013 another mediator in the war \u2013 where\u00a0he held talks\u00a0about the war with the country\u2019s leader, Haitham bin Tariq al-Said.<\/p>\n
The two sides discussed security in the<\/p>\n
and Araqchi called for a regional security framework free of outside interference, according to an Iranian foreign ministry statement.<\/p>\n
He was due to return to Pakistan on Sunday, before heading to Russia, Iranian news agencies reported.<\/p>\n
Speaking in Florida before being\u00a0rushed out\u00a0of the White House Correspondents\u2019 Association dinner in Washington, Trump said he cancelled his envoys\u2019 visit due to too much travel and expense for what he considered an inadequate Iranian offer.<\/p>\n
Iran \u201coffered a lot, but not enough,\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n
An earlier round of talks in Islamabad \u2013 in which Vice President JD Vance led the U.S. delegation opposite Iran\u2019s parliamentary speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf \u2013 ended without agreement.<\/p>\n
After the latest diplomatic trip was called off, two U.S. Air Force C-17s carrying security staff, equipment and vehicles used to protect U.S. officials flew out of Pakistan, two Pakistani government sources told Reuters on Sunday.<\/p>\n
TRUMP SAYS IRAN\u2019S LEADERSHIP IN DISARRAY<\/p>\n
On Truth Social, Trump wrote that there was \u201ctremendous infighting and confusion\u201d within Iran\u2019s leadership.<\/p>\n
\u201cNobody knows who is in charge, including them,\u201d he posted. \u201cAlso,<\/p>\n
we have all the cards<\/p>\n
, they have none! If they want to talk, all they have to do is call!!!\u201d<\/p>\n
Pezeshkian said last week there were \u201cno hardliners or moderates\u201d in Tehran and that the country stood united behind its supreme leader.<\/p>\n
The war has destabilised the Middle East \u2013 Iran has struck its Gulf neighbours and conflict between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon has been reignited.<\/p>\n
Israel\u2019s military\u00a0issued new evacuation orders\u00a0for southern Lebanon on Sunday, ordering residents to leave seven towns beyond the \u201cbuffer zone\u201d it occupied before a ceasefire that has failed to bring a full halt to hostilities.<\/p>\n
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 202<\/p>\n