Trump Cancels Iran Talks, Demands Phone Call

Trump offered several explanations. He cited "tremendous infighting and confusion within their leadership" and said Iran's decision-making structure was too opaque to negotiate with effectively. "Nobody knows who is in charge, including them," he posted on his social media platform early on 25 April. He added that the United States held all the leverage in the standoff. "We have all the cards, they have none." His message to Tehran was direct: if Iran wants to talk, it should call Washington, not wait for U.S. envoys to travel.

“He cited "tremendous infighting and confusion within their leadership" and said Iran's decision-making structure was too opaque to negotiate with effectively.”

Iran's Foreign Ministry rejected the framing within hours. Spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said on 25 April that "no meeting is planned to take place between Iran and the U.S." — a statement issued before Tehran had time to formally respond to Trump's cancellation, suggesting Iranian officials had already concluded the round was unlikely to succeed.

The timing is significant. A two-week-old U.S. naval blockade has prevented at least 38 ships from entering or leaving Iranian ports, according to reporting by CNN on 26 April. American naval vessels have been directing commercial traffic to turn around or return to port, squeezing Iran's oil exports and import supply chains. The blockade is the most direct economic pressure the U.S. has applied since the conflict began, and its continuation while talks stall increases the strain on Iran's government.

Pakistan's role as mediator was already strained before Trump's cancellation. Pakistani officials had been managing the talks largely through back-channel communications, and the government in Islamabad had invested political capital in positioning itself as an indispensable intermediary. Pakistani foreign ministry officials described the situation on 26 April as "alive but fragile" — diplomatic language for a process close to collapse.

The immediate consequence of Trump's decision was Iran's pivot toward Moscow. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who had arrived in Islamabad expecting to participate in the third round, departed the Pakistani capital on 26 April and flew to Oman before continuing to Moscow. He is scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on 27 April, a meeting that signals Tehran is seeking to shore up external support as U.S. pressure intensifies.

The ceasefire that took effect on 8 April remains formally in place, though both sides have reported violations. Partial normalisation has occurred in some regions — the Kermanshah airport in Iran announced it would resume commercial flights on 27 April — but the overall trajectory of U.S.-Iran relations is now pointing in the wrong direction. The naval blockade continues. Talks are paused. And Iran's foreign minister is flying to the one country with both the motive and the capacity to help Tehran resist American pressure.

Trump's next move is the open question. Having publicly demanded that Iran call Washington, the president has given Tehran a face-saving off-ramp — the ability to frame any resumption of talks as Iran choosing to negotiate rather than being summoned. Whether Iran's leadership uses that opening or treats it as another precondition depends on internal decisions in Tehran that U.S. analysts say they cannot read with confidence.