Iran FM Araghchi to revisit Pakistan amid fragile US ceasefire
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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is set to return to Pakistan after talks in Oman, as diplomatic efforts to sustain the US-Iran ceasefire entered their 19th day on Sunday, April 26.
Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported that Araghchi would travel to Islamabad before proceeding to Russia, with delegation members rejoining him there after Tehran consultations. CBS News, citing Pakistani sources, indicated an arrival on Sunday or Monday.
US President Donald Trump claimed "tremendous infighting" was paralysing Iran's leadership. "They are probably fighting for leadership," he told Fox News, later posting on Truth Social that "nobody knew who was in charge" amid the war-torn nation's turmoil.
Trump also stated the US Navy was clearing Iranian mines from the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil shipping lane whose blockage threatens world economic stability.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke by phone with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian after planned US-Iran talks in Islamabad were cancelled. In an X post, Sharif affirmed Pakistan's role as an "honest and sincere facilitator" committed to regional peace and stability.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Iranian negotiators had urged Trump to moderate his threats, believing a less confrontational tone would encourage Tehran's hardliners to negotiate.
Trump revealed receiving a "much better" new proposal from Iran within 10 minutes of cancelling a US delegation's Pakistan visit. "A significant amount of time and work had been wasted," he wrote on Truth Social, per Axios reports.
UN Office for Project Services executive director Jorge Moreira da Silva warned Al Jazeera that prolonged conflict could drive 45 million more people into hunger worldwide, citing potential disruptions to fertiliser supplies via the Strait of Hormuz.
Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held separate calls with his Iranian and Pakistani counterparts to discuss the latest developments, a Turkish Foreign Ministry source told Reuters.