LIVE! Iranian delegation leaves Pakistan; Trump cancels US team's visit

Amid the stalled negotiations with Iran, US President Donald Trump said the Iranians sent over a new peace proposal, but that it “could have been better,” and rejected it.

“They gave us a paper that could have been better, and interestingly, immediately when I cancelled it, within 10 minutes we got a new paper that was much better,” Trump said to reporters on Saturday before boarding Air Force One to return to Washington from Florida.

The President wouldn't offer specifics about what was in the latest proposal other than saying “they offered a lot.” But he stressed that one of his conditions is that Iran “will not have a nuclear weapon.”

As Araghchi left Pakistan, US President Donald Trump announced that US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would no longer be going to Islamabad for talks with Iran, contending that Washington held all the cards on the matter.

“I just cancelled the trip of my representatives,” to Islamabad to meet with the Iranians, Trump posted on Truth Social.

“Too much time wasted on travelling, too much work! Besides which, there is tremendous infighting and confusion within their “leadership.” Nobody knows who is in charge, including them. Also, we have all the cards, they have none! If they want to talk, all they have to do is call!!!” he added.

Trump told Fox News that it’s not worth the US delegation making the 18-hour flight to Pakistan when the US holds all the cards in the conflict with Iran.

He added that the Iranians can call the US at any time they want.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi left Islamabad on Saturday (April 25) after holding discussions with Pakistan's top leaders and sharing with them Tehran's list of demands to permanently end the war, raising uncertainty over the future of second round of peace talks with the US.

Araghchi, who arrived in Islamabad late Friday, met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir and other top officials.

“Very fruitful visit to Pakistan, whose good offices and brotherly efforts to bring back peace to our region we very much value. Shared Iran's position concerning workable framework to permanently end the war on Iran. Have yet to see if the US is truly serious about diplomacy,” Araghchi said in a post on X.

In a statement, PM Shehbaz said he had “a most warm, cordial exchange of views on the current regional situation. We also discussed matters of mutual interest, including the further strengthening of Pakistan-Iran bilateral relations.”

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and other senior officials were also present in the meeting.

Dar said PM Shahbaz emphasised the importance of dialogue and diplomacy for peace and stability in the region and beyond during the meeting, which lasted around two hours.

Soon after, PM Shehbaz dialled Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and discussed the evolving regional situation.

He appreciated Iran’s continued engagement and "reaffirmed that, with the support of friends and partners, Pakistan remains committed to serving as an honest and sincere facilitator - working tirelessly to advance durable peace and lasting stability in the region."

"During their warm and cordial conversation that lasted fifty minutes, the two leaders had a detailed exchange of views on the current regional situation and ongoing efforts to promote peace and stability in the region," the prime minister's office said.

While reassuring the Iranian President of Pakistan's firm commitment to regional peace, PM Shehbaz said that Pakistan would continue its sincere and honest endeavours to promote regional peace and security.

"Both leaders agreed to continue their close coordination," the PM Office said.

Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that the Foreign Minister presented Tehran’s official stance on ending the US-Israeli war and reinforcing regional stability to Pakistan's Army Chief Munir on Saturday.

The US Navy has two littoral combat ships in the West Asia that are capable of sweeping for mines, said a defence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military movements.

Two US Avenger-class minesweepers based in Japan also have departed for the West Asia but were in the Pacific Ocean as of Friday (April 25), the official said.

Steven Wills, a retired lieutenant commander who served on an Avenger-class ship, said the Navy is likely looking for sea explosives to create a safe channel through the strait. Minesweeping is a slower process that usually occurs after a conflict.

Scott Savitz, a researcher with the RAND Corp. who focuses on naval operations and mine clearing, said the Navy does not necessarily have to remove every last mine.

US Navy ships may also have explosive ordnance disposal teams, including divers, that can hunt for and destroy mines, Wills said. Helicopters can search for mines using lasers.

Estimates of Iran's mine stockpiles are in the low thousands, said Emma Salisbury, a scholar at the Foreign Policy Research Institute's National Security Program. Most of its underwater explosives are believed to be older Soviet models. Some of its newer ones may be from China or made domestically.

Iran also has small submarines that can lay mines and are much harder to detect, Salisbury added. She said she has not seen indications that they have been destroyed in the war.

If Iran has set mines in the strait, they are not the spiky balls floating on the surface seen in the movies, Salisbury said. The explosives are likely sitting on the seabed or moored to it by a cable and floating under the surface. They can be triggered by the water pressure changing when a ship passes or by the sound of its engine.