United States President Donald Trump has cancelled a planned trip by American envoys to Pakistan for talks aimed at de-escalating tensions with Iran, despite extending a ceasefire that had been set to expire on 22 April. Diplomatic efforts have stalled amid a standoff over the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has restricted shipping following United States and Israeli strikes in February. The United States has increased its naval presence in the vital oil transit route to counter Iranian actions.

Although the White House previously said Iran was willing to negotiate, Tehran denied plans for direct talks. Trump insisted the ceasefire would hold and said cancelling the trip did not mean the war would resume, citing internal divisions within Iran's leadership. He also claimed the United States held the upper hand and urged Iran to initiate contact if it wanted discussions.

Pakistan has recently acted as a mediator, hosting earlier talks that ended without agreement. Iran's foreign minister described his visit to Islamabad as productive but questioned whether Washington was serious about diplomacy. The conflict was sparked by concerns from the United States and Israel over Iran's nuclear programme, which Tehran maintains is for peaceful energy purposes despite enriching uranium to near weapons-grade levels.