PAKISTAN’S political and military leadership scrambled today to restart ceasefire talks between the United States and Iran after US President Donald Trump told envoys not to travel to Islamabad for negotiations this weekend.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi left Pakistan’s capital on Saturday for Oman, which previously mediated between Iran and the US, but returned to Islamabad today ahead of a visit to Moscow, Iranian state media said. 

Pakistani officials, speaking anonymously, were unable to say when US representatives might return.

The White House said on Friday that it would dispatch US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Mr Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner to Islamabad for a second round of talks.

But shortly after Mr Araghchi’s departure was reported, the US president said he had called off the mission because of a lack of progress with Iran. “They can call us any time they want,” he said.

Last week, Mr Trump indefinitely extended the ceasefire agreed on April 7. The truce has largely halted the fighting that began with joint US-Israeli strikes on February 28, but a deal to permanently end the war, which has killed thousands of people and shaken the global economy, remains elusive.

Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for shipments of oil, liquified natural gas, fertiliser and other goods to almost all vessels, while the US navy is enforcing a blockade of Iranian ports.

Tehran wants to persuade Oman to support a mechanism to collect tolls from vessels passing through the strait, according to a regional official involved in mediation efforts.

The anonymous official said that Iran is insisting on an end to the US blockade before a new round of talks and that Pakistan-led mediators are trying to bridge significant gaps between the countries.

Even before Saturday’s developments, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said any talks would be indirect, with Pakistani officials serving as go-betweens.

Iran’s joint military command warned on Saturday that “if the US continues its aggressive military actions, including naval blockades, banditry, and piracy,” it would face a “strong response.”

Mr Trump ordered his military last week to “shoot and kill” at small boats that could be placing mines.

He claimed on Saturday that within 10 minutes of him cancelling the Witkoff-Kushner mission to Islamabad, Iran had sent a “much better” proposal.

In Lebanon, the ceasefire between Israel and Iranian-backed resistance group Hezbollah has been extended for three weeks — but today Israel’s military warned Lebanese living in seven southern towns to flee their homes ahead of strikes in the area.