Trump cancels peace talks with Iran, citing US influence
President Donald Trump unilaterally canceled a diplomatic trip to Pakistan for peace talks with Iran, declaring that the US holds “all the cards” and that Iranian leaders could make a call at any time. Correspondent Matt Finn reports on the stalled negotiations, while retired Navy Captain Brent Sadler discusses the escalating US military deployment in the Strait of Hormuz and new economic sanctions on nearly 40 entities in Iran’s oil network in China.
Further signs of unrest are visible in the Iranian US negotiating team as hardliner Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf is set to be replaced by a veteran conservative known for rejecting nuclear concessions, reports show.
Iran International reported on April 24 that 60-year-old Saeed Jalili – already leading what has been described as a “shadow government” – is expected to succeed Ghalibaf following his sudden departure amid internal disputes.
Jalili also heads Iran’s ultra-hardline faction known as the Stability Front (Paydari), which is known as a “stronghold of ultra-conservatism in Iran,” according to reports.
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Jalili Saeed is expected to succeed Ghalibaf following his sudden departure amid internal disputes. (Majid Saeedi/Getty Images)
Ghalibaf was reportedly forced to resign after trying to bring the nuclear issue into talks with Washington, a move that sparked a backlash within Iran’s political establishment.
President Donald Trump had canceled plans for US envoys to travel to Pakistan for peace talks with Iran on April 25.
The rivalry between Jalili and Ghalibaf is said to have lasted for more than a decade and intensified during the 2024 elections, when Jalili refused to step aside, contributing to President Masoud Pezeshkian’s victory.
Safavi said: “The increased visibility of latent divisions stems from recurring nationwide uprisings, deep economic crises and the pressures of war, all of which have intensified internal feuds.
“Rather than signaling a transformation, these developments reflect accelerated erosion and mounting pressure, widening rifts and making the regime increasingly weak and vulnerable,” he added.
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Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf speaks during a press conference in Tehran, Iran, November 27, 2024. (Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS)
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is also seeking a continued leadership role in the negotiations, highlighting competing centers of influence on Iran’s diplomatic strategy, sources said.
Araghchi is in Islamabad, Pakistan, after returning from a short trip to Muscat, Oman, where he is holding high-level diplomatic talks on the conflict. Reports indicate that Araghchi will travel to Moscow.
However, Jalili’s possible appointment signals a hardening of Iran’s stance, with an emphasis on resistance rather than compromise.
“Within this regime there are a number of constants that are embraced by all factions,” Safavi said, before emphasizing that these were “repression, the export of terrorism and the pursuit of nuclear weapons.”
“The factions ultimately all follow a common path: maintaining power. They differ in methods, not in objectives,” Safavi warned.
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Jalili, meanwhile, served as Iran’s top nuclear negotiator under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad from 2007 to 2013 and later ran for president three times. (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Jalili, meanwhile, served as Iran’s top nuclear negotiator under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad from 2007 to 2013 and later ran for president three times. He also served as Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council.
A former member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), Jalili lost his right leg at the age of 21 during the Iran-Iraq War, earning him the title of “living martyr”.
The Paydari Front, with which he is associated, opposes involvement with the West – especially the 2015 nuclear deal – and advocates a doctrine of ‘active resistance’.
During Hassan Rouhani’s presidency, Jalili also established a “shadow government” to counter the government’s policies, especially the nuclear deal.
On April 7, he wrote of
A day earlier, he posted: “‘Shut up’ is not the right answer to Trump’s chatter; let him talk more. Nothing is more effective at exposing the true nature of the United States than Trump’s outbursts.”
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“In dealing with this regime,” Safavi said, “we must keep in mind that in the 45 years since the mullahs consolidated their rule in 1981 by destroying all peaceful political life, so-called reformists have ruled for almost half of that time – and presided over some of the darkest crimes.”
“These include the massacre of 30,000 political prisoners in 1988, the murder of dissidents abroad, the chain murders of intellectuals in Iran and the ruthless pursuit of nuclear weapons.”
