They ended without an agreement in Islamabad, despite the record duration of 21 hours.
US Vice President Jay D. Vance has announced the failure of negotiations, confirming that the US delegation is returning to Washington without an agreement to end the war in the Middle East.
He argued that Washington had made “the final and best offer” to Tehran, leaving open the possibility of a review by the Iranian side.
Washington’s hard line on the nuclear program
Vance made it clear that the US requires an explicit and long-term commitment that Tehran will not develop nuclear weapons.
This position is in line with the strategy of President Donald Trump, who has set as a basic condition for any agreement the complete abandonment of Iran’s nuclear ambitions. The absence of such a commitment was, according to the American side, the main reason for the impasse.
Tehran: “Irrational demands” from the US
For its part, Tehran confirmed the end of the talks, attributing the failure to “absurd demands” by the US. The negotiations, which were brokered by Pakistan, were considered historic as they took place at an unprecedented level of contacts since the Islamic Revolution in Iran.
Critical issues such as the nuclear program, the lifting of sanctions, security in the Strait of Hormuz and the prospect of a permanent ceasefire were on the table.
The Strait of Hormuz and the shadow on the global economy
Although not a central point of the Vance statements, the Strait of Hormuz remains a critical factor in tension. This sea artery, vital to the world’s energy supply, remains essentially closed, causing turmoil in the markets.
The US has already deployed naval forces to the region for demining operations, while the Revolutionary Guards warn of a harsh response to any attempted crossing.
War without end and a heavy reckoning
The failure of the talks comes at a time when the war, which began on February 28 at the initiative of Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump, has already caused thousands of casualties and severe effects on the global economy.
The situation in Lebanon is particularly dramatic, where clashes with Hezbollah continue despite a ceasefire. The dead exceed 2,000, while the injured amount to thousands.
Uncertain next step
Despite the wreck, the US side is leaving a window of time for Tehran to reconsider the submitted proposal. However, public positions from both sides show deep divergences that make an immediate restart of negotiations difficult.
Tehran noted today that “no one expected” that Iran and the US would reach an agreement in the first round of negotiations held in Pakistan.
“It was clear from the beginning that we should not expect to reach an agreement in just one (negotiation) session. “No one expected” this, Iranian diplomatic spokesman Esmail Bagaei told Iran’s state-run IRIB TV after news broke of the failure of talks between the two sides in Islamabad to end the war in the Middle East.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Bagaei also said “I am sure that our contacts with Pakistan, as well as with our other friends in the region, will continue.”
