US and Iran fail to reach peace deal after marathon talks in Pakistan
The United States and Iran concluded a 21-hour round of peace talks in Islamabad without reaching an agreement, leaving the future of the fragile ceasefire uncertain.
The talks, the highest-level direct engagement between the two countries in decades, aimed to end ongoing hostilities in the Middle East.
US Vice President JD Vance, who led the American delegation, stated that Iran chose not to accept the terms proposed by the US.
He emphasized that the US sought an affirmative commitment from Iran not to pursue nuclear weapons, a core objective of the negotiations.
No formal agreement was reached, and the ceasefire, initially agreed upon for two weeks, remains fragile.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar urged both parties to uphold the ceasefire and indicated that Pakistan would continue to facilitate dialogue between the US and Iran.
The failure of the talks is significant as it prolongs uncertainty in a region critical to global energy supplies and geopolitical stability.
The conflict has already disrupted oil production and trade routes, with Saudi Arabia restoring its key east-west oil pipeline following attacks attributed to Iran.
Iran's delegation, led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, presented red lines during the talks, including demands for compensation for damages caused by US and Israeli attacks and the release of frozen Iranian assets.
However, these demands were not accepted by the US side.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei described the talks as having fallen apart over differences on two or three important issues, including discussions related to the Strait of Hormuz.
However, he did not mention nuclear weapons in his comments.
The US delegation, accompanied by special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, maintained that the US had negotiated in good faith and presented a final offer.
Vice President Vance indicated that the US would await Iran's response to this proposal.
#USIrantalks #ceasefire #nuclearweapons #Pakistanmediation #MiddleEastconflict
