A historic attempt to thaw decades of frozen diplomacy ended in deadlock this Sunday as high-level negotiations between the Iran and United States collapsed. The talks, held in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan, concluded without a breakthrough following an intense, 21-hour continuous session. This summit represented the most significant face-to-face engagement between the two adversaries since 1979 but ultimately failed.
The Iranian delegation, spearheaded by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, maintained a firm stance against what they characterized as “excessive” American demands. On the opposite side, the United States delegation, led by Vice President JD Vance and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, sought long-term nuclear guarantees. The diplomatic marathon was facilitated by a Pakistani hosting team led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir.
Before departing Islamabad early Sunday, Vice President Vance delivered a blunt assessment of the failure. “The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement, and I think that’s bad news for Iran much more than it’s bad news for the United States of America,” Vance stated.
Key points included the unfreezing of Iranian assets, control and security of the Strait of Hormuz, and concerns surrounding uranium enrichment and its regulatory framework, among other issues.
Iranian media reported that negotiations between Iran and the United States concluded without a deal after 21 hours of discussions in Islamabad, Pakistan, with the talks taking place following the 40-day imposed war on Iran.
Following the conclusion of U.S.–Iran talks in Islamabad without any agreement, Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said that although Iran entered the negotiations with “good faith and will,” past experiences of conflict meant there was no trust in the opposing side.
He stated that members of the Iranian delegation presented forward-looking initiatives during the 21-hour discussions, but the United States ultimately failed to gain the trust of the Iranian side in this round of talks. He added that the United States now needs to decide whether it can build that trust moving forward.
Ghalibaf emphasized that diplomacy remains one of Iran’s approaches, alongside military efforts, to uphold the rights of the nation, adding that efforts to consolidate the gains of the recent 40-day conflict would continue.
He also expressed gratitude to Pakistan for facilitating the negotiations and thanked the Iranian public for their support, along with the delegation involved in the intensive talks.