Both sides blamed the other for the collapse of peace talks in Islamabad on Sunday after a marathon session failed to produce a deal to end the war sparked six weeks earlier by US‑Israeli attacks on Iran.
US officials said negotiations broke down because Iran would not commit to abandoning its nuclear program. Iranian leaders, however, blamed Washington for the failure without detailing specific disputes.
“We need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon, and they will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon,” Vice President JD Vance said after the talks.
Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Iran’s parliamentary speaker and head of its delegation, said the responsibility now lies with Washington. “It is time for the United States to decide whether it can gain our trust,” he said.
The Islamabad meeting was the first face‑to‑face talks between the two countries in more than a decade and the highest‑level engagement since Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution. The talks followed a ceasefire agreed earlier in the week.
Iran’s Tasnim news agency said what it called “excessive” US demands blocked progress. Other Iranian outlets reported agreement on some issues but deep divisions over Iran’s nuclear program and control of the Strait of Hormuz. Following the collapse of talks, US President Donald Trump announced the US Navy would blockade the strait.
A Foreign Ministry spokesperson in Tehran described the atmosphere as marked by mistrust and cautioned that a single session was never likely to yield a final agreement.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar urged both sides to preserve the ceasefire, calling it “imperative” for continued peace efforts.
“We leave here with a very simple proposal, a method of understanding that is our final and best offer. We will see if the Iranians accept it,” Vance said before departing Pakistan.
Analysts say several difficult issues remain unresolved and were unlikely to be settled in one meeting. Fatemeh Aman, an Iran‑Pakistan expert and senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, said the conflict is structural rather than merely tactical: the US sought limits on Iran’s nuclear program, regional de‑escalation and secure navigation, while Iran demanded sanctions relief, recognition and protections. “Their core objectives did not align,” Aman said.
Farwa Aamer, director of South Asia initiatives at the Asia Society Policy Institute, said the talks opened a dialogue but that reaching a shared understanding will require a longer process. According to Aman, Washington wanted concessions first; Tehran wanted relief first. With little trust and competing leverage, neither side moved. “The talks failed because their end goals, not just tactics, were fundamentally incompatible,” she said.
Despite the breakdown, analysts are cautiously optimistic the ceasefire can hold, helped by backchannel diplomacy. Aman called the truce fragile and temporary, shaped by caution and short‑term calculations rather than a political settlement. “Both sides are managing the situation rather than resolving it,” she said.
Talks in Islamabad began days after a fragile ceasefire was declared in a conflict that has killed thousands and unsettled global markets. Aamer stressed the importance of keeping mediation channels open and the truce intact.
Vance did not specify whether the two‑week ceasefire would be extended. Aman warned of the risk of gradual erosion: local incidents, miscalculations or actions by allied groups could test restraint. Without follow‑up diplomatic work, she said, the ceasefire lacks long‑term stability.
Analysts expect more talks eventually but not immediately. Neither side wants to appear to concede after a failed round, so there will likely be a pause while both reassess positions and leverage. If negotiations resume, they may begin with narrower technical steps to reduce risk without demanding major concessions. Quiet diplomacy and mediation are expected to remain important, contingent on how Washington and Tehran choose their next moves.
Edited by Ben Knight
