US, Iran talks in Pakistan fail to reach agreement
The United States and Iran have failed to reach an agreement after 21 hours of high-stakes discussions in Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital.
The main sticking points include control of the Strait of Hormuz and disagreements over Iran’s nuclear programme.
JD Vance, US vice-president, said Tehran refused to accept Washington’s terms on the two issues during negotiations.
“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 said.
Vance said Iran chose “not to accept our terms”, adding that the US needs to see a “fundamental commitment” from Tehran not to develop nuclear weapons.
“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,” he said.
Al Jazeera reports that Vance’s departure does not necessarily mean negotiations have ended.
The US has been negotiating with Iran over time and talks could continue remotely.
Washington is demanding not only a pledge from Tehran not to develop nuclear weapons but also not to pursue the means to do so.
Similar gaps made negotiations in the mid-2010s take years to conclude.
Iran’s ministry of foreign affairs said it did not expect an agreement to be reached in a single session.
“Naturally, from the beginning, we should not have expected to reach an agreement in a single session. No one had such an expectation,” Esmaeil Baghaei, spokesman for Iran foreign ministry said.
Baghaei said Tehran is confident that contacts with Pakistan and other regional allies will continue.
Iranian officials did not disclose technical details or contentious points from the talks.
Ishaq Dar, foreign minister of Pakistan, called on both countries to uphold the ceasefire and continue efforts towards lasting peace.
“On behalf of Pakistan, I would like to express gratitude to the two sides for appreciating Pakistan’s efforts to achieve a ceasefire and its mediator role,” Dar said.
“We hope that the two sides continue with a positive spirit to achieve durable peace and prosperity for the entire region and beyond.”
The US and Israel launched a war on Iran on February 28, escalating tensions across the Middle East.
The conflict has resulted in more than 2,000 deaths and widespread damage to military and civilian infrastructure.
The war began despite multiple rounds of negotiations, with mediators previously saying a deal was within reach.
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