Despite showing initial progress, Iran-US talks in Islamabad collapsed, raising concerns about regional stability and the future of the West Asia conflict due to disagreements over Iran's nuclear programme and shifting demands.
Key Points
- Iran and the US failed to reach an agreement after talks in Islamabad aimed at resolving the West Asia conflict.
- Iran blames the US for 'maximalism' and 'shifting goalposts' leading to the collapse of the Islamabad talks.
- The US cites Iran's nuclear programme as a key sticking point in the failed negotiations.
- The failure of the talks casts doubt on the fragile ceasefire and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
- Iranian Parliament Speaker warns the US against threats, asserting Iran's resolve.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Sunday said "zero lessons earned" after hours of negotiations between the United States and Iran held in Pakistan as the "Islamabad MoU" ended in a stalemate, despite being close to a breakthrough.
He said Iran engaged in good faith during the discussions but faced "maximalism, shifting goalposts and blockade" from the US side, which led to the collapse of the talks.
In a post on X, Araghchi wrote, "In intensive talks at the highest level in 47 years, Iran engaged with the US in good faith to end the war. But when just inches away from "Islamabad MoU", we encountered maximalism, shifting goalposts, and blockade. Zero lessons earned. Good will begets goodwill. Enmity begets enmity."
Iranian Response to US Stance
Meanwhile, Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has said that recent threats issued by US President Donald Trump have "no effect on the Iranian nation," even as he signalled cautious progress in ongoing engagements between Iran and the United States.
According to remarks carried by Iranian state media and reported by Al Jazeera, Ghalibaf said Tehran had presented "very good initiatives" during talks with Washington, contributing to forward movement in the dialogue process.
"Trump's recent threats have no effect on the Iranian nation and issued a warning to the US president, saying, if you fight, we will fight, and if you come forward with logic, we will deal with logic," Ghalibaf said.
"We will not bow to any threats; let them test our will once again so that we can teach them a bigger lesson", he further said, reiterating Iran's firm stance against external pressure.
US Perspective on Failed Negotiations
The US and Iranian delegations left Pakistan on Sunday after the two sides failed to reach an agreement following historic talks in Islamabad to end the West Asia conflict that caused a global energy disruption.
US Vice President JD Vance, who led the American delegation, said the talks failed to reach a peace deal, citing Tehran not forgoing its nuclear programme as one of the key sticking points.
"We leave here with a very simple proposal, a method of understanding that this is our final and best offer. We'll see if the Iranians accept it," Vance said at a press conference after the talks. (ANI)
The failure to reach an agreement following face-to-face negotiations between the two sides raised doubts about the effectiveness of their fragile two-week ceasefire, as well as the prospect of reopening the Strait of Hormuz to stabilise the global energy market.
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