High-stakes negotiations between the United States and Iran ended without agreement in Islamabad after more than 21 hours of marathon talks, marking the breakdown of the first direct senior-level engagement between the two countries in over 47 years. While both sides acknowledged that diplomatic channels remain open, the talks exposed deep and unresolved divisions over Iran's nuclear programme, leaving a fragile regional situation unresolved.

The negotiations took place in two rounds of closed sessions. An initial exploratory phase focused on confidence-building and the continuation of an existing ceasefire, while a longer, more technical second round brought in specialist experts to address issues including the Strait of Hormuz — the critical waterway through which a significant share of the world's oil passes — as well as Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes and frozen Iranian assets abroad. The two sides exchanged competing frameworks: a 15-point American proposal versus a 10-point Iranian counter-plan, reflecting the scale of the gap between their positions.

The American delegation, led by Vice President JD Vance and including advisers Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner as well as CENTCOM commander General Brad Cooper, pressed for what officials described as six firm