Negotiations between the United States and Iran concluded in Islamabad on Sunday without a final agreement after roughly 21 hours of talks, though both sides acknowledged significant progress had been made. The talks, hosted by Pakistan amid a fragile two-week ceasefire following 40 days of conflict sparked by US-Israeli strikes on Iran, saw senior delegations attend — including US Vice President J.D. Vance and Iran's foreign minister and parliament speaker — signalling that both parties were treating the process seriously. Pakistan's opposition party PTI (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf) expressed cautious optimism, noting that only a handful of issues remain unresolved and urging all parties to uphold the ceasefire while diplomacy continues, with key sticking points including Iran's nuclear programme and control over the Strait of Hormuz (a critical global oil shipping lane).
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US-Iran talks in Islamabad end without deal as Pakistan's PTI urges cautious optimism[Updated]
Pakistani officials are now expecting a "major breakthrough on the nuclear front," according to Al Jazeera sources, with delegates continuing to relay messages between Washington and Tehran as the two sides narrow differences. The central sticking points have been identified as the duration of any Iranian enrichment freeze and the fate of Iran's stockpile of approximately 440 kilograms of highly enriched uranium. Field Marshal Munir's message from Washington also included updates linked to ceasefire efforts in Lebanon, and a source close to the delegation said Iran was awaiting an Israeli announcement on a Lebanon ceasefire before deciding its response. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has simultaneously embarked on a four-day diplomatic tour to Riyadh, Doha, and Istanbul, with a scheduled meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as the US publicly praised Pakistan as "incredible mediators."
The White House confirmed Wednesday that any second round of US-Iran negotiations would likely be held again in Islamabad, though officials stopped short of announcing a decision to resume talks. Regional officials told the Associated Press that the two sides had reached an "in principle agreement" to extend the ceasefire beyond its expiration next week, allowing more time for diplomacy, though they spoke on condition of anonymity. The US naval blockade of Iranian ports remained in effect, with the Trump administration warning of sweeping new economic sanctions targeting countries doing business with Iran, describing the measure as the "financial equivalent" of a bombing campaign.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi personally received Field Marshal Munir at the airport upon his arrival in Tehran, according to images released by Iran's foreign ministry and distributed by the West Asia News Agency, a gesture underscoring the significance Tehran is attaching to Pakistan's mediation role. The delegation's meetings with Iranian leadership are ongoing, with no further details yet released on the specific agenda or which Iranian officials beyond Araqchi are participating in the discussions.
Pakistan's diplomatic push intensified Wednesday as Field Marshal Asim Munir, in his joint role as Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff, arrived in Tehran alongside a formal delegation and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, with the Inter-Services Public Relations directorate confirming the visit was part of "ongoing mediation efforts." Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei confirmed that several messages had been exchanged through Pakistan since Sunday, and said Tehran was expecting the Pakistani delegation as a continuation of the Islamabad discussions. Baqaei also offered Tehran's clearest public articulation yet of its nuclear position, stating that Iran's right to enrich uranium was "indisputable" though the level of enrichment remained "negotiable," while characterising some US demands during the talks as "unreasonable and unrealistic."