Cairo: Iran’s chief negotiator for the Islamabad talks has blamed the United States for the failure to reach an agreement after more than 20 hours of high-level discussions.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, who led Tehran’s delegation, said in a series of posts on X that Iran had entered the negotiations in “good faith” and presented “forward-looking initiatives”, but the US failed to gain Iran’s trust. He stressed that Washington must now decide whether it is capable of earning that trust.
Qalibaf noted that Iran’s distrust stems from past conflicts, stating that despite Tehran’s willingness to engage constructively, the opposing side could not build confidence during this round of talks. He added that while the US appeared to understand Iran’s “logic and principles”, it must now demonstrate its ability to act accordingly.
The remarks followed the collapse of negotiations held in Islamabad, which failed to produce any agreement. Iranian state media reported that key sticking points included Tehran’s nuclear programme and issues related to transit through the Strait of Hormuz.
Qalibaf also praised the Iranian public for backing the leadership, saying citizens had taken to the streets following guidance from the Supreme Leader. He described diplomacy as a parallel tool to military resistance in defending national interests and reaffirmed Iran’s commitment to safeguarding the gains of its recent “national defence”.
Meanwhile, US Vice President J. D. Vance confirmed that the talks ended without a breakthrough, despite what he described as “substantive discussions” over 21 hours.
“We have not reached an agreement,” Vance said, adding that while Washington clearly outlined its red lines and areas of flexibility, Tehran declined to accept the terms.
He warned that Iran’s position was “bad news for Iran much more than it’s bad news for the United States of America”, and reiterated that the core US objective remains preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons capability.
Vance emphasised that the US is seeking a long-term, verifiable commitment from Iran not to pursue nuclear weapons or the means to rapidly acquire them. “We haven’t seen that yet, but we hope that we will,” he said, confirming that Washington has already presented what it considers its final proposal.
The failed talks mark another setback in efforts to revive diplomatic engagement between Washington and Tehran, with previous negotiations having stalled over verification measures, sanctions relief, and the scope of Iran’s uranium enrichment activities.