US and Iran fail to reach agreement in Middle East war talks

Talks between Iran and the United States in Islamabad concluded without an agreement to end the Middle East war, US Vice President JD Vance announced on Sunday. Vance stated that Washington sought a "fundamental commitment" from Iran against nuclear weapon development, which was not achieved. He indicated that the US had presented its "final and best offer" and was allowing Iran time to consider it. Pakistan, the host nation, pledged to continue facilitating dialogue and urged both countries to uphold the temporary truce. Iran's state broadcaster IRIB attributed the stalled negotiations to "unreasonable demands of the American side," while its foreign ministry spokesman noted the difficulty of reaching an agreement in a single session after 40 days of conflict. The US and Israel initiated attacks on Iran on February 28, leading to retaliation from Tehran and escalating the conflict. Key points of contention included the unfreezing of sanctioned Iranian assets, ending Israel's war against Hezbollah in Lebanon, and control over the Strait of Hormuz. US President Donald Trump had previously asserted that the US had already triumphed on the battlefield. The Iranian delegation was led by Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Speaker of Parliament, and included Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, while Vance's team included Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Israel and Lebanon are scheduled to hold separate talks in Washington next week, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressing a d