Iran’s chief negotiator has blamed the United States for the collapse of high-stakes talks.
However, U.S. officials said the negotiations collapsed over what they described as Iran’s refusal to commit to abandoning its nuclear programme.
The discussions, held in Islamabad and lasting nearly 21 hours, ended without any agreement despite what Iranian officials described as multiple proposals aimed at moving the process forward.
Neither side indicated what will happen after the 14-day ceasefire expires on April 22.
Meanwhile, Pakistani mediators urged all parties to maintain it. Both said their positions were clear and put the onus on the other side, underscoring how little the gap had narrowed throughout the talks.
“We need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon, and they will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon,” Vice President JD Vance said after the long talks.
Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, who led Iran in the negotiations, said it was time for the United States “to decide whether it can gain our trust or not.”