‘Stepping stone toward durable peace’: PM Shehbaz meets Vance as Islamabad Talks between US, Iran commence

Lead

Direct talks between the United States and Iran, hosted by Pakistan in Islamabad, concluded on Sunday without a final agreement, according to statements from both delegations and Pakistani officials. The negotiations, which marked the first high-level face-to-face engagement between Washington and Tehran in decades, stretched over two days and involved expert-level discussions on nuclear, economic, and regional security issues.

US Vice President JD Vance, who led the American delegation, told reporters after the talks that while the discussions had been substantive, no accord had been reached. "We have been at it now for 21 hours, and we have had a number of substantive discussions, that's the good news," Vance said. "The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement." He added that the Iranian delegation had "chosen not to accept our terms."

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei offered a similar assessment, saying the delegations had reached an understanding on several points but that "views far apart" on two to three issues remained, as reported by multiple outlets.

Coverage Comparison

The Islamabad talks drew coverage from a wide range of international media, with reporting centered on the unprecedented nature of the engagement and the diplomatic role played by Pakistan. Al Jazeera and Dawn, Pakistan's leading English-language daily, provided detailed on-the-ground accounts of the delegations' arrivals, the meetings with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and the marathon negotiation sessions. Deutsche Welle focused on the diplomatic context and the White House's denial of reports regarding the unfreezing of Iranian assets, while TASS, the Russian state news agency, reported the outcome in relatively brief terms, citing CNN.

Most outlets agreed on the fundamental facts: the talks were mediated by Pakistan, the delegations were led by Vice President Vance and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and the discussions ended without a comprehensive agreement. However, there were minor discrepancies in reporting, such as the exact arrival time of Vance's aircraft at Nur Khan Air Base, with some reports saying shortly after 10:30am and others shortly after 11am. Additionally, the duration of the talks was reported as both 21 hours and 24-25 hours, depending on the source, reflecting the fluid nature of the negotiations and the different perspectives of the parties involved.

Key Claims

The talks took place during a two-week ceasefire in the US-Israeli war against Iran that began with US-Israeli attacks on February 28. The conflict paused after Pakistan brokered a temporary ceasefire on April 8, according to reports from Al Jazeera and Dawn.

The US delegation was led by Vice President JD Vance, accompanied by President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff. Officials from the US National Security Council, State Department, and Department of Defence also attended, according to Dawn. The Iranian delegation was led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and included Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, as well as Supreme National Defence Council Secretary Ali Akbar Ahmadian and central bank governor Abdolnaser Hemmati.

Ahead of the talks, Vance described the expected negotiations as potentially 'positive' and said the US was prepared to negotiate in good faith, while cautioning that Washington would not be receptive to what it sees as stalling tactics. President Trump warned that Iran did not have 'many cards' left and that military action could resume if the talks failed, as reported by Dawn.

Iranian officials conditioned participation on a halt to Israeli strikes in Lebanon and the release of frozen assets, with Ghalibaf making these points clear on Friday evening. An Iranian official was quoted by Dawn as saying, "We forced a pause in attacks in Beirut and Dahieh by making it a red line in negotiations and also made it clear that if Israel crosses it again, talks would be off."

The talks were based on Iran's 10-point proposal, which Washington accepted as a general framework. The US was expected to push for restrictions on Iran's nuclear programme, including limits on enrichment and possible removal of nuclear material, while Iran demanded full sanctions relief, recognition of its nuclear rights, a framework for navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, and access to frozen funds.

Perspectives

From the perspective of the United States, the talks were an opportunity to secure guarantees that Iran would not pursue nuclear weapons, with Vance stating that the US needed to see an affirmative commitment from Iran. Vance also claimed that Iran's nuclear enrichment facilities had been 'destroyed,' a statement that could not be independently verified.

From the Iranian perspective, the negotiations were a chance to ease sanctions and secure the release of frozen assets, with President Masoud Pezeshkian saying in a post on X that Iran's delegation remained 'fully committed' to safeguarding the country's interests. Iranian officials emphasized that any ceasefire must extend across all fronts, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, a point of contention with the US and Israel, who treated Lebanon attacks as outside the scope of the truce.

Pakistan, as the mediator, viewed the talks as a stepping stone toward durable peace in the region. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in separate meetings with both delegations, affirmed Pakistan's resolve to continue its mediating role, expressing hope that the talks would serve as a foundation for lasting stability, according to the Prime Minister's Office.

A note on timing: The conflict has been marked by repeated escalations, including Israeli strikes in Lebanon that have killed more than 2,000 people and displaced 1.2 million, according to reports. The ceasefire, which was due to expire on April 22, remains fragile, and both sides have indicated a willingness to continue discussions, though no date has been set for a second round. Pakistan's Foreign Ministry confirmed that the US and Iran were in discussions to hold another meeting, but stressed that details were still being negotiated.