Iran says was 'inches away' from deal with US in Islamabad

Iran has said it was "inches away" from a deal with the United States during the highest level of talks in 47 years between the two nations.

The high-stakes negotiations hosted by Islamabad, however, ended without an agreement.

Iran’s foreign ministry has publicly said Tehran entered the talks in Islamabad in “good faith” and came close to an agreement with US officials.

But ultimately, no deal was reached after more than 21 hours of face-to-face talks aimed at stabilising the fragile ceasefire and ending the ongoing Middle East conflict.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran was met with what it described as “maximalist demands,” suggesting that the two sides were near agreement on some points before differences over key issues halted progress.

US Vice President JD Vance, who led the American delegation, confirmed the talks ended without an agreement, emphasising that Iran had not accepted US terms, particularly on security guarantees and nuclear commitments.

Pakistani officials, who hosted the meetings, urged both sides to uphold the existing two-week ceasefire and continue dialogue despite the setback.

The negotiations, held under a framework facilitated by Pakistan, were meant to convert an initially fragile pause in hostilities into durable peace, touching on contentious issues including sanctions relief, Iran’s nuclear programme, and freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

While some observers noted progress on technical points, the absence of a formal agreement leaves the ceasefire’s future uncertain and raises questions about how and whether further diplomacy can bridge the remaining divide between Washington and Tehran.

[With inputs from AFP]