US-Iran Peace Effort: 21-hr marathon talks end in stalemate

Historic face-to-face peace talks between the United States and Iran brokered by Pakistan concluded after a grueling 21-hour marathon session in the early hours of Sunday morning without reaching any concrete statement.

The stalemate of the marathon negotiations in Pakistan’s capital has raised immediate fears regarding the resumption of hostilities once the current two-week ceasefire expires in ten days.

Both delegations left Islamabad blaming the other side for the diplomatic deadlock.

US Vice-President JD Vance, who led the American delegation, stated that the US negotiated in “good faith” and was “flexible,” but ultimately could not get Tehran to accept Washington’s terms.

Vance specifically cited Iran’s refusal to confirm they would not seek nuclear weapons as a core stumbling block.

In contrast, the head of the Iranian delegation, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, argued that the US “failed to gain Tehran’s trust”.

Ghalibaf, a conservative politician and former IRGC commander, claimed that Iran had raised “forward-looking initiatives” but that the talks failed because of the opposing side’s inability to earn Iran’s confidence following decades of “mistrust, suspicion and doubt”.

Despite the failure to bridge the “gulf of differences,” Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Mohammad Ishaq Dar, urged both nations to remain engaged in the pursuit of a “durable peace” for the region.

He emphasised that such major issues require sustained diplomatic engagement, stating, “Such a major issue can never be resolved in a single meeting; it requires ongoing dialogue”.

A primary point of contention remains the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for 20 per cent of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas.

While the US has begun unilateral operations to clear the strait of sea mines, Iranian officials have asserted that the passage is “completely in Iran’s hands” and that tolls must be paid in Iranian Rials.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards further warned that any military vessels attempting to pass through the strait would be “dealt with severely”.

While the US-Iran talks faltered, war continues in southern Lebanon, where Israeli strikes have reportedly targeted health workers and rocket launchers.

However, Israel and Lebanon are scheduled to hold their own negotiations in Washington next week.

While Vance described the final US proposal as a “final and best offer,” Iranian officials suggested that “diplomacy never ends” and held out the possibility of future rounds.

Meanwhile, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Pakistani officials have urged both nations to “find a way through” and maintain the current ceasefire to avoid further regional escalation.

For now, the world waits to see if the remaining ten days of the truce will be used to restart dialogue or prepare for a return to open warfare.

However, as the talks moved into the early hours of Sunday, the process reached a definitive “stalemate” over the most critical issues.

The core sticking point remained Iran’s nuclear program.

Vice President JD Vance informed reporters that the United States required an “affirmative commitment” that Tehran would not seek a nuclear weapon or the tools to develop one quickly.

Vance emphasised that this was the “core goal” of the Trump administration, yet the Iranian delegation refused to accept these terms.

The Iranian perspective, provided by state-run and semi-official media, blamed the collapse on what they termed “excessive US demands” and “unlawful requests”.

The Iranian delegation, led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, reportedly offered multiple new initiatives to move the framework forward, but they claimed the “American spirit” of seeking through negotiation what it failed to achieve in war prevented real progress.

Tehran specifically rejected US demands related to the removal of nuclear material from Iranian soil and new restrictions on its “peaceful nuclear program”.

Beyond the nuclear deadlock, serious disagreements persisted regarding the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

Iran sought recognition of its sovereignty and authority over the vital waterway, whereas the US insisted on unrestricted international navigation and had already begun its own minesweeping operations.

Additionally, the status of frozen Iranian assets in Qatar and other nations remained a point of intense bargaining.

The failed negotiations also touched on broader regional concerns, including the lifting of US sanctions and a region-wide ceasefire involving the “Axis of Resistance”.

Iran demanded war reparations for the significant damage inflicted on its civilian and military infrastructure by US and Israeli air campaigns since the conflict intensified on February 28.

Meanwhile, the US delegation, which included Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, appeared to pursue a much narrower, issue-specific negotiation focused primarily on the current hostilities and the status of detainees.

The composition of the Iranian delegation, which consisted of at least 70 members, underscored their wide-ranging intentions.

It included high-level economic technocrats like Central Bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati, indicating that Tehran was prepared for prolonged strategic bargaining over sanctions architecture and alternative financial mechanisms.

The presence of these actors suggested that Iran viewed the talks as leverage for a broader reset of the US-Iran relationship, rather than just a tactical military truce.

In the wake of the collapse, Mohammad Ishaq Dar reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to the peace process, urging both sides to maintain their diplomatic channels. Both the US and Iran has commended Pakistan for its role as mediator.

Meanwhile, President Trump stated that the outcome of the talks made “no difference” to him, asserting that the US had already achieved its primary military goals by severely degrading Iranian capabilities.

He maintained that “regardless of what happens, we win,” pointing to the US military’s success in establishes air superiority over Iran.

As Vice President Vance boarded Air Force Two at 7:08 am, he left behind a “final and best offer” for the Iranians to consider in the coming days.

For now, the region remains in a state of tense adjustment, with no new date or location set for further negotiations.