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‘Intense, constructive negotiations’: Pakistan reacts as US-Iran talks end without deal
Pakistan deputy PM Ishaq Dar said, ‘I, along with the Defence Forces Army Chief Field Marshal Syed Sim Munir, helped mediate several rounds negotiations.’
Talks between Iran and the United States in Islamabad ended early Sunday without a breakthrough, with Pakistan saying it will continue to facilitate dialogue while urging both sides to stick to the ceasefire.
In a brief statement after the marathon negotiations, Pakistan’s deputy Prime Minister and foreign minister Ishaq Dar said Islamabad had helped mediate multiple rounds of discussions over the weekend. Track US-Iran war talks live updates.
"I, along with the Defence Forces Army Chief Field Marshal Syed Sim Munir, helped mediate several rounds of intense and constructive negotiations between the two sides that continued through the last 24 hours and ended this morning," he said.
‘Uphold commitment to the ceasefire’
Even as the talks ended without agreement, Dar urged both sides to keep the momentum alive. "It is imperative that the parties continue to uphold their commitment to the ceasefire," he said in a statement.
The Islamabad deputy PM added that Pakistanthe country would remain engaged in the process going forward. "Pakistan has been and will continue to play its role to facilitate engagements and dialogue between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the US in the days to come," he said.
Dar also thanked both sides for accepting Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s proposal for a ceasefire and recognising Pakistan’s role as a mediator.
Talks end without deal
The comments came shortly after US Vice President JD Vance said negotiations had concluded without a peace deal, as Iran did not agree to Washington’s terms on nuclear weapons.
“But the simple fact is that 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,” Vance told reporters before leaving for the United States.
According to a Reuters report, Vance departed for the United States around 7:06 am local time soon after briefing media on the ceasefire negotiations.
The Iran delegation led by its Parliament speaker Mohammad Baqir Ghalibaf, including foreign minister Abbas Araghchi also left the mediator country soon after, the Mehr news agency reported.
Both sides had travelled to Islamabad just days after announcing a two-week ceasefire, raising expectations of a possible breakthrough. The Iranian delegation had arrived in Islamabad on Friday night. The US team reached on Saturday morning.
The American delegation also included Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, while Iran was represented by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and other senior leaders.
The Pakistan-brokered talks were being closely watched worldwide, as they marked the first direct, high-level engagement between the two sides since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
