Pakistan talks collapse

The United States and Iran ended 21 hours of direct talks in Islamabad early Sunday without a deal, leaving a two-week ceasefire in doubt. (apnews.com) Vice President JD Vance said the U.S. team was leaving Pakistan after Iran refused American terms, including a commitment not to develop a nuclear weapon. Pakistan had hosted the talks in its capital after the White House announced the session on April 8. (cnbc.com) (politico.com) Iran gave a different account. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said the talks failed because of U.S. “excessive demands” and “unlawful requests,” while still calling diplomacy one of Tehran’s tools. (reuters.com) (thehindu.com) The meeting mattered because it was part of an effort to turn a temporary ceasefire announced on April 8 into a broader settlement after 38 days of fighting. The White House said that ceasefire included Iran’s agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the oil shipping route at the mouth of the Persian Gulf. (whitehouse.gov) (politico.com) That truce now has a clock on it. Associated Press reported that neither side said what comes after the 14-day ceasefire expires on April 22, and Pakistani mediators urged all parties to keep it in place. (apnews.com) The U.S. delegation was led by Vance and included special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, according to the White House announcement before the talks. Pakistan positioned itself as the intermediary and prepared a media center in Islamabad for local and foreign reporters covering the meeting. (politico.com) (apnews.com) The central dispute appears to have stayed where it was before the delegations arrived: Washington wanted a long-term Iranian commitment on nuclear weapons, and Tehran insisted its rights and interests had to be recognized. Reuters reported before the meeting that the two sides were already far apart on the nuclear file, sanctions and the terms of ending the war. (reuters.com 1) (reuters.com 2) For now, the result is narrower than the ambition that brought both sides to Pakistan: the delegations met face to face, talked through the night, and left without the agreement they came to seek. (apnews.com)