• Iran, US fail to reach deal in Islamabad peace talks.
• JD Vance says US makes “final and best offer” to Iran.
• Dispute over Hormuz control stalls US-Iran agreement.
  

Iran and the United States failed to strike a deal Sunday to end the war in the Middle East, but there was no immediate return to hostilities, and world leaders quickly urged both sides to pursue the diplomatic route to peace.

US Vice President JD Vance left Pakistan after the talks — the highest-level meeting between the two sides since 1979 — and warned that Washington had made Tehran its “final and best offer” for a deal.

“We leave here with a very simple proposal,” he said. “We’ll see if the Iranians accept it.”

Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said his negotiating team had “put forward constructive initiatives but ultimately the other side was unable to gain the trust of the Iranian delegation in this round of negotiations”.

Iranian and US reports said the two sides were unable to agree on who would control the Strait of Hormuz skipping lane, nor whether Tehran would have the right to enrich uranium under any deal.

As talks ended without a deal in Islamabad, world figures urged the United States and Iran to keep negotiating to end the war in the Middle East.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, whose government hosted the talks and acted as a mediator, said that it is imperative that the parties continue to uphold their commitment to the ceasefire.

“Pakistan has been and will continue to play its role to facilitate engagement and dialogue between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America in the days to come,” he said in a brief statement broadcast by state media.

Diplomacy is “essential” to resolve the war in the Middle East, a European Union spokesman said.

Noting failed US-Iranian talks hosted by Pakistan, EU foreign affairs spokesman Anouar El Anouni said “we salute Pakistan for its mediation efforts” and added Brussels would contribute to further efforts to reach a settlement in coordination with its partners.

Russian President Vladimir Putin told his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian that he was ready to help mediate efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East, the Kremlin said.

“Vladimir Putin emphasised his readiness to further facilitate the search for a political and diplomatic settlement to the conflict, and to mediate efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace in the Middle East,” the Kremlin said in its readout of the call.

UK health minister Wes Streeting said:  “It’s obviously disappointing that we haven’t yet seen a breakthrough in negotiations and an end to this war in Iran that is a sustainable one.” 

“As ever in diplomacy, you´re failing until you succeed. So while these talks may not have ended in success, [it] doesn’t mean there isn´t merit in continuing to try,” he added.

 Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said that the “priority now must be to continue the ceasefire and return to negotiations,” adding it was “disappointing that the Islamabad talks between the United States and Iran have ended without agreement”.

• No trust in US due to experiences of previous wars: Ghalibaf.
• Says Iranian delegation “raised forward-looking” initiatives.
• US has to decide whether it can earn Iran’s trust in talks: Ghalibaf.
  

Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who was part of peace talks with the United States this weekend, on Sunday said that Washington was “unable” to win Tehran’s trust during the discussions.

“My colleagues in the Iranian delegation… put forward constructive initiatives but ultimately the other side was unable to gain the trust of the Iranian delegation in this round of negotiations,” Ghalibaf said in a post on X.

Delegations from the US and Iran held more than 20 hours of high-stakes talks in Islamabad starting Saturday, with Pakistan mediating after brokering a two-week ceasefire.

The talks ended without a deal, with US Vice President JD Vance stating that Tehran rejected Washington’s terms, which Iranian state media labelled “unreasonable”.

Addressing a press conference following the talks, Vance said negotiations with Iran covered a range of critical issues.

“The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement, and I think that’s bad news for Iran much more than it’s bad news for the United States of America,” Vance said.

“So we go back to the United States having not come to an agreement. We’ve made very clear what our red lines are,” he added.

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei later said that no one had expected Tehran and Washington to reach an agreement in a single meeting.

Meanwhile, Ghalibaf said that Iran had no trust in the “opposing side” before entering the negotiations due to the experiences of the previous two wars.

Ghalibaf maintained that Washington now faces a decisive moment. “America has understood our logic and principles, and now it’s time for it to decide whether it can earn our trust or not.”

He vowed that the Iranian delegation “will not for a moment cease” its efforts to consolidate Iran’s achievements during the six-week war.

Ghalibaf also acknowledged Pakistan’s crucial role in facilitating the talks and extended his regards to the Pakistani public.

He concluded his statement by praising both the Iranian public and negotiating team, citing public support and the intensity of the discussions.

“To my colleagues in these intense 21-hour negotiations, I say: well done… Long live and enduring be our dear Iran,” he said.

The conflict, which began on February 28 following joint US-Israeli strikes targeting Iran’s leadership and infrastructure, has resulted in more than 2,000 deaths and widespread regional instability.

Tehran responded with retaliatory operations, including the disruption of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and attacks on Israeli and US bases in the region.

A ceasefire was announced on April 8, with Pakistan playing a central role in mediation between the two sides.

Washington then proposed a 15-point framework focusing on nuclear and missile issues, sanctions relief and reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, while Tehran has presented a 10-point plan seeking greater control over the Strait of Hormuz, transit fees, and comprehensive sanctions removal.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf says Washington failed to win Tehran’s trust during negotiations in Pakistan seeking a conclusive end to the US-Israeli aggression against the Islamic Republic.

He made the remarks in an X post on Sunday after Iranian and US delegations failed to reach an agreement after more than 20 hours of negotiations in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad.

Qalibaf said that before the talks, he had emphasized that Iran has the necessary good-faith and will, but the country has no trust in the opposite side due to the experience of the two US-Israeli-imposed wars.

“My colleagues raised forward-looking initiatives, but the opposite side ultimately failed to win the trust of the Iranian delegation in this round of negotiations,” he added.

“The US has realized our logic and principles, and now it has time to decide whether it can earn our trust or not?”

The top legislator also noted that Iran pursues powerful diplomacy, alongside military force, for upholding the rights of the Iranian people.

Tehran, he emphasized, will spare no effort to consolidate the achievements of Iran’s 40-day national defense.

Qalibaf further appreciated the efforts of Pakistan, as a friendly and brotherly country, in facilitating the process of Iran’s negotiations with the US.

Meanwhile, he thanked the heroic Iranian nation for holding mass street rallies and supporting the negotiators upon advice by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei.

After 40 days of unrelenting US-Israeli aggression that began on February 28, the US formally accepted Iran’s 10-point proposal on Wednesday as the foundation for a permanent ceasefire.

During the war, Iranian armed forces unleashed 100 waves of successful retaliatory strikes against sensitive and strategic American and Israeli targets throughout the region.

They also blocked the Strait of Hormuz to oil and gas tankers affiliated with the adversaries and those cooperating with them in an attempt to maintain security at the strategic waterway.