Agency Report
The United States and Iran have failed to reach an agreement after hours of peace talks in Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital.
On February 28, 2026, the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, killing its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a development that triggered retaliatory attacks by Tehran on Gulf countries and Israel.
Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has since vowed to avenge the killings following the outbreak of war with the United States and Israel.
But Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, was able to talk both countries into a ceasefire, after which formal peace deal was supposed to be reached at Islamabad.
“I… extend deepest gratitude to the leadership of both countries and invite their delegations to Islamabad on Friday, 10th April 2026, to further negotiate for a conclusive agreement to settle all disputes,” he had said in a post on X, on Wednesday.
The White House on Monday confirmed that a deal for a 45-day ceasefire with Iran was under consideration, but said President Donald Trump had “not signed off” on the proposal and is continuing the war.
Commenting on the development, US Vice President JD Vance said no agreement was reached during the negotiations, faulting Iran for failing to accept Washington’s terms.
“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.
He added that the US needed to see clear commitment from Tehran not to pursue nuclear weapons or acquire the means to develop them.
“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,” he said.
However, spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, Esmaeil Baghaei, said the parties should not expect to reach an agreement in a single session.
“Naturally, from the beginning, we should not have expected to reach an agreement in a single session. No one had such an expectation,”
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, urged both countries to sustain efforts towards achieving lasting peace.
“On behalf of Pakistan, I would like to express gratitude to the two sides for appreciating Pakistan’s efforts to achieve a ceasefire and its mediator role,” Dar said.
“We hope that the two sides continue with a positive spirit to achieve durable peace and prosperity for the entire region and beyond.”
