Iran dismisses setback claims as US talks end without deal

Iran downplays lack of breakthrough while Ishaq Dar urges restraint and continued ceasefire compliance as delegations depart Pakistan

By Abdullahi Yusuf

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei pushed back Sunday against any suggestion that the failure to reach an agreement in Islamabad represented a setback, arguing that expecting a deal from a single round of talks was never realistic.

Speaking on Iranian state television, he pointed to the deep well of suspicion between the two sides following what he described as a 40-day war launched by the US and Israel, the second such conflict within nine months. Under those conditions, he said, a breakthrough in one sitting would have been extraordinary.

Baqaei identified the breadth of the agenda as another complicating factor, with discussions spanning the nuclear issue, the Strait of Hormuz, sanctions relief, war reparations, and a broader regional settlement.

He stopped short of confirming whether another round of talks was planned, but stressed that progress would ultimately depend on the U.S. negotiating without excessive demands and with genuine respect for Iran’s rights and interests.

Shortly after his remarks, Iran’s state media confirmed the Iranian delegation, led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, had departed Islamabad for Tehran.

The U.S. delegation, headed by Vice President JD Vance and including envoy Jared Kushner, also left the Pakistani capital.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar confirmed the conclusion of the talks, urging both sides to honor their ceasefire commitments. He expressed hope that engagement would continue in a constructive spirit and pledged that Islamabad would keep facilitating dialogue in the coming days.

With additional information from MNTV

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