After intense negotiations in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, the US and Iran have failed to reach an agreement to end the war in the Middle East, US Vice President JD Vance confirmed. Vance added that he was leaving after giving “the final and best offer” to Tehran.
According to an expert talking to EurAsian Times, this could be a Catch-22 situation for ‘mediator’ Pakistan!
Vance said Washington was seeking a “fundamental commitment” from Iran that it would not develop a nuclear weapon, but that “we haven’t seen that” after holding the highest-level meeting between the two sides since the 1979 Islamic revolution.
However, Vance hinted that he was still giving Iran time to consider the offer. Meanwhile, host Pakistan said it would continue promoting dialogue and urged both countries to respect the ceasefire.
Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB said negotiations stalled over “unreasonable demands of the American side”, though the country’s foreign ministry spokesman later noted that “no one” could have expected that, after 40 days of war, they would reach an agreement in a single session.
Iran and the US had entered the talks with maximalist positions, with Washington adding pressure by saying it had sent warships through the Strait of Hormuz.
Signs of strain in the negotiations appeared when Iranian media accused the United States of making “excessive demands” over the strait, through which one-fifth of the world’s oil transited before its effective closure by Iran during the war.
US President Donald Trump had also insisted several hours into the talks on Saturday that the United States had already triumphed on the battlefield by killing Iranian leaders and destroying key military infrastructure.
“Whether we make a deal or not makes no difference to me. The reason is because we’ve won,” Trump said.
After 21 hours of talks in the Pakistani capital, Vance told reporters that no deal could yet be struck.
“We leave here with a very simple proposal, a method of understanding that is our final and best offer. We’ll see if the Iranians accept it,” Vance said, before departing for a nearby airport and flying out of Pakistan.
Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said his government would “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”. “It is imperative that the parties continue to uphold their commitment to the ceasefire,” he added.
Iran was in the middle of negotiations on its nuclear program in February with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner when the United States and Israel launched their attack. The first salvos of the war killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Both Kushner and Witkoff were part of Vance’s team in Pakistan. The 70-strong Iranian delegation was led by Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the powerful speaker of parliament, and included Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
Iranian demands for any agreement to end the war include unfreezing sanctioned Iranian assets and ending Israel’s war against Hezbollah in Lebanon, which Vance has said would not be up for discussion in Islamabad.
The opening of the Strait of Hormuz has also been a key source of friction.
Throughout the war, Iran exercised its global economic leverage by asserting control over the critical maritime route, sending oil prices soaring.
The US military said Saturday that two Navy warships transited through the strait to begin clearing it of mines and ensure it is a “safe pathway” for tankers. The Iranian military denied that any American warships had entered the waterway and threatened consequences. respond if any did.
Ghalibaf, speaking shortly after landing in Pakistan, made clear that Iran remained highly suspicious of the United States. “Our experience in negotiating with the Americans has always been met with failure and broken promises,” Ghalibaf said.
Vance said before leaving for Pakistan that if Iran was willing, Washington would “negotiate in good faith” but would not be receptive if they’re going to try to play us.
A major complicating factor has been Israel’s assertion that the ceasefire does not affect Lebanon, where the Israeli military has launched massive strikes and a ground attack.
Catch-22 Situation for Pakistan?
An international military expert, who did not wish to be identified, told EurAsian Times: This is the golden chance for Israel to remove the cancer once and for all (hinting at Iran).
“Once Trump leaves office, Israel is unlikely to receive the same level of unprecedented support it enjoys today,” the expert said, adding that the UAE and several other Gulf states are quietly supporting efforts to significantly weaken Iran’s regional influence and military capabilities.
The expert highlighted Pakistan’s delicate position as the host and mediator of the talks. While Islamabad has sought to facilitate dialogue between Washington and Tehran, Saudi Arabia has activated its Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement (SMDA) with Pakistan, signed in September 2025.
On Saturday, a Pakistani military contingent — including fighter jets and support aircraft from the Pakistan Air Force — arrived at King Abdulaziz Air Base in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province, the Saudi Defense Ministry said in a statement.
“The deployment aims to enhance joint military coordination, raise the level of operational readiness between the armed forces of the two brotherly countries, and support security and stability at both regional and international levels,” the ministry said.
Riyadh has also indicated it would provide financial assistance to Islamabad as Pakistan prepares to repay a $3.5 billion loan to the UAE this month.
The expert argued that Pakistan now faces double political and economic pressures. On one hand, its longstanding ties with Saudi Arabia and the broader Gulf create obligations that could draw it into the conflict. On the other hand, direct involvement against Iran would undermine its role as a neutral facilitator and risk a dangerous escalation along the shared 900-km border.
“If the United States resumes strikes on Iran, Pakistani forces deployed in Saudi Arabia could initially play a defensive role protecting the kingdom,” the expert said. “There is a high likelihood that they could come under Iranian attack, potentially forcing Islamabad to respond.”
In such a scenario, the expert warned, ‘mediator’ Pakistan could suddenly become an aggressor.
Both Iran and Pakistan have strong incentives to avoid such an outcome, analysts note, given the risks of sectarian tensions inside Pakistan, spillover violence in the volatile Balochistan region, and potential complications with China, Islamabad’s key economic partner through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
He added: Not only Israel, but even the UAE and many other Gulf allies are silently backing Israel and the US to end the Iranian regime.
- This is an Opinion Article.
- Story with AFP Inputs
