US-Iran Talks End Without Agreement as Deep Divisions Persist

Talks between Iran and the United States have brought deep divisions to the surface, prolonging uncertainty during a two-week ceasefire.

High-level negotiations between the US and Iran have concluded without an agreement. Iran's chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, blamed the US for the failure of the talks held in Islamabad, Pakistan, during the two-week ceasefire period.

Ghalibaf, who also serves as the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, stated on Sunday that his delegation had put forward 'future-oriented' initiatives during Saturday's talks, but the US failed to win the trust of the Iranian delegation.

US Vice President JD Vance, who led the American delegation, had previously stated that the talks ended without a deal. Six weeks into the war launched by the US and Israel against Iran, he said, 'The bad news is that we did not reach an agreement, and I think this is worse news for Iran than it is for the United States.'

This is the first direct talk at this level between the two countries since the 1979 Iranian Revolution. It has highlighted deep divisions on key issues such as Iran's nuclear program and the Strait of Hormuz. That waterway has been effectively under Tehran's control since the war began on February 28.

The undeclared blockade of this waterway, through which a fifth of the global crude oil supply passes, has triggered a global energy crisis and impacted stock markets worldwide.

Reporting from Islamabad, Al Jazeera's Kamal Hyder stated that the talks, which lasted over 21 hours under Pakistani mediation, were neither productive nor a complete failure.

Here is a discussion on what both sides said and what the main points of contention are between Tehran and Washington:

• What did the US say?

The US considers Iran's refusal to provide a firm commitment not to develop nuclear weapons as the main reason for the talks not reaching a conclusion.

Vance said at a press conference, 'We need to see a positive commitment from them that they will not build nuclear weapons and will not seek the tools that could quickly build nuclear weapons. This is the main goal of the President of the United States, and this is what we have tried to achieve through these talks.'

However, the Vice President did not mention the issue of opening the Strait of Hormuz.

During the talks, US President Donald Trump acted as if he had entered the negotiations himself, stating that a deal was not entirely necessary. Speaking to reporters in Washington D.C., he said, 'We are talking. It doesn't matter to me whether we make a deal or not because we have already won.'

However, Al Jazeera's John Hendren reported from Washington D.C. that sending Vance to Islamabad showed that the US is taking these talks seriously. 'Vance returning from [Islamabad] does not mean the talks are over,' he said.

According to him, the main dispute is over the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's nuclear program. 'The US has been talking to Iran for a long time. Those talks can continue from a distance, and walking away from the talks could just be a tough stance,' the Al Jazeera correspondent added.

• What did Iran say?

Iran has taken the expectations in stride, blaming the US for making unreasonable demands.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei wrote on social media platform X, 'The success of this diplomatic process depends on the seriousness and good faith of the opposing side, refraining from excessive demands and illegal requests, as well as the recognition of Iran's legitimate rights and interests.'

He added that both sides discussed various issues including the Strait of Hormuz, the nuclear issue, war reparations, lifting of sanctions, and a complete end to the war against Iran. Emphasizing that the failure to reach an agreement should not be seen as a failure of the entire process, Baghaei said, 'No one had such expectations.'

According to the IRNA news agency, when asked if diplomacy had ended, Baghaei said, 'Diplomacy never ends.'

Ghalibaf wrote on X, 'The US has understood Iran's logic and principles, and now it must decide for itself whether it is capable of winning our trust.'

Mohsen Farkhani of Isfahan University, speaking to Al Jazeera, argued that Tehran participated in the talks not for any major achievement, but to show the world that Washington is not serious. 'Iran attended these talks with a completely realistic perspective and distrust... to prove to the world that, for the third time, the US does not have enough seriousness to resolve problems or challenges through peace and dialogue,' he said.

• What did Pakistan say?

Pakistan has called for keeping diplomacy alive and continuing the ceasefire.

Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar emphasized the necessity for both sides to maintain their commitment to the ceasefire, pointing to the risk of renewed conflict if it were to break down.

'We hope that both sides will continue to work with positive sentiment for sustainable peace and prosperity in the entire region and beyond,' Dar said, 'Pakistan will continue to play its role in facilitating dialogue and engagement between Iran and the US in the coming days.'

What are the main points of contention?

• Iran's nuclear program

This remains the main subject of dispute between Tehran and Washington.

The US wants Iran to provide a clear and enforceable commitment that it will not develop nuclear weapons or the capacity to do so quickly. Iran has consistently denied allegations that it is seeking to build nuclear weapons, but has stated it is willing to negotiate to limit its nuclear activities if sanctions are lifted.

Iran has stated that its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only and that it has no intention of building nuclear weapons. Washington and Tehran signed a nuclear deal in 2015 during the time of then-US President Barack Obama. That agreement limited Iran's uranium enrichment to 3.67 percent in exchange for sanctions relief.

However, Trump, who succeeded Obama, pulled Washington out of the deal three years later and reimposed sanctions on Iran. Since then, Iran has increased its uranium enrichment to 60 percent. 90 percent enrichment is required to build a nuclear bomb.

Trump has publicly demanded that enriched uranium be removed from Iran. During Israel's 12-day war on Iran in June, the US conducted airstrikes on three of Iran's main nuclear sites, after which Trump claimed Iran's nuclear program had been destroyed.

But eight months later, he launched a war against Iran, stating that preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons was his main goal. This war began while talks were ongoing between Iran and the US under Omani mediation. Oman had stated that a deal was very close just before the attacks began.

• Strait of Hormuz

Who controls this strategic waterway, through which almost all oil and natural gas exports from Gulf nations pass, has become another major dispute.

Iran has proposed the idea of charging transit fees for ships passing through this Strait of Hormuz. On the other hand, the US insists that the Strait of Hormuz should be open without any fees.

With shipping through the Strait of Hormuz almost at a standstill, global energy prices have skyrocketed, forcing many countries, especially Asian nations, to adopt unprecedented austerity measures to mitigate the impact of fuel shortages.

According to experts, the near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz has caused the worst economic shock since the 1973 oil embargo. That embargo cut 4.5 million barrels of oil per day from global supply. Today, with the Strait of Hormuz closed, 20 million barrels of oil are being held back.

• Extension of ceasefire to Lebanon

Iran is advocating for a broader regional ceasefire, including an end to fighting involving its allies like Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while supporting Washington's decision to pause attacks on Iran, has stated that the ceasefire will not apply to Israel's ongoing military operations in Lebanon.

Within hours of the ceasefire starting on Wednesday, Israel carried out dozens of attacks across Lebanon, in which more than 300 people were killed in a single day.

However, Tehran claimed that Lebanon was also included in the ceasefire, citing the ceasefire announcement made by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on X, in which this was clearly mentioned.

Trump supported Netanyahu's statement, calling it a separate skirmish. Vance warned Iran this week that it would be foolish to jeopardize the ceasefire with Washington over Israel's attacks in Lebanon.