Senior officials from the United States and Iran concluded more than 20 hours of tense talks in Islamabad without a breakthrough, but both sides signaled that dialogue remains possible. The meeting, the highest-level direct engagement between the two countries in decades, followed a recent ceasefire that halted six weeks of fighting that disrupted global energy supplies and killed thousands.

Core disputes centered on Iran’s nuclear program, international sanctions, and control of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global energy shipments. Negotiators appeared close to a preliminary framework at several points, but disagreements over uranium enrichment, access to frozen assets, security guarantees, and the scope of any broader agreement ultimately derailed progress.

Pakistani officials mediated throughout the night, shuttling messages between delegations as tensions flared and subsided. While mistrust remained deep on both sides, officials indicated that contacts are continuing, with each government weighing the political and economic costs of further escalation against the possibility of a negotiated settlement.