Hope for US-Iran diplomacy persists despite collapse of talks in Pakistan: Report

Regional countries are working to bring the US and Iran back to the negotiating table after high-level peace talks in Pakistan concluded without a deal, officials with knowledge of the discussions told The Wall Street Journal on Sunday.

The Islamabad summit marked the most senior direct engagement between American and Iranian officials but failed to bridge deep divisions.

According to officials cited in the report, the core disputes centered on the future of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile, Tehran’s demand for the release of approximately $27 billion in frozen assets held overseas, and conditions surrounding the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran put forward alternative proposals, including limiting its uranium enrichment activities or reducing its existing stockpile, but neither side could agree on terms, the report said.

Despite strong rhetoric from both capitals, officials said a second round of negotiations could take place within days.

The report also said that regional governments are pressing the US to extend the fragile two-week ceasefire announced last week.