ISLAMABAD: Discussions between the United States (US) and Iran have paused for the time being, Iran’s government said early Sunday, following a round of negotiations held in Pakistan aimed at ending the six-week conflict between the two countries.
The Islamabad talks marked the first direct engagement between Washington and Tehran in over a decade, and the most senior-level contact since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, according to Reuters.
Their outcome is seen as crucial for maintaining a fragile two-week ceasefire and potentially reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a vital passage through which roughly 20% of the world’s energy supply flows, and which Iran has blocked since the war began. The conflict has driven global oil prices higher and resulted in thousands of deaths.
In a statement posted on X, Iran’s government said the discussions ended after 14 hours, with both sides agreeing that technical teams would continue exchanging documents.
“Talks will proceed despite unresolved differences,” the statement noted, without specifying when negotiations would resume.
An Iranian state television reporter indicated that discussions could continue on Sunday.
According to a Pakistani source involved in mediation, U.S. Vice President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner—son-in-law of former President Donald Trump—met for two hours with Iranian Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi before taking a break.
The Trump administration has not yet commented on whether the talks have formally concluded or clarified the remaining points of disagreement.
The Iranian delegation arrived on Friday dressed in black to mourn the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and others killed in the conflict. They also carried belongings, including shoes and bags, said to belong to students killed during a U.S. airstrike on a school adjacent to a military site.
The Pentagon has stated the incident is under investigation, while Reuters has reported that U.S. military investigators believe American forces were likely responsible.
A Pakistani source described the initial round of talks as tense, noting that “the atmosphere fluctuated,” with emotions and intensity rising and falling throughout the meeting.
For the negotiations, Islamabad—a city of over two million residents—was placed under heavy security, with thousands of paramilitary forces and army personnel deployed across the city.
Pakistan’s role as a mediator reflects a notable shift, as the country had been diplomatically isolated just a year ago.
(Inputs from Reuters)
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