Regional
US-Iran talks end without breakthrough as Vance departs Pakistan
JD Vance, who led the U.S. delegation, said no agreement had been reached and placed responsibility on Tehran.
High-stakes talks between the United States and Iran aimed at ending weeks of conflict concluded without agreement in Islamabad on Sunday, raising concerns over the durability of a fragile ceasefire.
The negotiations — the first direct engagement between the two sides in more than a decade — lasted around 21 hours but failed to resolve key differences over Iran’s nuclear programme and control of the Strait of Hormuz.
JD Vance, who led the U.S. delegation, said no agreement had been reached and placed responsibility on Tehran.
“We have not reached an agreement,” Vance told reporters before leaving Pakistan, adding that Washington had made its “red lines” clear, including a firm commitment from Iran not to develop nuclear weapons or the capability to rapidly produce them.
The U.S. delegation included special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. Iran’s team included Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi.
Iranian media, however, blamed what it described as “excessive” U.S. demands for the failure of the negotiations. Reports indicated that while some progress had been made, major disagreements remained over the future of Hormuz and Tehran’s nuclear activities.
A spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry said the talks were held in an atmosphere of deep mistrust and cautioned that a single round of negotiations was unlikely to produce a comprehensive agreement.
The discussions followed a two-week ceasefire agreed earlier in the week, aimed at de-escalating a conflict that began on February 28 with U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran.
The war has since killed thousands and disrupted global energy markets, with oil shipments through Hormuz — a critical route for roughly a fifth of the world’s supply — severely affected.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar urged both sides to maintain the ceasefire despite the lack of a deal, stressing the importance of continued diplomatic engagement.
Sources familiar with the talks said negotiations were marked by fluctuating tensions, with periods of progress followed by setbacks as both sides held firm on core demands.
Iran is seeking broader concessions, including the release of frozen assets, reparations for war damage, and greater control over the Strait of Hormuz, as well as a ceasefire in regional conflicts such as Lebanon.
The United States, meanwhile, is focused on ensuring freedom of navigation through the waterway and curbing Iran’s nuclear programme.
Despite the stalemate, there were tentative signs of movement in the Gulf, with a small number of oil tankers reportedly passing through Hormuz during the ceasefire period, although many vessels remain stranded.
U.S. President Donald Trump, who was in contact with Vance throughout the talks, struck a more ambivalent tone, suggesting that reaching a deal was not essential, while maintaining that U.S. objectives in the conflict had largely been achieved.
The outcome of the Islamabad talks leaves the situation uncertain, with diplomats warning that without further progress, the risk of renewed escalation remains high.
Regional
Azerbaijan hosts record-breaking World Urban Forum in Baku
The event is also seen as an opportunity for Azerbaijan to showcase its long-term vision for sustainable urban planning and regional development to a global audience.
Azerbaijan is hosting the 13th session of the World Urban Forum in Baku from May 17 to May 22, bringing together tens of thousands of participants from around the world to discuss the future of sustainable cities and urban development.
The forum officially opened on Saturday at the Baku Olympic Stadium and is being organized jointly by the Azerbaijani government and UN-Habitat.
According to organizers, more than 40,000 participants from 182 countries have registered for the event, making it the largest edition in the forum’s history and highlighting Azerbaijan’s growing role as a host of major international gatherings.
Government officials, urban planners, investors, academics and representatives from international organizations and civil society are expected to participate in discussions on sustainable urbanization, climate resilience, affordable housing, digital transformation and the development of environmentally friendly cities.
A key focus of this year’s forum will be Azerbaijan’s reconstruction and development projects in Karabakh and East Zangazur. Officials are expected to present the country’s “smart city” and “smart village” initiatives in the formerly conflict-affected territories, alongside plans to develop the region as a green energy zone.
The event is also seen as an opportunity for Azerbaijan to showcase its long-term vision for sustainable urban planning and regional development to a global audience.
For the first time in the history of the World Urban Forum, the event will include a special Leaders’ Summit segment aimed at increasing high-level political dialogue on global urban challenges.
To accommodate the large international audience, simultaneous interpretation is being provided in the six official United Nations languages — Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish — as well as Azerbaijani and Turkish.
Regional media representatives, including reporters covering the forum from Baku, are also attending the event to provide on-the-ground coverage of the discussions and outcomes.
Mosques in northern Gaza on Saturday announced that Hamas’ military wing commander had died, a day after Israel’s military said that it had targeted the armed wing chief in airstrikes.
Witnesses said that mosques in Gaza City had announced Izz al-Din al-Haddad’s “martyrdom”. There was no immediate comment from Hamas on the fate of the group’s military chief, Reuters reported.
Israel has not said if he was killed in the air strikes.
Tehran has “no trust” in the U.S. and is interested in negotiating with Washington only if it is serious, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Friday, as talks on ending the war remained on hold.
Araqchi told reporters in New Delhi that all vessels can pass through the Strait of Hormuz except those “at war” with Tehran, if they coordinate with Iran’s navy.
But the situation around the waterway, vital to global energy and commodities markets, was “very complicated”, he added, during a visit to attend a BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting in India.
In a post on X, Araqchi said he told India’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar that “Iran will always carry out historical duty as protector of security in Hormuz,” according to his post on X.
Iran effectively shut the strait, which normally handles about one-fifth of the world’s seaborne oil and gas supply, to most shipping after the U.S. and Israel began their war on Iran in February.
Tahawol: Fragile U.S.-Iran ceasefire
Saar: Afghanistan and Russia’s expanding relations
Da Afghanistan Bank strengthens Islamic banking through new training initiatives
Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan play out stalemate in CAFA U-20 Championship
Chinese and Uzbek investors express interest in Afghanistan’s mining sector
New Afghanistan-China transport corridor launched via Turkmenistan
Bayat Power extends gas supply deal with Afghan Gas
Afghanistan signs $46 million deal to develop standard laboratory complexes
Germany to launch online visa system for Afghan study and work applicants in Pakistan
Webinar series highlights growing climate pressures on livelihoods in Afghanistan
Tahawol: Fragile U.S.-Iran ceasefire
Saar: Afghanistan and Russia’s expanding relations
Tahawol: Ongoing threats to resume war with Iran discussed
Saar: Possible visit of Pakistani delegation to Kabul reviewed
Tawsia: Economic opportunities for Afghanistan discussed
-
Business4 days agoAfghanistan signs $46 million deal to develop standard laboratory complexes
-
World16 hours agoLarge blast near Beit Shemesh part of pre-planned test: Israeli defense firm
-
Latest News4 days agoMinister of Refugees meets Sadin Ay Yildiz, discusses Afghan migrant issues in Turkey
-
Latest News3 days agoIEA FM receives credentials of new ICRC head in Afghanistan
-
Latest News2 days agoAfghan migrant arrested over alleged assault of schoolgirl in Germany
-
World5 days agoUS war in Iran has cost $29 billion so far, Pentagon says
-
Latest News5 days agoKhalilzad accuses Pakistan of playing ‘double game’ amid Iran-US tensions
-
Latest News3 days agoUS CENTCOM chief says Afghanistan remains key terrorism concern