After 21 hours of talks between the US and Iran in Islamabad ended without an agreement, Tehran has made it clear that the expectation of a solution through one round of talks was never realistic, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Bakai said.
In his words, “This conflict is multi-year—it will take time to resolve.” He indicated that diplomatic efforts would not stop despite the failure of negotiations.
Analysts believe that this comment is essentially a tactic to explain the failure of the meeting in light of reality, because the positions of the two sides on these issues – nuclear programs, sanctions, and expansion of regional influence – are still far apart.
After the breakdown of dialogue in February, the situation quickly escalated into a military conflict, with Iran suffering heavy losses in the face of US and Israeli strikes. Meanwhile, changes in top leadership and regional instability further complicated the situation.
In the current context, the Islamabad meeting may not have produced an agreement, but it sent an important message—a solution is still far away, but the diplomatic path is not completely closed.