Pakistan Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said on Monday that the next round of Iran-US talks is expected to begin soon. His statement came after the Islamabad talks failed a day earlier.
There were 21-hour long talks between America and Iran on Saturday. These were the first talks of their kind since 1979, attended by top officials from both sides. However, after talks held in Pakistan over the weekend, the two sides failed to reach a permanent peace agreement to end hostilities.
Speaking to the media outside Parliament, Khawaja Asif said that there is an atmosphere of satisfaction after the talks, because no negative developments have happened so far. Only positive progress has been seen so far, he said, indicating that the ongoing diplomatic efforts are moving in the right direction.
He further said, the next round of Iran-US talks is likely to take place soon. According to Pakistan’s Express Tribune newspaper, when asked whether Pakistan would play a decisive role in deciding the future of the region, Khawaja Asif said, the final decisions are in the hands of Allah.
US Vice President JD Vance said the Iranian side did not accept Washington’s conditions, while the US had presented its final and best offer. Vance was leading the US delegation at the Islamabad talks.
Hours later when the talks broke down, US President Donald Trump said on social media that talks with Iran had failed because Iran is unwilling to give up its nuclear ambitions.
The conflict began on February 28, when the US and Israel attacked Iran, bringing global energy markets to a standstill and trade being severely affected.