LONDON/ISLAMABAD – A senior UK minister described the collapse of US-Iran talks as “disappointing” on Sunday, as world leaders urged both sides to return to negotiations.
UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the failure to reach a deal in Islamabad was a setback for efforts to end the war in Iran.
“It’s obviously disappointing that we haven’t yet seen a breakthrough in negotiations and an end to this war in Iran that is a sustainable one,” Streeting told Sky News.
The talks between the United States and Iran ended without agreement after nearly 21 hours of discussions. US Vice President JD Vance said his delegation had presented its “final and best offer” but could not secure Iranian acceptance.
Streeting also criticised social media comments made by US President Donald Trump during the crisis.
“Over the course of the past week, President Trump has said some pretty bold… incendiary, provocative, outrageous things on social media,” Streeting said. He described Trump’s threat to “end the Iranian civilisation” as “quite extraordinary”.
Despite the criticism, Streeting said the UK would judge Trump by his actions rather than his words.
“If there’s one thing we’ve learned about President Trump… you have to draw a distinction between what he says and how he says it, particularly on social media, and what he does,” Streeting told the BBC.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke with the Sultan of Oman on Sunday about the failed talks. Downing Street said both leaders urged the US and Iran “to find a way through”.
The leaders agreed that maintaining the ceasefire and avoiding further escalation was vital.
The talks in Pakistan’s capital were the highest-level face-to-face negotiations between the two countries since 1979. They followed a fragile two-week ceasefire that had paused nearly 40 days of intense fighting.
Why the talks failed
The two sides blame each other for the breakdown.
Vance said Iran had not accepted US terms, with Tehran’s nuclear program remaining the main point of disagreement. Washington wants an “affirmative commitment” from Iran not to pursue nuclear weapons.
Iran rejected what it called “excessive US demands”. The semi-official Tasnim News Agency reported that Washington was seeking through negotiations “what it failed to achieve in war”.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said the two sides remained far apart on two to three key issues, including the Strait of Hormuz and the nuclear programme.
A senior Iranian official rejected claims that the talks failed over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, saying Iran remains open to limiting some nuclear activities as confidence-building measures.
What happens next
No date or location has been set for a new round of talks.
Streeting said diplomacy should continue despite the setback.
“As ever in diplomacy, you’re failing until you succeed,” he told Sky News. “So while these talks may not have ended in success, that doesn’t mean there isn’t merit in continuing to try.”
Pakistani officials said they would continue to help facilitate engagement between the two sides.
The UK will host talks on reopening the Strait of Hormuz this week with a coalition of countries. The vital shipping lane has been effectively blocked by Iran during the conflict.
Asked whether the UK would send Royal Navy vessels to escort ships through the strait, Streeting said it was “premature for me to say anything at this stage”.