US-Iran ceasefire talks have reached a dead end, mediators said on Friday, after Tehran refused to meet American officials in Pakistan.
Iran told a committee of regional countries led by Pakistan that it will not send officials to Islamabad for talks in the coming days, according to a Wall Street Journal report citing mediators. Tehran also described US demands for a deal as “unacceptable”.
The collapse marks a major setback for diplomatic efforts to end weeks of US-Israeli military strikes against Iran, which began on February 28.
Turkey and Egypt are pushing to salvage the process. The two countries are considering alternative venues for talks, including Doha and Istanbul, and are working on new proposals to break the impasse, mediators told the Journal.
Earlier this week, US President Donald Trump posted on social media that Iran had asked for a ceasefire. Iran denied the claim. In a separate post on Thursday, Trump urged Iran to “make a deal before it is too late”.
Trump signaled openness to a ceasefire if Iran reopens the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route for oil exports, according to people familiar with the matter. “We will consider when the Hormuz Strait is open, free, and clear,” Trump wrote on social media.
Iran said it would only agree to end the war if the US pays reparations, withdraws from its Middle East bases, and guarantees no future attacks, the Journal reported, citing mediators.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar had previously said the country would be “honoured to host and facilitate meaningful talks”. But Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said there were no direct talks with the US and that Tehran had only received “excessive and unreasonable demands” through intermediaries. Baghaei also said Iran received a 15-point proposal from the Trump administration that he described as “excessive, unrealistic and irrational”.
The Pentagon is preparing military options for a “final blow” against Iran if talks fail, Axios reported last week. Options under consideration include seizing or blockading Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil terminal, as well as intercepting Iranian oil shipments and launching large-scale airstrikes on nuclear facilities.
Trump warned on Thursday night that the US military would next target Iranian bridges and electric power plants if Tehran does not agree to his demands, according to Newsmax. He also threatened to leave “nothing left” in Iran.
The conflict entered its 34th day on Thursday, with US and Israeli strikes continuing against military and economic targets. The war has triggered global supply chain shocks, causing significant volatility in energy and commodity markets, according to Anadolu Agency.