The Islamabad Talks have definitely altered the course of US-Iran conflict; however, breakthrough could not be achieved due to Israeli influence.

Inside Story of Islamabad Talks shares the happenings of 24 hours during the negotiations between Iranian and American delegations in Pakistani capital. Although, it was a tough moment for Pakistan. Yet, the likely outcome of Islamabad Talks wasn’t different. It would be day dreaming to say that US and Iran can resolve a decades old conflict within 21 hours. Interestingly, the war does not directly affect America. For Iran, it is a matter of life and death. On the other hand, its every other country in the world that gets affected by this war. That is why, Islamabad Talks became a hope for millions to resolve this dispute that could severely damage global economy and supply chains as well as result in fuel crisis and disruption to individual lives.

It was also very unlikely for them to accept the demands without meaningful need. Thus, it was highly delusional to expect an end to the war completely. Moreover, it must be understood that Pakistan had no magic wand to convince the parties to end this conflict. The ultimate power to find solution lies with the negotiating teams. However, the issues were too complex for each of them to easily resolve in such a short span. Well, one huge accomplishment includes direct talks between the highest level of government on both sides since 1979. It is yet to be seen how it turns out for good in the future.

For now, both Americans and Iranians remained stuck to their own points. Both sides were aware of their strategic depth and advantages. Moreover, they were clearly prepared for moving on with the war for several months, if not years. Islamabad Talks was able to bring them to the table. Let us see how things went through since late Friday evening.

One Table for Iranians and Americans

At midnight on April 11, the Iranian delegation reached Islamabad from Tehran. The delegation was led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. The high powered team included Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. The team was received by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir. The team was engaged in close door discussions with the Pakistani side for several hours to discuss multiple scenarios. It was the first direct discussion between Pakistan and Iran after the US, Israeli attack on Iran on February 28.

The discussions involved Iranian options in case of continuity of this war. The Iranian side shared its clear stance on major issues such as uranium enrichment, missiles program and the control of the Strait of Hormuz. At this point, the Pakistani side offered possible solutions for managing the Strait in joint collaboration as a negotiating offer for the United States. The Pakistani side tried to convince the Iranian leadership to offer some giveaways which can help resolve the crisis.

However, Iran was reluctant to offer major concessions in terms of its ballistic missiles or the nuclear program. The Iranian side was open to offer much bigger space in terms of Strait of Hormuz. It was also open to joint management of the Strait by its allies. Moreover, they were also open to discuss further opening its nuclear program for IAEA to review the current level of the program. It continued to state that it has no intention of developing nuclear weapon.

American Delegation in Islamabad

The American Delegation arrived in Islamabad in the morning of Saturday, April 11. The team had its discussion with Pakistani hosts first. The Americans were clearly sharing their interest in having an agreement to resolve this issue. Vice President JD Vance was visibly interested to strike this deal. The Pakistani and American side discussed the possible solutions for the region and they had agreed that the solution to this war is possible by accepting some of the demands from both sides.

First Round of Direct Talks

The first round of direct talks continued for 2 hours. During these talks, the Pakistani leadership was also part of the discussions. The first reactions of the team were very positive and the environment in the room was pleasant. The groups shared their views while holding off any negative or harsh words. All the points were clearly discussed during this session.

At one point, it seemed that both sides are close to getting deal. However, the changes were being observed on momentary basis. The American were clear that they could not end up accepting major Iranian demands. However, it was clear that US can end sanctions on Iran and release all its withheld assets as part of this deal. Still, the Americans shared that it wasn’t much that Iranians could do except to offer what President Trump was asking for.

The discussions were not leading to any clear ending and both sides sought some time. After 2 hours, the delegates from both sides were given time to discuss the framework within their teams. The American delegation was directly discussing the points with the US President from Islamabad.

At this point, the mediating team from Pakistan was actively engaged in coordinating the points of agreement. The delegates began to shares written notes to each other after a while. These notes were transferred via their Pakistani mediators.

Second Round of Islamabad Talks

The second round of talks began later at night. The discussions were based on the previous points as well as written notes from each party.

During the talks, there were chances of an agreement during the midnight after an agreement on all the terms. At this point, the senior military leadership from Iran was also called in Islamabad to finalize all points. Yet, the American delegation showed its reluctance in finalizing the agreement with any breathing space for Iran. The Americans continued to state their terms clearly and demanded an acceptance of all terms by Iranians. This was the moment that things seemed not going forward.

The Pakistani side tried to convince that the talks can move forward. Yet, the stalemate came when the US President was clearly telling his team to not waste any time. He wanted a very clear Yes or No from the Iranians. The Yes meant accepting every American demand unquestionably. The Iranians were left in jeopardy because they were expecting the US administration to listen to their demands and come to a common position of benefit for United States and Iran.

As the situation continued, the Americans were clearly ready to backoff from the peace process. Resultantly, the American side had a press conference and announced that there could not be any agreement between the United States and Iran.

Why Islamabad Talks Failed?

Soon after the announcement of ceasefire, Israeli strikes on Lebanon were a clear effort of sabotaging the Islamabad Talks. However, the parties still arrived in Islamabad and continued to discuss ending the war. The Islamabad Talks were happening while several bad actors were trying to sabotage the process. Thus, the talks in Islamabad are in itself a huge success in terms of creating a direct connection between the Iranians and Americans.

Although, there were hopes that a breakthrough could be seen. Yet, the ground realities were way different from the perceptual imaginations. It was evident from the beginning that both sides have to offer some sort of face saving to each other. Yet, we saw Iranians ready to discuss options on the table whereas the Americans were clearly not prepared to step back half a step even.

Presently, both parties enjoy superiority in their own domains. Therefore, they weren’t fully in need to shelve off their plans; whatsoever the results may be. Therefore, it can be ascertained that Islamabad Talks took place too early in this war. It is the sole reason that the Islamabad Talks ended without any agreement to end the war between the United States and Iran.

However, Pakistan did play a key role in trying to diffuse this situation and provide some breathing space for a peaceful dialogue.