Australia Voices Disappointment Over Failed US-Iran Talks

(MENAFN) Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong voiced sharp disappointment Sunday as historic US-Iran negotiations collapsed without a deal, calling on both sides to preserve a fragile ceasefire and re-engage in diplomacy before the conflict spirals further out of control.

The high-stakes summit held in Pakistan's capital Islamabad — widely regarded as the most consequential direct engagement between Washington and Tehran since the 1979 Iranian Revolution — ended without a breakthrough. The talks, brokered by Pakistan, sought to bring a formal end to the US-Israeli war on Iran, which erupted on Feb. 28. A Pakistan-mediated two-week ceasefire had been secured earlier in the week, raising cautious hopes ahead of the marathon sessions.

Those hopes went unfulfilled.

In an official statement, Wong described the outcome as "disappointing," warning that the window for peaceful resolution must not be allowed to close.

"The priority now must be to continue the ceasefire and return to negotiations. We continue to want to see a swift resolution to this conflict," Wong said.

She further cautioned against any deterioration on the ground, stressing the broader consequences at stake.

"Any escalation in the conflict would impose an even greater human cost and further impact the global economy," Wong added.

The failed Islamabad talks now raise urgent questions over whether the ceasefire will hold — and what comes next for a region already on edge.

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