Regional Powers Scramble to Bring U.S., Iran Back to Negotiating Table

(MENAFN) Regional powers are scrambling to revive diplomatic momentum between Washington and Tehran after high-stakes peace negotiations in Pakistan ended without an agreement, officials familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal on Sunday.

The Islamabad summit represented the highest-level direct engagement between American and Iranian officials to date, yet failed to close the gap on a series of deeply entrenched disputes.

According to officials cited by The Wall Street Journal, three core sticking points derailed progress: the fate of Iran's enriched uranium stockpile, Tehran's insistence on the release of roughly $27 billion in frozen overseas assets, and unresolved conditions tied to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian negotiators offered potential compromises — among them, capping uranium enrichment levels or drawing down its existing stockpile — but the two sides could not converge on mutually acceptable terms.

Despite hardline posturing from both capitals, the outlook is not entirely bleak. Officials said a second round of negotiations could take place within days, signaling that back-channel efforts remain active.

Adding further urgency to the diplomatic push, the report noted that regional governments are actively lobbying Washington to extend the fragile two-week ceasefire announced just last week — a move seen as critical to keeping any future negotiations viable.

MENAFN13042026000045017169ID1110973470