Iran: US Must Decide on Building Trust as Islamabad Talks End Without Deal

Iran declared Sunday that the United States must take concrete steps to demonstrate good faith following a round of indirect nuclear talks in Islamabad that concluded without agreement, as Tehran's parliament speaker signalled the Islamic Republic would pursue a twin-track approach combining negotiation with an assertion of national strength.

Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, speaker of the Iranian parliament, said Iran would not rely on diplomacy alone, warning that any future framework must account for Tehran's strategic posture. The remarks underscored the deep mistrust that continues to shadow American and Iranian officials even as both sides have indicated an openness to dialogue.

The Islamabad talks, facilitated through Omani mediation, were the latest attempt to revive a diplomatic channel that collapsed after the United States withdrew from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action under the first Trump administration. Subsequent maximum-pressure sanctions have battered Iran's economy, accelerating its nuclear enrichment programme far beyond JCPOA limits and leaving the gap between the two countries significantly wider than when negotiations last bore fruit.

Iranian officials arrived in the Pakistani capital signalling cautious engagement but warned in advance that Washington would need to show flexibility on sanctions relief and security guarantees. The failure to produce a joint statement or communiqué after the session points to unresolved differences on both the sequencing of steps and the scope of any potential agreement.

For Gulf states watching the process closely, the outcome carries immediate consequences. Qatar, which maintains diplomatic relations with Tehran and has historically served as a channel of communication between Iran and Western interlocutors, has a direct interest in any arrangement that reduces regional tension and stabilises energy markets. The Doha-based LNG sector has operated for years under the shadow of potential military escalation in the Strait of Hormuz, through which a significant share of Qatar's gas exports transit.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which normalised ties with Iran last year through Chinese brokering, have similarly pressed for a negotiated solution that removes the threat of a nuclear-armed neighbour without triggering a regional conflict that would devastate Gulf economies.

Analysts note that the public framing of Qalibaf's statement, emphasising strength alongside diplomacy, is partly directed at a domestic audience sceptical of concessions to Washington. Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has historically expressed doubt about the value of engaging with the United States, and any negotiating team must demonstrate it is not capitulating.

A new round of talks has not been scheduled, though Omani officials indicated their readiness to continue hosting the channel. The coming weeks are likely to test whether either government has the political latitude to bridge positions that remain far apart.