47 years of hostility, 21 hours of hope. It wasn’t enough

https://arab.news/6npfn

The United States and Iran- two nations that have labelled each other “evil” and the “great satan“- have not shared diplomatic ties since 1979. For 47 years, their conflicts have defined global tensions.

So when these bitter rivals agreed to sit at a negotiating table in Islamabad to end a six-week war, it felt historic- a diplomatic miracle pulled off by Pakistan as a daring and complex mediator.

With handshakes and hopeful smiles, the Iranian and American delegations were welcomed by Pakistan’s field marshal and army chief, General Asim Munir, alongside Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar. Hundreds of journalists descended on the capital. Global news networks ran 24/7 broadcasts, anticipating the world’s biggest story: an end to war in the Middle East.

The oil-rich Gulf states held their breath for a breakthrough. A watchful West was anxious. Superpowers like China and Russia fixed eagle eyes on the outcome. Here was a fleeting chance for regional peace.

US President Donald Trump and Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Ali Khamenei sent powerful teams. Vice President J.D. Vance led the Americans. Iran’s delegation was headed by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, accompanied by top diplomat Abbas Araghchi and a cadre of economists and technocrats.

Against the scenic backdrop of Islamabad’s Margalla Hills, negotiations began in the afternoon. What followed were marathon, direct talks— the highest-level face-to-face engagement between the two nations in decades. The sun set. Night fell. Talks stretched past dawn, raising fragile hopes. The clock ticked.

After 21 hours, J.D. Vance appeared on screen and delivered a diplomatic bombshell.

“After 21 hours of negotiations, we have not come to an agreement. We go........

© Arab News Pakistan