Overview
- U.S. and Iranian teams are likely to return to Islamabad for another in-person round, according to two senior Pakistani officials cited by CNBC.
- The first session in Pakistan ran about 21 hours and ended without a deal, with Vice President JD Vance leading the U.S. side alongside Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
- The White House said it feels good about the prospects of a deal and identified Pakistan as the sole mediator and likely host for any next meeting.
- Vance said progress was made but stressed that Iran must forgo a nuclear weapon and remove nuclear material, with President Trump offering broad economic reintegration if Tehran agrees.
- Tensions in the Gulf remain high as a U.S. blockade keeps Strait of Hormuz traffic thin and Iranian state media reports a halt to petrochemical exports, raising economic risks.