What happened behind closed doors at the US-Iran negotiations. Unknown details of the talks in the luxury hotel in Islamabad

After a white and sometimes tense night in Islamabad, Iranian and US officials ended their highest-level talks in decades without reaching an agreement, but 11 sources familiar with the negotiations told Reuters that dialogue was still open.

The weekend meeting to resolve the conflict between the US and Iran took place at the luxurious Serena Hotel in Islamabad. The talks were held in two separate wings and a common area — one for the US side, one for the Iranians and one for trilateral meetings with Pakistani mediators, operational staff told Reuters.

Among the many issues at stake were the Strait of Hormuz, an important transit point for global energy supplies, which Iran has effectively blocked but which the US has pledged to reopen, as well as Iran's nuclear program and international sanctions against Tehran.

Phones were not allowed in the main hall, forcing delegates, including US Vice President JD Vance and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, to leave during breaks to text home, two of the sources said.

“During the talks there was a strong hope that progress would be made and that the two sides would reach an agreement. However, things changed in a very short time,” said a Pakistani government source.

Another source involved in the talks said the sides were “very close” to an agreement and were “at 80%” before they hit decisions that could not be resolved on the spot.

Two senior Iranian sources described the atmosphere as oppressive and hostile, adding that although Pakistan had tried to defuse the atmosphere, neither side had shown any willingness to ease tensions.

Better atmosphere at some point

However, the two Iranian sources said that by early Sunday morning the atmosphere had improved slightly and the possibility of a one-day extension had begun to take shape.

However, differences persisted. A US source said the Iranians had misunderstood that the main US objective was to reach a deal that would guarantee Iran would never get a nuclear weapon. Among Iran's concerns was mistrust of US intentions.

This account, based on sources who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject, provides a first look at the internal dynamics of the meeting, how the atmosphere in the room changed, how the talks ended after signs that the meeting might be extended, and how dialogue remains a possibility.

There has been no reaction so far from the Iranian government to a Reuters request for comment on the information.

US President Donald Trump said on Monday that Iran “called this morning” and that they “would like to get a deal”. Reuters said it could not immediately verify the claim.

A US official, referring to Trump's comment, said there was an ongoing dialogue between the US and Iran and that progress was being made in trying to reach an agreement.

Asked for comment, White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales said the US position never changed in the Islamabad meeting.

“Iran can never have a nuclear weapon, and President Trump's negotiating team has respected that red line and more. Dialogue continues toward an agreement,” she said.

“Sustained efforts are still being made”

A Middle East diplomat said talks between mediators and the Americans had continued since Vance left Islamabad, while the source involved in the negotiations said Pakistan was still passing messages between Tehran and Washington.

“I want to tell you that sustained efforts are still being made to resolve the issues,” Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Monday.

Despite the many obstacles to peace, both sides appear to have strong reasons to consider a de-escalation.

The US attacks look unpopular domestically and are unlikely to topple Iran's theocratic system of government, while Tehran's energy blockade is hurting the global economy and raising inflation months before US midterm elections.

Also, the war damage to Iran's already struggling economy risks weakening the authorities there domestically, just weeks after protests they managed to control only through mass killings.

A White House official said the US wants Iran to cease all uranium enrichment, dismantle all major nuclear enrichment facilities, hand over its highly enriched uranium, accept a broader peace, agree on a security framework that includes regional allies, end funding to allied regional groups and fully open the Strait of Hormuz without charging passage fees.

What the US and Iran want

Iran's demands include a guaranteed permanent ceasefire, assurances that there will be no further attacks on Iran and its allies in the region, the lifting of primary and secondary sanctions, the unfreezing of all assets, recognition of its right to enrichment and continued control over the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian sources said.

Four of the 11 sources said the dialogue at times looked close to producing at least a framework deal, but broke down over Iran's nuclear program, the Strait of Hormuz and the amount of frozen assets Tehran wants access to.

Iranian sources said most of the substantive discussions in Islamabad took place between Vance, Qalibaf and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi.

“There were ups and downs. There were tense moments. People left the room, then came back,” said a security source.

Pakistani representatives, including army chief Asim Munir and foreign minister Ishaq Dar, shuttled between the two sides throughout the night to keep the talks on track, five Pakistani sources said.

“How can we trust you?”

The talks spanned more than 20 hours, with hotel staff on duty eating, sleeping and working on site after undergoing expedited background checks, they said.

When the talks turned to guarantees, both assurances of non-aggression and the lifting of sanctions, Araqchi's usually mild tone turned harsher, the two Iranian sources said.

“How can we trust you when, at the last meeting in Geneva, you said the US would not attack as long as diplomacy was ongoing?” Araqchi said, according to sources cited by Reuters.

The US-Israel attack on Iran began two days after the two sides held a round of talks in Geneva.

In addition to differences over the Strait of Hormuz, sanctions and other issues, the two sides also disagreed on the scope of a possible agreement. While Washington focused on the nuclear issue and the Strait of Hormuz, Tehran wanted a broader deal, according to two of the sources.

During a tense moment, voices were raised outside the negotiation room before Munir and Dar called a tea break and moved the two sides back to separate rooms, the government source said.

“Our Final and Best Offer”

By the final stages of the talks, which stretched into Sunday morning, US delegates were moving between the negotiating room and their private floor far more often than the Iranians, the senior Pakistani official said.

A US source said the vice president came to the talks with the aim of concluding an agreement and reaching a mutual understanding. The US side has shown reluctance to prolonged negotiations with Iran, considering the Iranians to be experts in stalling tactics and refusing to make concessions, the source said.

Despite the impasse, when Vance later appeared before reporters to announce that the talks were over, his remark hinted that more exchanges could follow.

“We're leaving here with a very simple proposition, a way of understanding that is our final and best offer,” he said. “We'll see if the Iranians accept it.”

JD Vance suggests that further negotiations may follow

The United States has made significant progress in negotiations with Iran, US Vice President JD Vance said Monday in an interview with Fox News' “Special Report with Bret Baier.”

Asked if new rounds of negotiations would follow, Vance said the ball was now in Iran's court.

He added that the US expects Iran to make progress on opening the Strait of Hormuz, warning that negotiations will change if Tehran does not.