Putin Offers Russia Mediation After Iran-US Talks Collapse

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian held a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday, where Putin offered Russia's support for mediating a diplomatic resolution to the ongoing Middle East conflict. The discussion followed the collapse of high-level talks between Iran and the United States in Islamabad, Pakistan, which failed to produce an agreement despite a fragile two-week ceasefire holding since earlier in the week.

The Islamabad negotiations, mediated by Pakistan and lasting approximately 21 hours, ended in a stalemate on Saturday. U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who led the American delegation, departed for the United States early Sunday without a deal. Speaking to reporters, Vance described the outcome as a setback for Iran, noting that while progress was made on some substantive issues, Washington remained firm on its core demands. "We leave here with a very simple proposal, a method of understanding that is our final and best offer. We'll see if the Iranians accept it," Vance said. He emphasized the need for Iran to provide an affirmative commitment against pursuing nuclear weapons or the tools to develop them quickly.