In a telephone conversation, Araqchi briefed his French counterpart Jean-Noël Barrot on the intensive Iran-US negotiations held on the weekend in Islamabad.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran, despite having absolute distrust of the American side, entered the negotiations with a responsible approach and good faith. Although progress was made in the negotiation process on many issues, the American side's excessive demands and constant changes in their requirements prevented reaching an agreement," the Iranian foreign minister explained.
For his part, the top French diplomat stressed his country's position in support of a diplomatic approach to end the war, expressing hope that continued dialogue would lead to a final agreement.
On February 28, following the assassination of late Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei and several military commanders, the US and Israel initiated a sweeping military campaign against Iran. In response, the Iranian Armed Forces executed a series of counterattacks over a span of 40 days, targeting American and Israeli military installations in the region and demonstrating their combat capabilities. Contrary to the expectations of a swift victory, the Iranian retaliations caused considerable damage to US and Israeli assets, prolonging the conflict and escalating tensions in the region.
In an attempt to ease hostilities, a two-week ceasefire was brokered on April 8, allowing for mediated negotiations to take place in Islamabad. Iran presented a ten-point plan during these discussions, which called for the withdrawal of US troops, the lifting of sanctions, and control over the key Strait of Hormuz. Despite engaging in 21 hours of intense talks with US negotiators in Pakistan, the Iranian delegation returned to Tehran without reaching an agreement, citing a lack of trust and the US’ political flip-flop.