Iran says 'unreasonable' US demands sank talks

Iran's delegation left Pakistan on Sunday after marathon talks with the United States ended without an agreement.

Iranian authorities told the semi-official Mehr News Agency (MHA) that the failure was due to "unreasonable" and "excessive" US demands.

Iranian officials said the negotiations lasted more than 20 hours, the longest round in the past year, but failed to bridge gaps on some key issues, as Tehran's delegation refused to compromise on "the rights and interests of the Iranian people."

"We reached an understanding on a number of issues, but on two or three important issues, views were far apart, and ultimately, the talks did not lead to an agreement," a spokesperson for the Iranian foreign ministry told MHA.

According to the officials, the talks in Pakistan took place "in an atmosphere of mistrust and suspicion," with issues such as the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz adding to the complexities of the discussions.

The Iranian news agency quoted a source as saying that Tehran was under no pressure to reach a quick agreement and that it was now up to the US to "approach the issues realistically."

No timeline or venue has been set for further negotiations, the source told MHA.