Mideast prepares for more fighting as talks fail

A sense of dread spread across the Middle East after talks between the US and Iran collapsed, as fears of renewed fighting rattled an already tense region with Donald Trump ordering a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Following more than 20 hours of talks in the Pakistani capital Islamabad, US Vice-President J D Vance admitted the yawning differences between the US and Iran proved to be insurmountable for the moment.
Questions about what would come next and whether the two sides would continue to respect a two-week ceasefire were anybody's guess as both the Iranian and American delegations departed Pakistan without a deal.
'Things could change at any moment,' said Aishah, a 32-year-old economic consultant based in Doha. 'It's more about taking each day as it comes.'
The failure of the talks however did not surprise many in the region.
In Iran, a brief spell of hope that talks would end the hostilities between the long-time foes was quickly dashed.
'I really wanted them to make peace,' said Mahsa, a 30-year-old employee of an export company in the Iranian capital.
'It's been almost 45 days now that I've seen everyone stressed. It's a bad situation.'
Elsewhere in the Middle East, the negotiations' failure only seemed to guarantee more uncertainty.
Meanwhile, world figures urged the United States and Iran to keep negotiating after marathon Washington-Tehran talks in Islamabad ended on Sunday without a deal to end the war in the Middle East.
'It is imperative that the parties continue to uphold their commitment to cease fire,' said Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, whose government hosted the talks and acted as a mediator.
Diplomacy is 'essential' to resolve the war in the Middle East, a European Union spokesman said.
Noting failed US-Iranian talks hosted by Pakistan, EU foreign affairs spokesman Anouar El Anouni said 'we salute Pakistan for its mediation efforts' and added Brussels would contribute to further efforts to reach a settlement in coordination with its partners.
Russian President Vladimir Putin told his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian that he was ready to help mediate efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East, the Kremlin said.
'Vladimir Putin emphasised his readiness to further facilitate the search for a political and diplomatic settlement to the conflict, and to mediate efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace in the Middle East,' the Kremlin said in its readout of the call.
'It's obviously disappointing that we haven't yet seen a breakthrough in negotiations and an end to this war in Iran that is a sustainable one,' UK Health Minister Wes Streeting told Sky News.
'As ever in diplomacy, you're failing until you succeed. So while these talks may not have ended in success, (it) doesn't mean there isn't merit in continuing to try,' he added.