Islamabad residents emerged from a quasi-lockdown on Sunday after anticipated U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations failed to materialize in the Pakistani capital. Officials had sealed off a two-mile perimeter around the Serena Hotel, forcing thousands of private clinics, restaurants, offices and banks to close in anticipation of delegations that never arrived together.

Business owners counted steep losses from the five-day disruption. Abdul Haq, a tea shop manager, said he lost the equivalent of $1,800 in revenue. Thousands of drivers were sent on unpaid leave, while wholesale suppliers faced higher transportation costs after police blocked large trucks from entering the city. The EU also had to relocate a two-day business event with hundreds of guests.

President Trump canceled the American delegation after Iran said it would not participate unless the U.S. lifted its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi departed Islamabad before any U.S. officials arrived. Maleeha Lodhi, a former Pakistani ambassador, called the failed talks a disappointment but said mediators see it as part of a complicated diplomatic process where both sides lack trust.