The United States and Iran have failed to reach a historic peace deal after high-level talks in Islamabad. The impasse, declared after 21 hours of intense discussions, is a major setback in resolving the ongoing volatile discussions. Vice President J.D. Vance explained that the talks ended because Tehran refused to accept Washington’s final terms.
The head of the US delegation, Vice President JD Vance, told reporters shortly after leaving a high-level meeting between Washington and Tehran: “The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement, and I think that’s more bad news for Iran than it is for the United States.”
Vance was of the view that Iran decided “not to accept our conditions”, stressing that the US needed a “fundamental commitment” from Tehran not to develop nuclear weapons. In response, Iran’s Foreign Ministry clarified on Sunday that no one expected that the talks would reach an agreement in a single session.
“From the beginning we should not have expected to reach an agreement in a single session. No one expected that,” said ministry spokesman Ismail Baghei, echoing state broadcaster IRIB.
Despite 21 hours of intense talks, Vice President J.D. Vance confirmed that the US and Iran failed to reach an agreement to end the conflict. The US delegation has departed from Pakistan, leaving behind what Vance described as the “final and best proposal” for Iran to consider. He described the US as flexible and accommodating and said they negotiated in good faith. He said that although the discussions were solid, the failure to reach an agreement is a bigger loss for Iran than for the US. Iranian state media and ministry spokesman Ismail Baqaei blamed the US’s unreasonable, excessive and illegal requests for the impasse. He said Iran presented various initiatives which were ignored.
main sticking points
The primary objective of the Trump administration is to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Vance underlined the need for a “fundamental commitment” from Iran to give up its nuclear toolset. The discussions included a complete end to the war in Iran and issues related to the Strait of Hormuz. In contrast, Iran demanded that the US recognize its “legitimate rights and interests” as a prerequisite for any progress. Trump was heavily involved in the process, reportedly speaking with the US delegation six to twelve times during negotiations to guide the “final and best offer”.
