Vice President J.D. Vance gives the thumbs up sign as he boards Air Force Two after attending talks on Iran in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Sunday, April 12, 2026.
Jacqueline Martin/AP
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Jacqueline Martin/AP
ISLAMABAD – The United States and Iran failed to reach an agreement a day after highly anticipated face-to-face peace talks, Washington’s chief negotiator Vice President JD Vance announced on Sunday.
“The bad news is that we haven’t reached a deal. And I think that’s more bad news for Iran than it is bad news for America… They have decided not to accept our terms,” ​​Vance said at an event. press conference In Islamabad before boarding Air Force Two to leave the country.
Asked what was the main sticking point that caused the talks to break down, Vance said: “The simple fact is that we need to see a positive commitment that they will not seek nuclear weapons, and they will not seek equipment that would enable them to quickly acquire nuclear weapons.”
For its part, Iran said the two sides “reached consensus on a number of issues, but ultimately the talks did not lead to any agreement.”
Tehran has repeatedly said that its nuclear program is a civilian program, and that it has the right to continue enriching uranium for that purpose.
The status of the 2-week ceasefire is now uncertain, although Vance left open the possibility that an agreement could still be reached, saying: “We’re leaving here with a very simple proposal: a method of understanding that is our final and best offer.” “We’ll see if the Iranians accept it,” he said.
After talks broke down, Pakistan, which has become a key mediator in the war and is hosting the talks, said on Sunday it would continue to play a role in peace efforts. Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar urged both sides to continue Maintain the ceasefire.
The talks – which lasted 21 hours – began in Islamabad on Saturday as both sides looked to reach an agreement to end the war that has rocked the Middle East for six weeks.
This was the first face-to-face talks between the US and Iran since 2015, when the Obama administration negotiated a nuclear deal with Iran that was later canceled by Trump. They were also the highest level of discussions since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Silence from Trump
So far, President Trump has not commented on the failure of the talks, despite posting in recent hours on his Truth social platform about other issues. He spent Saturday night with Secretary of State Marco Rubio at a UFC fight in Miami.
Although earlier on Saturday, Trump had said, “We win regardless of the outcome of the negotiations”, he added, “We have completely defeated that country.”
Vance said in his press conference that he was in “constant” contact with the president in Islamabad.
Iran cited ‘excessive demands’
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei said in a statement post on x And a statement to Iranian state media said the main topics of talks were the Strait of Hormuz, nuclear issues, sanctions, reparations and an end to the war against Iran and the region.
He said Iran’s demands that it continue to control the Strait of Hormuz added complications to the talks and “we should not have expected to reach an agreement in one meeting from the beginning.”
A billboard of US-Iran talks is seen near the Serena Hotel, the site of a meeting of US-Iran officials in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Sunday, April 12, 2026.
Anjum Naveed/AP
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Anjum Naveed/AP
However, he also criticized the US, saying, “The success of this diplomatic process depends on avoiding excessive demands, seriousness and good faith on the part of the opposing side.”
Under its multi-point negotiating plan, Tehran had sought an end to Israeli attacks against Hezbollah as part of any permanent agreement. Other demands from the Iranian delegation include the release of $6 billion in frozen assets, guarantees for its nuclear program and the right to charge ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
Despite the failure of the talks to reach an agreement, some analysts said the prospects for a meeting between Iranians and Americans were still striking, coming just weeks after the attack by the US and Israel that killed Iran’s supreme leader.
The Iranian delegation had posted photos of a row of empty seats on a plane en route to Islamabad, over which were placed photos of schoolchildren killed in the US missile strike and blood-stained items.
Fighting continues between Israel and Hezbollah
The ceasefire is threatened by Israel’s refusal to stop fighting in Lebanon and abide by the ceasefire with Iran. Iran threatened a “strong response” and President Trump said Israel would reduce its strikes in Lebanon. But the attacks continue.
Israel’s military says it attacked more than 200 Hezbollah targets this weekend, and Hezbollah says it has continued rocket, drone and artillery attacks on Israel and Israeli troops inside Lebanon.
Lebanon says Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors in Washington will hold their first direct meeting at the State Department on Tuesday to discuss a ceasefire and a date to start talks.
In a speech Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu boasted of historic achievements in Iran and Lebanon – and his goal in talks is to disarm Hezbollah and reach a peace deal with Lebanon.
A woman mourns at the grave of her husband during the funeral of 13 state security officers killed in an Israeli attack the previous day in the Lebanese coastal city of Sidon, Saturday, April 11, 2026.
Emilio Morenati/AP
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Emilio Morenati/AP
in a post for orthodox easter On Sunday, Lebanon’s prime minister said he hoped the country would “overcome together the threats we face, and so that stability, peace and prosperity can prevail throughout Lebanon.”
US warships pass through the Strait of Hormuz
The talks came as two U.S. Navy guided missile destroyers passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, marking the first transit of U.S. warships since the start of the Iran war six weeks ago, a U.S. official told NPR.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) Said It also began setting conditions for clearing Iranian sea mines planted throughout the waterway to “encourage the free flow of commerce.”
Betsy Jolles, Van in Islamabad, Dee Parvaz in Türkiye, Daniel Estrin in Tel Aviv and Kate Bartlett in Johannesburg contributed reporting.
