ISLAMABAD — The United States and Iran failed to reach an agreement after a day of high-stakes, face-to-face peace talks, U.S. lead negotiator Vice President J.D. Vance announced Sunday.
“The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement. And I think that’s bad news for Iran much more than it’s bad news for the U.S…. they have chosen not to accept our terms,” Vance said at a press conference in Islamabad before boarding Air Force Two to leave Pakistan.
When asked what derailed the negotiations, Vance said the central sticking point was Iran’s refusal to give “an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon, and they will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon.”
Iran’s foreign ministry said the sides “reached an understanding on a number of issues, but ultimately the talks did not lead to an agreement.” Tehran has long maintained its nuclear program is civilian and said it retains a right to enrich uranium for that purpose.
The status of a two-week ceasefire struck earlier in the conflict is now uncertain. Vance left open the possibility that a deal could still be reached, saying the U.S. had left “a very simple proposal: a method of understanding that is our final and best offer,” and that Washington would wait to see whether Iran accepts it.
Pakistan, which hosted the negotiations and has become a key mediator in the war, said Sunday it would continue to work toward peace. Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar urged both sides to uphold the ceasefire.
The talks, which stretched roughly 21 hours beginning Saturday, were the first direct U.S.-Iran engagement at that level since 2015 and the highest-level contact since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. They took place weeks after a U.S. and Israeli operation killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, a recent escalation that made the meeting’s optics notable regardless of outcome.
President Trump has so far not publicly commented on the talks’ failure; he posted about other matters on his social platforms and attended a UFC event Saturday night. Earlier Saturday, Trump wrote that “We win, regardless” and claimed the U.S. had “totally defeated that country.” Vance said he had been in consistent contact with the president while in Islamabad.
Iran criticized what it called “excessive demands” by the U.S. and said the talks covered the Strait of Hormuz, nuclear issues, sanctions, reparations, and ending the war against Iran and the region. Tehran’s multi-point negotiation plan reportedly included demands to halt Israeli attacks on Hezbollah as part of any permanent settlement. Other Iranian requests included release of $6 billion in frozen assets, guarantees concerning its nuclear program, and the right to charge ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz—demands Tehran acknowledged complicated talks and that a single meeting was unlikely to resolve everything.
The Iranian delegation drew attention en route to Islamabad by posting photos of a row of empty plane seats with photos and bloodied belongings of schoolchildren killed in a U.S. missile strike placed on them.
Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has continued despite the ceasefire framework. Israel said it struck more than 200 Hezbollah targets over the weekend, while Hezbollah reported ongoing rocket, drone and artillery attacks against Israel and Israeli forces inside Lebanon. Lebanon said its and Israel’s ambassadors to Washington will meet Tuesday at the State Department to discuss a ceasefire and potential talks. In a statement for Orthodox Easter, Lebanon’s prime minister expressed hope his country could overcome present dangers and restore stability, peace and prosperity.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered remarks claiming significant achievements in operations related to Iran and Lebanon and reiterated goals to disarm Hezbollah and pursue a peace deal with Lebanon.
Meanwhile, two U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers transited the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, the first U.S. warship passage since the conflict began six weeks ago, a U.S. official told reporters. U.S. Central Command said it had begun preparing to clear Iranian sea mines that have been laid in the waterway to “encourage the free flow of commerce.”
Betsy Joles in Islamabad, D. Parvaz in Van, Turkey, Daniel Estrin in Tel Aviv, and Kate Bartlett in Johannesburg contributed to reporting.
