US Vice President JD Vance confirmed on Sunday that his negotiating team had departed from Pakistan without reaching an agreement with Iran, following 21 hours of tense discussions that have now put a fragile two-week ceasefire at risk.
"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 United States of America," Reuters quoted Vance telling reporters after the conclusion of the talks.
"So, we go back to the United States having not agreed. We've made very clear what our red lines are."
The talks, which marked the first direct engagement between the US and Iran in over a decade, were high-stakes negotiations aimed at resolving the ongoing conflict and addressing key issues, including Iran's nuclear ambitions.
Vance highlighted the failure to come to terms, particularly over Iran's nuclear program, as a central stumbling block.
"We need to see 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.
“That is the core goal of the President of the United States, and that’s what we’ve tried to achieve through these negotiations," he said.
In contrast, Iran's semi-official news agency Tasnim blamed what it described as "excessive" demands from the US, suggesting that these hindered the possibility of a deal.
Despite the collapse of the talks, Iran's government indicated through an official post on X (formerly Twitter) that discussions would continue, with technical experts from both sides expected to exchange documents.
The Islamabad talks, which had attracted considerable international attention, were the highest-level discussions between the two nations since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, underscoring the significance of the moment.
However, Vance did not address the issue of reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway through which about 20% of global oil supplies pass. Since the beginning of the war, Iran has blocked access to the strait, sending global oil prices soaring and exacerbating international tensions.
Vance's delegation included special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, former President Donald Trump's son-in-law, with Vance mentioning that he had communicated frequently with Trump throughout the talks.
On the Iranian side, the delegation was led by Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi.
The Iranian team arrived dressed in black, mourning the loss of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and others killed in the conflict.
They also carried shoes and personal items belonging to students reportedly killed during a US airstrike on a school near a military compound, an incident under Pentagon investigation.
While the Pentagon has stated that it is looking into the strike, Reuters reported that military investigators believe the US was likely responsible for the attack, adding another layer of complexity to the already strained relations. - April 12, 2026
