High-stakes negotiations between the United States and Iran ended without a breakthrough after nearly 21 hours of discussions, as both sides blamed each other for the failure to reach an agreement.
The US delegation left Pakistan on Sunday morning after Vice President JD Vance announced that no agreement had been reached with the Iranian side during the talks hosted in Islamabad. Images showed Vance, who led the American delegation, boarding a plane back to the United States shortly after addressing reporters at a brief press conference.
Speaking to the media, Vance said the negotiations concluded after extended discussions but failed to produce an understanding. He stated that the Iranian delegation refused to accept US conditions focused on preventing the development of nuclear weapons.
According to Vance, the talks were held in close coordination with US President Donald Trump and senior officials in Washington. He said the United States had made it clear that any agreement must include a firm commitment from Iran not to pursue nuclear weapons or build the capacity to acquire them.
“This remains the central objective of our administration,” Vance said, adding that the Islamabad talks were part of broader diplomatic efforts to secure that commitment. He acknowledged that despite lengthy engagement, the discussions ended without progress on key issues.
Iran, however, offered a different perspective on the outcome. The country’s state broadcasting authority said the negotiations collapsed due to what it described as excessive demands from the United States.
In a statement shared on Telegram, Iranian state television said its delegation had engaged in intensive negotiations over the 21-hour period in an effort to defend the country’s national interests. It claimed that Iranian officials had presented several initiatives during the talks but faced what it called unreasonable conditions from the US side.
The statement said these demands prevented meaningful progress and ultimately led to the end of the negotiations without an agreement.
The Islamabad meeting was seen as a significant diplomatic effort aimed at easing tensions linked to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Pakistan hosted the talks as part of efforts to bring both sides to the table, though no announcement has been made بشأن any future rounds.
With both countries holding firm to their positions, the outcome underscores the continuing challenges facing diplomatic efforts to resolve longstanding disputes over Iran’s nuclear program and regional security concerns.
