JD Vance concludes Pakistan visit after 21-hour talks end without US-Iran deal

Islamabad (Web Desk): United States (US) Vice President JD Vance on Sunday said that more than 20 hours of intense negotiations between the US and Iran ended without any deal, though he acknowledged Pakistan’s role in trying to bring both sides to each any agreement.

Following the talks, the American and Iranian delegations departed Islamabad to return home.

Addressing reporters shortly before his departure, the US vice president admitted that the outcome was disappointing. "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," Vance said, underscoring Washington’s position as he led the US delegation.

The US vice president commended Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir, describing them as gracious hosts who made sincere efforts to help both sides find common ground.

“Both incredible hosts, and whatever shortcomings of the negotiation, it wasn't because of the Pakistanis who did an amazing job and really tried to help us and the Iranians bridge the gap and get to a deal," he said.

Vance stated that the talks stalled because Iran refused to accept key American conditions, particularly regarding its nuclear ambitions. "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 US, and that's what we've tried to achieve through these negotiations."

He also revealed that he had remained in close contact with President Donald Trump throughout the discussions, speaking with him multiple times.

Despite the ongoing negotiations, Trump had already signalled that a deal was not essential. "We're negotiating. Whether we make a deal or not makes no difference to me, because we've won," he told reporters.

The US team included special envoy Steve Witkoff and presidential adviser Jared Kushner, while Iran was represented by Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

The failure to reach any agreement after prolonged discussions has cast doubt over the fragile ceasefire, as the conflict—now stretching beyond six weeks—has claimed thousands of lives and pushed global oil prices sharply higher.

Both sides pointed fingers over the breakdown. Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that "excessive" US demands had blocked progress, while other Iranian outlets said some matters had seen agreement but major sticking points remained, particularly over the Strait of Hormuz and Tehran’s nuclear programme.

A spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry said the talks were conducted in an atmosphere of mistrust. "It is natural that we shouldn't have expected to reach an agreement in just one session," the spokesperson was quoted as saying by Iranian media.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar emphasised the need to preserve the two-week ceasefire agreed earlier in the week, calling it essential as both sides attempt to ease tensions after a conflict that began on February 28 with US and Israeli air strikes on Iran.

In his brief interaction with the media, Vance did not address the issue of reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global shipping route responsible for roughly 20 percent of the world’s energy supplies and currently blocked by Iran. "So we go back to the United States having not come to an agreement. We've made very clear what our red lines are."

The Islamabad talks marked the first direct engagement between Washington and Tehran in more than a decade, and the most senior-level dialogue since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Iran, on the other hand, is pushing for access to frozen assets abroad, control over the Strait of Hormuz, compensation for war losses, and a wider regional ceasefire that would include Lebanon, according to Iranian officials and state media. It has also expressed interest in charging transit fees for vessels passing through the strait.

Despite tensions, maritime data showed that three oil-laden supertankers successfully moved through the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, appearing to be the first ships to leave the Gulf since the ceasefire came into effect. However, many more vessels remain stranded, waiting for a safe window to pass during the temporary truce.

Although US objectives have shifted over time, Washington continues to prioritise ensuring uninterrupted global shipping through the strait and weakening Iran’s nuclear enrichment capacity to prevent the development of atomic weapons—an accusation Tehran has consistently denied.

Separately, Israel has continued its military operations in Lebanon, maintaining that those actions fall outside the scope of the US-Iran ceasefire. Iran, however, insists that any meaningful de-escalation must include a halt to fighting in Lebanon.

The Israeli military said it targeted Hezbollah rocket launch sites overnight, with thick smoke seen rising over southern Beirut. Air raid sirens also sounded in Israeli communities near the border, warning residents of incoming rocket fire from Lebanon.