Iran Talks Stall, No Agreement on Mideast War — Vance
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High-stakes negotiations between Iran and the United States aimed at ending the ongoing Middle East conflict ended without a breakthrough on Sunday, with U.S. Vice President JD Vance confirming that discussions had stalled after marathon talks in Islamabad.
Speaking to reporters after 21 hours of negotiations, Vance said Washington had presented Tehran with what he described as its “final and best offer.”
“We leave 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,” Vance said.
According to Vance, the United States is seeking a “fundamental commitment” from Iran to abandon any ambition of developing nuclear weapons — a condition he said Tehran has yet to meet. “We haven’t seen that,” he said, referring to Iran’s response during the talks.
Despite the deadlock, Vance indicated that diplomacy remains open, noting that Iran still has time to consider the proposal. The U.S. had earlier announced a two-week pause in joint military operations with Israel to allow negotiations to proceed.
Iranian state broadcaster IRIB blamed the impasse on what it called “unreasonable demands” from the American side. However, a spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry struck a more measured tone, suggesting expectations should remain realistic.
“No one could have expected that after 40 days of war, an agreement would be reached in a single session,” the spokesperson said.
The talks were hosted and mediated by Pakistan, whose leadership played a key role in bringing both sides to the table. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar pledged to continue facilitating dialogue.
“It is imperative that the parties continue to uphold their commitment to ceasefire,” Dar said.
The current conflict began on February 28 when the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iran, triggering retaliation from Tehran and escalating into a wider regional war. The fighting has disrupted global markets, particularly oil supplies.
A major flashpoint remains the Strait of Hormuz — a critical transit route that Iran effectively closed during the conflict, sending global oil prices soaring.
Washington says it has deployed naval forces to secure the waterway, but Iran denies that U.S. ships have entered the strait and has warned of retaliation.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump downplayed the urgency of reaching a deal, asserting that the United States had already achieved military success.
“Whether we make a deal or not makes no difference to me. The reason is because we’ve won,” Trump said.
The situation is further complicated by continued violence in Lebanon, where Israeli forces are engaged in conflict with Hezbollah, an Iran-backed group. Israel has made clear that its operations in Lebanon are not covered by the current ceasefire framework.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled interest in a long-term agreement with Lebanon but ruled out any ceasefire with Hezbollah. “We want a peace deal that will last for generations,” Netanyahu said.
Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf expressed deep skepticism about U.S. intentions, citing a history of failed negotiations.
“Our experience in negotiating with the Americans has always been met with failure and broken promises,” he said.
With positions still far apart and mistrust running deep, the outcome of the negotiations remains uncertain — leaving the region on edge as the temporary ceasefire ticks down.
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