US Vice President JD Vance has said that no agreement has been reached with Iran after 21 hours of negotiations in Islamabad, citing their nuclear ambitions as a key blocker for peace
JD Vance has announced that no deal has been reached with Iran following 21 hours of negotiations, pointing to the country’s nuclear ambitions as a major stumbling block.
Talks between the US and Iran were held in Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital, over the weekend, with the vice president heading up the American delegation.
“The bad news is we have not reached an agreement,” Vance told reporters.
Sources indicate there were numerous “disagreements” between the Iranian and American delegations throughout the discussions, with Iranian media citing “excessive demands” and “overreach” from Washington.
Reports emerging from within the peace talks suggest the status of the strait remains a significant bone of contention, though Vance indicated the crux of the matter centred on a nuclear enrichment agreement.
Vance stated that the principal sticking point was that the US hasn’t seen a “fundamental commitment of will for the Iranians not to develop a nuclear weapon”.
He went on to say: “That is the core goal of the President of the United States, and that’s what we’ve tried to achieve through these negotiations.”
Speaking to journalists outside the White House on Saturday, Donald Trump claimed military victory over Iran and played down the significance of the ongoing ceasefire talks, insisting “regardless of what happens, we win”.
“Let’s see what happens – maybe they make a deal, maybe they don’t,” the president said. “It doesn’t matter. From the standpoint of America, we win.”
Vance confirmed he would be returning to the US following the conclusion of the talks. He continued: “We go back to the United States having not come to an agreement.
“We’ve made very clear what our red lines are, what things we’re willing to accommodate them on and what things we’re not willing to accommodate them on.
“And we’ve made clear as we possibly could. And they have chosen not to accept our terms.”
Following Tuesday’s fragile ceasefire agreement, Iran and the US were attempting to broker a lasting resolution to the conflict.
The two nations face substantial hurdles as they remain deeply divided on crucial matters.
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