ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — United States Vice President JD Vance announced on Sunday that marathon negotiations with Iran concluded without a peace agreement after 21 hours of talks, as both sides failed to bridge major differences over Tehran’s nuclear program and regional security demands.
Speaking to reporters in Islamabad, Vance said the Iranian delegation refused to accept Washington’s core condition that Iran must permanently forgo developing nuclear weapons and the capabilities that could enable rapid weaponization.
“The simple fact is that we need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon,” Vance said, adding that this remains the central objective of the US administration.
The third round of face-to-face talks ended days after a fragile two-week ceasefire was announced in a conflict that has now entered its seventh week and has left thousands dead while destabilizing global markets and energy supplies.
Vance said he remained in constant contact with US President Donald Trump throughout the negotiations, speaking with him multiple times over the 21-hour session, along with senior officials including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and US Central Command leadership.
“We were constantly in communication with the team because we were negotiating in good faith,” Vance said, adding that Washington had presented what he described as its “final and best offer” to Tehran.
He did not confirm what would happen after the current ceasefire period expires, although Trump had earlier indicated a two-week pause in military action.
Two Pakistani officials said discussions were expected to continue after a break, with some technical teams still engaged in parallel meetings. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.
Meanwhile, regional tensions remained high as US naval forces reported destroyers had transited the Strait of Hormuz ahead of mine-clearing operations, a development denied by Iranian state media quoting military officials.
Trump told reporters separately that US forces were “clearing out” the strategic waterway, while Iranian state television described ongoing differences as “serious.”
The Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy corridor, has been heavily affected by the conflict, with Iran’s control over the passage disrupting oil and gas shipments and contributing to rising global energy prices.
The conflict, now in its seventh week, has resulted in heavy casualties across the region, including thousands of deaths in Iran and Lebanon, as well as casualties in Israel and Gulf Arab states, according to regional officials and health authorities.
Diplomatic sources said representatives from China, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar were in Islamabad to assist indirect coordination efforts amid the stalled negotiations.
Iranian officials told state media they entered talks with “deep distrust,” citing ongoing Israeli strikes and calling for guarantees that include the release of frozen assets and compensation for war-related damage.
The latest round of negotiations marks one of the most direct high-level engagements between Washington and Tehran in years, involving Vance and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf.
Despite the lack of agreement, officials indicated that technical discussions and diplomatic contacts could continue as international pressure grows to prevent further escalation in the region.
Edgardo Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
- EDGARDO HERNAL
- EDGARDO HERNAL
- EDGARDO HERNAL
- EDGARDO HERNAL
