Talks between the United States and Iran in Islamabad ended without an agreement after roughly 21 hours of negotiations, casting doubt on a fragile two-week ceasefire and leaving no set timeline or venue for further talks.
US delegation led by Vice President JD Vance held face-to-face discussions with Iran’s parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and other Iranian officials. The US said negotiations collapsed because Iran would not affirm that it would abandon any effort to seek a nuclear weapon or the means to build one quickly. Vance said the talks produced “a number of substantive discussions” but “we have not reached an agreement,” calling the outcome worse for Iran than for the United States.
Iranian officials and state media blamed the US for the failure. Ghalibaf said US representatives had been “unable to gain the trust” of the Iranian delegation, noting longstanding distrust shaped by previous wars. Iran’s foreign ministry and the semi-official Mehr News Agency described US demands as “unreasonable” and “excessive,” saying Tehran refused to compromise on what it called the rights and interests of the Iranian people. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said it was unrealistic to expect a full agreement in a single session and signaled contacts with regional partners would continue.
Pakistan, which hosted and helped mediate the talks, urged both sides to uphold the ceasefire and said it expected negotiations to continue through backchannels. Pakistani officials stressed the country’s priority to avoid escalation and protect regional stability and economic interests. A Pakistani source told DW that while no agreement was reached, quiet engagement between Washington and Tehran was likely to continue.
The talks also touched on the Strait of Hormuz. Iran reportedly included control over the strait and the withdrawal of US combat forces from regional bases in a 10-point plan. The US reportedly presented a 15-point plan with curbs on Iran’s nuclear program. The strait’s status is a critical sticking point: about 20% of global oil passes through it, and any disruption would affect energy markets and regional security. Amid concerns about mines and maritime threats, US warships briefly transited the Strait of Hormuz and began mine-clearing operations, actions the US framed as protecting global shipping.
Participants and observers: the US delegation included Vance, Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff. Iranian delegation leaders included Ghalibaf; Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with Iranian officials during the visit. Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar reiterated Islamabad’s role in facilitating dialogue and called for both parties to honor their ceasefire commitments.
Reactions and next steps: US officials emphasized the need for a clear Iranian commitment not to pursue nuclear weapons. Iran insisted it would continue consolidating its wartime gains and said it felt no immediate pressure to rush to an agreement. No date or venue for further face-to-face talks has been announced. Pakistan indicated diplomacy would continue quietly through backchannels while publicly urging restraint to prevent the ceasefire from unraveling. US President Donald Trump downplayed the outcome, saying that whether a deal was reached or not the United States had “won.”