After roughly 21 hours of negotiations in Islamabad, face-to-face talks between the United States and Iran ended without an agreement, leaving a fragile two-week ceasefire uncertain and no set timetable or venue for further meetings.
A U.S. delegation led by Vice President JD Vance met with Iran’s parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and other Iranian officials. U.S. officials said the talks collapsed because Iran would not explicitly commit to abandoning any effort to obtain a nuclear weapon or the capability to build one quickly. Vance said the meeting produced “a number of substantive discussions,” but that “we have not reached an agreement,” characterizing the outcome as worse for Iran than for the United States.
Iranian officials and state media blamed Washington for the breakdown. Ghalibaf said U.S. representatives had been “unable to gain the trust” of the Iranian delegation, citing deep-rooted distrust shaped by past conflicts. Iran’s foreign ministry and the semi-official Mehr News Agency called U.S. demands “unreasonable” and “excessive,” and Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said it was unrealistic to expect a full deal in a single session while indicating Tehran would continue consultations with regional partners.
Pakistan, which hosted and helped mediate the talks, urged both sides to uphold the ceasefire and said it expected diplomacy to continue through backchannels. Pakistani officials stressed their priority was preventing escalation and protecting regional stability and economic interests. A Pakistani source told DW that although no accord was reached, quiet engagement between Washington and Tehran was likely to persist.
The agenda reportedly included competing positions on the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz. Iran is said to have advanced a 10-point plan that included increased control over passage through the strait and withdrawal of U.S. combat forces from regional bases, while the U.S. reportedly offered a 15-point plan focused on curbing Tehran’s nuclear program. The strait’s status is a key sticking point: roughly 20% of global oil transits the waterway, and any disruption would have major implications for energy markets and regional security. Amid concerns about mines and maritime threats, U.S. warships briefly transited the Strait of Hormuz and began mine-clearing operations, which officials framed as efforts to protect global shipping.
U.S. participants included Vance, Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff; Iran was led in part by Ghalibaf. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with Iranian officials during the visit, and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar reiterated Islamabad’s role in facilitating dialogue and called on both parties to honor the ceasefire.
U.S. officials reiterated they need a clear Iranian commitment not to pursue nuclear weapons. Tehran, for its part, insisted it would continue consolidating wartime gains and appeared in no rush to sign a deal. No date or location for further direct talks has been announced, and Pakistan said diplomacy would continue quietly through backchannels while publicly urging restraint to prevent the ceasefire from collapsing. U.S. President Donald Trump downplayed the failure to reach a deal, saying the United States had “won” regardless of the outcome.