The US Vice-President JD Vance addressed reporters following the landmark peace talks, emphasizing that the United States has clearly defined its “red lines,” yet Iran has not accepted these terms.
Vance reported that the US and Iran could not reach an agreement despite extensive discussions held in Pakistan. The delegations convened in Islamabad during a temporary ceasefire.
He stated, “We could not reach a point where the Iranians were willing to accept our terms.” A crucial objective of halting Iran’s nuclear capabilities remained unfulfilled.
In response, Iran’s foreign ministry described the talks as “intensive” and urged Washington to avoid “excessive demands and unlawful requests.”
Vance reiterated, “We just could not get to a situation where the Iranians would accept our terms.” He noted, “After 21 hours of negotiation, the unfortunate news is that we have not reached an agreement,” and indicated that the US plans to depart from Pakistan.
At the news conference, Vance was flanked by Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and White House advisor, as well as US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, who comprised the US delegation in the negotiations with Iran.
He expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister of Pakistan and Field Marshal Munir, stating, “Any shortcomings in the negotiation were not due to the Pakistanis, who performed admirably.”
The US and Iran each attribute the failure of the peace talks to different factors. Iranian state media reported that “unreasonable demands” from the US hindered efforts to conclude the war. IRIB, the Iranian state broadcaster, claimed, “Despite various initiatives from the Iranian delegation, the unreasonable demands of the American side prevented the progress of the negotiations. Thus, the negotiations ended.”
Conversely, the US maintains that it acted with flexibility and accommodation. Vance quoted President Donald Trump as instructing him to “come here in good faith and make your best effort to get a deal.” He affirmed that the US made a “very simple proposal, a method of understanding that is our final and best offer,” but unfortunately, no progress was achieved.
The future steps regarding the two-week ceasefire agreement remain uncertain, as does the potential for further discussions.
