The United States and Iran failed to reach an agreement after a day of highly anticipated face-to-face peace talks, Washington’s lead negotiator Vice President J.D. Vance announced on Sunday.
“The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement. And I think that’s bad news for Iran much more than it’s bad news for the US… they have chosen not to accept our terms,” Vance said in a press conference in Islamabad, before boarding Airforce Two to leave the country.
Asked what the major sticking point had been that led to the breakdown in negotiations, Vance said: “The simple fact is that we need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon, and they will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon.”
However, he left open the possibility an agreement could still be reached, saying: “We leave here with a very simple proposal: a method of understanding that is our final and best offer,” adding, “We’ll see if the Iranians accept it.”
The talks — which lasted for 21 hours — began in Islamabad on Saturday as the two sides looked to reach a deal to end the war that has shaken the Middle East for six weeks. It was the first face-to-face engagement between the U.S. and Iran since 2015, when the Obama administration negotiated a nuclear deal with Iran that was later scrapped by Trump.
The negotiations took place amid a fragile ceasefire between the two countries, made even more shaky following Israel’s continued strikes on Lebanon and Iran’s demand to maintain control over the Strait of Hormuz.
