21 Hours, No Deal: Vance Walks Out of U.S.-Iran Talks as Tehran Refuses Nuclear Pledge
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – After 21 grueling hours of high-stakes negotiations in Pakistan’s capital, Vice President JD Vance announced Sunday that the United States and Iran have failed to reach an agreement, with Iranian officials refusing to commit to abandoning their nuclear ambitions.
Speaking from the Serena Hotel in Islamabad, Vance delivered a blunt assessment of the diplomatic deadlock, stating that Iran “chose not to accept our terms.” The vice president emphasized that while the discussions were “substantive,” the U.S. would not compromise on its core red lines—chief among them, a binding commitment from Tehran to forgo nuclear weapons development. “The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement,” Vance told reporters. “And I think that’s bad news for Iran much more than it’s bad news for the United States of America.” He added that he had been in constant communication with President Donald Trump throughout the marathon talks, consulting with the commander-in-chief “a half dozen times, a dozen times over the past 21 hours.”
The American delegation, which included U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf in a last-ditch effort to preserve a fragile ceasefire announced by Trump earlier this week. However, Vance confirmed that Tehran stopped short of providing the necessary assurances. “We need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon, nor the tools to quickly achieve one,” Vance said. “That is the core goal of the president.” While the vice president left the door open for Iran to reconsider what he called the U.S.’s “final and best offer,” he made clear that American patience has limits. The failed talks come just over a month after the U.S. launched Operation Epic Fury on Feb. 28, underscoring the volatile standoff between the two nations.
