High-stakes negotiations between the United States and Iran have ended without an agreement after more than 20 hours of intense discussions in Islamabad, dealing a major blow to diplomatic efforts aimed at ending weeks of escalating conflict.
The talks, mediated by Pakistan, marked the first direct engagement between both sides in over a decade, but failed to bridge deep divisions over Iran’s nuclear programme, regional influence, and control of key strategic routes such as the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who led the American delegation, confirmed the deadlock shortly after the meeting, saying negotiators had exhausted all options without success.
“We’ve had a number of substantive discussions… The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement,” Vance said, adding that the outcome is “bad news for Iran much more than it’s bad news for the United States.”
He further stressed that Washington had presented what he described as its “final and best offer,” but Tehran declined to accept the terms.
