We're returning without a deal: JD Vance on truce talks with Iran in Islamabad

Washington and Tehran failed to reach a final consensus over the prevailing Middle East conflict in Islamabad as Iran did not agree to the terms offered by the United States, US Vice President JD Vance said.

In Short

• JD Vance says Iran has chosen not to accept US terms for ceasefire
• Stresses US needs 'affirmative commitment' from Tehran leadership
• US, Iran teams held marathon meetings to reach final ceasefire deal

Talks between the United States and Iran faltered as both parties failed to come to terms over the Middle East war that lasted for nearly 40 days before a temporary two-week ceasefire was announced. Following the ceasefire, both parties met in Pakistan's Islamabad in an attempt to convert the temporary truce into a long-lasting peace. However, no deal was agreed between Washington and Tehran as their discussions hit a major roadblock over multiple issues, like the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

JD Vance, the US Vice President who led the US delegation, announced the return after the talks, which lasted 21 hours, bore no fruit. Vance said that the United States offered the best deal to Iran. However, the latter did not accept it.

"We’ve made very clear what our red lines are, what things we’re willing to accommodate them on, and what things we’re not willing to accommodate them on, and we’ve made that as clear as we possibly could, and may have chosen not to accept our terms," Vance said while briefing the Islamabad talks to the press.

In his three-minute-long address, the US Vice President said that representatives from both nations had 'a number of substantive discussions'. Despite that, they failed to agree on an agreement that could ensure long-term peace across the Gulf region.

"We’ve had a number of substantive discussions with the Iranians. That’s the good news. 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 United States of America," Vance said.

US SOUGHT COMMITMENT ON NUKES

Although Vance did not reveal the details of what Tehran had rejected, he hinted that the US did not receive an 'affirmative commitment' that Iran would not develop nuclear weapons in the near future.

“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. That is the core goal of the President of the United States, and that’s what we’ve tried to achieve through these negotiations," Vance said.

"Again, their nuclear programmes, such as it is, the enrichment facilities that they had before, they’ve been destroyed. But the simple question is, do we see a fundamental commitment of will for the Iranians not to develop a nuclear weapon, not just now, not just two years from now, but for the long term? We haven’t seen that yet. We hope that we will," he further added.

US ASKED FOR THINGS THAT THEY COULD NOT GET DURING WAR, SAYS REPORT

Iran's local media, Fars News, said that the talks did not work out as Washington placed demands that could not be accepted by Tehran.

Citing a source from the delegation team, the report further said that through negotiations, the United States wanted to obtain everything that they failed to obtain during the war.

"Iran did not accept America’s ambitious conditions regarding the Strait of Hormuz, peaceful nuclear energy, and several other issues," the report added.

- Ends