A United States delegation has left Pakistan without reaching an agreement with Iran following 21 hours of negotiations in Islamabad, Reuters reports.
US Vice President JD Vance said on Sunday that the talks ended without a deal, citing gaps between the two sides. He said Iran had not accepted key US conditions, including commitments related to nuclear weapons.
“The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement,” Vance said, adding that Washington had made its “red lines” clear.
He also said he had spoken with US President Donald Trump multiple times during the negotiations.
Iranian state media, however, described US demands as “unreasonable,” while indicating that discussions would continue.
The talks in Islamabad marked the first direct meeting between the US and Iran in more than a decade and the highest-level engagement since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
In a post on X, Iran’s government said negotiations had concluded for now, but technical teams from both sides would exchange documents. It added that talks would continue despite remaining differences, without specifying a timeline.
According to sources, Vance, US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Iranian Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi for discussions lasting around two hours before a break.
The negotiations come amid heightened regional tensions, with the outcome expected to influence a fragile ceasefire and the status of the Strait of Hormuz—a key global energy chokepoint through which around 20% of the world’s oil supply passes.
As talks began, the US military said it was preparing conditions to secure the strait, including mine-clearing operations. Iran, however, denied that US vessels had transited the waterway.
Ahead of the meeting, a senior Iranian source told Reuters that the US had agreed to release frozen Iranian assets held abroad, including in Qatar. A US official denied any such agreement.
Tehran has reportedly demanded control over the Strait of Hormuz, the release of assets, war reparations and a broader regional ceasefire, including in Lebanon.
Washington, meanwhile, is seeking to ensure free navigation through the strait and limit Iran’s nuclear programme to prevent the development of nuclear weapons.
The talks were held under tight security in Islamabad, with thousands of security personnel deployed across the city.
Pakistan’s role as mediator marks a notable diplomatic shift, as the country seeks to reassert itself on the international stage.
Despite the high-level engagement, mutual distrust between the two sides remains significant.
