Updated April 11, 2026 at 11:20 PM CDT
ISLAMABAD – 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.
On Saturday, Israel's military said had it struck more than 200 targets in Lebanon affiliated with the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah in the past 24 hours.
Iran, under its 10-point negotiation plan, demanded an end to Israel's attacks against Hezbollah as part of any permanent agreement. Other demands from the Iranian delegation included the release of $6 billion in frozen assets, guarantees around its nuclear program and the right to charge ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
President Donald Trump's demands, meanwhile, have shifted since the United States and Israel first launched attacks on Iran on Feb. 28.
On Friday, Trump said that the main objective to end the war was to prevent Iran from having any nuclear capabilities.
"No nuclear weapon. That's 99% percent of it," Trump told reporters before boarding Air Force One in Maryland.
Trump has also said the goals for the war with Iran included destroying its military capabilities and creating regime change – neither of which have happened.
Pakistan's turn as a mediator
Saturday's meeting in Islamabad is the culmination of weeks of frantic diplomacy by Pakistan's leaders, who pitched the city as the venue for talks even before they took the lead as a key mediator that both the U.S. and Iran credited for helping broker a two-week ceasefire.
The meeting has put Pakistan at the center of the biggest story in the world, spotlighting its normally sleepy capital that has been preparing for days for high-profile delegations to arrive.
Ahead of the talks, many in Islamabad were still trying to get their heads around the fact that their country's diplomatic efforts actually worked.
"I'm a bit surprised," says 19-year-old Khizra Zaheer, standing in a parking lot of a shopping area near the center of the city. "When did Pakistan get so influential?"
That has been a central question in the past three weeks as Pakistan transitioned from a quiet go-between to an active participant in negotiations between the US and Iran, pulling in leaders from Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and China to support its peace efforts before putting forward a ceasefire plan. The true significance of Pakistan's intervention only became clear when both sides agreed to a pause shortly after a down-to-the-wire plea from the country's prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif.
President Trump and Iran's foreign ministry went on to name Sharif and Pakistani army chief Asim Munir, in their ceasefire announcements. "That was a very rare concurrence, because no other country enjoyed the same kind of trust from both parties," says Rasheed Wali Janjua, director of research at the Islamabad Policy Research Institute, a national security think-tank. "It's a fair assessment to say that both parties are looking for a way out."
U.S. warships pass through Strait of Hormuz
The talks came as two U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, a U.S. official told NPR, marking the first transit of American warships since the start of the Iran war six weeks ago.
The official, who is not authorized to speak publicly, said this is the start of the process of reopening the Strait to commercial shipping.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said it had begun setting conditions to clear Iranian sea mines planted throughout the waterway.
"Today, we began the process of establishing a new passage and we will share this safe pathway with the maritime industry soon to encourage the free flow of commerce," said Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of CENTCOM.
Diaa Hadid contributed to this report from Mumbai. Rebecca Rosman contributed from London. Alana Wise contributed from Washington.
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