Marathon peace negotiations between Washington and Tehran concluded in Islamabad on Sunday, April 12, without a permanent agreement to end the six-week-old war, US Vice President JD Vance announced, as reported by CNN.
Addressing reporters after 21 hours of substantive discussions, Vance confirmed that the US delegation is returning home without a breakthrough. He indicated that the primary sticking point remains Iran’s refusal to abandon its nuclear program. “We were quite accommodating,” Vance said, noting that the team had negotiated in good faith under instructions from the president. “Unfortunately, we weren’t able to make any headway.”
Vance stated that the US has left the Iranian delegation with a “final and best offer,” after remaining in constant communication with US President Donald Trump and top cabinet members, including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent, throughout the process.
The major diplomatic impasse occurred despite Pakistan’s efforts to mediate the highest-level meeting between the two nations in 47 years. For Tehran, the failed round of talks leaves the country under severe economic pressure, as Washington continues to demand the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz without the imposition of multimillion-dollar tolls.
Responding to the outcome from the White House, Trump appeared dismissive of the lack of progress Sky News reported. “Whether we make a deal or not makes no difference to me,” the US president said. “We’ve totally defeated that country and so let’s see what happens. From the standpoint of America, we win.”
The failure to reach a deal leaves global energy markets in a state of uncertainty as the fragile two-week ceasefire approaches its April 22 expiration.
While Vance characterized the deadlock as “much worse news for Iran than for the United States,” the absence of a formal treaty raises fears of a return to active hostilities once the current truce expires.