No Deal: U.S.-Iran peace talks in Islamabad fall through

NPR-April11th2026

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.

Pakistan is playing intermediary in the Iran war, a role it has played before

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.

Vice President JD Vance walks to speak with the Press before boarding Air Force Two, Friday, April 10, 2026, at Joint Base Andrews, Md., for expected departure to Pakistan, for talks on Iran.

Jacquelyn Martin/AP

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.