Vice President JD Vance provides a thumb up signal as he boards Air Pressure Two after attending talks on Iran in Islamabad, Pakistan, Sunday, April 12, 2026.
Jacquelyn Martin/AP
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Jacquelyn Martin/AP
ISLAMABAD – The US and Iran failed to achieve an settlement after a day of extremely anticipated face-to-face peace talks, Washington’s lead negotiator Vice President J.D. Vance introduced 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 U.S…. they have chosen not to accept our terms,” Vance mentioned at a press convention in Islamabad, earlier than boarding Airforce Two to go away the nation.
Requested what the foremost sticking level had been that led to the breakdown in negotiations, Vance mentioned: “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.”
For its half, Iran mentioned the 2 sides had “reached an understanding on a number of issues, but ultimately the talks did not lead to an agreement.”
Tehran has repeatedly mentioned that its nuclear program is a civilian one, and that it has a proper to proceed to counterpoint uranium for that goal.
The standing of the 2-week ceasefire is now unsure, nevertheless Vance left open the chance an settlement might nonetheless be reached, saying: “We leave here with a very simple proposal: a method of understanding that is our final and best offer.” He added, “We’ll see if the Iranians accept it.”
After negotiations broke down, Pakistan, which has change into a key mediator within the struggle and hosted the talks, mentioned Sunday it might proceed to play a job in peace efforts. Overseas Minister Ishaq Dar urged either side to proceed to uphold the ceasefire.
The talks — which lasted for 21 hours — started in Islamabad on Saturday as the 2 sides regarded to achieve a deal to finish the struggle that has shaken the Center East for six weeks.
It was the primary face-to-face engagement between the U.S. and Iran since 2015, when the Obama administration negotiated a nuclear take care of Iran that was later scrapped by Trump. They had been additionally the highest-level discussions because the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Silence from Trump
To date President Trump hasn’t commented on the failure of the talks, regardless of posting in latest hours on his Reality Social platform about different points. He spent Saturday evening with Secretary of State Marco Rubio at a UFC combat in Miami.
Nonetheless earlier on Saturday, Trump mentioned “We win, regardless” of the result of negotiations, including, “we’ve totally defeated that country.”
Vance mentioned in his press convention that he’d been in contact with the president “consistently” whereas in Islamabad.
Iran cites ‘extreme calls for’
Iran’s Overseas Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei mentioned in a put up on X and in a press release to Iranian state media that the principle topics of talks had been the Strait of Hormuz, nuclear points, sanctions, reparations, and an finish to the struggle towards Iran and the area.
He added that points, equivalent to Iran’s demand that it proceed to regulate the Strait of Hormuz, added complexities to the talks and that “we should not have expected to reach an agreement in one meeting from the beginning.
A billboard of the U.S. Iran talks is seen close to Serena Lodge, the venue for the U.S. Iran officers assembly, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Sunday, April 12, 2026.
Anjum Naveed/AP
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Anjum Naveed/AP
Nonetheless, he additionally criticized the U.S., saying: “the success of this diplomatic process depends on the seriousness and good faith of the opposing side, refraining from excessive demands.”
Below its multi-point negotiation plan, Tehran had demanded an finish to Israel’s assaults towards Hezbollah as a part of any everlasting settlement. Different calls for from the Iranian delegation included the discharge of $6 billion in frozen belongings, ensures round its nuclear program and the proper to cost ships passing by means of the Strait of Hormuz.
Regardless of the failure of the talks to provide a deal, some analysts famous the optics of the assembly between the Iranians and Individuals had been nonetheless placing, coming simply weeks after the U.S. and Israel launched the assault that killed Iran’s Supreme Chief.
The Iranian delegation had posted images of a row of empty seats on the aircraft en path to Islamabad, on which images and bloodied belongings of faculty kids killed in a U.S. missile strike had been positioned.
Preventing between Israel and Hezbollah continues
Israel’s refusal to cease combating in Lebanon and abide by the ceasefire with Iran has threatened the truce. Iran threatened quote “strong responses” and President Trump mentioned Israel would cut back its assaults in Lebanon. However assaults proceed.
Israel’s army says this weekend it struck greater than 200 Hezbollah targets, and Hezbollah mentioned it continued rocket, drone and artillery assaults on Israel and Israeli troops inside Lebanon.
Lebanon says the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors to Washington will maintain their first direct assembly Tuesday on the State Division to debate a ceasefire and a date for beginning negotiations.
In a speech Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed historic accomplishments in Iran and Lebanon – and that his aim in talks is to disarm Hezbollah and attain a peace settlement with Lebanon.
A lady mourns on the grave of her husband throughout the funeral of 13 state safety officers killed the day before today in an Israeli strike in Lebanon’s coastal metropolis of Sidon, Saturday, April 11, 2026.
Emilio Morenatti/AP
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Emilio Morenatti/AP
In a put up for Orthodox Easter on Sunday, Lebanon’s Prime Minister mentioned he hoped the nation would “together overcome the dangers facing us, and so that stability, peace, and prosperity may prevail throughout Lebanon.”
U.S. warships cross by means of Strait of Hormuz
The talks got here as two U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers handed by means of the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, a U.S. official informed NPR, marking the primary transit of American warships because the begin of the Iran struggle six weeks in the past.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) mentioned it had begun setting circumstances to clear Iranian sea mines planted all through the waterway to “encourage the free flow of commerce.”
Betsy Joles in Islamabad, D Parvaz in Van, Turkey, Daniel Estrin in Tel Aviv, and Kate Bartlett in Johannesburg contributed to reporting.
