21-Hour Negotiations Fail, US and Iran Resort to Mutual Accusations
Marathon negotiations lasting 21 hours between Iran and the United States (US) in Islamabad, Pakistan, ended in deadlock. Instead of reaching a peace agreement, the two countries accused each other of causing the failure of the talks.
For context, the conflict began when the US and Israel attacked Iran on 28 February 2026. The attack resulted in the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was then serving as Iran’s Supreme Leader.
Iran immediately retaliated by attacking Israel and various US facilities in Gulf countries. The war has killed 2,076 people and injured 26,500 in Iran.
Additionally, Iran’s counterattacks killed 26 people and injured 7,451 in Israel. Thirteen US soldiers were also killed and 200 others injured as a result of the attacks.
Cited from CNN on Sunday (12/4/2026), US Vice President JD Vance said the intensive talks with Iran did not yield an agreement to permanently end the war.
“We’ve been at it for 21 hours, and we’ve had a number of substantive discussions with the Iranian side. That’s the good news,” Vance said during a press conference in Islamabad.
However, he said, the two countries reached no agreement whatsoever. He described it as bad news, especially for Iran.
“The bad news is we haven’t reached an agreement. And I think that’s much worse news for Iran than it is for the United States. So we’re heading back to the United States without an agreement,” he stated.
Spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, Esmaeil Baqaei, described the negotiations as intensive. However, he emphasised that the success of the talks depends on the seriousness and good faith of the opposing side.
Baqaei also called on Washington to refrain from “excessive demands and unlawful requests”. He urged the US to accept Iran’s “legitimate rights and interests”.
He noted that several issues discussed included the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s nuclear programme, and efforts to totally end the war.
US Accuses Iran of Rejecting Nuclear Deal
Meanwhile, cited from Al-Jazeera, the US accused Iran of failing to provide commitments regarding nuclear development. This was stated by JD Vance when asked about points rejected by Iran in the negotiations.
“The fact is we need to see a firm commitment that they will not seek to develop nuclear weapons, and they will not seek to acquire the means that would allow them to rapidly achieve nuclear weapons. That is the main goal of the US President, and that is what we’ve been trying to achieve through these negotiations,” he said.
He stated that Iran has a nuclear programme. According to him, the US wants Iran to commit to not developing nuclear weapons in the future.
“Again, their nuclear programme, as it is, the enrichment facilities they had previously, have been destroyed. But the simple question is, are we seeing a fundamental commitment from Iran not to develop nuclear weapons, not just now, not just two years from now, but in the long term? We haven’t seen it. We hope to see it,” he said.
He claimed Iran was not willing to accept the US terms. He said he had been flexible in line with instructions from US President Donald Trump.
“We haven’t been able to reach a situation where Iran is willing to accept our terms. I think we’ve been quite flexible; we’ve been quite accommodating. The President told us, ‘You have to come here in good faith and do your best to reach an agreement’. We did that, and unfortunately, we weren’t able to make any progress,” he said.
Iran Accuses US of Finding Excuses
Fars News Agency reported that the path to an agreement depends on changes to the US demands, which Iran deems unreasonable. The issue of the Strait of Hormuz became one of the crucial points still under debate.
The news agency stated that experts from both sides are still trying to find common ground. “Pakistan’s mediators are trying to resolve differences and bring views closer.”
The two negotiation teams were also said to have temporarily withdrawn to consult with their respective expert teams regarding the proposed draft. Talks will resume once the draft is ready.
A source close to the Iranian delegation said the US demanded “everything they couldn’t get from the war” during the talks in Islamabad. The news agency also quoted its correspondent in Pakistan’s capital as saying “Iran does not accept America’s ambitious terms regarding the Strait of Hormuz, peaceful nuclear energy, and several other issues”.
The source also said the US is “looking for excuses” to leave the negotiating table.
“America needs negotiations to repair their lost image on the international stage and is not willing to lower their expectations despite losing and facing a deadlock in the war with Iran. Iran has no plans for the next round of talks,” the source said.