Mutual Accusations Between Iran and US After Failed Negotiations
Negotiations between Iran and the United States (US) in Pakistan have failed. The US and Iran are exchanging accusations.
For context, 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 caused 2,076 deaths and 26,500 injuries in Iran.
Additionally, Iran’s counterattacks have killed 26 people and injured 7,451 in Israel. Iran’s counterattacks also killed 13 US soldiers and injured 200 US soldiers.
Cited from CNN on Sunday (12/4/2026), US Vice President JD Vance stated that the marathon 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 neither country reached any agreement. He described it as bad news for Iran.
“The bad news is we haven’t reached an agreement. And I think that’s far worse bad 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 but said the success of the ongoing 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’.
Among the topics he said were being discussed are the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s nuclear programme, and the complete end to the war in Iran.
US Accuses Iran of Rejecting Agreement on Nuclear Development
Meanwhile, cited from Al-Jazeera, the US accused Iran of failing to reach an agreement regarding nuclear development. This was stated by US Vice President JD Vance when asked what Iran rejected. He did not provide details but mentioned that Iran did not guarantee it would not develop nuclear weapons.
“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 primary 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 described Iran as unwilling to accept the US’s terms. He claimed to have been flexible in accordance 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 Making Excuses
Iran’s Fars News Agency reported that the path to an agreement depends on changes to the US’s demands, which Iran considers unreasonable. The issue of the Strait of Hormuz is one of several controversial matters that need resolution.
The news agency stated that experts from both sides are working to find common ground and that ‘the Pakistani mediator is trying to resolve differences and bring opinions closer’.
Both negotiation teams have withdrawn to consult with their respective expert teams regarding the proposed text. The talks are said to resume once the draft is ready.
A source close to the Iranian delegation said the US is demanding ‘everything they cannot obtain’ 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 told Fars News Agency that 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 unwilling to lower their expectations despite losing and reaching a stalemate in the war with Iran. Iran has no plans for the next round of talks,” the source said.