Kashmir Impulse Desk

New Delhi, April 12 

The United States and Iran failed to reach an agreement after more than 21 hours of direct talks in Islamabad, with US Vice President J D Vance saying Washington’s key demands were not accepted by Tehran.

“We have been at it now for 21 hours,” Vance told reporters after the talks, which were mediated by Pakistan. “The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement. We just could not get to a situation where the Iranians would accept our terms.”

Vance said the United States had made its “red lines” clear during the negotiations, which included White House adviser Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff as part of the US delegation.

Despite the lack of a deal, Vance said Washington had approached the discussions in good faith. 

“We came into this with flexibility and in good faith,” he said, describing the U.S. position as “quite accommodating”.

He said the United States had presented what he called its “final and best offer” and would now leave it to Tehran to respond.

Vance reiterated that curbing Iran’s nuclear ambitions remained central to US policy and a “core goal” of President Donald Trump.

“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 will enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon,” he said.

While Vance said Iran’s nuclear programme had already been significantly degraded during the conflict, he added that Washington had yet to see “a fundamental commitment of will” from Tehran.

Iran signalled a different assessment of the talks. 

Foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei described the negotiations as “intensive” but said their outcome depended on the “seriousness and good faith of the opposing side”.

He urged Washington to avoid “excessive demands and unlawful requests” and to recognise Iran’s “legitimate rights and interests”, underscoring the gap between the two sides.

Iranian officials said they entered the talks with an open mind but would not accept conditions they viewed as infringing on sovereignty, particularly over their nuclear programme and regional security.

The talks were hosted in Islamabad with mediation by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and military chief Asim Munir, and had initially raised hopes of easing tensions after decades of hostility.

Key issues included Iran’s nuclear programme, maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz and a broader framework for ending hostilities.

Tensions remained on the ground. 

The US military said two Navy destroyers had transited the Strait of Hormuz to begin mine-clearing operations, a claim denied by Iran.

Elsewhere in the region, Israel continued strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signalling openness to separate negotiations while calling for Hezbollah’s disarmament.

The talks marked the most sustained direct engagement between Washington and Tehran in years, but their collapse highlights deep divisions, leaving prospects for a breakthrough uncertain.