Return to war? US-Iran peace talks end without a deal

Talks at securing a long-term ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran collapsed on Sunday after nearly 24 hours of negotiations between senior officials.

By World Israel News Staff

Marathon talks between the United States and Iran ended without a deal, with both delegations announcing Sunday morning that negotiations had concluded — raising the prospect of a return to military conflict.

Vice President JD Vance, alongside Trump administration envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, arrived in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Friday for high-level discussions with senior Iranian officials. Their counterparts included Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf — believed to be overseeing the country’s day-to-day affairs — and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

The negotiations, described as among the most senior direct engagements between U.S. and Iranian officials in decades, lasted nearly 24 hours.

Vance said Iran refused to compromise on U.S. demands related to preventing the development of a nuclear weapon — a point on which Washington is unwilling to make concessions.

“The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement,” Vance told reporters in Islamabad before returning to the U.S. on Sunday.

“And I think that’s bad news for Iran much more than it’s bad news for the United States of America. They have chosen not to accept our terms. So we go back to the United States having not come to an agreement.”

Vance added that “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. That is the core goal of the president of the United States. And that’s what we’ve tried to achieve through these negotiations.”

Iranian media characterized the unresolved issues somewhat differently. State outlet Press TV reported that key sticking points included maritime access through the Strait of Hormuz and what it described as Tehran’s “nuclear rights.”

Meanwhile, the state-affiliated Tasnim News Agency blamed the United States for the breakdown, claiming Washington’s “excessive demands” had “hindered a common framework.”

The talks followed an April 7 temporary ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran, which established a two-week window to negotiate a longer-term arrangement. It remains unclear whether the collapse of negotiations will lead to renewed conflict once that deadline expires.