United States Vice President JD Vance said the US has not reached an agreement to end the war with Iran, following a marathon meeting in Islamabad, Pakistan, where American and Iranian officials met face to face for the first time in 47 years.
"The bad news is that we didn't reach a deal, and I think that's more bad news for Iran than for the United States of America," Vance said during a press conference early Sunday.
He added that the American delegation is returning to the US without an agreement, but has made clear the red lines and issues on which it is willing to compromise, as well as those on which it will not budge.
The talks were mediated by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The American delegation was led by Vance, while the Iranian delegation was led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad B. Ghalibaf. These were the first direct negotiations between the two countries since the US and Israeli attacks on Iran in late February.
The US delegation also included special envoy Steve Witkoff and former President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi was also present on the Iranian side.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump declared on social media that the US is "cleaning" the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil trade, which has become a major point of tension during ceasefire negotiations.
At least 13 American soldiers have been killed and hundreds more wounded in the conflict that began in late February, according to reports. On the other hand, a senior Iranian health official has stated that over 3,000 people have lost their lives in Iran.
Iranian authorities are demanding that the US confirm that the ceasefire also includes Lebanon, where Iran's ally Hezbollah is facing heavy Israeli bombardment. Tehran is also demanding the unblocking of assets frozen by sanctions.
These negotiations are considered an important step towards ending the conflict that began on February 28, when the US and Israel launched coordinated attacks on Iran, with the aim of destroying the country's nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
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