Negotiations between the United States and Iran on the West Asia conflict continue to remain at a standstill, with no agreement in sight. Iranian media reports say any breakthrough depends on Washington dropping what Tehran calls “unreasonable demands". Despite several rounds of discussions in Islamabad, both sides have failed to reach common ground on key issues.
“The US flew their Vice President halfway across the world to Islamabad. 21 hours of talks. They demanded everything they couldn’t achieve through war. Iran said a BIG NO. The talks are over. The Strait is still closed. And the VP is flying home empty-handed. Just Iran’s word. Again. They don’t have any option left to save face," reads Iran Embassy in Ghana post on X.
After several hours of discussions, US Vice President JD Vance said the two sides were unable to reach a “satisfactory agreement". He added that the proposed terms were not accepted by Iran. “We have not yet reached an agreement acceptable to the Iranian side," Vance said, underlining the deadlock in the high-stakes negotiations.
Reacting to this, Iran Foreign Ministry said, “We did not expect to reach an agreement in a single round of negotiations."
The main sticking points include the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear rights. These issues have emerged as central to the deadlock. Reports suggest that the United States pushed for conditions during the talks that it could not secure during the war, which Iran has firmly rejected.
According to Iran’s Press TV, the discussions ended without a framework because of what it described as “excessive demands" from the US. The report added that disagreements over the Strait of Hormuz, nuclear policy, and other matters continue to block progress.
Iranian sources have taken a strong line on the outcome of the talks. The Fars news agency, quoting a source close to the Iranian delegation, said the US demanded “everything they couldn’t obtain" during the conflict. It also reported that Iran refused to accept what it called ambitious American conditions on multiple fronts. “Iran did not accept America’s ambitious conditions regarding the Strait of Hormuz, peaceful nuclear energy, and several other issues", said Tehran.
According to Al Jazeera, the United States may not have been fully committed to reaching an agreement. The report alleged that Washington was “looking for an excuse" to step away from the negotiations.
Al Jazeera source said, “the Americans needed the negotiation for their lost face in the international arena and were unwilling to lower their expectations despite the defeat and stalemate in the war with Iran".
Iran’s Tasnim News Agency citing an informed source, said, there will be “no change in the situation at the Strait of Hormuz until Washington agrees to a reasonable deal."
Despite the tensions, efforts to bridge differences are ongoing. Iranian media says experts from both sides are now reviewing draft proposals in an attempt to find common ground. The Pakistani mediator is also working to narrow gaps and bring the two sides closer.
However, there is no clear timeline for when talks might resume. Both delegations have stepped back to consult their respective expert teams before moving forward.
For now, the future of the negotiations remains uncertain. Iranian Fras News agency reports said Iran has no plans for another round of talks.
Iran has signalled a firm stance following the latest round of stalled negotiations, with the Tasnim news agency quoting an informed source saying the “ball is in America’s court". The source said Tehran had already put forward what it described as reasonable proposals during the talks and was now waiting for Washington to respond realistically.
According to the source, the United States had misjudged the situation in negotiations, much like it had during the conflict. It warned that there would be no change in the situation around the Strait of Hormuz unless the US agrees to what Iran considers a fair deal.
The message from Tehran is clear that there is no urgency on its side. The source stressed that “Iran is in no hurry" to move forward. With both sides holding their ground, there is still no confirmation on when or where the next round of talks could take place.
Iran says diplomacy is still open despite failed talks with the United States. The foreign ministry confirmed that negotiations ended without a deal due to disagreements on three key issues, even though some areas of understanding were reached. Both sides discussed their respective proposals, including 10 points raised by Iran, but differences remain unresolved.
Iranian Foreign Ministry said, “The path of diplomacy has not been closed and it is a permanent means of safeguarding our national interests. Negotiations with the United States ended without reaching an agreement due to disagreement on 3 issues. We have reached an understanding in the negotiations regarding some points, and viewpoints have differed on 3 issues. We discussed the 10 Iranian items and the points of the American side in the negotiations."
Speaking on the nuclear programme issue, JD Vance stressed that Washington is seeking a clear and lasting commitment from Iran. “The simple fact is that we need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon," he said, adding, “The simple question is, do we see a fundamental commitment of will for the Iranians not to develop a nuclear weapon — not just now, not just two years from now, but for the long term?"
Vance, however, indicated that the United States is still giving Iran time to respond to its latest proposal, even after prolonged negotiations failed to produce an agreement.
This comes as Washington earlier announced a two-week pause in attacks with Israel to allow space for diplomacy.
