Vance says Iran nuclear ambitions block deal after 21-hour talks collapse – London Business News | London Wallet

JD Vance has confirmed that the United States failed to secure a deal with Iran after 21 hours of negotiations, warning that Tehran’s nuclear ambitions remain the central obstacle to peace.

The talks, held over the weekend in Islamabad, saw Vance lead the American delegation in an effort to break the deadlock amid heightened tensions in the region.

“The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement,” he told reporters, as discussions concluded without a breakthrough.

Officials familiar with the negotiations pointed to multiple areas of disagreement between the two sides, with Iranian media accusing Washington of making “excessive demands” and engaging in diplomatic “overreach”.

The future of the Strait of Hormuz — a vital artery for global energy supplies — and access to frozen Iranian assets emerged as key sticking points during the talks.

However, Vance made clear that the primary impasse lay elsewhere.

“The core issue is that we have not seen a fundamental commitment from the Iranians not to develop a nuclear weapon,” he said.

“That is the central objective of the President of the United States, and what we have sought to achieve through these negotiations.”

Speaking outside the White House, Donald Trump struck a defiant tone, downplaying the significance of the failed talks and insisting that the United States remained in a position of strength.

“Let’s see what happens — maybe they make a deal, maybe they don’t,” Trump said. “It doesn’t matter. From the standpoint of America, we win.”

Mr Vance confirmed he would return to Washington without an agreement, insisting that the US position had been made unequivocally clear.

“We have laid out our red lines — what we are willing to accommodate and what we are not,” he said. “We have made that as clear as possible, and they have chosen not to accept our terms.”

The collapse of the negotiations leaves the fragile ceasefire under strain and raises the prospect of renewed instability in the Gulf, with potential consequences for global energy markets and regional security.