In this photo released by the Pakistan Prime Minister Office, visiting Iranian delegation headed by Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, third left, meet with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in Islamabad, Pakistan. (Photo: AP)
After nearly 21 hours of talks in Islamabad ended without an agreement, competing narratives have emerged from Washington and Tehran on why negotiations failed.
Iran’s embassy in Ghana said in a post on X that Tehran gave a “BIG NO” to US demands, accusing Washington of “looking for an excuse” to leave the talks and seeking concessions it “couldn’t achieve through war”.
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.…
The post added that the US delegation returned “empty-handed” and said the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, underlining that key issues were unresolved. It framed Iran’s position as a refusal to accept what it described as excessive demands, while stressing that Tehran would continue to pursue its interests through diplomacy.
The statements came after US Vice President JD Vance, who spoke briefly to reporters after the talks. Vance said no agreement was reached because Iran did not accept US terms.
“We have not reached an agreement… they have chosen not to accept our terms,” he said.
He added that the US had presented what it described as its “final and best offer” after extended discussions, and that the delegation had been “quite flexible” during negotiations.
According to Vance, the central issue remains Iran’s nuclear programme, with Washington seeking a clear, long-term commitment that Tehran will not pursue nuclear weapons.
.@VP: "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." https://t.co/A6Wl97qbAVpic.twitter.com/DNEL4JSlj2
“We need to see an affirmative commitment… not just now, but for the long term,” he said.
The talks, mediated by Pakistan, were part of ongoing efforts to sustain a ceasefire and work towards a broader agreement. However, the differing accounts from both sides highlight the gap that remains on key issues.
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In this photo released by the Pakistan Prime Minister Office, visiting Iranian delegation headed by Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, third left, meet with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in Islamabad, Pakistan. (Photo: AP) 
