No agreement has been reached between U.S. and Iranian officials after a marathon meeting that took place in Islamabad, Pakistan, over the weekend.
Both parties met Saturday morning, only a few days into the 12-day ceasefire that began Wednesday.
Vice President JD Vance announced Saturday night that the Iranian regime’s refusal to back off of their nuclear ambitions led to the breakdown in talks.
Vice President JD Vance gives an update in Pakistan:
“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.” pic.twitter.com/il4THN5DwV
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 12, 2026
“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 will 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,” Vance said.
“Again, their nuclear program such as it is — the enrichment facilities that they had before, they’ve been destroyed. But the simple question is, do we see a fundamental commitment of will from the Iranians not to develop a nuclear weapon, not just now, not just two years from now but in the long term?
“We haven’t seen that yet but we hope we will.”
President Donald Trump previously suggested the talks may not go well earlier on Saturday, downplaying their importance.
“Whether we make a deal or not makes no difference to me,” Trump said, according to The Wall Street Journal. “And the reason is because we’ve already won.”
Speaking with the New York Post, Trump also said that the military was preparing to ramp up strikes against Iran should the talks fail.
Multiple U.S. warships were loaded up and sent off to the region with fresh ammunition, per the president.
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