US Iran war talks highlights: Iran, US share what happened in Islamabad talks with no breakthrough

US-Iran war talks highlights: Updates to this live blog have ended, follow here for the latest news. Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who took part in peace talks with the United States in Islamabad, said that Washington was "unable" to win Tehran's trust during the discussions.

"My colleagues in the Iranian delegation... put forward constructive initiatives but ultimately the other side was unable to gain the trust of the Iranian delegation in this round of negotiations," Ghalibaf said in a post on X.

The United States and Iran failed to reach an agreement after 21 hours of high-stakes talks in Pakistan over the weekend, with US Vice President JD Vance saying that negotiations ended without a breakthrough.

“We go back to the United States having not come to an agreement,” Vance told reporters in Islamabad early Sunday, adding that Washington had clearly laid out its position. “We’ve made very clear what our red lines are… and they have chosen not to accept our terms.”

The negotiations, held in Islamabad, brought together senior officials from both sides, including US special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, and a delegation led by Iranian Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf including foreign minister Abbas Araghchi.

The aim was to find a path to end the six-week war in the Middle East, but both sides walked away without agreement, according to Fars news agency. Iran is not planning another round of negotiations with the United States, a source said.

Islamabad talks end without breakthrough.

A team of technical experts joined negotiators on Saturday in Islamabad, with talks focusing on key issues such as the Strait of Hormuz, a possible extension of the ceasefire, and phased sanctions relief, according to US and Pakistani officials familiar with the discussions, cited by news agency Bloomberg.

However, these discussions largely sidestepped the core trigger areas the Trump administration has repeatedly flagged before the full-blown Iran war.

‘Final and best offer’ from Washington

Vance stressed that the US had pushed for a firm commitment from Tehran on nuclear weapons.

“We just could not get to a situation where the Iranians were willing to accept our terms,” he said, adding that Washington had been “very flexible and accommodating” during the talks.

“We leave here with a very simple proposal, a method of understanding that is our final and best offer. We'll see if the Iranians accept it.”

Iran blames ‘unreasonable demands’

Iranian state media offered a sharply different account, blaming Washington for the collapse of talks. According to Press TV, “excessive demands by the US prevented a framework from being reached,” with disagreements centred on “nuclear rights and control over the Strait of Hormuz”.

State broadcaster IRIB echoed that line, saying “unreasonable demands” from the US scuppered the negotiations.

“The Iranian delegation negotiated continuously and intensively for 21 hours… despite various initiatives… the unreasonable demands of the American side prevented the progress of the negotiations. Thus the negotiations ended,” IRIB said.

Tasnim News, citing an informed source, added that Iran “is not in a hurry for negotiations.”

Tensions high, atmosphere volatile

Officials described a tense and fluctuating atmosphere during the talks. “There were mood swings from the two sides and the temperature went up and down during the meeting,” a Pakistani source cited by news agency Reuters said, referring to the first round.

Notably, the Iranian delegation arrived dressed in black, mourning those killed in the war, including late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Strait of Hormuz, a sticking point

The Strait of Hormuz emerged as a central sticking point in the talks, along side the US' demads over nuclear weapons.

Vance said, “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.”

Tehran’s demands reportedly include control over the strait, transit fees, release of frozen assets, war reparations, and a broader regional ceasefire — including in Lebanon.

Washington, meanwhile, is seeking free passage for global shipping and limits on Iran’s nuclear programme to prevent the development of an atomic bomb.

Despite a fragile ceasefire achieved just a week earlier, the failure to secure a deal marks a setback for both sides.