12 April,2026 07:43 AM IST | Islamabad | mid-day online correspondent
US Vice-President JD Vance speaks during a news conference after meeting with representatives from Pakistan and Iran in Islamabad on Sunday. PIC/AFP
US Vice-President JD Vance on Sunday said that talks with Iran ended without an agreement after nearly 21 hours of negotiations in Islamabad, adding that Washington has placed its "final and best offer" on the table.
"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," Vance told reporters after the marathon discussions.
Even as the US signalled a decisive push for closure, Iran maintained that the outcome of the talks would depend on Washington's approach. Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said the success of the negotiations hinges on the United States refraining from "excessive" and "unlawful" demands.
"The success of this diplomatic process depends on the seriousness and good faith of the opposing side, refraining from excessive demands and unlawful requests, and the acceptance of Iran's legitimate rights and interests," Baqaei wrote on X.
Top-level peace talks between the United States and Iran entered a second day early on Sunday, marking a rare high-level engagement between the two sides. Vance's participation makes him the highest-ranking American official to meet directly with Iranian representatives since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
According to Baqaei, discussions over the past 24 hours covered multiple key issues, including the Strait of Hormuz, the nuclear programme, war reparations, the lifting of sanctions, and the complete end of the war against Iran and in the region.
He added that Iran remains "determined to use all means, including diplomacy, to secure national interests and safeguard the country's interests".
The talks come days after the United States and Israel halted their war that had plunged West Asia and the global economy into turmoil, with both sides now signalling cautious positions as negotiations continue.
(With AFP inputs)
