US-Iran Talks End After 21 Hours of Friendly Disagreements in Pakistan
KEY POINTS
- •US and Iranian delegations met on Saturday in Islamabad for 21 hours of nuclear talks without an agreement.
- •Vice President Vance said the US was flexible but Iran refused US red lines on uranium and Strait control.
- •Despite multiple calls to President Trump and top US officials, the talks ended with no clear breakthrough.
In an exhausting 21-hour chat marathon held in Pakistan, the US and Iran engaged in what can only be described as an ultra-polite standoff, where Iran insisted on controlling the Strait of Hormuz and refused to give up its prized enriched uranium stash. Vice President Vance announced the talks were 'substantive' but ended without agreement, stressing that America’s clearly drawn red lines were ignored. Despite being 'flexible and accommodating,' the U.S. delegation, which kept frequent chats with President Trump and a powerhouse supporting cast including Secretary Marco Rubio, Defense’s Pete Hegseth, Treasury’s Scott Bessent, and CENTCOM’s Amd. Brad Cooper, failed to get traction. Vance gave a 4-minute press conference, then promptly caught a plane back to Washington—talk about closing time. Iran blamed American 'excessive demands,' while no one expected a deal but hoped for momentum, which remained mysteriously absent.
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(1 of 3)An epic 21-hour summit with phone calls to Trump and a shopping list of US bigwigs ended in a polite 'no thanks' from Iran. The real winner? The Strait of Hormuz, still very much Iranian real estate.
21 hours, endless calls, zero progress—looks like the US and Iran invented peaceful procrastination.
When the US brings its entire Cabinet and Iran shows up with 'hard pass,' you know it’s a classic negotiation.
Source: Axios | Published: 4/12/2026 | Author: Barak Ravid
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