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WASHINGTON, DC – Vice President JD Vance returned to Washington after peace negotiations with Iranian leaders fell short in Islamabad, Pakistan over the weekend.
Vance touched down at Joint Base Andrews at roughly 5 p.m. Sunday afternoon after 34 hours of total roundtrip travel and more than 16 hours of negotiations in just under three days.
The trip ended with no peace deal secured, leaving questions as to what comes next between the U.S., Iran and their respective allies in the air. President Donald Trump posted to Truth Social Sunday morning that the Navy will begin blockading the Strait of Hormuz, which was a pivotal term in negotiations between Vance and Iran.
“Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump posted to Truth Social. “At some point, we will reach an ‘ALL BEING ALLOWED TO GO IN, ALL BEING ALLOWED TO GO OUT’ basis, but Iran has not allowed that to happen by merely saying, ‘There may be a mine out there somewhere,’ that nobody knows about but them.”
VANCE SAYS US-IRAN TALKS END WITHOUT DEAL AFTER 21 HOURS OF NEGOTIATIONS
Vice President JD Vance speaks during a news conference after meeting with representatives from Pakistan and Iran in Islamabad, Pakistan, on April 12, 2026. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)
The vice president said he was “constantly in communication” with Trump and other top cabinet members throughout negotiations in Islamabad.
The vice president delivered the news after more than 16-hours of discussions that ultimately resulted in Iranians leaders rejecting an offer from the U.S. that could have created a longer-lasting peace agreement between the two countries, potentially stabilizing the region.
In response to a question posed by Fox News Digital during a press conference at the Serena Hotel in Islamabad, Vance said the negotiation team was “constantly” in contact with Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent, and other top officials throughout overnight talks.
“So, look, we were constantly in communication with the team because we were negotiating in good faith,” Vance said. “And 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.”
Vice President JD Vance spoke during a news conference in Islamabad, Pakistan, on April 12, 2026, after meeting with representatives from Pakistan and Iran. Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, special envoy for peace missions, listened during the event. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)
Vance said they were leaving the country after their final offer was rejected by Iranian leaders.
The negotiation marathon began just hours after an 18-hour Air Force Two flight from Joint Base Andrews in Washington, D.C., to Islamabad via a refueling stop in Paris, spanning Friday into Saturday.
U.S. Special Envoy for Peace Missions Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, accompanied Vance for the discussions. The two did not fly on board Air Force Two with the vice president but connected with Vance upon his arrival in Pakistan.
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Top Pakistani officials issued a warm welcome, greeting Vance on a rolled out red carpet surrounded by an honor guard soldiers and a bouquet of flowers.
Vice President JD Vance shakes hands with Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar in Islamabad on April 12, 2026, after talks on Iran. Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Chief of Defence Forces Chief of Army Staff Field Marshall Asim Munir, and U.S. Embassy Charge d’Affaires Natalie A. Baker look on as Vance prepares to board Air Force Two. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)
Pakistan’s Chief of Defense Forces Syed Asim Munir, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, and Pakistan’s Minister for the Interior Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi were among those who met Vance on arrival at the Pakistani air force base.
Vance seemed energetic and eager to take on the talks after Trump tasked him with leading the initiative following weeks of fighting between U.S.-Israeli forces and Iran. The negotiations took place amid an agreed two-week ceasefire following Trump’s threat to decimate Iran if a long-term deal wasn’t reached.
The vice president traveled from the air base to the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, where streets were lined with signs highlighting the talks and displaying U.S., Pakistani and Iranian flags.
Vance left the embassy and headed for the Serena Hotel Islamabad, the site where he would soon be spending a sleepless 16 hours of negotiations.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who were the key negotiators for Iran, met with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the prime minister’s residence, before Vance, Witkoff and Kushner met with the prime minister at the Serena Hotel.
Shortly after both parties met separately with Sharif, negotiations began.
Vance, Witkoff and Kushner were joined by Deputy National Security Advisor to the President Dr. Andrew Baker, Special Advisor to the Vice President for Asian Affairs Michael Vance and a full suite of U.S. experts on relevant subject areas in Islamabad for the talks.
WHITE HOUSE WARNS IRAN AGAINST BALKING AT DEAL: TRUMP READY TO ‘UNLEASH HELL’
Aside from a White House official confirming the conversations were in person and face-to face, little is known about how the negotiations actually took place.
Some officials in Washington, D.C., were unaware of the exact details of discussion, and nearly a full day of talks were conducted behind closed doors.
In the end, Vance relayed the results as “bad news,” giving minimal insight into what provisions and terms ultimately squashed a potential deal.
“The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement,” Vance said at the press conference in Islamabad. “And I think that’s bad news for Iran much more than it’s bad news for the United States of America.”
Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi were greeted by Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Army Chief Field Marshal Gen. Asim Munir upon their arrival at Nur Khan airbase in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, on April 11, 2026. (Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs/AP)
“So we go back to the United States, having not come to an agreement. We’ve made very clear what our red lines are, what things we’re willing to accommodate them on and what things we’re not willing to accommodate them on,” Vance added. “And we’ve made that as clear as we possibly could, and they have chosen not to accept our terms.”
Vance’s “final offer” to Iran included six “red lines,” according to two U.S. officials.
The demands included an end all uranium enrichment, dismantling all major nuclear facilities and retrieving highly enriched uranium.
The fourth was to accept a broader regional peace and de-escalation framework that includes regional allies. This was followed by stopping funding proxy groups including Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis.
The sixth demand was to fully open the Strait of Hormuz, charging no tolls for passage.
Trump posted to Truth Social that Vance, Witkoff, and Kushner became “friendly” with Iranian officials “as all of this time went by” during discussions.
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“My three Representatives, as all of this time went by, became, not surprisingly, very friendly and respectful of Iran’s Representatives, Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, Abbas Araghchi, and Ali Bagheri, but that doesn’t matter because they were very unyielding as to the single most important issue and, as I have always said, right from the beginning, and many years ago, IRAN WILL NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON,” Trump posted to Truth.
Within an hour after announcement, a U.S. official confirmed that all U.S.-based parties involved with discussions, including Witkoff and Kushner, left Pakistan.
Fox News’ Lucas Tomlinson and Fox News Digital’s Emma Bussey contributed to this report.
