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WASHINGTON, DC – Vice President JD Vance returned to Washington after peace talks with Iranian leaders failed in Islamabad, Pakistan over the weekend.
Vance touched down at Joint Base Andrews around 5pm on Sunday afternoon after 34 hours of round trip travel and more than 16 hours of talks in just under three days.
The trip ended without a confirmed peace deal, leaving questions about what comes next between the US, Iran and its various allies up in the air. President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social Sunday morning that the Navy will begin blocking the Strait of Hormuz, which has been a key word in the talks between Vance and Iran.
“Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Greatest in the World, will begin the process of BANNING all ships attempting to enter, or exit, the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump said on Truth Social. “At some point, we will reach an 'ALL IN, ALL OUT' basis, but Iran has not allowed that to happen by simply saying, 'There might be a mine out there somewhere,' that no one knows about but them.”
VANCE SAYS US-IRAN TALKS END WITHOUT COMMUNICATION AFTER 21 HOURS OF TALKS.
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 “in constant contact” with Trump and other senior cabinet members throughout the talks in Islamabad.
The vice president announced the news after more than 16 hours of talks that ultimately led to Iranian leaders rejecting an offer from the US that would have created a long-term peace deal between the two countries, which could stabilize 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 negotiating team was “in constant contact” with Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and other senior officials during the night's talks.
“So, look, we've been communicating with the team because we've been having an honest conversation,” Vance said. “And we're leaving here with a very simple proposal, a way of understanding that is our last and best offer. We'll see if the Iranians accept it.”
Vice President JD Vance speaks 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 the peacekeeping mission, listened during the ceremony. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)
Vance said they are turning their backs on this after their last offer was rejected by Iran's leaders.
The race for negotiations began just hours after Air Force Two's 18-hour flight from Joint Base Andrews in Washington, DC, to Islamabad with a refueling stop in Paris, from Friday to Saturday.
US Special Envoy for Peace Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, accompanied Vance in the talks. The two did not fly on Air Force Two with the vice president but contacted Vance when he arrived in Pakistan.
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Senior Pakistani officials received a warm welcome, greeting Vance on a red carpet surrounded by bodyguards and a bouquet of flowers.
Vice President JD Vance shakes hands with Pakistan's 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 Defense Staff Field Marshall Asim Munir, and US Ambassador Natalie A. Baker watched as Vance prepared to board Air Force Two. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)
Pakistan's Defense Chief Syed Asim Munir, Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, and Pakistan's Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi are among those who met Vance when he arrived at the Pakistan Air Force base.
Vance appeared enthusiastic and eager to take on the talks after Trump tasked him with leading the program following weeks of fighting between US-Israeli forces and Iran. The talks took place amid a two-week ceasefire agreement following Trump's threat to denuclearize Iran if a long-term deal is not reached.
The vice president walked from the airport to the US Embassy in Islamabad, where the streets were lined with signs highlighting the talks and displaying US, Pakistani and Iranian flags.
Vance left the embassy and headed to the Serena Hotel Islamabad, where he would spend 16 hours of sleepless negotiations.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who were Iran's key negotiators, 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.
Soon after the two sides met to part ways 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 complement of American experts on relevant topics in Islamabad for discussions.
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Aside from a White House official confirming that the talks were in person and face-to-face, little is known about how the talks actually took place.
Other officials in Washington, DC, were not privy to the exact details of the discussion, and most of the day's negotiations were conducted behind closed doors.
Ultimately, Vance referred to the results as “bad news,” providing little insight into what terms and conditions ultimately derailed a potential deal.
“The bad news is that we haven't reached an agreement,” Vance said at a press conference in Islamabad. “And I think this is more bad news for Iran than it is bad news for the United States of America.”
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi were greeted by Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Army Chief Field Marshal Gen. Asim Munir upon arrival at Nur Khan International Airport in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, on April 11, 2026. (Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs/AP)
“So we're going back to the United States, we haven't reached an agreement. We've made it clear what our red lines are, what things we're willing to allow them and what things we're not willing to allow them,” added Vance. “And we made that clear as best we could, and they chose not to accept our terms.”
Vance's “final gift” to Iran includes six “red lines,” according to two U.S. officials.
The demands included an end to all uranium enrichment, the dismantling of all major nuclear facilities and the return of highly enriched uranium.
The fourth was to adopt a comprehensive framework for regional peace and de-escalation involving regional partners. This was followed by a freeze on funding for terrorist groups including Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis.
The sixth demand was to completely open the Strait of Hormuz, without charging a toll.
Trump posted on Truth Social that Vance, Witkoff, and Kushner became “friendlier” with Iranian officials “as the whole thing went on” during the negotiations.
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“My three representatives, as all this time went on, became, not surprisingly, very friendly and respectful to the Iranian Representatives, Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, Abbas Araghchi, and Ali Bagheri, but that does not matter because they have been very consistent about one very important issue, and, I will not be like that from many years ago. NUCLEAR WEAPON,” Trump said in the Truth.
Within an hour of this announcement, an American official confirmed that all US-based parties involved in the negotiations, including Witkoff and Kushner, had left Pakistan.
Fox News' Lucas Tomlinson and Fox News Digital's Emma Bussey contributed to this report.
