US makes ‘final offer’ to Iran as Vance leaves Pakistan with no deal (PHOTOS, VIDEOS)

Marathon talks in Islamabad ended without an agreement, with Washington and Tehran blaming each other for the deadlock

The US has left Pakistan without a deal after 21 hours of marathon talks with Iran, with Vice President JD Vance saying Washington put its “final and best offer” on the table before departing Islamabad.

“The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement,” Vance told a press conference. “We were negotiating in good faith... 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.”

Vance said Washington had made its red lines “as clear as we possibly could”, but Iran had “chosen not to accept our terms”. Pressed on which demands Tehran had rejected, he declined to negotiate in public, while pointing again to the core US insistence on a long-term commitment not to pursue a nuclear weapon

Tehran, however, says the talks failed because of excessive American demands. Press TV said no framework was reached after the US pushed too far on issues including the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s nuclear rights and other core disputes. Iranian officials previously accused Washington of making “excessive and unlawful demands” as the talks stretched into a second day.

Despite the impasse, neither side appears to be declaring the process and the ongoing ceasefire dead. Earlier reports suggests lower-level technical contacts and further diplomatic efforts may continue after the failed marathon round, even as the main sticking points remain unresolved.

Key developments:

• President Donald Trump warned that China would face “big problems” if it sent weapons to Iran after being asked about anonymously sourced CNN reports alleging possible Chinese arms deliveries to Tehran, claims Beijing has denied..

• Trump claimed the US was already working to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. “We have minesweepers out there. We’re sweeping the strait,” he said, after CENTCOM said that the US Navy destroyers USS Frank E. Petersen and USS Michael Murphy crossed the strait and operated in the Arabian Gulf as part of the mission.

• Iranian military spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaghari denied US claims of a minesweeping operation in Hormuz, insisting that any vessel seeking to pass through the key waterway requires permission from the Iranian armed forces.

Follow our live coverage below for continuous updates. You can also read our previous updates here.