US and Iran have not reached an agreement, Vance says

US Vice President JD Vance said on Sunday that peace talks with Iran had failed to bring about an agreement between the parties that would end the war permanently, adding that that was bad news more so for Iran than for the US.

Talking to reporters in Islamabad following 21 hours of negotiations, Vance said he would return to the US without a peace deal.

"We've had a number of substantive discussions with the Iranians. That's the good news," he said. "The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement, and I think that's bad news for Iran much more than it's bad news for the United States of America."

Vance added that the key question was whether Tehran was willing to refrain from developing nuclear weapons, saying: "We haven't seen that yet. We hope that we will."

Vance, however, did not mention the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, another major sticking point in the negotiations.

The US vice president said he had talked with President Donald Trump half a dozen times during the talks.

Earlier on Saturday, Trump said that it did not matter if the US and Iran made a deal or not. "The reason is because we've won," Trump said.

JD Vance addressed the media and said there was no deal with Iran.

TheUS military began mine-clearing operations in the Strait of Hormuz as two Navy destroyers transited the critical trade route through which 20% of the world's oil passes, the US Central Command said in a news release on Saturday.

"We're now starting the process of clearing out the Strait of Hormuz as a favor to Countries all over the World, including China, Japan, South Korea, France, Germany, and many others," US President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Trump's post came as direct negotiations between the US and Iran began in Islamabad, with Pakistan playing host.

The US and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire earlier this week so talks could take place. The war began after the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, with Iran and its proxies having retaliated with strikes against countries across the region.

But the exact terms of the ceasefire remained unclear.

The US reportedly had a 15-point plan that included curbs on Iran's nuclear program. Iran reportedly had a 10-point plan that included Iranian control over the Strait of Hormuz and the complete withdrawal of US combat forces from its bases across the region. 

Good morning and welcome to our blog.

US Vice President JD Vance said no deal with Iran had been reached in his first remarks to the press since negotiations with Iran began in Islamabad on Saturday afternoon and stretched into the early hours of Sunday morning.

The negotiations between the warring parties were historic because the discussions brought the American vice president face-to-face with the Iranian parliamentary speaker.

But before JD Vance spoke to the press, Iranian state media reported that a third round of negotiations would resume in Pakistan on Sunday. Vance did not mention a third round.

US President Donald Trump spoke to reporters outside the White House while talks were still ongoing and downplayed the discussions, saying "regardless what happens we win."