We’re dealing with terrorists. I don’t understand why we weren’t expecting anything different after Vice President JD Vance stepped out to brief the press following 21 hours of negotiations. The result is that we don’t have a deal. Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff were also present, but did not speak.
JD Vance: 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. They have chosen not to accept our terms. pic.twitter.com/pgm2BEtPPP
— NewsWire (@NewsWire_US) April 12, 2026
"We just could not get to a situation where the Iranians were willing to accept our terms. I think that we were quite flexible. We were quite accommodating,” the vice president said. It seems like everything was laid out, including our red lines, which, unlike other presidents, aren’t going to be met with passive talk and inaction if crossed:
We leave here with a very simple proposal, a method of understanding that is our final and best offer. I won't go into all the details, because I don't want to negotiate in public after we negotiated for 21 hours in private, but the simple fact is that we need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon, and they will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon.
Vance up at news conference in Pakistan. pic.twitter.com/HgKIz8m8rZ
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) April 12, 2026
No deal reached, @VP tells us after a marathon negotiation session with Iran pic.twitter.com/ymq5GF33IX
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) April 12, 2026
"We just could not get to a situation where the Iranians were willing to accept our terms. I think that we were quite flexible. We were quite accommodating," @VP Vance tells me in Islamabad after high-stakes talks pic.twitter.com/H3qCdl77Bu
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) April 12, 2026
After direct talks with Iran, JD Vance said US "made very clear what our red lines are," and "what things we're willing to accommodate them on."
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) April 12, 2026
"We leave here with a very simple proposal, a method of understanding that is our final and best offer."
"I won't go into all the… pic.twitter.com/ry2VOyqAlE
The vice president also made clear that leaving Pakistan without a deal is bad news, especially for Tehran.
It was made clear that this is the last opportunity for peace. Second, we were willing to provide the Iranians with unlimited nuclear energy for domestic use before Operation Epic Fury started. They rejected our offer. These are clowns who are probably just buying time to restock what they can from their shattered arsenals. While talks were ongoing, the US Navy entered the Strait of Hormuz and began mine-sweeping operations. That’s partly why the strait couldn’t be fully reopened; the IRGC forgot where all their mines were, or so they claim.
The vice president and Air Force Two are now wheels up.
