US-Iran Talks End Without Agreement on War

The United States and Iran wrapped up a third round of direct negotiations in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Sunday without reaching an agreement to end their seven-week war, casting uncertainty over a fragile two-week ceasefire set to expire soon. The face-to-face talks, the highest-level contact between the adversaries since Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution, involved delegations led by U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, with Pakistan serving as mediator.

The discussions, which stretched more than 21 hours into the early morning, focused on advancing the ceasefire amid ongoing disputes over Iran's nuclear program and control of the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. officials described the breakdown as stemming from Iran's unwillingness to commit to abandoning nuclear ambitions, while Iranian representatives pointed to American overreach on key issues without elaboration. "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 said after the session.

Ahead of the talks, Iran presented a 10-point proposal demanding a...