US, Iran peace talks break down on first attempt

By Tracy Cabrera 

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — United States Vice President James David ‘JD’ Vance disclosed of the break down in peace talks with Iran after failing to reach an agreement to end the war in the Middle East and leaving with empty hands over the US government’s “final and best offer.”

In a statement to the media, Vance cited that Washington was seeking a “fundamental commitment” from Iran that it would not develop a nuclear weapon during marathon talks with Iran’s top officials. 

Vance noted that despite the offer for an end to hostilities through nuclear disarmament by the Islamic Republic, he enthused sadly: “We haven’t seen that.” 

However, he signaled that he was still giving Iran time to consider the offer from the United States, which on Tuesday said it would pause attacks with Israel for two weeks pending peace overtures.

Despite the failed negotiations, Pakistan, which hosted the talks and whose leadership had ushered the rival sides to the table, expressed its commitment to keep on facilitating dialogue between the opposing sides even as it urged both countries to continue respecting the temporary truce and ceasefire. 

Meanwhile, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) announced that negotiations stalled over “unreasonable demands of the American side,” though the country’s foreign ministry spokesman later noted that “no one” could have expected that after 40 days of war, they would reach an agreement within one session. 

Tehran and Wasshington entered the peace talks mediated by Pakistan with maximalist positions with the US government mounting pressure on Iran by saying it had sent minesweeping ships through the vital Strait of Hormuz which was closed effectively by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). 

Indication of strain in the negotiations surfaced when Iranian media claimed the United States’ offer for peace was being made with “excessive demands” over the Strait. 

Perhaps adding more to fan the flames of conflict was US president Donald Trump’s pronouncement that insisted American forces had already triumphed on the battlefield by killing Iranian leaders and destroying Iran’s key military infrastructure.

“Whether we make a deal or not makes no difference to me. The reason is because we’ve won,” Trump had declared.