Vance returns to DC after Iran rejects US peace offer in Islamabad

Washington, D.C. – Vice President JD Vance returned to Washington after peace talks with Iranian leaders in Islamabad, Pakistan, collapsed over the weekend.

Vance touched down at Joint Base Andrews at approximately 5 p.m. Sunday afternoon after a total of 34 hours of round-trip travel and more than 16 hours of talks over less than three days.

The trip ended with no peace agreement reached, leaving questions about what would happen next between the United States, Iran and their respective allies. President Donald Trump told Truth Social on Sunday morning that the Navy will begin blockading the Strait of Hormuz, a key period in negotiations between Vance and Iran.

“Effective immediately, the U.S. Navy, the Best Navy in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKING all Ships attempting to enter or exit the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump said in a statement to Truth Social. “At some point we will reach the baseline of ‘ALL ALLOWED IN, EVERYONE ALLOWED TO GO OUT’, but Iran did not allow it to be a mine that no one knew about but them, saying ‘There might be a mine in there somewhere’.”

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The vice president said he was in “constant communication” with Trump and other senior cabinet members throughout the talks in Islamabad.

The vice president broke the news after more than 16 hours of discussions that ended with Iranian leaders rejecting a U.S. offer that could have created a longer-lasting peace deal between the two countries and potentially stabilized the region.

Responding to a question at Fox News Digital’s press conference at the Serena Hotel in Islamabad, Vance said the negotiating team was in “constant” communication with Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and other senior officials throughout the night’s talks.

“Look, we were in constant communication with the team because we were negotiating in good faith,” Vance said. “And we’re leaving here with a very simple offer, a method of understanding that is our last and best offer. We’ll see if the Iranians accept it.”

Vice President J.D. Vance speaks at a press conference in Islamabad, Pakistan, April 12, 2026, after meeting with representatives from Pakistan and Iran. Jared Kushner and special envoy for peace missions Steve Witkoff listened during the event. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)

Vance said they would leave the country after their last offer was rejected by Iranian leaders.

The marathon negotiations began just hours after Air Force Two’s 18-hour flight from Joint Base Andrews in Washington, D.C., to Islamabad via a refueling stop in Paris, lasting Friday through Saturday.

Vance was accompanied by US Special Representative for Peace Missions Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner during the discussions. The two did not fly on Air Force Two with the vice president but connected with Vance upon his arrival in Pakistan.

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Senior Pakistani officials gave Vance a warm welcome, greeting him on the red carpet surrounded by honor guard soldiers and a bouquet of flowers.

Vice President J.D. Vance shakes hands with Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Ishaq Dar in Islamabad on April 12, 2026, after talks on Iran. Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Chief of Defense Staff Chief of Defense Staff Marshal Asim Munir, and U.S. Embassy Charge d’Affaires Natalie A. Baker look on as Vance prepares to board Air Force Two. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)

Pakistan Defense Forces Commander Syed Asim Munir, Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar and Pakistan Home Minister Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi were among those who met Vance when he arrived at the Pakistan air force base.

Vance appeared energized and eager to take on the negotiations after Trump tasked him with leading the initiative following weeks of clashes between U.S.-Israeli forces and Iran. The talks come as a two-week ceasefire was agreed upon after Trump threatened to destroy Iran if a long-term deal was not reached.

From the airbase, the vice president traveled to the US Embassy in Islamabad; Here, the streets were lined with signs highlighting the talks and displaying U.S., Pakistani and Iranian flags.

Vance left the embassy and headed for the Serena Hotel Islamabad, where he would soon spend 16 hours of sleepless negotiations.

Iran’s key negotiators, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, met with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the prime minister’s residence; Vance, Witkoff and Kushner met with the prime minister at the Serena Hotel.

Negotiations began soon after both sides met separately with Sharif.

During the meetings, Vance, Witkoff, and Kushner were joined by Deputy National Security Advisor to the President, Dr. Andrew Baker, Special Adviser to the Vice President for Asian Affairs Michael Vance, and a full group of U.S. experts on related topics in Islamabad attended.

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Little is known about how the negotiations actually took place, except for a White House official who confirmed that the talks were held in person and face to face.

Some officials in Washington, D.C., were unaware of the exact details of the discussion, and nearly all day talks were conducted behind closed doors.

In the end, Vance cited the results as “bad news” and provided minimal information about what terms and conditions ultimately nullified a potential deal.

“The bad news is that we couldn’t reach an agreement,” Vance said at a press conference in Islamabad. “And I think that’s more bad news for Iran than it is bad news for the United States.”

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi were welcomed by Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Chief of General Staff Field Marshal General Asim Munir when they arrived at Nur Khan air base in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, on April 11, 2026. (Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs/AP)

“So we’re going back to the United States without being able to reach an agreement. We’ve made it very clear what our red lines are, what we’re willing to accommodate them on, and what we’re not willing to accommodate them on,” Vance added. “And we made that as clear as we could, and they chose not to accept our terms.”

Vance’s “final offer” to Iran included six “red lines,” according to two US officials.

The demands included ending all uranium enrichment, dismantling all major nuclear facilities, and bringing back highly enriched uranium.

Fourth, was the adoption of a broader regional peace and de-escalation framework that included regional allies. This was followed by a halt in funding to proxy groups including Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis.

The sixth demand was to completely open the Strait of Hormuz without any toll.

Trump told Truth Social that Vance, Witkoff, and Kushner had become “friends” with Iranian officials “all this time,” during the discussions.

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“All this time my three Representatives have, not surprisingly, been very friendly and respectful towards Iranian Representatives Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, Abbas Araghchi and Ali Bagheri, but that doesn’t matter because they have been very stubborn on the single most important issue and as I have always said, from the beginning and for years ago, IRAN WILL NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON,” Trump wrote to Truth.

Within an hour of the announcement, a US official confirmed that all US-based parties involved in the talks, including Witkoff and Kushner, had left Pakistan.

Fox News’ Lucas Tomlinson and Fox News Digital’s Emma Bussey contributed to this report.