JD Vance has suggested that a lack of decision-making authority on the Iranian side may have been a key reason why talks in Islamabad failed to produce a deal.
Speaking to Fox News after the weekend negotiations, Vance said progress had been made and that Iran had moved closer to the US position, but not enough to finalise an agreement. He added that the next steps now depend on Tehran, saying “the ball is very much in their court.”
Vance indicated that the Iranian delegation present—led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf—may not have had the authority to approve a final deal, suggesting key decisions rest with senior leadership in Tehran.
“They had to go back… and get approval to the terms that we had set,” he said, adding that the US gained insight into how Iran conducts negotiations.
However, Araghchi offered a contrasting account, saying the two sides were close to an agreement before talks broke down. He blamed shifting US positions and a blockade in the Strait of Hormuz for derailing progress, accusing Washington of “maximalism” at a critical stage.
The differing narratives highlight lingering tensions, even as both sides signal that further dialogue remains possible.
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