'Hormuz still closed, Vance flies home': Iran mocks US again after Islamabad talks collapse

Iran has mocked the United States hours after talks in Islamabad ended without a deal, saying US Vice President JD Vance was returning "empty-handed". 

Must Read: 'Bad news for Iran': No breakthrough in Islamabad, JD Vance returns to US

In a post on X, Iran's embassy in Ghana said, "The US flew their Vice President halfway across the world to Islamabad. 21 hours of talks. They demanded everything they couldn't achieve through war. Iran said a BIG NO."

"The talks are over. The Strait is still closed. And the VP is flying home empty-handed. Just Iran's word. Again. They don't have any option left to save face," it added.

The US and Iranian delegations held more than 21 hours of negotiations in Islamabad aimed at ending the ongoing war in Iran. However, both sides could reach an agreement, and Vance returned to Washington without a deal. 

Vance said the talks included "substantive discussions" but failed to produce an agreement. "The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement," he said, adding that Iran had "chosen not to accept our terms."

He said Washington's core demand was a commitment from Iran that it would not pursue a nuclear weapon. "We need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon and that they will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon," he said.

Iran also confirmed the talks had failed. Foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said discussions covered the Strait of Hormuz, the nuclear issue, sanctions relief, and an end to the war.

"The success of this diplomatic process depends on the seriousness and good faith of the opposing side, refraining from excessive demands and unlawful requests, and the acceptance of Iran's legitimate rights and interests," he said.

Iran's Fars News, citing sources, said the US was making "excessive demands" over the Strait of Hormuz and trying to secure through negotiations what it could not achieve during the conflict.