No agreement between U.S. and Iran after 21 hours of talks, Vance says

Netanyahu has said he wants "a real peace agreement that will last for generations" with Lebanon.

The prime minister said his country is continuing to fight Hezbollah, and peace talks with Lebanon are dependent on the disarmament of the group.

Talks between the two nations are due to begin Tuesday. The U.S. will mediate.

The spokesperson for Iran's foreign ministry said there was no expectation in Tehran of a deal, particularly amid the war.

"These talks were held after 40 days of imposed war, in an atmosphere of mistrust and suspicion," Esmaeil Baghaei said in remarks to Iranian news outlet SNN. "Naturally, we should not have expected an agreement in just one meeting and no one had such expectations."

Baghaei said common ground was found on a number of issues but that "on two, three key topics there were significant differences and, ultimately, the talks did not lead to an agreement."

Talks with the United States, which Baghaei described as the longest single negotiating session with the U.S. in the past year, included new topics like the Strait of Hormuz and regional issues.

"Under all circumstances, the diplomatic apparatus must pursue the rights and interests of the Iranian people,” he said.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar urged the U.S. and Iran to continue their ceasefire despite peace talks in Islamabad concluding with no agreement to end the war.

In a post on X, Dar characterized the 21-hour negotiation session as both intense and constructive, saying the nations should maintain the talks' "positive spirit," move forward with the goal of region-wide "peace and prosperity" and vow to continue to withhold attacks against each other.

"It is imperative that the parties continue to uphold their commitment to ceasefire," he said.

As that takes place, he said, Pakistan will stand by.

"Pakistan has been and will continue to play its role to facilitate engagement and dialogue between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America in the days to come," Dar said.

Iran state media said "excessive demands" sank the possibility of a U.S.-Iran agreement to end the war at this weekend's peace talks.

Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting said on Telegram that the sides could not find common ground on a number of key matters, including the Strait of Hormuz and the country's development of nuclear technology, it said.

"After 21 hours of talks and diplomatic efforts, the excessive demands by America prevented any agreement," it said.

After announcing that no agreement had been made, Vice President JD Vance boarded Air Force 2 in Islamabad ahead of his departure from host country Pakistan.

Videos verified by NBC News show a series of explosions and thick plumes of smoke rising over the Toul area of the southern Lebanese town of Nabatieh following what Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health said were Israeli airstrikes that killed three people.

Nabatieh has faced some of the heaviest attacks since cross-border exchanges between Israel and Hezbollah escalated last month. One video geolocated by NBC News captures multiple consecutive blasts striking near the Nabih Berri Governmental University Hospital.

Additional verified footage shows the aftermath of an airstrike on a government building in Nabatieh, where entire structures were reduced to rubble, some still burning.

Isarel does not appear to have claimed responsibility for the strikes.

Vance said that the U.S. delegation left negotiations with the Iranian delegation with an "understanding that is our final and best offer."

"We were negotiating in good faith," Vance said. "And we leave here with a very simple proposal, a method of understanding that is our final and best offer. We'll see if the Iranians accept it."

The vice president said that he and the U.S. delegation were in "constant communication" with Trump throughout the 21 hours of peace talks. Vance told reporters that the president urged him to have "good faith" and "make your best effort to get a deal."

"We did that, and unfortunately, we weren't able to make any headway," Vance said.

Vance said that after 21 hours of negotiating in Pakistan, the U.S. and Iranian delegations had failed to reach a deal to end the war.

"We’ve made very clear what our red lines are, what things we’re willing to accommodate them on, and what things we’re not willing to accommodate them on, and we’ve made that as clear as we possibly could, and may have chosen not to accept our terms," he said.

The vice president said the U.S. needs a firmer commitment that Iran will not develop a nuclear weapon in order to reach an agreement.

He said, "The simple question is, do we see a fundamental commitment of will for the Iranians not to develop a nuclear weapon, not just now, not just two years from now, but for the long term? We haven't seen that yet. We hope that we will."

As of this morning, at least 16 ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz in one of its busiest transiting days since the U.S., Israel and Iran agreed to a ceasefire on Tuesday.

According to a statement from U.S. Central Command issued today, the USS Frank E. Peterson and USS Michael Murphy — two guided-missile destroyers — “conducted operations” to lay the groundwork for clearing sea mines previously placed in the Strait by the Iranian military.

MarineTraffic picked up the presence of the USS Murphy in the Strait after it briefly turned on its AIS transmission signal early this morning, while the USS Peterson was not detected by the vessel-tracking website.

MarineTraffic also showed that three vessels carrying crude oil were allowed through the Strait — one flying under the Chinese flag, one under the flag of Hong Kong and the third owned by Liberia.

Negotiations between the United States and Iran appeared to be continuing into the early hours of the next day in Islamabad.

"Fifteen hours and counting," a senior White House official said.

It is after 4 a.m. in Islamabad.

It's not clear whether progress was made on any particular fronts.

Iran's president, Masoud Pezeshkian, cited Israel's continued attacks on targets inside Lebanon as a primary source of tension as his country and the United States engaged in peace talks in Islamabad.

The president urged the U.S. and third-party nations to pressure Israel to halt the attacks, which he said compose war crimes because they allegedly hit civilian sites, including a nursery.

His remarks were reported by semi-official news agency Mehr, via its Telegram account. Pezeshkian said Iran has sought to settle disputes through peaceful means, but alleged that U.S. breaches of previous agreements mean success in Islamabad depends on the integrity of the U.S. side.

French President Emmanuel Macron said he spoke to Pezeshkian by phone today, during which time he said respecting the current ceasefire means Lebanon should be included. The country has long been a base for Iran-backed Hezbollah militants, a proxy for the Islamic republic that Israel has omitted from the ceasefire and continued to attack.

Asked whether China was preparing to provide weapons to Iran, Trump told reporters at the White House this afternoon that "if China does that, China's going to have a big problem."

CNN reported today that China is working to deliver new air defense systems to Iran within the next few weeks. NBC News has not verified that report.

Trump on Iran peace talks: ‘We win no matter what’

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Trump told reporters at the White House this afternoon that the U.S. has won the war "regardless of what happens" in the ongoing peace talks with Iran.

"I'm getting a lot of reports. They've been meeting for many hours, as you probably have noticed. We'll see what happens," Trump said.

"Regardless of what happens, we win. We totally defeated that country. And so let's see what happens. Maybe they make a deal. Maybe they don't," the president continued.

Trump reiterated his claims that the U.S. has already completely destroyed Iran's military and is now working to clear any naval mines out of the Strait of Hormuz.

"In addition to that, we're negotiating," Trump said. "Whether we make a deal or not makes no difference to me."

DUBLIN — Police removed and arrested protesters on Saturday to reopen Ireland's only oil refinery as a fifth day of disruptive demonstrations over the soaring price of fuel left many gas pumps dry and threatened to cripple transportation across the country.

Trucks and tractors continued to block access to vital fuel depots and a major port, and vehicles clogging traffic led to closures of part of the main highway around Dublin, the capital, as well as sections of other major roadways.

In Cork, protesters in tractors rolled through the city center, holding up traffic and carrying signs, including one that read "Martin Out" in reference to Michael Martin, the country's head of government.

Video posted to X by Damien Sreenan shows vehicles honking and trying to move past a convoy of protesters in Cork on Saturday afternoon. "It's been five days of madness," Sreenan told NBC News.

"I get what they are doing and the cost of living crisis is going to spiral with costs, but it’s going to get out of hand," he added.

Irish police Commissioner Justin Kelly said enforcement would be ramped up because protesters were illegally blockading critical infrastructure and endangering public safety because of the impact gas shortages could have on emergency response from paramedics and firefighters.

“These are blockades. They are not a legitimate form of protest,” Kelly said. “We gave the blockaders fair warning that we were moving to enforcement and they choose to ignore it and continue to hold the country to ransom.”

Read the full story here.

Israel's campaign in Iran is "not over yet," Netanyahu said during remarks tonight.

The prime minister reiterated that Israel attacked Iran because it "was very close to obtaining nuclear weapons."

"All of this happened because we initiated it, we acted, we attacked," Netanyahu said about the war with Iran.

Netanyahu maintained that Israel has "made historic achievements" in Iran, including killing 12 nuclear scientists and attacking its nuclear facilities alongside the U.S.

FORT COLLINS, Colo. — Junelle Lewis was on the hunt for a reprieve from Seattle-area gas prices driven high by the Iran war when an app on her phone gave her the answer: the Tulalip Reservation north of the city, almost half an hour from her home.

She didn’t hesitate.

“I purposely drove here just for the gas,” Lewis said while filling up her Chevrolet Suburban at the Tulalip Market this week for $4.84 a gallon (3.8 liters) — about 75 cents less than prices near home. “Gas is ridiculous. But I have found, honestly, over the years, this gas station specifically is cheaper than a lot around here. Probably the cheapest.”

Lewis isn’t the only driver who has discovered that some of cheapest fuel can be found on Native American reservations.

Especially in California, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma and Washington state — places with dozens of tribally owned stations, including some in busy travel corridors — tribes exempt from state fuel taxes can sell for much less than competing stations nearby.

Read the full story here.

Trilateral in-person negotiations between the U.S., Iran and Pakistan are ongoing, according to a senior White House official.

Eight people were killed and nine wounded in Israeli raids on Lebanon's southern town of Tuffahta, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.

Five of the wounded are in critical condition, according to the ministry.

ROME — In his strongest words yet, Pope Leo XIV today denounced the “delusion of omnipotence” that is fueling the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran and demanded political leaders stop and negotiate peace.

Leo presided over an evening prayer service in St. Peter’s Basilica on the same day the United States and Iran began face-to-face negotiations in Pakistan and as a fragile ceasefire held.

History’s first U.S.-born pope didn’t mention the United States or President Donald Trump in his prayer, which was planned before the talks were announced. But Leo’s tone and message appeared directed at Trump and U.S. officials, who have boasted of U.S. military superiority and justified the war in religious terms.

“Enough of the idolatry of self and money!” Leo demanded. “Enough of the display of power! Enough of war!”

The U.S. began "setting conditions" for clearing mines in the Strait of Hormuz that were laid by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to U.S. Central Command.

Two U.S. Navy-guided missile destroyers, the USS Frank E. Peterson and the USS Michael Murphy, transited the strait as part of the mission, CENTCOM said in a statement.

“Today, we began the process of establishing a new passage and we will share this safe pathway with the maritime industry soon to encourage the free flow of commerce,” CENTCOM Cmdr. Adm. Brad Cooper said.

Additional resources, including underwater drones, will join the mission "in the coming days," CENTCOM said.

Iran "remains determined not to allow any vessel to transit without authorization," semiofficial news agency Tasnim reported. According to the outlet, there is no traffic in the strait at the moment, and "the American destroyer that intended to pass through the strait was not granted permission."

Trump told Kellie Meyer of News Nation on the phone this morning that the U.S. knows where Iranian sea mines are in the Strait of Hormuz.

When Meyer asked if the U.S. can "help get them out," Trump said it's only a matter of time.

"We have the most, yeah, we’ve got the most sophisticated mine equipment in the world," Trump said. "We know it. We’re just bringing it to the location."

Trump also said the strait will be open "in the not-too-distant future," adding that "people are seeing that there are other alternatives to going through the strait."

When asked how he thinks talks between the U.S. and Iran will go, he responded, "I have no idea."

The U.S., Iran and Pakistan will hold a trilateral face-to-face meeting today.

The U.S. core delegation includes Vice President JD Vance, special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. The broader delegation includes deputy national security adviser to the president and national security adviser to the vice president Andrew Baker, special adviser to the vice president for Asian affairs Michael Vance and a full suite of U.S. experts on relevant subject areas.

Additional experts are supporting from Washington.

Talks between Iran and the U.S. have begun in Islamabad, Pakistan, several hours after they were initially expected to start.

Vice President JD Vance, adviser Jared Kushner and special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff are the only officials expected from the U.S. side in the room. On the Iranian side, it is just expected to be the Iranian foreign minister and parliament speaker.

A translator on each side is also expected, as well as U.S. Secret Service special agents.

Three Iranian nationals with ties to a person identified as a spokeswoman for "terrorists" are now in ICE custody, according to the State Department.

The individuals were identified as Seyed Eissa Hashemi, Maryam Tahmasebi and their son. Hashemi is the son of Masoumeh Ebtekar, a woman the State Department says "was the spokeswoman for the Islamic terrorists who stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979 and held 52 Americans hostage for 444 days."

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he terminated the family's lawful permanent resident status this week after the Obama administration granted it to them in 2016 via the diversity immigrant visa program.

"Her family should never have been allowed to benefit from the extraordinary privilege of living in our country," Rubio wrote on X.

The family is now in ICE custody pending their removal from the U.S.

The U.S. military has started to clear the Strait of Hormuz and all of Iran’s minelaying ships have been sunk, Trump said on Truth Social today as peace negotiations get underway in Islamabad.

Trump said Iran's navy, anti-aircraft apparatus and air forces were "gone" and that "the only thing they have going is the threat that a ship may “bunk” into one of its sea mines.

The president added that "all 28 of their mine dropper boats are also lying at the bottom of the sea."

“We’re now starting the process of clearing out the Strait of Hormuz as favor to Countries all over the World, including China, Japan, South Korea, France, Germany, and many others,” he said.

Empty oil tankers are heading to the U.S. to load up on American oil and gas, Trump said in Truth Social post today.

"Massive numbers of completely empty oil tankers, some of the largest anywhere in the World, are heading, right now, to the United States to load up with the best and 'sweetest' oil (and gas!) anywhere in the World," he said.

The majority of oil produced in the U.S. is used domestically.

Trump's comments came after he accused Iran of violating its ceasefire promises by “doing a very poor job” of opening up the key Strait of Hormuz trade route.

Only a handful of ships have transited the waterway since the ceasefire agreement between the U.S. and Iran, and oil prices have climbed again.

"We have more oil than the next two largest oil economies combined — and higher quality," Trump said in the post. "We are waiting for you."

In another post, Trump responded to reports of soaring prices for fertilizer, which is reliant on oil and gas byproducts.

He said: "I am watching fertilizer prices CLOSELY during our FIGHT FOR FREEDOM in Iran. The United States will not accept PRICE GOUGING from the fertilizer monopoly! American Farmers, we have your back!"

A senior U.S. official pushed back on a Iranian state media report that said the United States had agreed to release Iran's frozen assets.

The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the claim is "false."

There is "no longer a safe place in Lebanon," UNICEF said today as Israeli airstrikes continued to strike the country.

"In less than 10 minutes, over a hundred airstrikes killed hundreds of people, just as a ceasefire was being discussed in the region," spokesperson Christophe Boulierac said in a video posted on X.

In the capital, Beirut, "several neighborhoods which had never been targeted before were suddenly bombed," he added. "Dozens of attacks in less 10 minutes killed dozens of children and injured several hundred.”

Security is tight in Islamabad as talks take place, with streets empty and police and military out in force lining the secure "Red Zone."

A deserted road leading to the Red Zone area is pictured after authorities restricted movement ahead of U.S.-Iran peace talks. Farooq Naeem / AFP - Getty Images

A Pakistani army soldier keeps watch from a rooftop during the arrival of Vice President JD Vance. Farooq Naeem / AFP - Getty Images

Journalists covering the talks at the Jinnah Convention Center in Islamabad have been treated to tea, coffee and music as they await the results of the high-stakes negotiations.

Musicians played in front of a large banner reading “Islamabad talks,” one of many outside and inside the conference venue, decorated with flags representing Iran, the U.S. and Pakistan.

A look inside the convention center where the U.S. and Iran will hold peace talks

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Vance has held a meeting with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as U.S.-Iran talks commenced in Islamabad today, the prime minister's office said.

JD Vance shakes hands with Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during their meeting before U.S.-Iran peace talks in Islamabad. Handout via Pakistan's Prime Minister's Office / AFP - Getty Images

"The U.S. Vice President was assisted by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Mr. Jared Kushner," the office said in a release.

"Commending the commitment of both delegations to engage constructively, the Prime Minister expressed the hope that these talks would serve as a stepping stone toward durable peace in the region," it continued.

The Iranian delegation in Islamabad is also set for talks with Sharif today, Iran's semiofficial ISNA news agency reported.

The Iranian delegation in Islamabad for talks with the U.S. met with Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Iranian state media reported.

Sharif is a key mediator in the talks, the semiofficial ISNA news agency reported.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif meets with Iranian parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf in Islamabad, Pakistan, today. Office of the Iranian Parliament Speaker / West Asia News Agency via Reuters

Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted an area in the southern Lebanese city of Nabatieh on April 11. Abbas Fakih / AFP - Getty Images

Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike on the outskirts of the southern Lebanese village of Al Taybeh on April 11.  AFP - Getty Images

Israeli airstrikes at dawn today killed three people when they hit a residential building in the southern Lebanese town of Mefdoun, the Lebanese state-run National News Agency reported.

"The enemy aircraft also carried out a series of raids on the town of Toul, near Nabatieh, destroying several residential buildings on Martyr Sabra Street and in the Al-Maqam neighborhood," it said, adding that strikes set an electricity complex ablaze in the town of Jebchit.

The Iran-backed group Hezbollah said it had fired rockets into Israel this morning, adding: "This response will continue until the Israeli-American aggression against our country and our people stops."

A U.S. delegation led by Vice President JD Vance has arrived in Pakistan for talks with Iran today.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance disembarks from Air Force Two after arriving for talks with Iranian officials Jacquelyn Martin / AFP - Getty Images

U.S. Vice President JD Vance walks with Pakistani officials after arriving for talks with Iranian officials in Islamabad. Jacquelyn Martin / AFP - Getty Images

Vance was joined in the capital, Islamabad, by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, who have also led past U.S. negotiations on Gaza and Ukraine.

Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, told "Meet the Press NOW" that Pakistan, with its government serving as mediator, would provide a setting to “iron out” disagreements between warring parties.

The Pakistani foreign ministry expressed hope that both sides would engage in constructive talks, reiterating in a statement "Pakistan’s desire to continue facilitating the parties towards reaching lasting and durable solution to the conflict."

Iran's parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said his country is approaching weekend peace talks with goodwill and readiness to come to a deal.

But he also expressed mistrust toward the U.S. after the last round of talks about Iran’s nuclear program, which appeared to be progressing, became a prelude to unexpected attacks.

“Unfortunately, our experience of negotiating with the Americans has always been accompanied by failure and breaches of commitments,” Ghalibaf said upon arrival to Islamabad ahead of peace talks with the U.S., according to the semiofficial Tasnim news agency.

Iran's parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf looks at the photos of the children killed in Madrasa Minab in Iran, while aboard a plane on his way to Pakistan.  AFP - Getty Images

He continued, “Twice within less than a year, in the middle of negotiations, despite the goodwill of the Iranian side, they attacked us and committed multiple war crimes.”

The speaker offered hope, but clearly expressed wariness, according to the Tasnim report.

Hezbollah supporters protest against Israel negotiations

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Hundreds of supporters of the Iran-backed group Hezbollah gathered outside the Lebanese prime minister’s office to protest against planned talks with Israel. An intense wave of Israeli bombing has killed hundreds of people across Lebanon in recent days.

Pakistan's ambassador previews Iran peace talks as JD Vance heads to Islamabad

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Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, expressed hope that the talks could serve as a one-stop event to end the war and resolve issues between the sides.

Responding to President Donald Trump’s threats to attack Iran again if a deal isn’t reached, Sheikh said on "Meet the Press NOW" yesterday, “If we get this right, I think we would not have to go anywhere else.”

He offered the negotiations as a moment to answer the question of whether Lebanon should be covered by the current ceasefire. Pakistan’s prime minister initially said it was, but Israel has treated it as separate from the ceasefire and continued to strike the country.

Sheikh said Pakistan, its government serving as mediator, would be a setting to “iron out” other disagreements between warring parties.

He said his country will give advice — “maybe” — when it’s solicited, but that it’s otherwise up to the U.S. and Iran to “strike a solution.”