Iranian negotiators failed to meet the United States on six of its key red lines during talks in Islamabad, Pakistan, over the weekend, according to a U.S. official.
An official told Breitbart News that Iran did not agree to the United States’s red lines, which include ending all uranium enrichment; dismantling all major nuclear enrichment facilities; allowing for the retrieval of highly enriched uranium; accepting a broader peace, security, and de-escalation framework that includes regional allies; ending funding for terrorist proxies Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis; and fully opening the Strait of Hormuz, charging no tolls for passage.
Vance understood, upon entering the discussions, that there was potential for enormous distrust and misperception, given that the United States and Iran have had minimal interaction over the past 50 or so years, according to an official.
Vance approached the discussions with the intention of reaching a mutual understanding of both sides’ goals and negotiating space, and by the end of 21 hours of negotiations, the sides exchanged proposals in a productive fashion, an official told Breitbart News.
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The progression in talks, which were tough, came despite the Iranians not sufficiently understanding at the outset that the United States’ core objective in any deal is that Iran cannot obtain a nuclear weapon. Vance made this key stipulation clear to the Iranians while also listening to them.
While he left without a deal, Vance proposed what the official said was the best and final offer, which the vice president believes Iran should find acceptable.
Vance also found that Iran’s delegation had a fundamental misunderstanding of its lack of leverage when it entered the talks, per the official, who stressed that a deal cannot be reached as long as the Iranians believe they hold leverage they do not actually have. The misconception among Iranians about leverage factored into Vance leaving Pakistan after giving them the final offer, with the official noting that they need to understand the assumptions they had upon entering talks are not supported by realities on the ground.
Accepting this reality is key before they will be ready to entertain a serious offer, per the official.
The official stressed that it is up to the Iranians to accept the offer, and that Vance is hopeful that, after reflection in the days ahead, his counterparties will come to realize his final offer is in the best interest of both sides.
“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,” Vance notably said Saturday night, Eastern time.
The official noted to Breitbart News that the U.S. national security team has developed a plan to break Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz after discussions with President Donald Trump.
The official added that Trump will test the Iranians’ vulnerabilities after Vance probed them in negotiations.
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