The cliché about the Islamic Republic of Iran is that it has never won a war, but never lost a negotiation. Over the weekend in Pakistan, that diplomatic winning streak ran into a brick wall named J.D. Vance. Despite coming into the talks demanding everything from war reparations to military control of the Strait of Hormuz, the Iranian delegation left Islamabad with nothing.
“They have chosen not to accept our terms,” the vice president told reporters in Islamabad on Saturday before departing for Washington. “I think that’s bad news for Iran much more than it’s bad news for the United States of America.” Vance’s message was backed up by President Donald Trump, who told reporters over the weekend, “Whether we make a deal or not makes no difference to me. And the reason is because we’ve won.”
Going into the talks, the Iranians acted as if they had the upper hand. Iran’s threats to international shipping through the vital choke point of the Strait of Hormuz threatened to send the global economy into a tailspin. Trump said he had an agreement before the talks for Iran to open the strait in exchange for a ceasefire. But when the negotiations began, the strait remained largely closed.
