What’s behind the stalemate?

Vance said diplomatic talks with Iran collapsed early Sunday after Tehran rejected American demands to halt its nuclear weapons program.

He noted that the lack of a formal peace deal stemmed from this disagreement over nuclear terms — a position that Trump echoed in social media posts afterward.

“The meeting went well, most points were agreed to, but the only point that really mattered, NUCLEAR, was not,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Tehran has long denied seeking to build a nuclear weapon. It is demanding full control of the Strait of Hormuz and the right to collect transit fees within the strategic waterway, according to Iranian state media and government officials.

Beyond maritime control, Iran is seeking the release of frozen assets held in foreign accounts, payment of war reparations as well as a ceasefire across the region, including an end to hostilities in Lebanon.