What next for Middle East war - and world - as Iran and US quit peace talks

What next for Middle East war - and world - as Iran and US quit peace talksThe world is wondering what could happen next after negotiations between the US and Iran in Pakistan ended with vice president JD Vance heading home empty-handedNewsLiam Doyle11:31, 12 Apr 2026View 6 ImagesJD Vance left Pakistan without a deal on Saturda(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)Middle East peace negotiations between the US and Iran ended in failure this weekend after JD Vance and his Iranian counterpart's marathon talks achieved no breakthrough - leaving the conflict's future up in the air.‌The two leaders spent 21 hours engaged in closed-door talks in Islamabad, on Saturday, but emerged empty-handed from the otherwise historic meeting mediated by Pakistan. Both camps came forward with very different statements in the aftermath, with Vance telling a news conference Iran has "chosen not to accept our terms" while calling for an "affirmative commitment" the country would seek a nuclear weapon or the tools required to manufacture one.‌Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baqaei, told the country's state media “two or three key issues” stood in the way of a deal, but did not clarify whether officials would return to the table for additional discussions.‌The ceasefire period of two weeks remains in place for the moment as diplomacy is expected to continue through third-party mediators but without progress a return to war looks inevitable - and leaves uncertainty on several critical subjects.READ MORE: Iran war LIVE: JD Vance and Iran quit peace talks as US admits 'no agreement made'READ MORE: Donald Trump claims 'victory' in Iran saying Strait of Hormuz 'will soon open'View 6 ImagesJD Vance has criticised 'excessive demands' from Iran(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)'Excessive demands' - the nuclear questionBoth negotiating teams have levelled differing claims about demands from either side...