FACT CHECK: Did Netanyahu’s call to JD Vance derail US-Iran peace talks? This is what we know

The collapse of high-stakes talks between the US and Iran in Islamabad has sparked a fresh controversy, with an unverified claim suggesting that Israeli intervention may have influenced the outcome. However, there is no concrete evidence to support this assertion. Negotiations, mediated by Pakistan, stretched for nearly 21 hours but ultimately failed to produce an agreement. Speaking after the talks, US Vice President JD Vance, who also served as Washington’s chief negotiator, said the US had presented its “final and best offer” to Tehran, which Iran declined.

Vance described the breakdown as “bad news for Iran” rather than for the US, indicating Washington believed it had put forward a reasonable proposal. US President Donald Trump also placed the blame squarely on Tehran. In a post on Truth Social, he said the marathon discussions had lasted close to 20 hours but accused Iran of being unwilling to abandon its nuclear ambitions. “There is only one thing that matters, Iran is unwilling to give up its nuclear ambitions,” Trump wrote.

Amid the blame game, a separate narrative emerged from Iranian officials. According to Iranian state-linked outlet Press TV, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi claimed that a phone call from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Vance during the negotiations shifted the direction of the talks in favour of Israeli interests. Araghchi was quoted as saying that the alleged call changed the focus of the negotiations and that the US attempted to achieve at the negotiating table what it could not achieve through military means.

However, the claim remains unverified. While reports referred to a post on X attributed to Araghchi, no such post could be found on his official timeline. WION cannot independently verify the claim regarding any call between Netanyahu and Vance and the X post of Araghchi.

Iranian state media offered a different explanation for the failed talks, blaming what it described as “unreasonable” and “excessive” demands from the United States. Contentious issues reportedly included Iran’s nuclear programme, its rights under international frameworks, and tensions linked to the Strait of Hormuz.

State broadcaster IRIB said the Iranian delegation engaged in continuous and intensive negotiations to protect national interests, but that Washington’s demands prevented progress. It stated that despite multiple initiatives from Tehran, the talks ultimately ended without agreement.