A cargo ship carrying autos sails by way of the Arabian Gulf towards the Strait of Hormuz within the United Arab Emirates on March 22.
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ISLAMABAD — America and Iran failed to achieve an settlement after a day of extremely anticipated face-to-face peace talks, Washington’s lead negotiator, Vice President JD Vance, introduced on Sunday.
“The dangerous information is that now we have not reached an settlement. And I believe that is dangerous information for Iran rather more than it is dangerous information for the U.S. … They’ve chosen to not settle for our phrases,” Vance stated at a press convention in Islamabad, earlier than boarding Air Pressure Two to go away the nation.
Requested what the main sticking level had been that led to the breakdown in negotiations, Vance stated: “The straightforward reality is that we have to see an affirmative dedication that they won’t search a nuclear weapon, and they won’t search the instruments that might allow them to shortly obtain a nuclear weapon.”
Additionally on Sunday, President Trump claimed on social media that the U.S. would “blockade” the Strait of Hormuz, saying that the talks had failed as a result of “IRAN IS UNWILLING TO GIVE UP ITS NUCLEAR AMBITIONS!”
For its half, Iran stated the 2 sides had “reached an understanding on numerous points, however finally the talks didn’t result in an settlement.”
Tehran has repeatedly stated that its nuclear program is a civilian one, and that it has a proper to proceed to counterpoint uranium for that objective.
The standing of the two-week ceasefire is now unsure. However Vance left open the chance that an settlement may nonetheless be reached, saying: “We go away right here with a quite simple proposal: a way of understanding that’s our ultimate and finest provide.” He added: “We’ll see if the Iranians settle for it.”
After negotiations broke down, Pakistan, which has develop into a key mediator within the conflict and hosted the talks, stated on Sunday that it will proceed to play a task in peace efforts. Overseas Minister Ishaq Dar urged either side to proceed to uphold the ceasefire.
The talks — which lasted for 21 hours — started in Islamabad on Saturday as the 2 sides regarded to achieve a deal to finish the conflict that has shaken the Center East for six weeks.
It was the primary face-to-face engagement between the U.S. and Iran since 2015, when the Obama administration negotiated a nuclear cope with Iran that was later scrapped by Trump. They had been additionally the highest-level discussions for the reason that 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Vice President JD Vance offers a thumb up signal as he boards Air Pressure Two after attending talks with Iranian representatives in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Sunday.
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Jacquelyn Martin/AP
Trump responds
Early on Sunday, in a submit on his social media platform Reality Social, Trump wrote: “the assembly went properly, most factors had been agreed to, however the one level that actually mattered, NUCLEAR, was not.”
“Efficient instantly, the US Navy, the Best within the World, will start the method of BLOCKADING any and all Ships attempting to enter, or go away, the Strait of Hormuz,” the president stated.
Trump known as Iran’s place over the strait “extortion”, and stated: “I’ve additionally instructed our Navy to hunt and interdict each vessel in Worldwide Waters that has paid a toll to Iran.”
He added: “We can even start destroying the mines the Iranians laid within the Straits. Any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceable vessels, shall be BLOWN TO HELL!”
In a second submit on Reality Social, Trump stated: “As they promised, they higher start the method of getting this INTERNATIONAL WATERWAY OPEN AND FAST!”
Talking on Sunday in an interview with Fox Information, the president stated the blockade “may take a short time, however it’ll be efficient fairly quickly.” He additionally claimed that some NATO nations now “wish to assist with the strait.”
In the identical interview, the president doubled down in his stance that Iran shouldn’t have a nuclear weapon, and stated he believes Iran will “come to the desk” and quit its nuclear weapons efforts. Requested if he’ll proceed to “destruct” Iran if they do not hand over their nuclear weapons program, Trump stated: “If they do not give that plan up, yeah.”
On Saturday, Trump stated “We win, regardless” of the result of negotiations, including, “we have completely defeated that nation.”
Vance stated in his press convention that he’d been in contact with the president “constantly” whereas in Islamabad.
Iran cites ‘extreme calls for’
Iran’s Overseas Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei stated in a submit on X and in an announcement to Iranian state media that the primary topics of talks had been the Strait of Hormuz, nuclear points, sanctions, reparations, and an finish to the conflict towards Iran and the area.
He added that points, corresponding to Iran’s demand that it proceed to manage the Strait of Hormuz, added complexities to the talks and that “we must always not have anticipated to achieve an settlement in a single assembly from the start.
A billboard of the U.S. Iran talks is seen close to Serena Resort, the venue for the U.S. Iran officers assembly, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Sunday, April 12, 2026.
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Anjum Naveed/AP
Nevertheless, he additionally criticized the U.S., saying: “the success of this diplomatic course of is dependent upon the seriousness and good religion of the opposing facet, refraining from extreme calls for.”
Beneath its multi-point negotiation plan, Tehran had demanded an finish to Israel’s assaults towards Hezbollah as a part of any everlasting settlement. Different calls for from the Iranian delegation included the discharge of $6 billion in frozen belongings, ensures round its nuclear program and the precise to cost ships passing by way of the Strait of Hormuz.
Regardless of the failure of the talks to provide a deal, some analysts famous the optics of the assembly between the Iranians and People had been nonetheless placing, coming simply weeks after the U.S. and Israel launched the assault that killed Iran’s Supreme Chief.
The Iranian delegation had posted pictures of a row of empty seats on the airplane en path to Islamabad, on which pictures and bloodied belongings of faculty kids killed in a U.S. missile strike had been positioned.
Combating between Israel and Hezbollah continues
Israel’s refusal to cease combating in Lebanon and abide by the ceasefire with Iran has threatened the truce. Iran threatened quote “sturdy responses” and President Trump stated Israel would scale back its assaults in Lebanon. However assaults proceed.
Israel’s army says this weekend it struck greater than 200 Hezbollah targets, and Hezbollah stated it continued rocket, drone and artillery assaults on Israel and Israeli troops inside Lebanon.
Lebanon says the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors to Washington will maintain their first direct assembly Tuesday on the State Division to debate a ceasefire and a date for beginning negotiations.
In a speech Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed historic accomplishments in Iran and Lebanon – and that his purpose in talks is to disarm Hezbollah and attain a peace settlement with Lebanon.
A lady mourns on the grave of her husband throughout the funeral of 13 state safety officers killed the day prior to this in an Israeli strike in Lebanon’s coastal metropolis of Sidon, Saturday, April 11, 2026.
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Emilio Morenatti/AP
In a submit for Orthodox Easter on Sunday, Lebanon’s Prime Minister stated he hoped the nation would “collectively overcome the risks dealing with us, and in order that stability, peace, and prosperity could prevail all through Lebanon.”
U.S. warships go by way of Strait of Hormuz
The talks got here as two U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers handed by way of the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, a U.S. official advised NPR, marking the primary transit of American warships for the reason that begin of the Iran conflict six weeks in the past.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) stated it had begun setting situations to clear Iranian sea mines planted all through the waterway to “encourage the free circulate of commerce.”
Betsy Joles in Islamabad, D Parvaz in Van, Turkey, Daniel Estrin in Tel Aviv, Kate Bartlett in Johannesburg, Robbie Griffiths in London and NPR’s Chandelis Duster contributed to reporting.
