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Associated Press
- April 12, 2026 08:04 am
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The United States and Iran failed to reach an agreement at the end of historic face-to-face talks after the US said Tehran refused to pledge not to develop nuclear weapons, leaving a fragile two-week ceasefire in doubt.
Vice President JD Vance, who led the US delegation, said the talks lasted 21 hours in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, but ultimately failed to see "a clear commitment" from Iran "that they will not work on nuclear weapons."
Vance's comments did not indicate what will happen after the 14-day ceasefire initially agreed to by the US, Iran and Israel, but Pakistani mediators called on the parties to uphold the ceasefire.
"It is imperative that the parties continue to respect their commitment to a ceasefire," said Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, adding that his country would try to facilitate a new dialogue between Iran and the US in the coming days.
Iran did not immediately provide an official comment.
The talks in Islamabad began on Saturday, days after a fragile ceasefire was announced, as the war that has killed thousands and rocked global markets entered its seventh week.
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Iran's chief negotiator: US failed to earn our trust
Vance said he has been in constant communication with US President Donald Trump and other administration officials during the negotiations.
“But the simple fact is that we need to see a clear commitment that they will not seek nuclear weapons and will not seek the means that would enable them to quickly obtain such a weapon,” Vance told reporters. “That is the primary goal of the president of the United States. And that is what we have attempted to achieve through these negotiations.”
Trump says NATO will help clear the Strait of Hormuz
US President Donald Trump has told Fox News that NATO has offered to help "clean up" the Strait of Hormuz.
He made this announcement shortly after his warning to block the main maritime transport corridor.
Trump said the US was "very disappointed with NATO" but that, as he put it, "now they want to help with the strait."
"It won't take long to clean it up, so we'll clean up the strait," Trump said, adding that he thinks it will be free to use again "in the not-too-distant future."
He has also said that the US is sending mine sweepers and that the United Kingdom, a NATO member, will also do so.
"I understand that the United Kingdom and some other countries are sending deminers," he said.
Trump: US will immediately block the Strait of Hormuz
Photo: Associated Press
US President Donald Trump has said that the US will begin blocking any ship attempting to enter or exit the Strait of Hormuz.
In a lengthy new post on Truth Social after the failure of the talks in Islamabad, he said that "the meeting went well, most points were agreed upon, but the one point that really mattered, the nuclear issue, was not reached."
According to him, Iran does not want to give up its ambitions for nuclear weapons, while adding that the US will never allow it to have such weapons.
Trump added that "at some point" a deal will be reached for free passage, but that "Iran has not allowed that to happen."
In the same post, Trump also said that he "has instructed the Navy to search for and stop any ship in international waters that has paid a toll to Iran," and that the US Navy will begin "destroying the mines that the Iranians have placed in the strait."
"No one who pays an illegal tax will have safe passage on the high seas," he said, warning that "any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceful ships, will be destroyed to hell."
"The blockade will begin soon," Trump declared.
His reaction comes hours after face-to-face US-Iran talks in Pakistan ended without any agreement, even after 21 hours of negotiations.
Iran denies talks failed over nuclear weapons ambitions
Photo: Associated Press
In response to statements by US officials that the talks in Islamabad failed because Iran refused to give up its path to nuclear weapons, an Iranian official denied this.
According to him, Iran does not seek to have nuclear weapons.
"This is not true. Iran's position is clear. Iran does not seek to have nuclear weapons, but it has the right to nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. This right cannot be denied and must be recognized," he said.
However, he said Iran is willing to limit its nuclear activities as part of confidence-building measures, including the level of uranium enrichment.
The official did not provide exact details on why the talks failed and spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the discussions.
Meanwhile, expert Ali Vaez from the International Crisis Group said that the failure of the US and Iran to reach an agreement does not mean that war will immediately resume in the Middle East.
"The most likely scenario is not immediate war, but a period of tension, pressure and last-ditch efforts to avoid further escalation," he said.
According to him, after these talks that lasted 21 hours, a "three-pronged effort" is expected, including covert mediations led by Pakistan.
He also expects more military movements around the Strait of Hormuz and additional efforts to maintain the two-week ceasefire.
US President Donald Trump has not yet reacted to the failure of negotiations with Iran.
Iran says the Strait of Hormuz is in its hands and that a toll must be paid for passage
US Vice President JD Vance did not mention the Strait of Hormuz in his press conference after hours of talks with Iran in Pakistan this weekend.
This vital waterway, where about 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) typically passes, was a sticking point in the talks.
An important part of the conditional ceasefire in force between the US and Iran has been the safe passage of ships through the strait.
The deputy speaker of the Iranian parliament, Haji Babaei, has said that the strait is a red line for official Tehran, reports the Mehrs News Agency, which is affiliated with the Islamic Propaganda Organization.
He says the strait is completely in Iran's hands and "its taxes must be paid in rials" - the Iranian currency.
Since the strait was closed by Iran, world oil prices have continuously increased, sometimes reaching over $100 per barrel.
Starmer encourages US and Iran to find solutions
Keir Starmer
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called for Iran and the US to "find a solution" after talks in Pakistan failed, according to Downing Street.
During a conversation with the Sultan of Oman, Starmer said that the continuation of the ceasefire was "vital" and that "all parties have avoided further escalation of the situation."
Meanwhile, British Health Minister Wes Streeting told the BBC it was "disappointing" that initial talks to end the war in Iran failed without reaching an agreement.
He also defended the United Kingdom's decision not to become involved in the conflict.
Iran's chief negotiator: US failed to earn our trust
The Speaker of Iran's Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who led the Iranian delegation to the talks in Pakistan, has stated that now is the time for the US to "decide whether it can earn our trust or not."
In a post on the X platform, Ghalibaf said that before the negotiations he had emphasized that Iran had "good faith and goodwill," but due to experiences from two previous wars, it did not have "trust in the other side."
He added that the Iranian delegation had presented "initiatives with a vision for the future," but according to him, the other side failed to gain the trust of the Iranian delegation during this round of talks.
"We will not stop for a moment in our efforts to consolidate the achievements of Iran's 40 days of national defense," he said.
Ghalibaf also described the negotiation process as "intensive" and thanked Pakistan for facilitating them.
US and Iran have different versions of the failure of the talks
The US and Iran are giving different versions of the failure of peace talks.
According to Iranian state media, the talks failed due to "unreasonable demands" from the US, which prevented an agreement to end the war.
Iranian state broadcaster IRIB said that, “despite various initiatives by the Iranian delegation, the unreasonable demands of the American side hindered the progress of the negotiations. Thus, the talks ended.”
Meanwhile, the US has a different stance, saying it has been "flexible" and "accommodating" during the process.
US Vice President JD Vance said President Donald Trump had asked him to go into the talks "in good faith and make a best effort to reach an agreement." He added that this had been done, but to no avail.
Vance stressed that he had presented a "very simple proposal," which he said was the final and best offer from the American side, but there was no progress in the negotiations.
It is not yet clear what the next steps will be within the framework of the two-week ceasefire, or whether there will be new talks.
Saudi Arabia restores main oil pipeline after attacks
Saudi Arabia has restored full capacity to its main East-West oil pipeline after it and surrounding infrastructure were attacked on Thursday.
The Ministry of Energy announced that the attacks had stopped the transportation of about 700 barrels of oil per day through this pipeline.
Since the start of the US-Israeli war with Iran, Saudi Arabia has been forced to divert oil exports away from the Strait of Hormuz, where shipments have almost stopped, directing them towards the East-West pipeline, which sends oil to a terminal in the Red Sea.
The Energy Ministry also announced that the production facility in Manifa, near the coast, has returned to operation after last week's attacks, while repair work is continuing at the Khurais oil field, further inland.
Iran says it had disagreements with the US on two or three important issues
Iran's Foreign Ministry said on Sunday that negotiations with the US failed due to a "gap between our positions on two or three important issues."
“In the end, the talks did not result in an agreement,” spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told Iranian state television. He did not elaborate on what those issues were.
On several topics, according to Baghaei, American and Iranian negotiators “actually reached mutual understanding.” The negotiators discussed the Strait of Hormuz, Baghaei said, but did not mention any discussion regarding nuclear weapons.
