Diplomatic talks aimed at halting six weeks of intense conflict between the US and Iran broke down on Sunday in Islamabad, after over 21 hours of discussions failed to produce an agreement.
US Vice President JD Vance, who led the US delegation, said Iran had "chosen not to accept our terms.”
“The bad news is we have not reached an agreement, and I think that's bad news for Iran much more than it's bad news for the United States of America,” Vance said before leaving Islamabad.
US President Donald Trump said, “I don't care if they come back or not. If they don't come back, I'm fine.”
On the other hand, Iran said it had not expected a decisive result within one day of discussions.
“Naturally, from the beginning, we should not have expected to reach an agreement in a single session. No one had such an expectation,” Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said, according to state broadcaster IRIB.
Iran's Parliament Speaker and leader of the Iranian delegation in the talks, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said, “The US has understood Iran's logic and principles, and it's time for them to decide whether they can earn our trust or not.”
ALSO READ: 'Zero Lessons Earned': Iranian FM Araghchi Blames US For Failed Negotiations Over Strait Of Hormuz
What Happens Next?
One of the major fallouts of the failed talks in Islamabad is Trump's announcement of a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
“Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz. At some point, we will reach an ‘ALL BEING ALLOWED TO GO IN, ALL BEING ALLOWED TO GO OUT' basis,” he posted on Truth Social.
He accused Iran of extortion over its monopolisation of the Strait of Hormuz, and added that “other countries” will also be involved in the blockade.
“I have also instructed our Navy to seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran. No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas. We will also begin destroying the mines the Iranians laid in the Straits. Any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceful vessels, will be BLOWN TO HELL!.”
The US Central Command said it is “setting conditions for clearing mines in the Strait of Hormuz.”
“Today, we began the process of establishing a new passage and we will share this safe pathway with the maritime industry soon to encourage the free flow of commerce,” said Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of CENTCOM.
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) April 11, 2026
Trump concluded his Truth Social post by threatening to “finish up the little that is left of Iran!” at an “appropriate moment”.
In response, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said, “Any miscalculated move will trap the enemy in the deadly whirlpools” of the Strait. Separately, it declared that military vessels approaching the Strait of Hormuz would be handled with severity, though civilian navigation through the waterway is allowed.
Ghalibaf said Trump's threats will have “no effect on the Iranian nation” and that Iran will “not bow to any threats”.
Another key question is the future of Iran's nuclear programme. Trump has said the Islamabad talks failed because "Iran is unwilling to give up its nuclear ambitions".
Vance has said the US wants to see a “fundamental commitment” from Iran not to develop nuclear weapons.
"We need to see an affirmative commitment that [Iran] will not seek a nuclear weapon and they will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon. That is the core goal of the president of the United States, and that's what we've tried to achieve through these negotiations," Vance said.
As per Al Jazeera's John Hendren, similar sticking points prolonged negotiations for years in the mid-2010s, culminating in the 2015 nuclear deal under then US President Barack Obama: a pact later abandoned by Donald Trump in 2018.
On the question of the ceasefire, Trump has said that it is "holding well". On the other hand, the IRGC has warned that any military vessels moving toward the strait would be treated as a breach of the ceasefire, as per the BBC.
Israeli forces have continued their strikes across Lebanon, even as operations on the ground intensify in the southern regions. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has shared footage he claims shows him in southern Lebanon alongside Israeli troops, according to Al Jazeera.
Netanyahu has said he wants “a real peace agreement that will last for generations” with Lebanon, reported NBC News.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam warned citizens of the fresh civil unrest amid the US-Israel war involving Iran.
ALSO READ: US To Begin Blockade Of Iranian Ports From Monday As Strait Of Hormuz Peace Talks Collapse
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
