Abbas Araghchi (Image/ANI)
Inside Iran, officials insisted the failure of the talks was due to US overreach rather than irreconcilable differences on nuclear issues. Soon after the talks broke down, tensions escalated further when US President Donald Trump announced that the US Navy would begin a blockade of vessels entering or leaving the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route through which nearly a fifth of the world’s oil passes.
Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi has said Tehran was “inches away” from sealing an agreement with Washington during high-level ceasefire negotiations held in Islamabad, before what he described as US “maximalism” caused the talks to collapse. In a post on X, Araghchi said Iran had entered the talks “in good faith” with the aim of ending months of conflict. “Iran engaged with US in good faith to end war,” he wrote, adding that at a critical moment, “we encountered maximalism, shifting goalposts, and blockade. He said negotiators had come close to what was being referred to as the “Islamabad MoU”, but the process broke down over unresolved differences. “Just inches away from agreement… we encountered maximalism, shifting goalposts, and blockade,” he added. A US official, speaking anonymously, said Iran had not accepted several American “red lines”, including limits on uranium enrichment and broader security-related conditions. The Revolutionary Guard said military vessels would face a “forceful response”, though non-military shipping would still be permitted to pass. Pakistan’s foreign minister said Islamabad would continue to facilitate dialogue, while Iran signalled it remained open to further negotiations. A senior Iranian negotiator said the discussions had failed over “two or three key issues”, and accused Washington of attempting to expand its demands at the last moment.
“Good will begets good will. Enmity begets enmity. Iran responded by warning that the waterway remained under its control. Despite the breakdown, diplomatic efforts have not fully collapsed. The European Union and Oman also urged restraint and renewed talks, with Moscow offering to assist in mediation.