US-Iran Talks End Without Deal as Blockade Starts

Direct talks between the United States and Iran in Islamabad concluded without agreement on April 13, heightening tensions as a U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz took effect and a fragile ceasefire nears its expiration. The negotiations, the highest-level engagement between Washington and Tehran in decades and mediated by Pakistan, centered on Iran's nuclear program and its control over the vital waterway, through which about 20 percent of global oil shipments pass. With the truce set to end on April 21, officials from both sides and regional mediators expressed cautious optimism about resuming discussions this week.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance led the American delegation, while Iran's team was headed by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. U.S. officials described their stance as non-negotiable, demanding Iran commit to forgoing nuclear weapons, including halting all uranium enrichment, dismantling key facilities and removing stockpiles of highly enriched material. Washington proposed a 20-year moratorium on enrichment activities. Iranian officials countered that the talks broke down due to U.S. demands lacking reciprocity, insisting on guarantees for a...