US-Iran Talks Fail, Trigger Strait of Hormuz Blockade

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed on Monday that he received a detailed briefing from U.S. Vice President JD Vance following the collapse of marathon negotiations between the United States and Iran in Islamabad, Pakistan. The talks, which lasted nearly 21 hours over the weekend, aimed to secure a ceasefire and address longstanding tensions but ended without agreement, exacerbating regional instability.

Netanyahu described the conversation with Vance, who called from his plane en route back from Pakistan, as part of routine daily updates from the Trump administration. Speaking at a cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said the negotiations "exploded" due to what the U.S. viewed as Iran's violation of ceasefire terms. Specifically, he noted that Iran failed to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for global oil shipments, despite an agreement linking the ceasefire to immediate access. "The explosion came from the American side, which could not tolerate Iran's blatant violation of the agreement to enter the negotiations," Netanyahu stated. "The agreement was that they would cease fire, and the Iranians would immediately open the gates. They did not do...