US vice-president JD Vance said the United States and Iran failed to reach a deal after talks in which Washington had sought assurances that Tehran would not build nuclear weapons. He said the Iranian side chose not to accept the American terms.
According to Vance, the US delegation is now leaving Pakistan after the talks ended without agreement.
Iranian state media, meanwhile, blamed what it described as “unreasonable” US demands for the breakdown in negotiations. The comments reflected a sharp public disagreement over the terms each side was prepared to accept.
Dispute over the Strait of Hormuz
The talks also come against the backdrop of mounting tensions around the Strait of Hormuz. US officials have claimed that Iran has been unable to find mines it laid in the waterway.
The strait has been blockaded by Iran since the beginning of the war, according to the source, and the closure has caused heavy damage to the global economy by disrupting shipping through one of the world’s most important maritime passages.
In response to the crisis, the UK will host a meeting next week focused on the Strait of Hormuz. The gathering will bring together multiple countries with the aim of restoring free movement of ships through the waterway.
A British official told AP that the meeting will oppose the idea of tolls being charged for passage through the strait. That proposal had been put forward by Iran as part of ceasefire negotiations.
The issue of access through the Strait of Hormuz has become one of the central economic and strategic concerns in the wider conflict, given the route’s importance for global trade and energy shipments. Any extended disruption, officials and governments warn, risks further strain on the world economy.
With the latest round of diplomacy ending without a deal, attention is now shifting to the next round of international discussions in the UK and to whether any new proposal can bridge the gap between Washington and Tehran.
