Pakistan talks collapse

U.S.-Iran talks in Islamabad ended without an agreement early Sunday after 21 hours of negotiations, and the American delegation left Pakistan. (apnews.com) Vice President J.D. Vance said Iran refused American terms, including a commitment not to develop a nuclear weapon. Associated Press reported the session was the third round of direct talks and ended before dawn on April 12. (apnews.com) Pakistan hosted the meeting days after a two-week ceasefire was announced in a war that had entered its seventh week. Bloomberg reported the three-way format brought U.S. and Iranian officials together with Pakistani mediators in the capital. (bloomberg.com) The collapse leaves the ceasefire without a broader settlement on the issues that drove the fighting. Reuters reported the talks were meant to address both Iran’s nuclear program and the conflict’s wider economic and military fallout. (reuters.com) One of those pressures is the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow shipping lane that carries a large share of the world’s seaborne oil. Reuters reported on April 11 that two U.S. warships crossed the strait as part of mine-clearing preparations, while separate Reuters reporting on April 12 said supertankers had started moving through under the fragile truce. (reuters.com, (reuters.com)) Iran publicly blamed Washington after the meeting. Iranian officials said the talks failed because of what they called “excessive demands” and “unlawful requests” from the United States. (thehindu.com) Vance gave the opposite account, saying the United States had presented its “best and final offer” before departing. Politico reported he said the failed session was “bad news for Iran” as the Trump administration weighed its next step. (politico.com) Pakistan said it would keep trying to mediate and urged both sides to hold to the ceasefire announced last Tuesday, April 7. For now, the diplomacy that ran all night in Islamabad has produced no terms both sides will sign. (thestar.com.my)