20 hours to realize their disagreements. The negotiations in Islamabad, Pakistan between the United States and Iran failed on Sunday. Whether American or Iranian, no one has spoken about the fate of this ceasefire that is set to expire on April 22.
It is the first in the war triggered on February 28 by the American-Israeli attack on Iran, which has resulted in thousands of deaths, plunging the Middle East into conflict and the global economy into turmoil, and continues in Lebanon.
Following the negotiations, a high-level in-person meeting between the two enemy countries since the 1979 Islamic Revolution and brought by JD Vance, the American Vice President, left Pakistan after what he considered as a “final and best possible offer”.
Washington reportedly tried to impose its conditions
During a brief press conference, JD Vance lamented the lack of a “firm promise” from Tehran to abandon its nuclear weapons program, a requirement of the American President. JD Vance implied that he was giving Iran more time to consider the US offer.
The President of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, leading the Iranian delegation, criticized the United States as “incapable” of gaining the trust of Iran during the negotiations. Iran confirmed the end of the discussions, blaming their failure on the “unreasonable demands” of the United States, according to Iranian state television.
“It was obvious from the start that we should not expect to reach an agreement in a single negotiating session. Nobody expected it,” said Esmaeil Baqaei, the spokesperson for the Iranian foreign ministry, describing “an atmosphere of suspicion and mistrust.”
Former Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif stated that the talks failed due to American attempts to “dictate their conditions”.
The complexity of the issues
While JD Vance highlighted the nuclear issue as the core of the discussion failure, he did not explicitly mention the Strait of Hormuz during his press conference. This strategic passage for global oil supply from the Gulf has been blocked by Iran since the beginning of the conflict, causing cascading effects on the global economy, from shortages to price hikes. The Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson referred to “the complexity of the problems and conditions surrounding the negotiations.”
The US military stated on Saturday that two of its destroyers had crossed the strait in a pre-mine removal operation. “We are cleaning up the strait,” added Donald Trump to the press. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the ideological army of the Iranian Islamic Republic, warned Sunday that they would act “severely” against military ships passing through the strait.
On Sunday, amidst a ceasefire, Saudi Arabian authorities announced that the east-west pipeline transporting oil across the kingdom, a crucial equipment for crude oil export during the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, is once again “operational” after Iranian attacks in retaliation to the Israeli-American offensive. These attacks targeted US bases and installations in the Gulf countries, as well as significant oil and gas facilities, airports, and civilian infrastructures.
In Iran, where authorities reported attacks on bridges, railroad infrastructures, and highways hours before the ceasefire agreement, the near-total internet shutdown imposed since the beginning of the war continued into its 44th day on Sunday.
Over 2000 deaths in Lebanon
In six weeks of conflict, the war in the Middle East has resulted in thousands of deaths, particularly in Iran and Lebanon. After the ceasefire came into effect, Israel, where they are fighting Hezbollah, claimed that Lebanon was not included in the agreement.
Lebanese authorities stated on Saturday that they had counted 2020 deaths and 6436 injuries since March 2. On Wednesday, Israel conducted the deadliest strikes of the war in Lebanon, with at least 357 deaths in a single day, according to the latest tally.
According to the Lebanese presidency, talks are planned for Tuesday between Lebanon and Israel in Washington, rejected by Hezbollah. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Saturday evening his desire for a peace agreement “that will last for generations.” Whether this will be achieved remains uncertain.
