After 21 hours of marathon negotiations, the outcome of the war in the Middle East “remains” uncertain, notes CNN. Vice President J.D. Vance, who traveled to Islamabad, Pakistan over the weekend to hold talks with Tehran, announced on Sunday, April 12 that the United States and Iran had failed to reach an agreement to end the conflict.
“We are returning to the United States without reaching an agreement,” the Republican declared at a brief press conference in the Pakistani capital, where Americans and Iranians had been negotiating since Saturday with the help of Pakistan. The American Vice President notably lamented the lack of a “firm promise” from Tehran to abandon its nuclear weapons program, a requirement of President Donald Trump since the start of this war on February 28 that has resulted in thousands of deaths and shaken the global economy.
“We are leaving here with a very simple proposal, an approach that constitutes our final and best offer. We will see if the Iranians accept it,” he added before boarding his plane and leaving Pakistan.
However, Tehran confirmed the end of the discussions, attributing their failure to Washington’s “unreasonable demands,” according to Iranian state television.
“Long awaited negotiations”
It was unlikely that Vice President Vance would reach an agreement in a single negotiation session, analyzed one of the correspondents from the New York Times at the White House, David Sanger. He pointed out that the agreement reached with Iran in 2015 required nearly two years of discussions.
“Even though the current context is different – with the two countries de facto at war – the complexity of the issues, the central importance of the nuclear program to the Iranian national identity, as well as the disputes over control of the Strait of Hormuz suggest lengthy negotiations,” he expressed.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei assured on Sunday that “no one expected” the United States and Iran to reach an agreement after the first round of negotiations. He said he was “hopeful that our contacts with Pakistan, as well as our other friends in the region, will continue.”
Uncertainties regarding the ceasefire and the Strait of Hormuz
“The negotiation deadlock now leaves the two-week ceasefire concluded last week in suspense, with the risk of a resumption and escalation of fighting,” Axios emphasized.
On Sunday, J.D. Vance did not respond to press questions “regarding the possible resumption of fighting or the status of maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz,” observed the Washington Post.
Islamabad, on its part, urged the United States and Iran to continue respecting the ceasefire despite the failed negotiations. “Pakistan has played and will continue to play its role in facilitating dialogue between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America in the days to come,” emphasized Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.
A little earlier on Saturday, while talks between Americans and Iranians were still ongoing, the U.S. military stated that two of its destroyers had crossed the Strait of Hormuz in a demining operation. “We are sweeping the strait,” Donald Trump confirmed to the press.
The Revolutionary Guards warned on Sunday that they would act “severely” against military vessels transiting through the strait.
According to statements from an unidentified Iranian official, relayed by the Fars news agency, affiliated with Iranian security services, Tehran plans “to disrupt the passage of ships in the Strait of Hormuz until it receives an acceptable offer from the United States,” reported the Wall Street Journal. “Iran is not in a hurry,” the official reportedly stated.
