Kamal Ghorui
Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi has said Tehran was “inches away” from sealing an agreement with Washington during high-level ceasefire negotiations held in Islamabad, before what he described as US “maximalism” caused the talks to collapse.In a post on X, Araghchi said Iran had entered the talks “in good faith” with the aim of ending months of conflict. “Iran engaged with US in good faith to end war,” he wrote, adding that at a critical moment, “we encountered maximalism, shifting goalposts, and blockade.”He said negotiators had come close to what was being referred to as the “Islamabad MoU”, but the process broke down over unresolved differences. “Just inches away from agreement… we encountered maximalism, shifting goalposts, and blockade,” he added. “Good will begets good will. Enmity begets enmity.”Iran mocks Trump Hormuz blockade, warns of global energy crisis — Follow live updatesThe talks in Pakistan marked the highest-level engagement between the two sides in nearly five decades, and were aimed at securing a fragile ceasefire and addressing long-standing disputes over Iran’s nuclear programme and regional security issues.However, the discussions ended without consensus, with both sides trading blame over the failure to bridge key gaps. A US official, speaking anonymously, said Iran had not accepted several American “red lines”, including limits on uranium enrichment and broader security-related conditions.Soon after the talks broke down, tensions escalated further when US President Donald Trump announced that the US Navy would begin a blockade of vessels entering or leaving the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route through which nearly a fifth of the world’s oil passes.US Central Command later clarified that the measures would focus on Iranian ports and would be enforced “impartially against vessels of all nations”, while still allowing transit between non-Iranian ports through the strait.Iran responded by warning that the waterway remained under its control. The Revolutionary Guard said military vessels would face a “forceful response”, though non-military shipping would still be permitted to pass.The renewed confrontation has already rattled energy markets, with crude prices rising sharply following the blockade announcement.Despite the breakdown, diplomatic efforts have not fully collapsed. Pakistan’s foreign minister said Islamabad would continue to facilitate dialogue, while Iran signalled it remained open to further negotiations. The European Union and Oman also urged restraint and renewed talks, with Moscow offering to assist in mediation.Inside Iran, officials insisted the failure of the talks was due to US overreach rather than irreconcilable differences on nuclear issues. A senior Iranian negotiator said the discussions had failed over “two or three key issues”, and accused Washington of attempting to expand its demands at the last moment.The collapse of the Islamabad talks leaves the ceasefire’s future uncertain, with no clarity on what comes next when the current truce period expires later this month.
