| No deal! Trump announces blockade |
Vice President JD Vance arrives to meet with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif yesterday in Islamabad. Photo: Jacquelyn Martin/AP Several hours after peace talks in Pakistan ended in failure, President Trump announced the U.S. is imposing a naval blockade on Iran, Axios’ Barak Ravid reports. Why it matters: The move would prevent Iran from exporting its oil as long as other countries are prevented from doing so. Trump said on Truth Social that the U.S. Navy will immediately “begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz,” where traffic has fallen to a trickle. Saying this weekend’s Iran-U.S. peace talks in Pakistan failed over the nuclear issue, Trump added: “We will also begin destroying the mines the Iranians laid in the Straits. Any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceful vessels, will be BLOWN TO HELL!” The backdrop: The U.S. and Iran failed to reach an agreement after 21 hours of face-to-face talks — leaving the two-week ceasefire in limbo, with the possibility of renewed and escalating warfare. Vice President Vance flew out of Islamabad after saying the parties had “substantive discussions” but couldn’t bridge the gaps. According to a source briefed on the talks, some of the disagreements had to do with Iran’s demand to control the Strait of Hormuz and refusal to give up its enriched uranium stockpile. Vance said: “This is bad news for Iran much more than this is bad news for the U.S. … We have made very clear what our red lines are … and they have chosen not to accept our terms.” He said the U.S. wants a long-term “affirmative commitment” from the Iranians not to seek a nuclear weapon or tools to produce one quickly: “We haven’t seen that yet. We hope that we will.” Vice President Vance, Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff during a news conference early today in Islamabad, Pakistan. Photo: Jacquelyn Martin/APThe other side: Several Iranian media outlets said after Vance’s press conference that the talks failed because the U.S. side wasn’t realistic and made “excessive demands. “The bottom line: No one expected a final agreement yesterday. But the U.S. side hoped for enough momentum to keep negotiating, even if that meant extending the ceasefire. Vance’s brief remarks conveyed little such optimism, though he didn’t say the U.S. is walking away.Share this story. |
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Vice President JD Vance arrives to meet with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif yesterday in Islamabad. Photo: Jacquelyn Martin/AP
Vice President Vance, Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff during a news conference early today in Islamabad, Pakistan. Photo: Jacquelyn Martin/AP