Direct U.S.–Iran talks fail in Islamabad: Trump orders blockade of Hormuz

The direct talks between the United States and Iran, held in Islamabad, Pakistan, led by U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, ended early on Sunday without any agreement, as the BBC reports. The face-to-face session lasted around 20 hours and was described as the highest-level direct U.S.–Iran meeting since the Islamic revolution of 1979 — but its failure has significantly raised the risk of a new military escalation.

President Donald Trump said the talks failed because Iran “is not willing to give up its nuclear ambitions”. In a series of Truth Social posts on Sunday morning, he announced that the United States would “begin the process of blocking every ship trying to enter or exit the Strait of Hormuz”, adding that the U.S. military is “ready” to resume strikes “at the right moment” and that no one who pays an “illegal tax” to Tehran will have safe passage in international waters.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) later clarified, as the BBC reports, that the blockade will begin on Monday at 10:00 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time (16:00 Tirana time) and will be enforced “impartially against ships of all countries entering or leaving Iranian ports and coastal areas”. However, ships transiting through Hormuz to or from non-Iranian ports will not be hindered, the command clarified.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy responded by warning that any military ship approaching the Strait of Hormuz will be considered a violation of the ceasefire and will be “dealt with harshly”. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on X that the sides were “centimeters away” from the Islamabad Memorandum, but faced “maximalism, moving goals and a blockade” — closing his message with the words: “Goodwill breeds goodwill. Hostility breeds hostility.”

Energy markets reacted immediately: Brent oil rose 7.5% to $102.37 a barrel, while U.S. WTI crude climbed 8.3% to $104.56 as markets reopened on Sunday. Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi called for the ceasefire to be extended so the talks can continue, while Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said an agreement with the U.S. “will surely be found” if Washington “abandons totalitarianism and respects the rights of the Iranian nation”.