ISLAMABAD: President Donald Trump on Sunday threatened to impose an immediate naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz after high-stakes talks between United States (US) and Iran officials in Islamabad ended without an agreement to end their six-week-war.
In his first public comments after the 21-hour talks, Trump sought to exert strategic control over the waterway that was responsible for the shipping of 20% of global oil supplies before the war that began on Feb. 28, hoping to eliminate Iran’s key source of leverage.
The prospect of a US blockade could further rattle global energy markets and prices for oil, natural gas and related products. It was not immediately clear how a blockade might be carried out, but Trump said the goal of the blockade was to ensure all ships could transit
"Iran promised to open the Strait of Hormuz, and they knowingly failed to do so. This caused anxiety, dislocation, and pain to many people and Countries throughout the World," the US president said on Truth Social.
"Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz. At some point, we will reach an 'ALL BEING ALLOWED TO GO IN, ALL BEING ALLOWED TO GO OUT' basis."
Trump said Iran knew, better than anyone, how to end this situation which had already devastated their Islamic republic.
"The Blockade will begin shortly. Other Countries will be involved with this Blockade," the US president said.
Face-to-face talks ended earlier Sunday, the highest-level negotiations between the longtime rivals since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Both delegations later left Islamabad.
Neither side indicated what will happen after the 14-day ceasefire expires on April 22. Pakistani mediators urged all parties to maintain it.
Both sides said their positions were clear and blamed the other, underscoring how little the gap had narrowed.
“We need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon, and they will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon,” Vice President JD Vance, leading the U.S. side, said afterward.
Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, who led Iran in talks, said it was time for the United States “to decide whether it can gain our trust or not.” Iranian officials earlier said talks fell apart over two or three key issues, blaming what they called U.S. overreach.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said his country will try to facilitate a new dialogue between Iran and the US in the coming days.
Iran said it was open to continuing the dialogue, Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency reported.
The European Union urged further diplomatic efforts. The foreign minister of Oman, on the southern coast of the Strait of Hormuz, called for both parties to “make painful concessions." And the Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin had “emphasized his readiness” to help bring about a diplomatic settlement in a call with Iran's president.
