Islamabad: Iran accused the United States of derailing a potential agreement that was “inches away” during high-stakes talks in Islamabad, pointing to American “maximalism, shifting goalposts, and blockade tactics” as the culprits behind the collapse of the proposed “Islamabad MoU” following 21 hours of intense negotiations.
In a post on X, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi revealed that Tehran had engaged in its highest-level direct dialogue with Washington in 47 years, approaching the discussions with good faith to help resolve the ongoing conflict. Yet, he lamented that the US had “zero lessons earned.”
The negotiations faltered at a pivotal moment when success seemed imminent, as Araghchi highlighted with his remark that the two sides were “inches away” from an agreement before tensions spiked, as reported by India Today.
Araghchi issued a stark warning, stating, “good will begets good will, enmity begets enmity,” which indicates Iran’s readiness for future diplomacy under certain conditions.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian aligned with this position, asserting that a diplomatic resolution with the US remains feasible if Washington forsakes its “totalitarianism” and honors Iran’s rights.
He emphasized, “ways to reach an agreement will certainly be found” if those steps are taken. Pezeshkian commended the Iranian delegation, including parliamentary speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, for their dedication during the Islamabad session, underscoring Tehran’s message that diplomacy’s pathway persists despite the late-stage failure — contingent on a US policy shift.
The United States, meanwhile, escalated matters sharply, with President Donald Trump declaring a US Navy blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump outlined in a social media post that the US would target any vessel in international waters that had paid a toll to Iran and would neutralize mines allegedly placed by Iran in the strait, through which about 20 percent of the world’s energy supplies flow.
“No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas,” Trump wrote, adding: “Any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceful vessels, will be BLOWN TO HELL!”
US Central Command (Centcom) detailed the operation’s start time as 10 am ET on Monday (7.30 pm IST).
Centcom’s statement affirmed that its forces “will begin implementing a blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports” pursuant to a presidential proclamation. The enforcement, it noted, would apply “impartially against vessels of all nations” navigating Iranian ports and coastal areas, encompassing sites in the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.
