Says the meeting went well, with most points agreed to except the one that ‘really mattered’ — nuclear — was not
President Donald Trump arrives from the Blue Room to speak about the Iran war from the Cross Hall of the White House on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in Washington. PHOTO: REUTERS
United States President Donald Trump on Sunday thanked Pakistan for hosting talks between Washington and Tehran in Islamabad, while announcing that the US Navy would begin blockading the Strait of Hormuz after negotiations failed to produce a breakthrough.
The US and Iran were unable to reach an agreement to end their war despite marathon negotiations lasting around 21 hours, which concluded on Sunday. The prolonged talks, aimed at halting hostilities that have killed thousands and driven global oil prices higher over the past six weeks, ended with both sides blaming each other for the impasse.
In a post on social media platform Truth Social, President Trump expressed appreciation for Pakistan’s role in facilitating the dialogue, praising Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the country’s military leadership.
“I have been fully debriefed by Vice President JD Vance, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner, on the meeting that took place in Islamabad through the kind and very competent leadership of Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, of Pakistan,” he said, describing them as “extraordinary men”.
Reflecting on the outcome of the talks, Trump said that while progress had been made on several fronts, the core issue remained unresolved.
“The meeting went well, most points were agreed to, but the only point that really mattered, nuclear, was not,” he said.
Detailing the negotiations, the US president highlighted the duration and intensity of the engagement.
“The meeting with Iran began early in the morning, and lasted throughout the night — close to 20 hours. I could go into great detail, and talk about much that has been gotten but, there is only one thing that matters — Iran is unwilling to give up its nuclear ambitions,” he said.
“In many ways, the points that were agreed to are better than us continuing our military operations to conclusion, but all of those points don’t matter compared to allowing nuclear power to be in the hands of such volatile, difficult, unpredictable people,” he added.
Trump further said that despite cordial interactions between delegations, Iran remained firm on the key issue.
“My three representatives, as all of this time went by, became, not surprisingly, very friendly and respectful of Iran’s representatives, Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, Abbas Araghchi, and Ali Bagheri, but that doesn’t matter because they were very unyielding as to the single most important issue and, as I have always said, right from the beginning, and many years ago, Iran will never have a nuclear weapon,” he stated.
Following the collapse of talks, Trump announced that the US Navy would begin blocking the Strait of Hormuz with immediate effect.
“The US Navy will begin the process of blockading any and all ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz,” he said, adding that the move would be “effective immediately”.
Also Read: Ghalibaf says US failed to earn Iran’s trust despite ‘goodwill, forward-looking initiatives’
“At some point, we will reach an ‘all being allowed to go in, all being allowed to go out’ basis, but Iran has not allowed that to happen,” he said, accusing Tehran of creating uncertainty by suggesting the presence of naval mines.
“This is world extortion, and leaders of countries, especially the United States of America, will never be extorted,” Trump said.
He added that US forces had been instructed to interdict vessels suspected of paying tolls to Iran and to begin clearing mines in the waterway.
“I have also instructed our navy to seek and interdict every vessel in international waters that has paid a toll to Iran. No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas. We will also begin destroying the mines the Iranians laid in the straits,” he said.
Issuing a stern warning, Trump said: “Any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceful vessels, will be blown to hell.”
He further claimed that Iran had been severely weakened by the conflict.
“Iran knows, better than anyone, how to end this situation which has already devastated their country. Their navy is gone, their air force is gone, their anti-aircraft and radar are useless … all because of their nuclear ambition,” he said, adding that the blockade would involve other countries.
Read: FM Dar calls on US, Iran to uphold ceasefire commitment after talks end without agreement
“The blockade will begin shortly. Other countries will be involved with this blockade. Iran will not be allowed to profit off this illegal act of extortion,” he added.
Trump also accused Iran of failing to honour commitments regarding the waterway.
“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,” he said.
“They say they put mines in the water … but what ship owner would want to take the chance?” he added, warning of reputational damage to Iran and urging it to reopen the route swiftly.
“As they promised, they better begin the process of getting this international waterway open and fast. Every law in the book is being violated by them,” Trump said.
Strait of Hormuz ‘firmly in our hands’, says senior Iranian adviser
Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, said the Strait of Hormuz is “firmly in our hands,” emphasizing Tehran’s resolve to safeguard its national interests following recent talks in Pakistan with the US.
Velayati said through US social media company X that Iran’s diplomatic approach is based on a single principle: protecting the country.
“Today the Strait of Hormuz is firmly in our hands,” he said.
Velayati added that Iran’s diplomatic efforts remain focused on ensuring national sovereignty and defending its strategic interests.
Iranian demands
Tehran is demanding control of the Strait of Hormuz, payment of war reparations and a ceasefire across the region, including in Lebanon, according to Iranian state TV and officials, as well as the release of its frozen assets abroad.
Tehran also wants to collect transit fees in the Strait of Hormuz.
Despite the differences in Islamabad, three supertankers fully laden with oil passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, shipping data showed, in what appeared to be the first vessels to exit the Gulf since the ceasefire deal.
Read More: Iran’s vice president vows to defend rights from Hormuz to compensation
Hundreds of tankers are still stuck in the Gulf, waiting to exit during the two-week ceasefire period.
Trump’s stated goals have shifted, but as a minimum he wants free passage for global shipping through the strait and the crippling of Iran’s nuclear enrichment programme to ensure it cannot produce an atomic bomb.
Tehran has long denied seeking to build a nuclear weapon.
