The Islamabad talks were doomed to failure – and Hormuz blockade has thrown another obstacle to any Iran-US deal

A lack of trust, failure to agree to the grounds on which discussion is taking place and Israel’s de facto veto provide insurmountable barriers.

By: Farah N. Jan, University of Pennsylvania, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: April 14, 2026

Words: 1,394

Last Updated: 3 months, 2 weeks ago

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By Farah N. Jan, University of Pennsylvania

Twenty-one hours of direct negotiations. The highest-level face-to-face engagement between Washington and Tehran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

And yet, U.S. Vice President JD Vance boarded Air Force Two in Islamabad on the morning of April 12, 2026, with no deal to end the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran, including an understanding over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.

The U.S. has since begun what it says is a …

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