Iranian foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said on Monday, April 13, that an understanding between the two sides was just “inches away” when they were faced with maximalism, shifting goalposts, and blockade.
Araghchi’s remarks come a day after the two sides, who met in Pakistan over the weekend to find a sustainable solution to end the West Asia war but did not achieve any breakthrough, left many wondering what actually transpired in the high-level talks.
Also read: US forces to blockade ships entering, exiting Iranian ports after no breakthrough in Islamabad talks
Araghchi said that Iran engaged with the United States “in good faith to end war” in the highest-level talks between the two nations in close to 50 years.
“In intensive talks at highest level in 47 years, Iran engaged with U.S in good faith to end war. But when just inches away from “Islamabad MoU”, we encountered maximalism, shifting goalposts, and blockade. Zero lessons earned,” Araghchi wrote in a post on X, without going into more detail on what actually happened that obstructed the almost-there agreement.
“Good will begets good will. Enmity begets enmity,” he added.
Hours before Araghchi’s remarks, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian also hinted that a deal can still be reached, but called on the United States to “abandon its totalitarianism” and to “respect” Iran’s rights.
“If the American government abandons its totalitarianism and respects the rights of the Iranian nation, ways to reach an agreement will certainly be found. I commend the members of the negotiating team, especially my dear brother Mr. Dr. Qalibaf, and say “God gives you strength.”” he wrote on X.
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Iranian leaders have maintained that entered the talks with “good faith” that an understanding can be found between the two sides which would lead to a sustainable end to hostilities in West Asia.
Iranian Parliament speaker MK Ghalibaf, who led the country’s delegation in Pakistan, also said than Iran started the talks with the will to strike a deal but lacked trust in the other side.
“My colleagues on the Iranian delegation Minaab168 raised forward-looking initiatives, but the opposing side ultimately failed to gain the trust of the Iranian delegation in this round of negotiations,” he said.
Also read: Iran releases dramatic Hormuz Strait footage, ‘warning US warship to stay away’
Trump says Iran disagreed on nuclear ambitions
United States President Donald Trump also said that both the side agreed to a number of things during negotiations, however, he claimed, that Iran refused to budge on the nuclear issue, which is said was the most important.
“So, there you have it, the meeting went well, most points were agreed to, but the only point that really mattered, NUCLEAR, was not,” Trump wrote on Truth Social as he announced that the US forces will implement a blockade on maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports.
“IRAN IS UNWILLING TO GIVE UP ITS NUCLEAR AMBITIONS!” Trump wrote in another post in his signature all-caps style as he warned Iran against charging a fee from vessels passing the Strait of Hormuz.
The US Centcom also announced that starting April13 10 a.m. ET, their forces will begin implementing a “blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports”.
“The blockade will be enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman. CENTCOM forces will not impede freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports,” it added.
