Talks failed: Trump blocks Strait of Hormuz

The armed forces have also been instructed to intercept all ships that have paid fees to Iran. No one who pays an "illegal toll" will have safe passage on the high seas, Trump wrote. He also announced that he would have sea mines laid by Iran in the strait, which is important for the global economy, destroyed.

Trump accuses Tehran of "world blackmail"

Trump justified the move with threats from Tehran and spoke of "world blackmail". Iran had stated that there could be mines in the strait. At the same time, Trump held out the prospect that the US blockade could be eased again if all ships were able to pass through without restriction. In the event of attacks on US forces or civilian ships, Trump threatened massive military force.

The Strait of Hormuz between Iran and Oman is one of the most important shipping routes for the global oil trade. After the start of the Iran war, Tehran effectively blocked the strait by threatening and firing on tankers and cargo ships, which drove up the price of energy. Shipping traffic largely came to a standstill, with only a few ships passing through the strait - even after the ceasefire began. According to consistent reports, including those from the trade publication "Lloyd's List", Iran has introduced a kind of toll booth system there.

US President Trump had given Iran an ultimatum to allow free shipping traffic again and threatened to attack power plants and other infrastructure if it failed to do so. Shortly before his deadline expired, Washington and Tehran agreed on a two-week ceasefire last Wednesday night. This was followed on Saturday by direct negotiations between the two sides in the Pakistani capital Islamabad to seek a lasting peace solution.

Historic talks without tangible results

However, these ended early on Sunday morning without any tangible result. It was initially unclear whether and when further negotiations would take place. Iran blamed the USA for the failure of the talks, but did not rule out further negotiations with Washington. US Vice President JD Vance, on the other hand, said that Iran had not accepted the US conditions - they were leaving behind a proposal that represented a final offer.

Despite the failure to reach an agreement, the talks in Pakistan's capital were considered historic. According to the New York Times, they were the highest-ranking direct meeting between representatives of the USA and Iran since the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979. Vice President JD Vance led the negotiations on behalf of the USA, while Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf was the speaker of parliament for the Islamic Republic.

Pakistan calls for adherence to ceasefire

After the end of the talks, Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar called on the two parties to stick to their commitment to a ceasefire. Pakistan would continue to play its role as mediator.

"My colleagues in the Iranian delegation put forward forward forward-looking initiatives, but ultimately the other side failed to win the trust of the Iranian delegation in this round of negotiations," wrote Iranian negotiator Ghalibaf on Platform X.

According to Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghaim, the US and Iran disagreed on two key issues despite reaching an agreement on a number of issues. He did not tell state broadcaster Irib which issues were involved.

Strait of Hormuz a sticking point

Baghai had previously written on Platform X that the talks were about the Strait of Hormuz, the nuclear issue, war reparations, the lifting of sanctions and an end to the war. Preventing Iran from ever developing a nuclear bomb and opening the Strait of Hormuz, which is important for the oil trade, are key concerns of the USA.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman did not rule out further negotiations with the USA. When asked by a reporter whether diplomacy had ended or was still ongoing, he said: "It never ends. Diplomacy is always an instrument for securing and safeguarding national interests, and diplomats must fulfill their duties under all circumstances, whether in wartime or peacetime."

Vance: Iran does not accept US conditions

US Vice President JD Vance said that after 21 hours, the Iranian side had decided not to accept the US conditions. The USA had made it clear where the red lines lay and on which points it was prepared to make concessions to Iran. Vance did not say in detail what exactly the sticking points were.

On February 28, the USA and Israel launched a war against Iran. The Iranian armed forces responded with rocket fire and attacked targets not only in Israel, but in the entire Gulf region. The conflict thus escalated into a regional war.