Planeloads of negotiators and too little time: US and Iran’s 21 hours of talks

The Guardian - World News DiplomaticNews ReportEN 5 min read 100% complete by Patrick Wintour Diplomatic editorApril 12, 2026 at 03:47 PM

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Trump says US will blockade strait of Hormuz after Iran peace talks fail

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High-level US and Iranian delegations met in Islamabad for 21 hours of negotiations aimed at resolving a 20-year dispute over Iran's nuclear program, complicated by new issues like control of the Strait of Hormuz and US compensation for its attack on Iran. Iran sent a large negotiating team, including members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, while the US delegation was led by Vice President JD Vance, who consulted with Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu during the talks. Despite the extensive representation, the talks failed to achieve a breakthrough. Experts suggest that the limited time frame and potentially unrealistic US expectations hindered progress on complex issues that previously took years to negotiate. The US statement about Iran accepting "our terms" was criticized for revealing an uncompromising stance.

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Key Claims (5)

AI-Extracted

No negotiations at least with Iran will succeed based on our/your terms.

quote — Javad Zarif100% confidence

Twenty-one hours was 20 hours too many if the goal was to reiterate a demand Iran had already rejected.

quote — Robert Malley90% confidence

The US sent nearly 300 officials to the Iran-US peace talks in Islamabad.

factual90% confidence

Iran sent two planeloads of negotiators, including members of the IRGC.

factual90% confidence

Vance spoke to Donald Trump at least a dozen times during the talks.

factual80% confidence

Claims are automatically extracted and should be independently verified. Attribution indicates the stated source of the claim.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Vienna 40% Donald Trump 50% Benjamin Netanyahu 50% Pakistan 50% Abbas Araghchi ×260% Ali Bagheri Kani 60% Strait of Hormuz 60% Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) 70% JD Vance ×370% Islamabad ×270% United States ×790% Iran ×1090%

Keywords

iran-us talks 100% nuclear ambitions 80% negotiations 70% strait of hormuz 60% nuclear facility safety 50% islamic revolutionary guard corps 50% diplomacy 40% enrichment 40%