Khaberni - 21 hours of negotiations were not enough to end 47 years of animosity between Iran and the United States.
This was confirmed by the high-level talks in Islamabad, which ended without achieving a real breakthrough despite being held during a temporary truce after a devastating war.
The failure of the marathon negotiation session was not surprising, but rather, according to observers, it hides the extent of the challenge represented in narrowing the wide gaps around complex issues, starting from old suspicions about the Iranian nuclear program to the new challenges imposed by this war, most notably Iran's control of the strategic Strait of Hormuz, which causes major disruptions in global energy markets when blocked.
What will happen?
The pressing question now is what will happen to the ceasefire set by the United States for two weeks ending on April 21? And will President Donald Trump be ready to send his negotiators back to the negotiation table?
The American newspaper "New York Times" states that this failure will impose several unsatisfactory options, represented in:
Firstly: Prolonged negotiations with Tehran regarding the future of its nuclear program.
Secondly: Resumption of a war that has already caused the largest disruption in the energy sector in modern times.
Thirdly: The possibility of a long-term conflict to control the Strait of Hormuz.
The decision is Trump's to make
In this regard, officials in the White House have stated that they will leave the decision to President Donald Trump, who traveled to Florida for the weekend to attend a match in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), to announce the next step for the administration.
Trump's response came quickly, in which he confirmed that he "does not care whether Iran resumes negotiations or not."
Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, upon his return from Florida, "I don’t care if they come back or not. If they don’t, I am fine."
The American president renewed his threat to destroy Iran's energy infrastructure unless an agreement is reached with the United States regarding a definitive end to the war in the Middle East.
He told Fox News "I can destroy Iran in one day... I can wipe out everything they have related to energy, all their stations, all their power plants."
In a later post, Trump indicated that Iran refused to make concessions regarding its nuclear program.
He added that in response, "the best navy in the world, the American Navy, will immediately begin to block all ships trying to enter or leave the Strait of Hormuz," warning that "any Iranian who fires at us or at peaceful ships will be sent to hell."
Indeed, the U.S. military soon announced that it would begin enforcing a ban on navigating to Iranian ports starting Monday.
The future of the Strait of Hormuz was one of the most contentious issues between the two sides, as Iran has practically closed it since the war began, while the United States demands its full reopening and securing of navigation.
Islamabad Round
Vance did not make many statements about what happened during more than 21 hours of negotiations, hinting that he had offered the Iranians a final offer to end their nuclear program forever, which they rejected.
Vance told reporters in Islamabad, "We have clearly outlined our red lines, and what we are willing to compromise on." He added, "They chose not to accept our terms."
Washington insists that its primary goal is to prevent Iran from possessing nuclear weapons or the capability to produce them quickly.
This was emphasized by Vance in his brief press conference, "We need a clear commitment from Iran that it will not seek to possess nuclear weapons, nor seek to obtain the tools that enable it to achieve this quickly."
In this context, it seems that these negotiations were not much different from those that ended in a stalemate in Geneva in late February last year, prompting Trump to issue orders for what became 38 days of missile attacks and bombings on Iran, targeting its missile stocks, military bases, and its industrial base that produces new weapons.
Upon announcing the suspension of attacks on Iran, the American president described the temporary ceasefire agreement as a complete victory for his country, confirming that the United States had achieved all military objectives.
As special envoy Steve Whitcov said, Iran simply needs to "surrender."
In history, a lesson
The British network "BBC", citing informed sources in Islamabad, reported that some conversations continued after the rise of U.S. Vice President JD Vance to his plane yesterday, indicating that his country's delegation had made "its final and best offer."
Meanwhile, Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar urged all parties to adhere to the fragile ceasefire and said they would continue their efforts to encourage dialogue, sentiments echoed in other concerned capitals.
If history teaches us a lesson, the last time Iran reached a nuclear deal with the United States and other global powers in 2015, it took 18 months of breakthroughs and breakdowns.
Trump had previously clarified that he was not interested in getting involved in prolonged negotiations
