Sources indicate that the negotiations between the United States and Iran have not completely collapsed, but with the April 21 deadline approaching, if Iran does not make concessions, Trump may resume airstrikes targeting infrastructure.
According to the U.S. media AXIOS, a regional source and a U.S. official revealed that mediators from Pakistan, Egypt, and Turkey will continue talks with the United States and Iran in the coming days in an effort to bridge remaining differences and reach an agreement to end the war.
All parties still believe that reaching an agreement is possible. The mediators hope that narrowing the gaps can lead to a new round of negotiations before the expiration of the ceasefire agreement on April 21.
Sources said that the overall situation is that if the U.S. Navy's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz fails to force Iran to change its position, Trump is considering resuming airstrikes, with potential targets including infrastructure he threatened to attack before announcing the ceasefire.
A U.S. official stated that implementing the blockade and the U.S. decision to walk away from the Pakistan negotiations are both parts of the current negotiation process.
The official said that Trump aims to prevent Iran from using the Strait of Hormuz as leverage in negotiations.
U.S. Central Command previously announced that the maritime blockade of Iran declared by Trump began at 10:00 AM Eastern Time on Monday and will be fairly enforced on all vessels traveling to and from Iranian ports and coastal areas.
U.S. Central Command added that the U.S. “will not obstruct freedom of navigation for vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports.”
Statements from all parties: Negotiations have not reached a complete deadlock; the door remains open.
“We are not in a complete deadlock. The door has not been closed. Both sides are bargaining, like trading in a bazaar,” the regional source said.
A U.S. official agreed with this assessment, adding that if Iran shows more flexibility and recognizes that the Islamabad proposal is the best deal it can get, an agreement between the two sides may be possible.
Reza Amiri Moghadam, Iran's ambassador to Pakistan who participated in the negotiations, posted on the X platform that the Islamabad talks did not fail but rather laid a foundation for the diplomatic process.
"If trust and willingness can be strengthened, we will be able to construct a sustainable framework for the benefit of all parties," he stated.
Behind-the-scenes differences: Nuclear issues and frozen fund release emerge as core sticking points
U.S. officials and regional sources revealed that the main divergence in the 21-hour talks held between the U.S. and Iran in Pakistan centered on nuclear issues.
First, the U.S. side demanded that Iran freeze its uranium enrichment activities and abandon its existing stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
Second, sources indicated that the two sides disagreed on the amount of frozen funds Iran hoped the U.S. would unfreeze in exchange for nuclear concessions.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi claimed that the two sides were "one step away from an agreement" before the U.S. side "changed conditions." Although U.S. officials and regional sources did not confirm this claim, they emphasized that progress had indeed been made in the negotiations.
Sources reported that on Sunday, the foreign ministers of Turkey and Egypt separately spoke with Pakistan's foreign minister, followed by separate calls with White House envoy Steve Witkoff and Araghchi.
JD Vance leads first U.S.-Iran talks, leaving room for further negotiation
JD Vance, leading the U.S. negotiating team as Vice President, met with Iranian representatives for the first time in Islamabad.
A U.S. official stated that the talks were 'extremely difficult,' but ultimately turned into 'a friendly and constructive exchange of proposals.'
Despite the low-spirited conclusion of the Islamabad talks, Vance left room for negotiation and expressed hope that Iran would return to the negotiating table.
In the coming days, the Vice President hopes that Iran will seriously consider the proposal received and recognize that reaching an agreement is in the interest of both parties, the U.S. official said.
On the latest developments, Netanyahu informed the cabinet on Monday that Vance called him from the plane after leaving Islamabad. 'He gave me a detailed update on the progress of the negotiations, as this administration does every day,' Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu stated that the U.S. side suspended the talks after determining that Iran had failed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and violated the ceasefire agreement.
Netanyahu noted that Vance told him the core issue was the removal of all nuclear materials within Iran and ensuring that it 'does not engage in uranium enrichment for several years, or even decades.'
Editor/Doris