The article \u2013 by John Solomon, a controversial veteran US journalist, and published on Solomon\u2019s conservative Just the News website \u2013 cites experts who suggest Trump \u201csimply could out-blockade Iran\u2019s hold over the Strait of Hormuz\u201d.<\/p>\n
Share<\/a> Australia\u2019s foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, says it\u2019s \u201cdisappointing\u201d that peace talks have failed between the US and Iran, but has urged parties to return to negotiations as a matter of priority.<\/p>\n double quotation markIt is disappointing that the Islamabad talks between the United States and Iran have ended without agreement.<\/p>\n The priority now must be to continue the ceasefire and return to negotiations. We continue to want to see a swift resolution to this conflict.<\/p>\n Any escalation in the conflict would impose an even greater human cost and further impact the global economy.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n A spokesperson for the Iranian foreign ministry has commented on the negotiations in Islamabad, saying the talks were conducted in an atmosphere of mistrust, and it was unrealistic to believe an agreement could be reached in one session, Reuters reports.<\/p>\n Contact and consultation between Iran, Pakistan<\/a> and other allies in the region would continue going forward, the spokesperson said.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Pakistan foreign minister says ‘imperative’ for ceasefire to be upheld<\/p>\n Pakistan\u2019s foreign minister Ishaq Dar insisted on Sunday that Washington and Tehran must uphold a ceasefire agreement, after marathon talks between the two sides to end the war in the Middle East ended without an agreement.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is imperative that the parties continue to uphold their commitment to ceasefire,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n double quotation markPakistan has been and will continue to play its role to facilitate engagement and dialogue between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America in the days to come.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Pope Leo XIV himself stepped into the international political arena yesterday, the Guardian\u2019s Edward Helmore reported<\/a>, saying \u201cenough of war\u201d and decrying the \u201cdelusion of omnipotence\u201d that drives leaders into global conflict, at evening prayers in St Peter\u2019s Basilica in Vatican City.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Cardinal Robert McElroy, the archbishop of Washington and a close ally of Pope Leo XIV, has called for Catholics to take civic action against the \u201cimmoral\u201d war on Iran.<\/p>\n Reporter Christopher Hale, whose Substack chronicles the Trump administration\u2019s interactions with the papacy, shared a video of the archbishops\u2019s address<\/a>, in which McElroy called for his congregation to \u201cmove beyond prayer\u201d.<\/p>\n double quotation markAs citizens and believers in this democracy that we cherish so deeply, we must advocate for peace with our representatives and leaders.<\/p>\n It is not enough to say we have prayed. We must also act. For it is very possible that the negotiations will fail because of recalcitrance on both sides, and the president will move to re-enter this immoral war.<\/p>\n At that critical juncture, as disciples of Jesus Christ called to be peacemakers in the world, we must answer vocally and in unison: \u2018No. Not in our name. Not at this moment. Not with our country.\u2019<\/p>\n What makes this especially interesting, a colleague of mine points out, is that JD Vance, who less than two hours ago led the US exit from peace talks with Iran, converted to Catholicism in 2019.<\/p>\n He recently announced a new memoir on the subject, which you can read more about here:<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Iran\u2019s semi-official Tasnim news agency is citing an \u201cinformed source\u201d saying Iran is in no hurry to negotiate, Reuters reports \u2013 and that as long as the US does not agree to a \u201creasonable deal\u201d, there will be no change in situation in the strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n As William Christou reported earlier<\/a>, the opening of the strait of Hormuz \u2013 a chokepoint for a fifth of the world\u2019s oil supply \u2013 is a primary demand of the US to end the war in Iran.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Opening summary<\/p>\n Hello, and welcome to our live coverage of events in the Middle East, as US-Iran peace talks in Islamabad seemingly broke down on Sunday.<\/p>\n After a marathon 21-hour first day of talks, US vice-president JD Vance announced on Sunday<\/a> that his negotiating team was leaving Pakistan without reaching a deal.<\/p>\n Vance said Iran had chosen not to accept American terms, including a commitment to not build nuclear weapons.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Iranian state media said the talks had failed due to the US\u2019s \u201cunreasonable demands\u201d.<\/p>\n If you are just joining us, here is a quick recap of the latest updates from the past few hours<\/a>:<\/p>\n High-stakes negotiations between the US and Iran appeared to break down on Sunday, despite the historic and face-to-face meetings marking the highest-level direct engagement between Washington and Tehran in decades. The talks in Pakistan were aimed at securing a peace agreement to end the weeks-long war. The core US delegation was led by Vance, who has now left Pakistan.<\/p>\n The Iranian foreign ministry had warned earlier that the success of this weekend\u2019s talks depended on Washington avoiding \u201cexcessive demands\u201d and \u201cunlawful requests\u201d. Among issues discussed were the strategic strait of Hormuz, nuclear development, war reparations, and sanctions.<\/p>\n The strait of Hormuz remains among the main points of \u201cserious disagreement\u201d, Iran\u2019s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Saturday.<\/p>\n Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday that Israel remains committed to keep fighting Iran. \u201cIsrael under my leadership will continue to fight Iran\u2019s terror regime and its proxies,\u201d Netanyahu wrote on social media. Israel was not present at the US-Iran talks.<\/p>\n Donald Trump told reporters outside the White House that it made \u201cno difference\u201d to him if a deal was reached with Iran. \u201cRegardless of what happens, we win,\u201d Trump said. \u201cWhether we make a deal or not, makes no difference to me.\u201d<\/p>\n The latest Israeli attacks on Lebanon have pushed the death toll to more than 2,000 with more than 6,300 wounded, according to the health ministry. Earlier, the Iranian negotiators demanded a ceasefire in Lebanon, reparations and commitment to unblock frozen assets as part of a peace deal in a preliminary meeting with Pakistani mediators.<\/p>\n The US military says it \u201cbegan setting conditions for clearing mines in the strait of Hormuz\u201d in an update released on Saturday afternoon<\/a>, saying two navy destroyers had transited the strait. A spokesperson for Iran\u2019s joint military command later denied the claim by the US military that the navy destroyers transited the waterway.<\/p>\n![\"Stephanie](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Steph_Convery.png\")
Stephanie Convery<\/p>\n