Iran still hopeful of talks? Top leaders say US needs to 'respect Iranian people's rights' as they were inches away from deal

After nearly 21 hours of continuous negotiations, delegations from the United States and Iran failed to break the deadlock, leaving the escalating conflict in West Asia unresolved and the region on edge.

In the aftermath, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said on Monday (April 12) that the two sides had come “inches away” from an agreement before talks collapsed amid what he described as "maximalist demands, shifting goalposts and a blockade."

Araghchi stressed that Tehran had entered the negotiations “in good faith to end war,” marking the highest-level engagement between the two countries in 47 years.

"In intensive talks at highest level in 47 years, Iran engaged with U.S in good faith to end war. But when just inches away from "Islamabad MoU", we encountered maximalism, shifting goalposts, and blockade. Zero lessons earned," he wrote on X, without elaborating on the specific factors that derailed the near-final agreement.

“Good will begets good will. Enmity begets enmity,” he added.

Meanwhile, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian indicated that a breakthrough remains possible, while urging Washington to change its approach.

“If the American government abandons its totalitarianism and respects the rights of the Iranian nation, ways to reach an agreement will certainly be found. I commend the members of the negotiating team, especially my dear brother Mr. Dr Qalibaf, and say “God gives you strength.”” he said in a post on X.

Echoing that stance, Iran Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who led the delegation in Pakistan, said Tehran was willing to strike a deal but remained wary due to past experiences.

“Before the negotiations, I emphasized that we have the necessary good faith and will, but due to the experiences of the two previous wars, we have no trust in the opposing side.”

He added that although Iranian negotiators proposed forward-looking ideas, they failed to inspire confidence during this round.

“My colleagues on the Iranian delegation Minaab168 raised forward-looking initiatives, but the opposing side ultimately failed to gain the trust of the Iranian delegation in this round of negotiations,” he said.

On the other side, US President Donald Trump said that while there was agreement on several issues, the most critical issue remained unresolved.

“So, there you have it, the meeting went well, most points were agreed to, but the only point that really mattered, NUCLEAR, was not,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, as he announced that US forces would enforce a maritime blockade on Iranian ports.

According to the United States Central Command, the blockade, set to begin at 10 am ET (7:30 pm IST), will be applied uniformly to vessels of all nations entering or leaving Iranian ports along the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.

However, the US military clarified that ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz en route to non-Iranian ports would not be obstructed.