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Iran-US talks in Islamabad: Strait of Hormuz ‘serious disagreement’ amid uneasy ceasefire
US Vice President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi for about two hours.
(Left) Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif meets with Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf in Islamabad; Sharif shakes hands with US Vice-President JD Vance. (Reuters photo)
The Strait of Hormuz has emerged as a major sticking point in the ongoing Iran-US ceasefire talks in Islamabad, with negotiations continuing despite “serious disagreements”, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Saturday.
A third round of talks is expected later tonight, according to Iranian state television, as both sides attempt to bridge gaps after the first round ended without a breakthrough.
Strait of Hormuz at centre of dispute
US and Iranian negotiators held their highest-level talks in decades in Pakistan on Saturday, seeking to stabilise a fragile two-week ceasefire after six weeks of conflict.
The Strait of Hormuz — a key route for about 20% of global oil and LNG shipments — remains central to negotiations. While US President Donald Trump said American forces had begun clearing mines and reopening the waterway, Iran disputed the claim and denied any US naval transit through the strait.
The US military said two warships passed through the strait and preparations for mine-clearing operations were underway. Iranian state media, however, said Tehran had forced a US vessel attempting to cross to turn back.
✦ IRAN WAR — TIMELINE
44 Days of War: Operation Epic Fury and the Road to Ceasefire
From the assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader on February 28 to the fragile Pakistan-brokered truce and high-stakes Islamabad talks — a complete chronology of the 2026 Iran war.
✦ FEBRUARY 28, 2026
Operation Epic Fury — The Opening Salvo
At 06:35 UTC, CENTCOM announced joint US-Israeli airstrikes against Iran — launched while nuclear negotiations were still underway. B-2 stealth bombers, B-1 Lancers and B-52 Stratofortresses struck missile sites, command-and-control infrastructure and radar installations. Israeli fighter jets carried out decapitation strikes, killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei at his residential compound. Iran retaliated within hours, launching hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones at Israel and US bases across six Gulf states. Tehran closed the Strait of Hormuz, shutting off 20% of global oil supply.
6
Gulf states hit by Iranian retaliation
200+
Israeli jets in largest-ever combat sortie
20%
Global oil supply through Hormuz — now shut
★
Decapitation strikes
Khamenei and several top officials killed at his residential compound. Defence Minister Nasirzadeh and IRGC commander Pakpour also confirmed dead.
→
Iran's retaliation
Hundreds of missiles and drones targeted Israel, US bases in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. A drone struck Britain's Akrotiri base on Cyprus.
⚓
Hormuz blockade
Iran's IRGC Navy blew up 10 commercial vessels attempting to transit the strait. A critical chokepoint for ~20% of global oil was sealed shut.
→ Key Milestones — March 1 to April 7
✈ MAR 1 — DAY 2
Dubai airport damaged by Iranian drone strikes. Flights across the Middle East came to a near-complete halt. Iranian missiles hit Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and UAE.
◆ MAR 6 — DAY 7
Trump posts on Truth Social demanding Iran's "unconditional surrender." Iran dismisses the statement.
★ MAR 7 — DAY 8
Assembly of Experts appoints Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the slain leader, as Iran's new Supreme Leader — considered more hawkish than his father.
⛽ MID-MARCH — DAYS 15–20
Kharg Island — Iran's oil export hub — bombed. UNHCR reports 3 million internally displaced. More than 30 universities struck. IRIS Dena frigate sunk by USS Charlotte near Sri Lanka.
● MAR 28 — DAY 29
CENTCOM confirms 11,000+ targets struck across Iran. Joint strikes hit Iran University of Science and Technology among civilian sites.
✶ APR 3 — DAY 35
US F-15E Strike Eagle shot down over Iran — first US fighter jet loss. Crew ejected; pilot rescued same day, weapons systems officer found alive 48 hours later. A-10 Warthog also downed near Strait of Hormuz.
⚖ APR 5 — DAY 37
Pakistan proposes 45-day ceasefire. Iran rejects it, submits its own 10-point peace plan instead. Trump threatens to destroy Iran's power plants and bridges.
⏱ APR 7 — DAY 39
Trump issues deadline: total destruction of Iranian infrastructure if Hormuz not reopened by 8pm Washington time. Iran's military calls threats "delusional."
● Human Cost — As of April 8
3,636
Killed in Iran (HRANA, Apr 7)
1,784
Killed in Lebanon (Health Ministry)
3M
Internally displaced in Iran
13
US service members killed
26
Killed in Israel
28
Killed in Gulf states
● Global Fallout
⚓
Strait of Hormuz blockade
Closed since Feb 28. Post-ceasefire traffic at roughly 10% of normal. Over 600 vessels stranded in the Gulf region, per Lloyd's List.
✈
Aviation disruption
Dubai International Airport damaged on Day 2, briefly halting all flights. Middle East air travel came to a near-complete stop.
⛽
Energy shock
Brent crude hit $119.50/barrel. Saudi SATORP refinery shut after attack. IEA released 400 million barrels from global reserves. US gas prices up 55 cents year-on-year.
✶
Hardware losses
US: F-15E and A-10 shot down; 5 refuelling tankers damaged at Prince Sultan Air Base. Iran: 19 warships sunk, 1 submarine destroyed, 30+ minelayers hit.
⚖ APRIL 7–8, 2026
Pakistan Brokers a Two-Week Truce
After 40 days of war, Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif mediated a ceasefire between the US and Iran. Trump announced the suspension of attacks on condition Iran reopens the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's Supreme National Security Council claimed "nearly all war objectives have been achieved." Israel endorsed the truce with Iran but said it does not extend to Lebanon — a position Iran and Pakistan both dispute.
⚖ US Terms vs Iran's 10-Point Plan
★ US DEMANDS
End nuclear program
Dismantle enrichment capability in exchange for civilian nuclear investment
✦ IRAN'S PLAN
Right to enrich uranium
Pledge not to build nuclear weapons, but retain enrichment capability
★ US DEMANDS
Reopen Hormuz freely
Full restoration of free international passage
✦ IRAN'S PLAN
Controlled passage
Transit coordinated with Iran's armed forces; Iran and Oman charge fees for reconstruction
★ US DEMANDS
Cut proxy support
Restrict Iran's backing of armed groups including Hezbollah
✦ IRAN'S PLAN
US troops out of Gulf
Full withdrawal of US combat forces from all regional bases
✦ ISLAMABAD TALKS — APR 10–11
High-Stakes Negotiations Begin
VP JD Vance, envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Islamabad on April 10. Iran's delegation — led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and FM Abbas Araghchi — is using Tehran's 10-point plan as the basis for talks. PM Sharif invited both sides to negotiate "a conclusive agreement to settle all disputes."
✶ FLASHPOINT — LEBANON
Israel's Offensive Threatens to Unravel the Truce
Israel launched massive airstrikes on Lebanon on the day the ceasefire was announced — killing 303 people on April 8 alone. Netanyahu insists the truce does not cover Lebanon. Iran has warned it may exit the ceasefire if attacks on Hezbollah continue. US-brokered Israel-Lebanon talks are expected in Washington next week.
⚓ HORMUZ STATUS
Strait Still Operating at a Trickle
Despite ceasefire terms requiring Iran to reopen the waterway, only about a dozen ships transited in the first two days. Shipping analysts say 600+ vessels remain stranded, and even at normal pace, clearing the backlog would take over 10 days. Iran says passage requires coordination with its armed forces.
Sources: Al Jazeera · CENTCOM · HRANA · TIME · CBS News · NBC News · NPR · CNN · Britannica · Lloyd's List
Talks begin amid deep distrust
US Vice President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi for about two hours, reports claimed. The meeting came amid rising tensions over competing demands. Iran is seeking:
- Release of frozen assets
- War reparations
- Iranian control or influence over the Strait of Hormuz
- A broader ceasefire, including Lebanon
Washington, meanwhile, is pushing for reopening the strait and restrictions on Iran’s nuclear programme.
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Iran has entered negotiations with “deep distrust”, warning it would negotiate “with our finger on the trigger”, government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said.
Earlier, both delegations also held separate meetings with Pakistani leadership, where Tehran presented its red lines, including reopening the Strait of Hormuz on its terms and compensation for war damage.
Frozen assets dispute adds friction
The talks got off to a tense start following a dispute over frozen Iranian funds. Iranian sources told Reuters that the US agreed to release billions in assets held abroad, but US officials denied the claim.
The competing proposals — Iran’s 10-point plan and Washington’s 15-point framework — underscore the distance between both sides.
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Lebanon strikes threaten talks
The negotiations were further complicated by continued Israeli strikes in Lebanon. More than 90 people were reported killed in Israeli airstrikes on Saturday, pushing the death toll in Lebanon to over 2,000.
Iran has insisted that any ceasefire must extend to Lebanon, while the US and Israel maintain that the Hezbollah conflict is separate.
Global markets on edge
The conflict has disrupted global energy supplies, with oil prices surging and shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz sharply reduced. Only a handful of vessels have passed through since the ceasefire began.
Despite tensions, three supertankers reportedly transited the strait on Saturday, raising cautious hopes of a gradual reopening.
(With inputs from AP, Reuters)
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