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Politics
Apr 12, 2026

US‑Iran Peace Talks Collapse on Day 44, Leaving Ceasefire Fragile as Casualties Climb and Oil Prices Surge

AI Summary
After 44 days of conflict, a 21‑hour negotiation in Islamabad failed to produce a cease‑fire agreement between the United States and Iran, heightening uncertainty over the war’s trajectory, pushing global oil and gas prices higher, and leaving thousands dead across the region.

Day 44 of the US‑Iran war ended without a peace deal as a marathon 21‑hour session in Islamabad collapsed, jeopardising the fragile cease‑fire that has held since the conflict began over six weeks ago.

Vice President JD Vance, leading the US delegation, told reporters that the lack of an agreement was "bad news for Iran much more than it’s bad news for the United States of America," before departing Pakistan.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar pledged that Islamabad would continue to facilitate dialogue between the two longtime adversaries.

In Iran, officials downplayed expectations, noting that no one anticipated a settlement in a single session. State‑run IRIB quoted ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei saying the talks were never expected to conclude quickly. Meanwhile, Tehran residents expressed a mix of scepticism and hope after weeks of air attacks that have left a nation of 93 million people reeling; more than 2,000 Iranians have been killed in the US‑Israel‑Iran conflict.

In the United States, Vance reiterated that the delegation left with a "final and best offer" for Iran, emphasizing that Washington had communicated its position repeatedly during the talks. He cited multiple conversations with President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and Central Command head Brad Cooper. Trump, however, maintained that the US had already "won" on the battlefield by eliminating Iranian leaders and key infrastructure, stating that a deal would not alter the outcome.

The US military reported that two destroyers transited the Strait of Hormuz ahead of planned mine‑clearing operations – a first since hostilities began – though Iran’s state media claimed the joint command denied the movement.

Academic David Des Roches of the Thayer Marshall Institute told Al Jazeera that while Washington clarified its stance, it did not shift its core demand: preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

In Lebanon, Israel continued strikes, claiming to have hit a "loaded and ready‑to‑launch rocket launcher" in Jouaiya, southern Lebanon. Protests have erupted in Beirut against any direct Israel‑Lebanon negotiations. The Lebanese Ministry of Public Health reported at least 2,020 deaths and 6,436 injuries from Israeli attacks since March 2.

In Israel, Channel 12 reported that a drone launched from Lebanon triggered sirens in the Upper Galilee before being intercepted.

The stalemate has kept global oil and gas prices soaring, underscoring the broader economic ripple effects of a war that shows no sign of abating.