Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi early on Monday (April 13) said that U.S. "maximalism" and "shifting goalposts" caused the collapse of a near-complete agreement during high-level talks in Islamabad aimed at ending a six-week war.

The negotiations, held on Saturday (April 11) in Pakistan, marked the first direct U.S.-Iranian talks in over a decade and the highest-level discussions since Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution. The talks came as U.S. President Donald Trump announced his military had begun working to clear the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a critical channel for global oil shipments.

"In intensive talks at the highest level in 47 years, Iran engaged with the U.S. in good faith to end war," Araqchi stated in a post on X. "But when just inches away from 'Islamabad MoU,' we encountered maximalism, shifting goalposts, and blockade."

Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Iran's parliamentary speaker, said on Sunday (April 12) that Tehran's delegation had offered "forward-looking initiatives" during the talks in Islamabad but criticised the U.S. for failing to gain their trust during the discussions.