Live updates: Trump says U.S. will blockade Strait of Hormuz after peace talks fail
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Iranian state media said "excessive demands" sank the possibility of an agreement, while Vice President JD Vance said he made a "final and best offer."
What to know
- TRUMP THREATENS BLOCKADE: President Donald Trump said that "effective immediately" the U.S. Navy will prevent ships from passing through the Strait of Hormuz, accusing Iran of extorting them. He had previously criticized Iran for blocking the critical oil shipping chokepoint.
- NO AGREEMENT IN PAKISTAN: Talks in Islamabad, where a U.S. delegation was meeting for face-to-face negotiations with Iran, has ended without agreement. Vice President JD Vance and Iranian officials both said that significant differences remain.
- IRANIAN NUCLEAR PROGRAM: Vance said after the talks that the U.S. needs a commitment that Iran would not seek to develop a nuclear weapon. “We haven’t seen that yet. We hope that we will,” he said.
- STRIKES CONTINUE IN LEBANON: Continued Israeli strikes in the southern Lebanese town of Nabatieh yesterday killed several people, as Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu has said he wants "a real peace agreement that will last for generations" with Lebanon.
- DEATH TOLL: Iranian officials have not released a recent death toll. The U.S.-based rights group HRANA put the total number of people killed at almost 3,400, including more than 1,600 civilians. More than 2,000 people have been killed in Lebanon, and 23 people have died in Israel. Thirteen U.S. service members have been killed, and two more died of noncombat causes.
- INSIGHTS AND ANALYSIS: Get exclusive analysis and insight into the Middle East conflict by becoming an NBC News subscriber.
Israel rammed UNIFIL vehicles and restricted peacekeepers' movement, organization says
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon is accusing the Israel Defense Forces of ramming vehicles belonging to peacekeepers in southern Lebanon twice today with a Merkava tank, causing significant damage to one of the vehicles.
UNIFIL also said the IDF has fired “warning shots” in Bayada, Lebanon over the past week "striking and damaging clearly identifiable UNIFIL vehicles."
The IDF also allegedly "continually" blocked UNIFIL peacekeepers' movement in the area and vandalized organization headquarters recently, the organization said. This includes damaging cameras the UNIFIL's headquarters in Naqoura and spray painting its windows.
"Peacekeepers will remain in position and will continue to impartially report violations we observe to the Security Council," UNIFIL said in a statement.
Saudi Arabia summons Ambassador of Iraq over drone threats
Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Ambassador of Iraq, Safia Taleb Al-Suhail, to Saudi Arabia due to drone attacks and threats launched at the kingdom from Iraqi territory.
Saudi's Undersecretary of the Ministry for Political Affairs Saud Al-Sati denounced the attacks and "emphasized the importance of Iraq dealing responsibly with these threats," according to a statement from the ministry.
Al-Sati also said that the kingdom "will take all necessary measures to defend its security and protect its territory," the ministry said.
Iraq to provide aid to Lebanon
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al-Sudani spoke to Lebanese President Joseph Aoun today to reinforce his country's support for Lebanon amid attacks from Israel, according to a readout from Aoun's office.
Al-Sudani also told Aoun that Iraq will provide urgent aid to Lebanon, including fuel and food.
Details and takeaways on Vance-led negotiations in Islamabad
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, right, with U.S. Vice President JD Vance during their meeting amid the U.S.-Iran peace talks in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Saturday. Jacquelyn Martin / Pool / AFP via Getty Images
U.S. negotiators expected the talks with Iran yesterday to be a brief table-setting meeting to tee up future talks. Instead, it turned into continuous negotiations over 21 hours, according to a source familiar with the talks.
Vance went into these negotiations recognizing that the U.S. and Iran have interacted little over the last 50 years — a dynamic that could foster mistrust and misperceptions, a U.S. official familiar with the talks told NBC News. One of his primary goals was to reach mutual understanding of respective objectives and negotiating space.
This official characterized the talks as tough but said that by the end there was a friendly and productive exchange of proposals.
It was clear to Vance and the U.S. delegation, the official added, that Iranians did not understand the core U.S. objective: that any deal be anchored by an agreement that Iran never obtain a nuclear weapon.
Throughout the talks, Vance attempted to correct this misunderstanding and left Islamabad after delivering a best and final offer to Iran that he believed should be fair and acceptable to all parties.
Vance, the official added, also used the talks to probe the counterparties’ own assessment of their position and came away with the conclusion that they had misperceived their negotiating strength — that the Iranians believe they have leverage that the U.S. believes they lack.
This is why, the official said, Vance left Islamabad after delivering the final offer. The Iranians need to recognize that the realities on the ground do not reflect the assumptions they held when they arrived at the negotiations before they will be ready to entertain a serious offer, this person added.
Vance has said that a deal remains on the table and that it’s up to Iran to accept.
Meanwhile, the official said the national security team in consultation with Trump has devised a plan to break the Iranians’ closure on the Straits of Hormuz. They also aim to counter the notion that the straits can deflect from the core U.S. issue, which is the Iranian nuclear program.
According to the official, Vance is pragmatic, but not naive. He was hopeful of making a deal, but over the 21 hours of negotiation, Vance also probed Iran’s vulnerabilities, and now Trump will test them. It’s on Iran, the official said, to recognize the reality of the U.S. position.
The U.S. and Iran did not reach agreement on the following points:
- For Iran to end all uranium enrichment
- To dismantle all major nuclear enrichment facilities in Iran
- To retrieve highly enriched uranium from Iran
- To accept a broader peace, security and de-escalation framework that includes regional allies
- For Iran to end funding for its proxies Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis
- For Iran to fully open the Strait of Hormuz, charging no tolls for passage
The President very much wants this conflict to be over and behind him, but he’s demonstrated a willingness to restart it if necessary, according to a source close to the White House.
The source said their expectations on tomorrow’s negotiations leading to a permanent deal are low.
“I think it’s obvious that the President wants peace and wants out of this conflict, and so maybe he’s given JD some latitude here," the source said.
Vance understands he is there as the President’s deputy, and the idea that he will bring his own agenda is over-spun, according to the source, who added that Vance is a utility player.
“His inclusion shows our seriousness," the source said. "Its elevated, if our second most powerful official is there. Jared and Witkoff are powerful people, but they’re not constitutional officers elected by the nation. I think it shows how importantly we’re taking these talks.”
When asked if there are any concerns about Vance’s lack of experience in this kind of arena, the source said: "experience in foreign policy is certainly not indicative of either success or smart ideas.”
“I don’t know if a lifetime of attending Council on Foreign Relations luncheons suggests someone’s ability to do a good job," the source said.
Flotilla to sail from Barcelona to Gaza
The International Committee to Break the Siege on Gaza announced today that a fleet of 70 ships with 1,000 people on board is setting sail to Gaza from Barcelona.
The Global Sumud Flotilla also set sail today from Barcelona with the goal of getting to Gaza and breaking Israel's blockade on the enclave.
Humanitarian organizations have criticized Israel for withholding humanitarian aid from Gaza's over 2 million residents. Israel, which controls access to the enclave, denies doing so.
Iranian delegation leaves Pakistan after failed talks
The Iranian delegation has departed Pakistan after failed peace talks with the U.S., according to Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Pakistan's deputy prime minister and foreign minister.
Dar bade farewell to the delegation, which included Iran's parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
Trump says oil and gas prices could be 'a little bit higher' or 'around the same' ahead of midterms
Trump said in an interview on Fox's "Sunday Morning Futures" that oil and gas prices could be "a little bit higher" or "around the same" ahead of the midterm elections.
Asked by anchor Maria Bartiromo whether he believed that the price of oil and gas would be lower before the midterm elections, Trump said, "I hope so."
"I mean, I think so," he said. "It could be, it could be or the same, or maybe a little bit higher, but it should be around the same. I think this won't be that much longer."
Oil and gas prices have swelled since the start of the war.
The Trump administration had previously projected confidence that the rising oil and gas prices would be short term. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said in March that there was "a very good chance" that gas prices could fall to below $3 a gallon by the summer.
The average gas price is about $4.13 a gallon, according to AAA. The price has increased $1.14 per gallon since the start of the war.
Trump details his decision to blockade the strait: 'It's all or nothing'
Trump said in an interview on Fox's "Sunday Morning Futures" that his decision to blockade the Strait of Hormuz was "called all in and all out."
"There'll be a time when we'll have them all come in and all come out," Trump said of the ships in the strait.
A view of the vessels passing through Strait of Hormuz, seen in Oman, on Wednesday. Shadi J. H. Alassar / Anadolu via Getty Images
"But it won't be a percentage. It won't be a friend of yours, like a country that's your ally or a country that's your friend," he continued. "It's all or nothing, and that'll be — that won't be in too long a distance."
He criticized Iran charging ships to pass through the strait, saying that "we're not going to let Iran make money on selling oil to people that they like and not people that they don't like, or whatever it is."
NBC News has previously reported that Iran has been forcing oil tankers to transit through a passage controlled by its military, and some ships are being charged millions of dollars.
Five killed in Israeli attack on southern Lebanon
Five people, including three women, were killed in an Israeli attack on Qana in southern Lebanon, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.
Twenty-five additional people were wounded, the ministry said.
GOP congressman says Trump 'is doing the right thing' in blockading the Strait of Hormuz
Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., responded to Trump's post about the U.S. blockading the Strait of Hormuz, saying in an interview on NBC News' "Meet the Press" that Trump is "doing the right thing."
He said he believed Trump was trying to make a "strategic decision" to allow the U.S. to "establish that control" over the waterway. He pointed to Trump saying that the Navy would work to decommission any mines in the Strait "so that you could have an orderly return to the Strait of Hormuz being open."
"The president, I believe, is doing the right thing, trying to control the straits, possibly in order to open that up for international water, so you can have trade move freely, not just in that region, but for the rest of the world," he said later.
Trump says U.S. will blockade Strait of Hormuz after talks fail
Trump has threatened a U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, accusing Iran of trying to extort vessels for passage, after the failure of peace talks yesterday.
The leader, who previously attacked Iran for blocking the critical oil and shipping chokepoint, said in a Truth Social post: “Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz.”
He said that he had “instructed our Navy to seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran,” adding: “No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas.”
Trump also threatened to resume the conflict after peace talks failed yesterday, adding: “At an appropriate moment, we are fully ‘LOCKED AND LOADED,’ and our Military will finish up the little that is left of Iran.”
Iran’s refusal to give up its nuclear ambitions resulted in a failure of negotiations, Trump said in a second post.
He said that talks between Iran and the U.S. in Pakistan lasted throughout the night and that points had been agreed to, but he said “there is only one thing matters — IRAN IS UNWILLING TO GIVE UP ITS NUCLEAR AMBITIONS!”
In the second post, he accused Iran of seeking to block the Strait of Hormuz, despite threatening to blockade it himself.
“As they promised, they better begin the process of getting this INTERNATIONAL WATERWAY OPEN AND FAST!” he wrote on Truth Social. “Every Law in the book is being violated by them.”
The Strait of Hormuz 'will not be opened,' says Iranian lawmaker
Iranian officials have reacted to the failed U.S.-Iran talks in Pakistan with confidence that Iran has the upper hand in the conflict and will continue to restrict passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
In the 40 days of war, the U.S. has "learned that the victorious side is determined by the will of nations and superiority on the battlefield, not by rhetoric on social media," said Ali Nikzad, deputy speaker of Iran's parliament, according to the semiofficial ISNA news agency.
"In the coming days, they will also learn that diplomacy is an arena of respect, interaction and acceptance of realities, not dictating wishes,” he said.
An Iranian lawmaker who was part of the negotiating team in Pakistan, Mahmoud Nabavian, said leaders around the world should know that "the Strait of Hormuz will not be opened."
"The world will experience a new form of management in the Strait of Hormuz," he said.
Gaza aid flotilla aims to break Israeli blockade
A second flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza was due to set sail on Sunday from the Spanish port of Barcelona to try to break the Israeli blockade.
About 30 boats planned to leave the Mediterranean port city laden with medical aid and other supplies on the Global Sumud Flotilla, and more vessels are expected to join along the route towards Palestine.
The Israeli military halted the roughly 40 boats assembled by the same organisation last October as they attempted to reach blockaded Gaza, arresting Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and more than 450 other participants.
Israel, which controls all access to the Gaza Strip, denies withholding supplies for its more than 2 million residents. Yet Palestinians and international aid bodies say supplies reaching the territory are still insufficient, despite a ceasefire reached in October which included guarantees of increased aid.
Liam Cunningham, an actor who starred in the Game of Thrones television series who is supporting the flotilla but not taking part, told Reuters: “Every kilogram of aid that is on these ships is a failure because all these people on these ships giving up their time to help their fellow human beings are doing what their governments are legally obliged to do.”
The World Health Organization has said that even during armed conflicts, states are obligated under international humanitarian law to ensure that people are able to reach medical care in safety.
“This is a mission that aims to open a humanitarian corridor so the aid delivery organisations can arrive,” Saif Abukeshak, a Palestinian activist and member of the flotilla’s organising committee, told Reuters.
Swiss and Spanish activists on last year’s flotilla said they were subjected to inhumane conditions during their detention by Israeli forces — an allegation that was rejected by an Israeli foreign ministry spokesperson.
U.S. failed to gain Iran's trust, says head of negotiating team
The U.S. failed to gain Iran's trust during negotiations in Islamabad, Iran's parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who led the delegation in Pakistan, said today.
"Before the negotiations, I emphasized that we have goodwill and the necessary will, but due to the experiences of the previous two wars, we have no trust in the other side," he said in a post on X.
He said his colleagues presented "forward-moving initiatives," but the U.S. "was not able, in this round of negotiations to gain the trust of the Iranian delegation."
Referring to the war, he added that Iran will not cease for a moment our efforts to consolidate the achievements of forty days of the Iranian nation’s national defense."
Iran war has 'undoubtedly strained' relationships with Trump administration, U.K. minister says
Differences over the Iran war have "undoubtedly strained things with the Trump administration," and Britain made the "right decision" in not joining the conflict, one of Keir Starmer's top officials has said.
In an interview this morning with Sky News, NBC News' international broadcasting partner, U.K. Health Secretary Wes Streeting said he was disappointed by the failure of peace talks and criticized Trump personally.
He said the U.S. president has said "incendiary, provocative, outrageous things" on social media and he is "not sure it's ever clear" what the president means in some of his posts. Trump has repeatedly criticized Britain and other European countries for staying out of the war.
“I think we’ve all come to learn that you judge President Trump through what he does, not just what he says," Streeting said. “And ultimately, the only way in which we’re going to clear this situation up is to reach agreement with Iran, one that puts nuclear weapons beyond its ambitions and reach.”
Netanyahu says he wants ‘real peace agreement’ with Lebanon
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he wants “a real peace agreement that will last for generations” with Lebanon.
The prime minister said his country is continuing to fight Hezbollah, and peace talks with Lebanon are dependent on the disarmament of the group.
Talks between the two nations are due to begin Tuesday. The U.S. will mediate.
Iran foreign ministry spokesperson says there was no expectation of a deal
A spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry said there was no expectation in Tehran of a deal, particularly amid the war.
“These talks were held after 40 days of imposed war, in an atmosphere of mistrust and suspicion,” Esmaeil Baghaei said in remarks to Iranian news outlet SNN. “Naturally, we should not have expected an agreement in just one meeting and no one had such expectations.”
Baghaei said common ground was found on a number of issues but that “on two, three key topics there were significant differences and, ultimately, the talks did not lead to an agreement.”
Talks with the United States, which Baghaei described as the longest single negotiating session with the U.S. in the past year, included new topics like the Strait of Hormuz and regional issues.
“Under all circumstances, the diplomatic apparatus must pursue the rights and interests of the Iranian people,” he said.
Pakistan’s foreign minister urges sides to continue ceasefire
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar urged the U.S. and Iran to continue their ceasefire despite peace talks in Islamabad concluding with no agreement to end the war.
In a post on X, Dar characterized the lengthy negotiation session as both intense and constructive, saying the nations should maintain the talks’ “positive spirit,” move forward with the goal of regionwide “peace and prosperity” and vow to continue to withhold attacks against each other.
“It is imperative that the parties continue to uphold their commitment to ceasefire,” he said.
As that takes place, he said, Pakistan will stand by.
“Pakistan 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,” Dar said.
Iran state media blames ‘excessive demands’ for lack of deal
Iranian state media said “excessive demands” sank the possibility of a U.S.-Iran agreement to end the war at this weekend’s peace talks.
Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting said on Telegram that the sides could not find common ground on a number of key matters, including the Strait of Hormuz and the country’s development of nuclear technology, it said.
“After 21 hours of talks and diplomatic efforts, the excessive demands by America prevented any agreement,” it said.
After announcing that no agreement had been made, Vice President JD Vance boarded Air Force Two in Islamabad ahead of his departure from host country Pakistan.
Vance said the U.S. left negotiations with ‘final and best offer’
Vice President JD Vance said the U.S. delegation left negotiations with the Iranian delegation with an “understanding that is our final and best offer.”
“We were negotiating in good faith,” Vance said. “And we leave here with a very simple proposal, a method of understanding that is our final and best offer. We’ll see if the Iranians accept it.”
The vice president said that he and the U.S. delegation were in “constant communication” with Trump throughout the 21 hours of peace talks. Vance told reporters that the president urged him to have “good faith” and “make your best effort to get a deal.”
“We did that, and unfortunately, we weren’t able to make any headway,” Vance said.
