Iran Accuses US of Sabotaging 'Inches Away' Nuclear Deal
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- Abbas Araghchi accused Trump's team of derailing Islamabad talks with "maximalism, shifting goalposts, and blockade" when the two sides were "inches away" from a preliminary deal to end the six-week conflict
- The US delegation of JD Vance, Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner demanded Iran end all uranium enrichment — a right under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty — and dismantle its major nuclear energy facilities as red lines
- It was the second time since February that US negotiators were accused of walking away from a near-deal; Oman's foreign minister said "substantial progress" was achieved just before the US and Israel began bombing Iran on February 28
- Trump announced a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz set to begin 10 am ET after the single day of talks collapsed, described by critics as an "illegal act of war"
- The Wall Street Journal reported Trump and advisers are weighing limited military strikes on Iran on top of the blockade, with a full bombing campaign described as "less likely"
- Vance defended the talks, telling reporters "we just could not get to a situation where the Iranians were willing to accept our terms" while claiming the US "was quite flexible"
- Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) called Trump's war on Iran "illegal," "a war crime," and "immoral," telling MS NOW lawmakers should pursue impeachment, the 25th Amendment, or resignation
Why it matters: The failure to close a near-deal has already escalated into active coercion: Trump's Strait of Hormuz blockade took effect and the WSJ reports he's weighing limited military strikes on top of it, raising the stakes beyond the negotiating table. Iran's lead negotiator now publicly declares his country has "no trust" in Washington after a second sabotaged round, and Trump's red line on enrichment — which Iran has a legal right to under the NPT — suggests the gap may be unbridgeable through talks alone.
