MOSCOW, April 13. /TASS/. US-Iran talks in Islamabad fell apart after nearly 21 hours of negotiations ending without an agreement; Ukrainian forces violated the Easter ceasefire thousands of times despite formally agreeing to it; and Hungary’s parliamentary vote points to a shift in power, with Peter Magyar’s Tisza party poised to replace Viktor Orban. These stories topped Monday’s newspaper headlines across Russia.
US-Iran talks mediated by Pakistan concluded in Islamabad on the night of April 12 after nearly 21 hours of discussions, ultimately yielding no results. The US delegation included Vice President J. D. Vance, presidential envoy Steve Witkoff, and the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, while the Iranian side was represented by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Each side ultimately blamed the other for the failure of the negotiations. Experts interviewed by Vedomosti believe the talks were destined to fail due to irreconcilable positions on Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear program.
The principal stumbling blocks remain control over the Strait of Hormuz, with Tehran insisting on a new regime governing the passage of vessels, as well as nuclear energy issues, according to Axios and the Fars News Agency, citing sources. In addition, the Iranian delegation stated during the talks that it is unwilling to relinquish its stockpiles of enriched uranium.
