Iran deputy speaker calls US demands ‘wishes’ in talks

Senior Iranian officials pointed to control over the Strait of Hormuz after talks in Islamabad ended without agreement, framing it as a central outcome of the conflict.

“Today the key to the Strait of Hormuz is in our powerful hands,” Ali Akbar Velayati, an adviser to Iran’s slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, wrote on X.

“From strength in the Strait of Hormuz to pursuing compensation, we are standing firm on the people’s rights,” First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref wrote on X.

“The Islamic Republic’s only gain from this war is the Strait of Hormuz. That is why neither the negotiating team nor parliament backed down on Iran’s oversight and control of this strait,” lawmaker Mohammad Taqi Naghdali said.

Former foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said US demands led to the failure of talks with Iran.

“Want to know why negotiations did not succeed? JD Vance: ‘they have chosen not to accept our terms.’ Bingo,” Zarif wrote on X.

“No negotiations – at least with Iran – will succeed based on ‘our/your terms.’ The US must learn: you can’t dictate terms to Iran,” Zarif added.

The speaker of Iran’s parliament said the United States failed to gain Tehran’s trust in the latest round of talks.

“The Iranian delegation presented forward-looking initiatives, but the other side ultimately failed to gain the trust of the Iranian team,” Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf wrote on X on Sunday.

Ghalibaf said Washington now must decide whether it can build trust, adding Iran would pursue diplomacy alongside what he described as military efforts.

An Iranian cleric said the country’s delegation delivered what he described as “another slap” to the United States during talks in Islamabad.

“Since our counterpart is the United States, which is the ‘Great Satan’ and the source of corruption of the century, it was predictable the negotiations would not yield results,” member of Iran’s Assembly of Experts, Mohsen Taheri said.

He added the team had delivered “another slap to this Great Satan” through diplomacy.

Iran’s nationwide internet blackout has entered its seventh week, with more than 1,000 hours of disruption, internet monitoring group NetBlocks said.

“Network data show Iran's internet blackout is now in its 44th day, continuing in its seventh week past the 1032 hour mark,” NetBlocks said.

The group added the human and economic impacts of the extended censorship measure continue to pile up, breaking global records for shutdowns in a connected society.