A billboard announcing the talks between the United States and Iran in Islamabad, on April 12, 2026. (Credit: Farooq Naeem/AFP)

Key sticking points in US-Iran talks

The Wall Street Journal cited regional officials as saying that diplomacy remains open, and a second round of talks may take place in the coming days after the initial breakdown.

by · L'Orient Today

After the first round of talks between Washington and Tehran – the first at this level since 1979 – collapsed in Islamabad this weekend, both escalation and renewed dialogue remain on the table. On one side, U.S. President Donald Trump weighs “limited strikes” against Iran, along with a naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, according to officials and sources familiar with the matter cited by the Wall Street Journal on Sunday, April 12. Some context In Islamabad, a few insufficient advances between Iran and the United States On the other side, regional officials told the WSJ shortly afterward that diplomacy remains an option and that a new round of talks could take place in the coming days. Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, said Monday, April 13, that the cease-fire between the United States and Iran still holds. ...

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