Trump says US-Iran talks yield progress on ‘most points’ but no nuclear agreement

President Donald Trump on Sunday ordered a US naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz in response to Iran's "unyielding" refusal to give up its nuclear ambitions during peace talks in Islamabad.

While acknowledging that the marathon negotiations in Pakistan had gone "well" and "most points were agreed to," Trump said Tehran had refused to concede on the issue of its nuclear program.

"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," Trump said on his Truth Social platform.

"Any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceful vessels, will be BLOWN TO HELL!"

He described the Pakistani leadership as “extraordinary”, adding that they had thanked him for what he claimed was his role in preventing a potential war with India that could have cost millions of lives.

“I have been fully debriefed by Vice President JD Vance, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner, on the meeting that took place in Islamabad through the kind and very competent leadership of Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, of Pakistan. They are very extraordinary men, and continuously thank me for saving 30 to 50 million lives in what would have been a horrendous War with India. I always appreciate hearing that — The amount of Humanity spoken of is incomprehensible,” said the US president.

“In many ways, the points that were agreed to are better than us continuing our Military Operations to conclusion, but all of those points don’t matter compared to allowing Nuclear Power to be in the hands of such volatile, difficult, unpredictable people,” said Trump in the Truth Social post.

US Vice President JD Vance left Pakistan without a deal after weekend talks with a team led by Iran's parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf -- the highest-level meeting between the two sides since the 1979 Islamic revolution.

Tehran's delegation also included Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

"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," Vance told reporters.

In two lengthy posts on Truth Social, Trump slammed Iran for promising to open the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway through which a fifth of the world's crude oil passes, and "knowingly" failing to deliver.

"They say they put mines in the water, even though all of their Navy, and most of their 'mine droppers,' have been completely blown up. They may have done so, but what ship owner would want to take the chance?" Trump said.

Iran had effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz for weeks, since the United States and Israel launched a bombing campaign against the Islamic Republic more than six weeks ago.

On Saturday, the US military announced that two US warships had transited the strait at the start of a mine clearance operation.