As the United States and Iran began talks on the 11th (local time) in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, President Donald Trump pressured Iran, saying, "It doesn't matter if a deal isn't reached."
Meeting with reporters at the White House that day, President Trump said, "We are negotiating with Iran very intensively," adding, "A deal may or may not be reached." He then said, "Whether there's a deal doesn't matter to me. Whatever happens, we have won," repeatedly highlighting the recent results of military operations against Iran.
According to local media, the talks began at 5:30 p.m. at the five-star Serena Hotel in Islamabad that day. It was the highest-level face-to-face meeting in 47 years since diplomatic relations were severed in 1979, with Vice President JD Vance attending on the U.S. side along with President Trump's eldest son-in-law Jared Kushner and Middle East envoy Stephen Witkoff. The U.S. delegation was reportedly about 300 people, including security personnel. From Iran, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf attended.
The two delegations continued marathon talks past midnight, but were reportedly unable to narrow differences over the key issue of reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Trump's remarks appear intended to lower expectations in case the talks do not produce a result.
Trump warned that China would face serious trouble over a New York Times (NYT) report that it may have supplied weapons to Iran. China, North Korea and Russia are suspected of closely cooperating with Iran.
Regarding the U.S. military's launch of a mine-clearing operation in the Strait of Hormuz, President Trump said, "There could be a couple of mines," adding, "We have already sent mine countermeasures ships to sweep the strait." He went on, "Now what we have to do is open the strait," making clear his willingness to consider military involvement.
President Trump also criticized the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), saying it "did not help." The comment is interpreted as dissatisfaction that allies were not proactive in responding to requests to dispatch warships to stabilize the Strait of Hormuz. Trump also said, "Big, beautiful oil tankers are coming to the United States and we are carrying oil and gas. It's a pretty beautiful thing." He was touting, as a kind of achievement, the situation in which the United States has emerged as an alternative supplier amid the global energy crisis triggered by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.