What Comes Next After Failed U.S.-Iran Talks, With Elliott Abrams

The President’s Inbox

Council on Foreign Relations

Politics, News:politics, News

4.4 • 734 Ratings

🗓️ 15 April 2026

⏱️ 32 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This episode unpacks the U.S.-Iran ceasefire talks in Islamabad and the prospect of a U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Host: James M. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR Guest: Elliott Abrams, Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies, CFR We Discuss: What transpired during the U.S.-Iran talks in Islamabad. Whether both sides abandoned their own preconditions before talks began. How unusually senior and small the negotiating delegations were. What the logic and mechanics of the U.S. naval blockade are. Why other countries have not joined the blockade and may resist it. What the Arab Gulf states are privately urging Washington to do. Whether Israel and the U.S. share the same goals regarding the Iranian regime. Mentioned on the Episode: Vice President JD Vance Delivers Remarks in Islamabad, Pakistan, April 11, 2026 Harry Sekulich and Kate Whannel, "Starmer Says UK Will Not Join Trump's Blockade of Iran's Ports," BBC Defense Technical Information Agency, "Iran: Nuclear Intentions and Capabilities," October 1, 2007 For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/what-comes-next-after-failed-us-iran-talks Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.

Transcript

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0:00.0	There are disadvantages for both sides in going back to actual fighting.
0:04.4	And it's notable that the talks failed, but neither we know the Iranian side went back to war.
0:10.9	I think it shows you that both sides would like this war to be over.
0:16.7	U.S. Iranian talks over the weekend in Pakistan failed to produce a deal to end Operation Epic Fury.
0:23.5	President Donald Trump responded to the failed talks by imposing a U.S. naval blockade on ships transiting the strait of Hamos from Iran.
0:31.4	Meanwhile, Israel continues to hit Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, which Iran insists are covered by the ceasefire. Will the current
0:38.5	ceasefire in the Gulf hold? Does a naval blockade give Washington leverage over Tehran and what
0:44.0	might renewed hostilities mean for the Gulf in the broader world? From the Council on Foreign
0:50.1	Relations, welcome to the president's inbox. I'm Jim Lindsay. Today I'm being joined by
0:55.7	Elliot Abrams, senior fellow from Middle Eastern Studies here at the Council and a special
1:01.0	representative for Iran during the first Trump administration. Elliot, thank you very much for joining me.
1:07.4	Thanks for inviting me. Now, Elliot, the United States and Iran failed to strike a deal
1:12.9	when they met in Pakistan on Saturday. Do we know anything more about what transpired during
1:20.0	those talks and the outcome? There were leaks. Various newspapers claim to have spoken to people in the know.
1:29.3	Of course, there were only three Americans in the room.
1:33.3	So maybe they're talking to their friends in the press.
1:36.3	What we know or think we know is that the tone was okay, warm, friendly,
1:43.3	Ghalabov, the head of the Iranian delegation and vice president of advance, with Zoke, warm, friendly.
1:49.1	Golobov, the head of the Iranian delegation and Vice President of Vance, shook hands.
1:55.8	And they talked about what's going on in the Gulf and the reasons for the war. We know that they covered uranium enrichment and the nuclear program, a nuclear weapons program there
2:04.5	Iran has, and Vance put forward the U.S. position, which is not only no bomb, but no enrichment
2:11.0	of uranium. And the Iranian side apparently simply rejected that. The U.S. also said no money for proxies
	...

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