Iran's vice president vows to defend rights from Hormuz to compensation

Iran’s Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref said Sunday that Tehran will stand firm on defending its rights “from the Strait of Hormuz to pursuing compensation,” following Saturday's talks with the United States in Islamabad. Aref highlighted national unity, referring to what he described as growing cohesion within society, and said the government views this unity as a foundation for advancing the country’s interests. “From strength in the Strait of Hormuz to pursuing compensation, we stand firm on the rights of the people; this is our commitment to a strong Iran,” he said. He added that Iran remains committed to safeguarding its rights while continuing efforts on both diplomatic and national fronts. Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf also said the US failed to earn Iran’s trust. He added that it is up to Washington to decide whether it can build trust with Iran, stressing that Tehran will combine diplomacy with strength to secure its rights.   ۱/پیش از مذاکرات تأکید کردم که ما حسن نیت و ارادهٔ لازم را داریم ولی به دلیل تجربیات دو جنگ قبلی، اعتمادی به طرف مقابل نداریم. همکاران من در هیئت ایرانی میناب۱۶۸ ابتکارات رو به جلویی مطرح کردند ولی طرف مقابل در نهایت نتوانست در این دور از مذاکرات اعتماد هیئت ایرانی را جلب کند. — محمدباقر قالیباف | MB Ghalibaf (@mb_ghalibaf) April 12, 2026 Ghalibaf, who headed Iran’s delegation in Saturday's talks with the US in Islamabad, said Tehran entered the negotiations with goodwill but remained cautious "due to the experiences of the two previous wars." “It is now for the United States to decide whether it can earn our trust,” he said, adding that Iran will continue diplomatic efforts alongside measures aimed at safeguarding the rights of its nation. He said the Iranian delegation presented forward-looking proposals during the talks but the US side ultimately failed to gain Tehran’s confidence. On the other hand, US Vice President JD Vance said Iran had chosen not to accept American terms, including not to build nuclear ​weapons. "We need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon and they will not seek the tools that would enable them ⁠to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon. That is the core goal of the president of the US, and that's what we've tried to achieve through these negotiations," he said. Read More: Trump says US loading warships with ‘best weapons’ if no deal reached with Iran Vance added that ⁠he had spoken with President Trump as many as a dozen times during the talks. But even as the negotiations continued, Trump said on Saturday that a deal was not entirely necessary.  "We're negotiating. Whether we make a deal or not makes no difference to me, because we've won," he told reporters. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has stressed that both sides should continue to uphold their commitment to the ceasefire as talks ended without an agreement. “It is imperative that the parties continue to uphold their commitment to the ceasefire,” said Dar during a presser. He added that Pakistan hopes the US and Iran will continue with a positive spirit to achieve durable peace and prosperity for the entire region and beyond. "Pakistan has been and will continue to play its role to facilitate engagement and dialogue between Iran and the US in the days to come," Dar added. Iranian and US delegations concluded the talks in Islamabad without reaching an agreement. The negotiations, mediated by Pakistan, followed multiple rounds of discussions and exchanges of proposals but failed to produce a breakthrough. The two sides left Islamabad with key differences unresolved, while signaling that further diplomatic efforts would be needed. The talks were part of broader efforts to end the US-Israeli war on Iran that began on February 28, under a fragile two-week ceasefire brokered earlier this week.