‘Explosion Came From US’: Netanyahu Denies His Call With Vance Derailed Iran Talks

Last Updated:April 13, 2026, 17:31 IST

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said the US could not accept Iran’s failure to “open the gates” despite agreeing to a ceasefire during talks.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday said the breakdown in US-Iran negotiations stemmed from the American side, pushing back against suggestions that his call with US Vice President JD Vance had derailed the talks.

The remarks come after Iranian foreign minister Seyed Araghchi suggested Netanyahu had spoken to Vance ahead of high-stakes negotiations in Islamabad, raising questions about whether the intervention influenced the outcome.

Any hopes that Vance would secure a breakthrough with Iranian officials during a marathon round of talks were dashed when he left Pakistan without a deal.

According to Axios, Netanyahu told a cabinet briefing that Vance had also spoken to him again while returning to the United States from Islamabad.

“The explosion in the negotiations came from the American side, which could not tolerate Iran’s blatant violation of the agreement to enter the negotiations," Netanyahu said.

“The agreement was that they would cease fire, and the Iranians would immediately open the gates. They did not do that, and the Americans could not accept it," he added, in an apparent reference to the Strait of Hormuz.

Traffic through the strategic waterway — a key route for global oil and gas shipments — has been heavily restricted since the conflict began, with Iran reportedly allowing passage only to select vessels, including those linked to friendly countries such as China.

Following the failed talks, the US military said it would begin a blockade of Iranian ports from Monday.

US President Donald Trump also announced the move on social media, saying Washington would block access to the Strait of Hormuz — a demand he has repeatedly made of Tehran.

The US military said the blockade would take effect at 1400 GMT and would apply to all vessels leaving or attempting to dock at Iranian ports on either side of the waterway.

The move targets a chokepoint through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil supply passes, raising concerns over further disruptions to global energy markets.

Netanyahu reiterated that Iran had failed to meet the basic conditions required for the talks to proceed.

“He also made it clear to me that the main issue on the agenda for President Trump and the United States is the removal of all enriched material, and ensuring that there is no more enrichment in the coming years — even decades — within Iran. That is their focus," Netanyahu said.

News world ‘Explosion Came From US’: Netanyahu Denies His Call With Vance Derailed Iran Talks

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