The USS Frank E. Peterson (DDG-121) and USS Michael Murphy (DDG-112) — two Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers — transited the Strait of Hormuz east-to-west into the Persian Gulf and back, becoming the first US warships to cross the strait since Operation Epic Fury began on February 28. CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper announced the mission: "Today, we began the process of establishing a new passage and we will share this safe pathway with the maritime industry soon to encourage the free flow of commerce." CENTCOM stated additional forces including underwater drones would join the clearance effort in coming days. The operation was not coordinated with Tehran. Iran's IRGC Navy immediately responded with a statement: "Any attempt by military vessels to pass through the Strait of Hormuz will be dealt with severely. The IRGC Navy has full authority to manage the Strait of Hormuz intelligently." Iran stated only civilian vessels would be permitted under "specific conditions." Conflicting reports emerged: Iranian state media claimed one destroyer turned back after an IRGC warning and a UAV was launched toward the vessels; a regional intelligence official corroborated partial turn-back; CENTCOM flatly contradicted both accounts, stating both ships completed the full transit. Pakistani mediators reportedly relayed Iranian warnings to the US side during negotiations. Trump posted on Truth Social that all 28 of Iran's "mine dropper boats are lying at the bottom of the sea" — a claim Iran's Nournews dismissed as "fake news." A separate intelligence official said the transit happened around noon Dubai time, simultaneous with negotiations in Islamabad. Qatar separately announced full maritime navigation resuming at 6am Sunday April 12, and by Sunday 16 ships had transited Hormuz — the busiest day since the ceasefire.
The highest-level direct US-Iran negotiations since the 1979 Islamic Revolution ran across three-plus rounds spanning 21 hours. The format evolved significantly from the original proximity design: Pakistan's state TV confirmed Vance and Araghchi met face-to-face with Pakistani Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir in the room — a more direct format than the separate-rooms shuttling originally planned. The Iranian delegation arrived dressed in black mourning for those killed in the war. Three rounds completed; Iranian state media called the third round the "last opportunity." Financial Times reported a stalemate over the Strait of Hormuz after the first round; Pakistani officials confirmed a second round reconvened. At an early Sunday morning press conference, Vance announced failure: "We have been at it now for 21 hours. The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement. And I think that's bad news for Iran much more than it is for the United States of America." Vance stated the US needed "an affirmative commitment that Iran will not seek a nuclear weapon and will not pursue the tools that would enable it to quickly achieve one. We haven't seen that yet." He said the US left its "final and best offer" on the table. Vance departed Islamabad within minutes of the press conference. Iran's government posted: "Negotiations will continue despite some remaining differences." Iranian media said the US was "looking for an excuse to leave" and that the "ball is in America's court." Semi-official Mehr reported the US made "excessive demands." IRIB said the US was "taking an overzealous approach." During the talks, Ghalibaf's four non-negotiable preconditions had been: full sovereignty over Hormuz, complete war reparations, unconditional asset release, and a durable ceasefire across West Asia including Lebanon. Netanyahu delivered a separate 13-minute televised address stating Israel's campaign was "not over," touting "historic achievements" without referencing the Islamabad talks. Tel Aviv saw anti-war protests at Habima Square with demonstrators calling for an end to wars "in Iran, Lebanon and Gaza."
President Trump reiterated via social media and reporters that any nation found to be "underwriting the Iranian war machine" through clandestine oil purchases or arms sales during the ceasefire would face an immediate 50% tariff on all exports to the United States, specifically naming Russia and China. The Treasury Department released a list of six "shadow tankers" suspected of violating the blockade by purchasing Iranian oil in circumvention of sanctions. Trump separately posted that Iran was doing "a very poor job" on Hormuz and reiterated the US would clear the strait regardless of Iranian cooperation, pointing to the destroyer transit as evidence. Trump told NewsNation he had no idea how successful the Islamabad talks would be — "I have no idea" — and said he would know shortly whether Iran was acting in good faith. Trump dismissed suggestions that the talks were a failure, saying "maybe they make a deal, maybe they don't — Trump says US wins regardless."
Israeli airstrikes continued across Lebanon on April 11. Dawn strikes hit a residential building in the southern Lebanese town of Mefdoun killing at least three people, with the National News Agency also reporting strikes on the town of Toul near Nabatieh destroying residential buildings, and strikes setting an electricity complex ablaze in Jebchit. The IDF said it struck over 200 targets across Lebanon in the previous 24-hour period, with two soldiers wounded in ground combat in southern Lebanon. The Times of Israel liveblog reported at least 10 Lebanese killed across April 11 strikes. Hezbollah simultaneously fired approximately 30 rockets into northern Israel, with confirmed impacts in Kiryat Shmona and Nahariya, causing property damage but no reported Israeli casualties. A Hezbollah drone struck near IDF forces in southern Lebanon wounding two soldiers. Hezbollah claimed 31 operations against Israeli forces and positions during the day. Netanyahu's televised Saturday address said Israel had struck more than 200 targets in the past day and that the campaign would continue until security was restored in northern Israel. IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said the army was in "a state of war in Lebanon despite the ceasefire with Iran."
Hezbollah rocket and anti-tank fire continued through the evening. Confirmed impacts included a rocket striking a building at a sports court in Nahariya causing property damage but no casualties, and multiple rocket impacts in Kiryat Shmona. Hezbollah's stated rationale for all fire during this period was Israeli violations of the ceasefire in Lebanon. A drone attack wounded two IDF soldiers in southern Lebanon. The continued exchange underlined the "decoupled" nature of the conflict — the US-Iran ceasefire providing no coverage for the Israel-Hezbollah front. IDF struck approximately 10 rocket launchers in southern Lebanon in response. Separately, the search for the second missing F-15E crew member downed earlier in the war remained ongoing; no new confirmed CENTCOM briefing specifically dated April 11 was issued.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a 13-minute televised address on Saturday without referencing the Islamabad talks, declaring the military campaign against Iran "not yet over" while touting "historic achievements" including what he claimed was the crushing of Iran's nuclear program and missile capabilities — claims US intelligence assessments have disputed. He defended the war effort amid growing domestic criticism. Separately, hundreds of protesters filled Tel Aviv's Habima Square calling for an end to Israel's "eternal war" in Iran, Lebanon and Gaza, with demonstrators holding signs reading "more suffering in Lebanon will not bring us security." The Lebanese Health Ministry confirmed the country's death toll from Israeli strikes since March 2 had surpassed 2,000, with at least 1,953 confirmed killed and 6,303 wounded as of April 10. The Lebanon war's cumulative toll — now spanning nearly six weeks of Israeli ground and air operations — had become one of the most lethal sustained campaigns in the country since the 1982 invasion.
Islamabad failed at the one thing it needed to achieve: a nuclear commitment from Iran. Everything else — Hormuz, Lebanon, sanctions, asset release — was secondary to whether Iran would sign a long-term pledge not to develop nuclear weapons. It would not. Vance's "final and best offer" framing is significant: it signals Trump has exhausted the diplomatic track and is now moving to coercive pressure. The Hormuz destroyer transit, conducted simultaneously with the talks without Iranian coordination, was not coincidental — it was a message that the US would take the strait by action regardless of negotiation outcome. Vance departed within four minutes of announcing failure; there was no grace period, no "we'll reconvene," no joint statement. Iran's response — "ball is in America's court" — mirrors the exact language used when they left Muscat empty-handed before the war began in February. The ceasefire expires in 10 days. With no deal, no framework, and the US having deployed destroyers into a mined strait over Iran's explicit objection, the probability of resumed full-scale hostilities is now the modal outcome.