Trump extends ceasefire, offering time for Tehran to unify around a proposal

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said the U.S. extension of its ceasefire with Iran was a welcome development and a chance for de-escalation, his spokesperson said.

“This is an important step toward de-escalation and creating critical space for diplomacy and confidence-building between Iran and the United States,” spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said.

“We encourage all parties to build on this momentum, refrain from actions that could undermine the cease-fire, and engage constructively in negotiations to reach a sustainable and lasting resolution,” he said.

Dujarric added that Guterres “fully supports Pakistan’s efforts in facilitating further talks.”

A container ship in the Strait of Hormuz was attacked by an Iranian gunboat, the U.K. maritime agency said this morning.

The ship was approached by a boat belonging to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, which “fired upon the vessel,” causing “heavy damage to the bridge,” the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said.

All crew members were safe, and there was no fire or environmental impact reported, it said.

Trump said today that Iran wants to open up the Strait of Hormuz to make money.

"Iran doesn’t want the Strait of Hormuz closed, they want it open so they can make $500 Million Dollars a day (which is, therefore, what they are losing if it is closed!). They only say they want it closed because I have it totally BLOCKADED (CLOSED!), so they merely want to 'save face,'" Trump wrote on Truth Social.

He added, "People approached me four days ago, saying, 'Sir, Iran wants to open up the Strait, immediately.' But if we do that, there can never be a Deal with Iran, unless we blow up the rest of their Country, their leaders included! President DONALD J. TRUMP."

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to join a second round of direct talks between Israel and Lebanon this Thursday at the State Department, according to a State Department official.

The discussions follow last Tuesday’s historic meeting between Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter and Lebanese Ambassador to the U.S. Nada Hamadeh attended by Rubio. That meeting was the first direct negotiations between the two countries in decades and resulted in the agreement of a fragile 10-day ceasefire. 

“The United States welcomes the productive engagement that began on April 14th,” the State Department official said. “We will continue to facilitate direct, good-faith discussions between the two governments.”

Ambassador Mike Huckabee is also returning to Washington to participate in the talks, the State Department official said.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif today thanked Trump for extending a ceasefire in the war with Iran, and he said that Pakistan requested it.

“On my personal behalf and on behalf of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, I sincerely thank President Trump for graciously accepting our request to extend the ceasefire to allow ongoing diplomatic efforts to take their course,” Sharif said in a post on X.

Pakistan has played a key role in coordinating communication and negotiations between the U.S. and Iran. The first negotiations between the two sides were held in Islamabad, Pakistan's capital.

“I sincerely hope that both sides will continue to observe the ceasefire and be able to conclude a comprehensive ‘Peace Deal’ during the second round of talks scheduled at Islamabad for a permanent end to the conflict,” Sharif wrote.

People in Beirut tell NBC News' Yasmin Vossoughian that they hope for permanent peace as a tenuous 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon holds, with the U.S. attempting to broker successful talks between the two countries.

Beirut residents say they hope for peace amid tenuous ceasefire with Israel

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International Brent crude oil surged to more than $101 in late afternoon trading, moments before Trump announced he would extend the ceasefire with Iran.

Once Trump made his announcement, the price of Brent crude oil pulled back to around $98 per barrel.

U.S. crude oil was also trading near its high of the day, at about $95 per barrel before Trump's announcement. After, it slid back to about $88.

A White House official said that in light of Trump’s Truth Social post confirming the United States is awaiting a unified proposal from the Iranians, Vance will not be traveling to Pakistan today.

Vice President JD Vance. Jacquelyn Martin / Getty Images

Any further updates on in-person meetings will be announced by the White House, the official said.

The Permanent Mission of Iran to the United Nations is asking the Security Council to intervene after the U.S. seized an Iranian commercial vessel, Toska, earlier this week and took its crew and families into custody.

Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, sent a letter to Secretary-General António Guterres today and said that the seizure is "a clear and material breach" of the ceasefire between the nations, and is also "an act of aggression" that poses "a serious threat to regional and international peace."

Iravani also asked the Security Council to condemn the seizure and demand the U.S. to release the vessel, the crew and their families.

Trump wrote on Truth Social today that he is extending the ceasefire with Iran but will continue the naval blockade of Iran's ports.

"Based on the fact that the Government of Iran is seriously fractured, not unexpectedly so and, upon the request of Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, of Pakistan, we have been asked to hold our Attack on the Country of Iran until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal," he wrote.

Trump added, "I have therefore directed our Military to continue the Blockade and, in all other respects, remain ready and able, and will therefore extend the Ceasefire until such time as their proposal is submitted, and discussions are concluded, one way or the other. President DONALD J. TRUMP."

Vance’s trip to Pakistan for a possible round of talks with Iranian officials is currently in a holding pattern, according to a source familiar with the discussions.

It’s unclear whether he is still traveling to Islamabad today, tomorrow or at any point at all. Trump met with Vance, along with special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner, at the White House today to discuss next steps, the source familiar with the discussions said, stressing that the situation remained incredibly fluid.

The U.S. violated the terms of its ceasefire with Iran by starting a naval blockade of Iran's ports, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said today in a post on X.

"Blockading Iranian ports is an act of war and thus a violation of the ceasefire. Striking a commercial vessel and taking its crew hostage is an even greater violation," he wrote in the post. "Iran knows how to neutralize restrictions, how to defend its interests, and how to resist bullying."

Earlier today, Trump posted a short message accusing Iran of violating the ceasefire "numerous times," but didn't provide additional details.

The ceasefire between Iran, the U.S. and Israel is set to expire tomorrow.

The IDF and Hezbollah troops have exchanged fire today in southern Lebanon, despite an ongoing ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon.

The Israeli army said Hezbollah "launched several rockets toward IDF soldiers" in Rab Thalathin, which they responded to by striking the rocket launcher they came from. Hezbollah confirmed that it targeted "an artillery position" of the Israeli army in the Kfar Giladi settlement.

Earlier today, the IDF said it struck individuals that it identified as "terrorists" who crossed the forward defense line in al-Qusayr and "posed an immediate threat."

The IDF has been continually launching attacks on southern Lebanon amid the ceasefire, saying that it is acting to "remove any threat to Israeli civilians" and soldiers.

In a statement, Hezbollah accused Israel of violating the ceasefire over 200 times, attacking civilians and destroying homes and villages in southern Lebanon.

The United States government sanctioned 14 individuals, entities and aircraft today for their involvement in procuring or transporting weaponry on behalf of the Iranian regime, according to a Treasury Department release shared with NBC News.

It comes as the fate of peace talks in Pakistan between the U.S., led by Vice President JD Vance, and Iranian officials remains uncertain. The ceasefire between the U.S., Israel, Iran and Lebanon is set to expire Wednesday, and President Donald Trump warned fighting could resume.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in the release that the “Iranian regime must be held accountable for its extortion of global energy markets," referring to Iran's blockade of the critical Strait of Hormuz. “Under President Trump’s leadership, as part of Economic Fury, Treasury will continue to follow the money and target the Iranian regime’s recklessness and those who enable it."

The three individuals placed on the Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctions list today are being accused of supporting an Iranian-based electronics company that has procured parts for one-way attack drones used by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to the Treasury Department.

"No final decision" has been made on whether Iran will take part in peace talks with the U.S. in Pakistan, according to the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Esmail Baghaei, who spoke to state media television outlet IRIB.

"The reason is clear, this is not a matter of indecision. Rather, it is because we are faced with contradictory messages, inconsistent behavior, and unacceptable actions from the American side," Baghaei said.

This includes U.S. attacks on Iranian vessels and its blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, Baghaei added.

"These actions by the United States constitute maritime piracy and state terrorism, particularly in relation to the two Iranian vessels involved," he said, adding that the U.S.' actions "call into question" its "intent and seriousness."

“The diplomatic process must be result-oriented, and whenever the Islamic Republic of Iran reaches such a conclusion, it will take the necessary decision," Baghaei said.

Iran today executed a man it says was the main suspect in setting fire to a mosque in January and was linked to Mossad, the Israeli spy agency, according to the Iranian judiciary's outlet, Mizan.

Amirali Mirjafari was accused of being a leader of a Mossad-linked network and playing a "significant role" in the destruction of Tehran's Gholhak Grand mosque, according to the report.

It’s unclear whether or when Vice President Vance will depart Washington for Islamabad at this point, but he will head to the White House for meetings today to discuss what might happen next, a White House official said.

But things remain quite fluid, the official stressed.

“Additional policy meetings are taking place at the White House in which the Vice President will participate,” the White House official said.

The White House and President Trump indicated that Vance would be leading the U.S. delegation to Pakistan, but the timing was never nailed down. At one point yesterday, Trump implied that Vance was already on his way, which was not the case.

There’s also no clarity on when the two-week ceasefire technically expires. Trump claims it ends Wednesday evening, Washington time, but Pakistan has said it expects it ends at 4:50 a.m. PST (Pakistan Standard Time) on April 22, which would mean 7:50 p.m. ET tonight (April 21). The White House has yet to clarify that discrepancy.

It’s evening now in Islamabad and the Pakistanis say the Iranians still haven’t confirmed they are coming to potential talks with the vice president.

A "formal response from Iranian side about confirmation of delegation to attend Islamabad Peace Talks is still awaited," Attaullah Tarar, Pakistan’s information minister, posted to social media.

He went on to write that Pakistan as "mediator is in constant touch with Iranians and pursuing the path of diplomacy and dialogue."

He warned that a decision from Iran to attend the talks before the end of the two-week ceasefire is "critical."

Tehran is just a few hours' flight to Islamabad, so it may be that the Iranians want to see the American delegation set off before confirming they are coming. Equally, the Trump administration will want to know the Iranians will definitely turn up.

This very difficult diplomacy, the difference between war and peace, may now rest on such details.

Iran is "fully prepared for the possibility of renewed war" as the ceasefire is expected to expire tomorrow, semiofficial news agency Tasnim reported.

The preparation includes arranging military relocations, creating a list of targets, and "new surprises," the outlet reported.

Trump has sounded positive about new peace talks with Iran despite a hesitance from Tehran to participate. He also said that he is ready to resume attacks on Iran if talks don't go well.

Iranian officials have maintained that they will not negotiate while under threat from the U.S.

The IDF soldier who was seen striking a Jesus statue in southern Lebanon in a photo circulating online will be removed from combat duty and will receive 30 days of military detention, the army said in a new statement.

The soldier who photographed the vandalism will also receive the same punishment, according to the IDF.

The army expressed "deep regret" over the desecration and said that its operations in Lebanon "are directed solely against the Hezbollah" and other groups it deems terroristic in nature, and not Lebanese civilians.

The IDF also said it replaced the damaged Jesus statue in the community of Debel.

Iranian semiofficial news agencies Tasnim and Fars have broadcast reports from their correspondents in the Strait of Hormuz.

In a five-minute segment shared by Tasnim, correspondent Meisam Mirzadeh is reporting from a boat with some ships in the background, saying any vessel that attempts to pass through this choke point without Tehran’s permission is bound to be turned back.

Reporter Meisam Mirzadeh reporting from the Strait of Hormuz.  Tasnim News Agency

A vessel in the Strait of Hormuz shown in an Iranian state media report.  Tasnim News Agency

“The armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, given that it is the final hours of the ceasefire and the possibility of a breach and renewed attack by the enemy remains likely, are fully prepared and closely monitoring any minor mistake or miscalculation by the enemy in order to deliver a regret-inducing response in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz,” Mirzadeh said in the video.

Fars news agency also shared a video of its correspondent on a boat in the strait yesterday. In it, reporter Ali Golkhani said he was at the entry point of a new corridor approved by the Iranian navy. “Vessels from around the world are required to pass through this point,” Golkhani said. 

Over the weekend, Iran said it had reimposed “strict control” over the Strait of Hormuz, reversing its declaration a day earlier that the vital shipping lane was fully open, citing the ongoing U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports.

Amnesty International Secretary-General Agnès Callamard wrote reflections for 2025 and this year so far, where she accused "predators" like Trump, Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin of carrying "out their conquests for economic and political domination through destruction, suppression and violence on a massive scale."

Callamard said the world leaders undermined international law, made attacks against the International Criminal Court and abandoned United Nations agencies, replacing "peace and security mechanisms" with a new order, or "self-serving alternatives."

"War, not diplomacy, rules: Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza continues in spite of the so-called ceasefire; Russia’s crimes against humanity in Ukraine escalate; the USA engages in extraterritorial extrajudicial killings and unlawful attacks on Venezuela and Iran, and threats to take over Greenland," Callamard said, adding that crimes in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar and Sudan remain unchecked and the Middle East has been plunged into chaos again.

Callamard also said that very few nations stood up to said world leaders and encouraged politicians, diplomats, activists and others to resist during a very challenging moment.

"History is not just something that is done to us. It is also ours to make. And for the sake of humanity, it’s time to make human rights history," Callamard said.

Four Palestinians were killed in the West Bank today, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

Two of the victims were killed in al-Mughayyir, east of Ramallah, by Israeli settlers, according to the ministry. They were identified as a 14-year-old child and a 32-year-old man. Four others who were wounded in the incident were taken to a hospital, according to the Red Crescent.

In a statement, the IDF said it was aware of the deaths of the two victims, saying that a reserve soldier opened fire on them "following a report of rock hurling towards an Israeli vehicle carrying several civilians." The incident is "under review," the army said.

Pressure campaigns, military actions and symbolic shows of force will not make Iran capitulate to the U.S., said Danny Citrinowicz, a research fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies in his latest analysis.

“There is no scenario in which one dramatic move forces the Iranian regime to raise a white flag,” Citrinowicz said in a post on X, talking about the lack of understanding of the Iranian regime by the Trump administration.

“The persistent belief that a single decisive move like a naval blockade, strikes on critical infrastructure, or even the targeted killing of senior officials, could fundamentally change Tehran’s behavior reflects a profound misreading of the system,” Citrinowicz added.

“This point cannot be stressed enough: when faced with a choice between conceding to U.S. demands or escalating a confrontation it believes it can manage and even win, Iran’s decision is not difficult to predict. It will not capitulate,” he said.

The M/V Tifani, the oil tanker boarded by U.S. forces in the Indian Ocean, around 500 nautical miles off of the western coast of Sumatra today, has been broadcasting from the same area of the ocean since around 6:40 a.m. EST this morning.

According to MarineTraffic data, the Tifani has a carrying capacity of nearly 300,000 tonnes and is currently laden with cargo. The ship spent multiple hours off the coast of Galle, Sri Lanka, on April 18 before traveling west in the direction of Malaysia. It continued on this path until it made a sharp turn at 9:17 p.m. EST last night, heading south before it was intercepted by the United States this morning.

The ship sails under the flag of Botswana, but has been under sanctions since July 2025 by the United States Office of Foreign Assets Control as part of its Iran sanctions program. OFAC said that the ship was linked to a company based in Mumbai, India.

The State Department said that the ship had twice loaded Iranian petroleum in ship-to-ship transfers with tankers that had been designated by the U.S. as being Iranian ships.

Trump said the U.S. seized a ship yesterday “that had some things on it” that were not “very nice,” while also calling it a “gift from China.”

“I was a little surprised, but because I have a very good relationship, and I thought I had an understanding with President Xi, but that’s alright, that’s the way war goes, right?” Trump said in an interview on CNBC aired earlier today. 

Trump raised the incident while talking about how his threat to bomb Iran’s bridges would hurt the regime militarily as it tries to move its missiles around, adding that the Iranians have probably done “a little bit of restocking” during the ceasefire that expires tomorrow. 

He did not specify where the ship was seized, whether it was Chinese flagged or the nature of its cargo.

Last week, China denied that it was providing Iran with air defense weaponry and said it would take “countermeasures” if Trump used the allegation as a “pretext” to impose an additional 50% tariff on Chinese goods.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said his country is applying military and diplomatic pressure to disarm Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.

“The overarching goal of the campaign in Lebanon is to disarm Hezbollah and remove the threat from the northern communities — through a combination of military and diplomatic measures,” Katz said at an event at the State Memorial Hall for Israel’s Fallen on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem earlier today.

“If the Lebanese government continues to fail to meet its obligations — the IDF will do so through continued military action,” he added.

It comes amid the 10-day ceasefire in Lebanon, during which Israel has maintained its military presence in the south of the country and restricted access to some communities that hundreds of thousands of displaced Lebanese civilians have tried to return to. 

Trump said this morning that Iran has "no choice but to send" negotiators to a new round of talks in Pakistan.

"What I think is that we’re going to end up with a great deal," the president told CNBC in an interview. "I think we’re in a very strong negotiating position."

Asked if he would extend the ceasefire if talks are going well, Trump said: "I don’t want to do that. We don’t have that much time."

He signaled the U.S. was ready to resume attacks on Iran if a deal is not struck soon.

“I expect to be bombing because I think that’s a better attitude to go in with. But we’re ready to go. I mean, the military is raring to go,” he said.

A young girl and her grandmother view their destroyed home in Tehran yesterday. Majid Saeedi / Getty Images

Musicians perform on a street in Tehran today.  AFP via Getty Images

A view of damaged buildings and civilian infrastructure at Resalat Square in Tehran yesterday. Fatemeh Bahrami / Anadolu via Getty Images

News agency images from inside Iran's capital show daily life for Iranians ahead of the approaching ceasefire deadline with the U.S.

A family rides a motorbike along a street in Tehran yesterday. Atta KENARE / AFP via Getty Images

Disruption to global oil supplies from the Iran war has added more than $100 to the price of long-haul flights from Europe, a cost likely to trigger higher ticket prices, campaign group Transport & Environment (T&E) said.

The rise in jet fuel prices has increased the average fuel cost by $104 for each passenger on long-haul flights leaving Europe, T&E said. Its analysis compared prices as of April 16 with those just before the U.S. and Israeli war with Iran began on Feb. 28.

Jet fuel for a flight from Barcelona to Berlin would be $31 more expensive per passenger, while a long-haul trip from Paris to New York would cost $152 more in fuel, T&E estimated in its analysis published today.

European airlines are preparing for a challenging spring and summer, with jet fuel prices having risen to well over $100 a barrel since the Iran war began and concern growing that shortages could lead to flight cancellations. The European Union is set to respond with guidelines on managing limited jet fuel supply tomorrow.

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Mourners in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, carried the bodies of Hezbollah fighters killed during the conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group.

President Trump has posted a short message this morning, saying that “Iran has Violated the Cease Fire numerous times!”

It comes as the ceasefire is set to expire tomorrow and as the world watches for signs the two sides will meet for new peace talks in Pakistan.

U.S. forces boarded a sanctioned ship in international waters overnight that was providing material support for Iran, the Pentagon said this morning.

U.S. military board tanker M/T Tifani, in an image released today. @DeptofWar / via X

In a post on X, the Pentagon said that the vessel, identified as M/T Tifani, was stateless and sanctioned, and the boarding took place without incident in the area of responsibility of the United States Indo-Pacific Command.

“As we have made clear, we will pursue global maritime enforcement efforts to disrupt illicit networks and interdict sanctioned vessels providing material support to Iran—anywhere they operate,” the post said. “International waters are not a refuge for sanctioned vessels. The Department of War will continue to deny illicit actors and their vessels freedom of maneuver in the maritime domain.”

Israel’s actions in Lebanon are “totally unacceptable,” Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot said ahead of a meeting with E.U. foreign ministers in Luxembourg today.

“Israel’s conduct is completely unacceptable. Of course, we must firmly condemn Hezbollah’s initial attacks, which, in seeking to show solidarity with Iran, dragged Lebanon into a war it did not want, as well as Israel’s disproportionate and indiscriminate response,” Prevot said.

He also said Belgium is calling for at least a partial suspension of the EU’s Association’s Agreement with Israel, adding that Belgium is “aware that a full suspension is probably out of reach given the positions of the various European countries.”

An Iranian oil tanker entered Iran’s territorial waters last night after passing through the Arabian Sea with operational support from the country’s navy, Iran’s army said.

The semi-official news agency Fars reported that the army’s press office said that ship proceeded despite what it called multiple warnings and threats from the U.S. forces enforcing the blockade on Iranian ports.

The tanker has been stationed for several hours at one of the anchorages in Iran’s southern ports, the agency added.

There was no immediate reaction from Washington. U.S. forces seized an Iranian commercial ship on Sunday, which Iran has called “piracy” and vowed to retaliate for. 

Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong today conveyed China’s “full support and appreciation” to Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar for Islamabad’s mediation efforts, Pakistan’s foreign ministry said in a post on X.

“Discussions focused on the latest regional developments,” the ministry added.

It is unclear whether the talks will go ahead in Islamabad, as Iran says it has not yet sent a delegation.

Domestic flights will resume in Iran starting tomorrow, Iran Air announced earlier today.

The semi-official news agency Fars reported that the airline announced flights would resume after a 50-day suspension caused by the war.

The agency said a flight from Tehran to the eastern city of Mashhad is scheduled to depart tomorrow morning and a return flight will operate the same day.

It comes even as the ceasefire between Iran and the U.S. is set to expire tomorrow.

Only 12 vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours, Marine Traffic shows, as traffic through the key waterway remains low.

Four of the vessels were sailing under the Iranian flag, the shipping data site shows. Most of the 12 vessels passed through the Iranian-approved route off Bandar Abbas.

Traffic in the world’s most important oil chokepoint drastically reduced following Iran’s announcement it had reimposed “strict control” over Hormuz again on Saturday, just one day after they declared the complete opening of the strait.

There are still 12 vessels anchoring or sailing in the area, according to Marine Traffic.

Israel's war campaign has "not yet ended," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today, though he added, "we have already pushed away an existential threat from ourselves."

"We have returned all of our hostages, struck our enemies hard, and made Israel a nation stronger than ever before," Netanyahu said in Hebrew, marking Yom HaZikaron, the Remembrance Day for the Fallen of Israel’s Wars and Victims of Terror.

The possibility of the enemy resuming attacks is not low and Iran must be 100% prepared, its judiciary chief has said.

In comments carried by semi-official news agency Mehr News, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei said the enemy believed it could achieve its goals in a short time, but it has by no means achieved its intended objectives. An enemy that had goals and made efforts will certainly not stop its actions, Mohseni-Ejei said according to Mehr News.

The American regime’s blockade of Iran’s ports and coastlines, as well as its seizure of an Iranian commercial vessel in the waters of the Oman Sea, is a violation of the ceasefire and an example of a war crime, Mohseni-Ejei said.

We will certainly respond to these acts of aggression by the Americans, he added.

The conflict between Iran and the United States and Israel is creating the worst energy crisis ever faced by the world, the head of the International Energy Agency.

“This is indeed the biggest crisis in history,” Fatih Birol told France Inter radio in an interview broadcast earlier today.

“The crisis is already huge, if you combine the effects of the petrol crisis and the gas crisis with Russia,” he added.

The war in the Middle East has choked up maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, which is a conduit for a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas flows. It has also come on top of the effects of Russia’s war with Ukraine, which had already severed Russian gas supplies to Europe.

Birol had said earlier this month that he viewed the current situation in global energy markets as worse than previous crises in 1973, 1979 and 2022 combined.

The Iranian military is prepared to deliver a "decisive" and "immediate" response to renewed enemy threats and actions, Maj. Gen. Abdollahi, Commander of the Iranian military's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said today, according to the semi-official news agency Tasnim.

"The armed forces will not allow misuse or false and misleading narratives about the situation on the ground, especially regarding the management and control of the Strait of Hormuz," he said, referring to Trump as "lying and delusional."

The stage is set, but the lead actors haven’t turned up — not yet anyway.

For 24 hours parts of Pakistan’s capital have been locked down in anticipation of potentially decisive new talks between America’s Vice President JD Vance and Iran’s leadership.

 Aamir Qureshi / AFP via Getty Images

With the ceasefire set to expire there is added time pressure on all sides. The tension is palpable here.

Read the full story here.

Removing enriched uranium from Iran will be a “long and difficult process,” Trump said overnight, crediting last year’s U.S.-Israeli campaign with the “total obliteration” of Tehran’s nuclear sites.

It comes amid uncertainty over whether peace talks between Iran and the U.S. will continue in Pakistan this week, with the fate of the enriched uranium likely a key sticking point.

“Operation Midnight Hammer was a complete and total obliteration of the Nuclear Dust sites in Iran,” Trump wrote in a post on TruthSocial early this morning, referring to the June 2025 operation against Iran's nuclear sites. “Therefore, digging it out will be a long and difficult process,” he added.

A U.S. assessment found that operation destroyed only one of three Iranian nuclear sites.

The marathon talks in Islamabad earlier this month failed to reach a peace agreement. NBC News reported that the U.S. asked Iran during the talks for a 20-year suspension of uranium enrichment. Iran agreed to three to five years, which Trump has said was not acceptable, according to a person familiar with the ongoing negotiations.

The U.S. has also asked Iran to remove highly enriched uranium from the country, but Iran agreed to a “monitored process of down blending” — which is a process by which more dangerous, highly-enriched uranium is mixed with natural or less potent uranium to create a less potent material, the person added.

Iran has sent no delegation to Islamabad so far, the country's state broadcaster IRIB has said this morning.

"No Iranian diplomatic delegation—be it a primary or secondary team, or an initial or follow-up mission—has traveled to Islamabad, Pakistan so far," IRIB said in a post on X.

It comes as the world watches for signs that a new round of peace talks with the U.S. may go ahead of tomorrow's ceasefire deadline.

Trump said last night that if Iran does not negotiate the country will "see problems like they’ve never seen before."

“Well, they’re going to negotiate. And if they don’t, they’re going to see problems like they’ve never seen before,” Trump said in an interview on the John Fredericks Show.

“And they’re going to negotiate, and hopefully they’ll make a fair deal, and they’ll build their country back up.”

The Iranian foreign ministry condemned the U.S. seizure of an Iranian-flagged cargo ship, describing it as “piracy” and an “act of aggression” against Iran and demanding the crew be immediately released.

According to state media, the ministry called the Sunday night seizure of the Touska commercial vessel an “illegal and brutal act” that “constitutes piracy and a terrorist action.” It said the seizure near Iran’s coast in the Sea of Oman was “another clear breach” of the two-week U.S.-Iran ceasefire, which expires Wednesday.

U.S forces patrol near the Iranian-flagged cargo ship M/V Touska after it was boarded and seized by the U.S. on Sunday, in an image released yesterday. @CENTCOM / via X

U.S. officials said the Touska was attempting to breach a U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and that it had been seized after six hours of repeated warnings.

The Iranian foreign ministry said it had brought the matter to the attention of the United Nations, and that Iran would do everything in its power to defend its national interests and security. “Clearly, full responsibility for any further escalation in the region lies with America,” it said.

Two top Iranian officials likely to play a key role in peace negotiations have issued a consistent message overnight: Tehran won't negotiate under threat.

The man likely to lead Iran's team in possible new talks in Pakistan, Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said in a post on X last night that "we do not accept negotiations under the shadow of threat."

He warned that "over the past 2 weeks we have prepared to reveal new cards on the battlefield."

And this morning the Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan issued a similar warning, referencing the opening lines to the famous novel "Pride and Prejudice."

"It’s a truth universally acknowledged that a single country in possession of a large Civilisation, will Not negotiate under Threat and Force," said Reza Amiri Moghadam.

"This is a substantial, Islamic and theological principle. I wish the US would have perceived ...," he added.

Tehran has expressed outrage that Trump has maintained the U.S. Naval blockade of Iran even after it announced the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.