Though Iran had briefly opened the strait of Hormuz on Friday, it closed it again (to \u201chostile\u201d countries at least) on Saturday<\/a> because the US would not lift its counter-blockade.<\/p>\n The commander\u2019s comments come after the Iranian parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who is expected to head the Iranian delegation if peace talks take place in Pakistan, said yesterday evening that his country would not attend negotiations while under threat \u2013 and warned they were \u201cprepared to reveal new cards on the battlefield\u201d.<\/p>\n Trump, who sees the resumption of shipping levels in the strait of Hormuz to pre-war levels as a priority, has threatened to resume bombing if an agreement is not reached by Wednesday\u2019s deadline.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a003.42 EDT<\/p>\n Key events<\/p>\n Show key events only<\/p>\n Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature<\/p>\n No Iranian delegation has departed for Pakistan yet – state TV<\/p>\n Iranian state TV is reporting that no Iranian delegation has yet departed for Pakistan to attend peace talks with the US. It is not clear yet if they will attend the talks today despite pressure from mediators including Pakistan to do so.<\/p>\n The country\u2019s state broadcaster wrote in a post on Telegram that \u201cno delegation from Iran has travelled to Islamabad, neither a primary nor a secondary, neither initial nor follow-up.\u201d<\/p>\n Axios, meanwhile, is reporting<\/a> that the US vice-president JD Vance is due to leave for Islamabad by Tuesday morning for talks with Iran, a day before the ceasefire expires.<\/p>\n Steve Witkoff, Donald Trump\u2019s special envoy who often acts like a de facto secretary of state, and Jared Kushner, the president\u2019s son-in-law and adviser, are also expected to travel to the Pakistani capital for the talks.<\/p>\n Iran has been stalling because of possible pressure from the Revolutionary Guards on the negotiators to adopt a firmer line and insist there cannot be diplomacy while the US is blockading the strait of Hormuz, according to the Axios report.<\/p>\n Iran holds a deep mistrust of the US as it has been attacked before during previous negotiations.<\/p>\n Security forces take extensive measures ahead of a possible second round of talks between US and Iranian delegations in Islamabad, Pakistan, on 21 April, 2026. Photograph: Muhammed Semih Ugurlu\/Anadolu\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n You can keep up with the latest developments on the EU and from around the continent in our Europe live blog:<\/p>\n Share<\/a> Spain\u2019s foreign minister Jos\u00e9 Manuel Albares has just confirmed that Spain, Slovenia and Ireland have requested a discussion on suspending the EU\u2019s association treaty with Israel<\/a> at today\u2019s meeting of the bloc\u2019s foreign ministers.<\/p>\n He said the process was about the EU\u2019s \u201ccredibility\u201d on all other issues, as the bloc is expected to stand \u201cfor the same principles\u201d everywhere.<\/p>\n He said that if the EU is \u201cnot capable to say today to Israel\u201d that it is expected to respect human rights and international law, and not make war a foreign policy tool, \u201cwe are going to lose that credibility.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe have to say the same thing that we say to Russia concerning Ukraine, and that we say in other scenarios, and since the last time we brought this same position, things have worsened,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n double quotation markEuropean Union has to say today very clearly to Israel that that change is needed. That\u2019s not the right path, and that while Israel continues in that path of a permanent perpetual war, we will not be able to [run our relations] in the same way.<\/p>\n He said that if suspending the association treaty in full is unacceptable for some members, the bloc should consider suspending at least the trade element of the deal.<\/p>\n Jos\u00e9 Manuel Albares said Spain, Slovenia and Ireland have requested a discussion on suspending the EU\u2019s association treaty with Israel. Photograph: Virginia Mayo\/APShare<\/a><\/p>\n Israel is continuing its attacks on Gaza, where the humanitarian situation remains dire despite a ceasefire.<\/p>\n At least four Palestinian people have been killed by Israeli attacks in the southern and northern parts of the Gaza Strip so far today, Palestinian news agency Wafa is reporting<\/a>.<\/p>\n In its latest update, Gaza\u2019s health ministry said at least 72,560 Palestinian people have been killed and 172,317 others injured in Israeli attacks on Gaza since 7 October 2023.<\/p>\n At least 784 Palestinian people have been killed in Israeli attacks since a ceasefire came into effect in October 2025, according to the ministry, whose figures the UN generally find reliable.<\/p>\n Most of the people killed have been civilians and the true death toll is likely much higher given the number of people still buried under rubble across the territory.<\/p>\n People walk past homes destroyed by Israeli airstrikes on 20 April 2026 in Gaza City. Photograph: Ahmad Hasaballah\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Aid groups say<\/a> broken infrastructure and inconsistent electricity have turned untreated sewage into a growing public health risk, and there is a view that the US and Israeli war on Iran has resulted in even higher prices for food and other essentials.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Iran will respond decisively to any renewed hostile action, senior commander warns<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s armed forces are ready to deliver an \u201cimmediate and decisive response\u201d to any renewed hostile action by its adversaries, Ali Abdollahi, commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, was quoted by the Tasnim news agency as having said.<\/p>\n He said Tehran had the upper hand militarily, including in the management of the strait of Hormuz, and would not allow Donald Trump<\/a> to \u201ccreate false narratives over the situation on the ground.\u201d<\/p>\n Though Iran had briefly opened the strait of Hormuz on Friday, it closed it again (to \u201chostile\u201d countries at least) on Saturday<\/a> because the US would not lift its counter-blockade.<\/p>\n The commander\u2019s comments come after the Iranian parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who is expected to head the Iranian delegation if peace talks take place in Pakistan, said yesterday evening that his country would not attend negotiations while under threat \u2013 and warned they were \u201cprepared to reveal new cards on the battlefield\u201d.<\/p>\n Trump, who sees the resumption of shipping levels in the strait of Hormuz to pre-war levels as a priority, has threatened to resume bombing if an agreement is not reached by Wednesday\u2019s deadline.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a003.42 EDT<\/p>\n The US-Israel war on Iran<\/a> is creating the worst energy crisis ever faced by the world, the head of the International Energy Agency (IEA), which advises 32 member countries on energy supply and security, said.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is indeed the biggest crisis in history,\u201d Fatih Birol told France Inter radio in an interview broadcast this morning.<\/p>\n \u201cThe crisis is already huge, if you combine the effects of the petrol crisis and the gas crisis with Russia.\u201d<\/p>\n Birol has said<\/a> it will take about two years to recover the energy \u200boutput lost in the Middle East from the war there.<\/p>\n Fatih Birol, the IEA\u2019s executive director, said earlier this month that he viewed the current crisis in global energy markets as worse than the previous ones in 1973, 1979 and 2022 combined. Photograph: Yves Herman\/Reuters<\/p>\n In response to US-Israeli attacks on Iran in late February, Tehran effectively closed the strait of Hormuz to vessels, only allowing a relatively small number of ships from \u201cfriendly\u201d countries like China, Malaysia and Pakistan through.<\/p>\n The effective closure of the strait, via which about 20% of the world\u2019s oil and liquefied natural gas is usually transported through, and damage to regional infrastructure have produced the largest disruption to the global oil market in its history, the IEA said.<\/p>\n It has lead to fears of a global recession and sent global energy prices soaring, prompting countries to implement fuel rationing and restrictions on electricity consumption.<\/p>\n The US continues to blockade the strait after seizing an Iranian-flagged cargo ship on Sunday, only prolonging the economic pain felt around the world, especially for poorer countries that rely on energy imports.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a003.11 EDT<\/p>\n The UN security council has condemned the killing of a French peacekeeper and the injuring of three others in an attack in southern Lebanon<\/a>.<\/p>\n The UN interim force in Lebanon (Unifil) said on the weekend that a patrol clearing explosive ordnance along a road in Ghanduriyah village to re-establish links with isolated Unifil positions came under \u201csmall-arms fire from non-state-actors\u201d.<\/p>\n The UN statement on Monday said:<\/p>\n double quotation markThe members of the security council condemned in the strongest terms the attack … [and] reaffirmed their full support for Unifil.<\/p>\n France has blamed Hezbollah<\/a> for the attack on Saturday, but the Lebanese militant group and political party denied involvement.<\/p>\n Hezbollah called for \u201ccaution in making judgements and assigning blame regarding the incident, pending the Lebanese army\u2019s investigation to determine the full circumstances\u201d.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Here are some of the latest images coming in from around the Middle East in the ninth week since the US-Israel war on Iran<\/a> began.<\/p>\n Representatives from more than a dozen foreign diplomatic missions, UN offices and the media tour damage to sites targeted by US-Israeli strikes in Tehran. Photograph: Majid Saeedi\/Getty ImagesA commercial vessel is seen off the coast of Dubai amid Iran\u2019s closure of the strait of Hormuz after a brief opening. Photograph: AFP\/Getty ImagesAn Israeli soldier places a flag with a black ribbon on the grave of a fallen soldier ahead of the country\u2019s annual memorial day (Yom Hazikaron) observances in Tel Aviv, Israel. Photograph: Amir Levy\/Getty ImagesMourners carry the flag-draped caskets of Hezbollah members killed in southern Lebanon during their funeral in the Kafaat area in Beirut\u2019s southern suburbs. Photograph: Fadel Itani\/AFP\/Getty ImagesA man drives children on an electric bicycle past an election campaign banner showing candidates for the Jericho governorate ahead of municipal elections in the Israeli-occupied West Bank city of Jericho. Photograph: Marco Longari\/AFP\/Getty ImagesA woman passes next of a poster of Iran\u2019s late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in front of a destroyed building in Dahiyeh, Beirut\u2019s southern suburbs. Photograph: Hussein Malla\/APIsraelis visit the graves of fallen soldiers at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem on national memorial day. Photograph: Erik Marmor\/Getty ImagesA man feeds stray cats in a park in Tehran amid the US-Iran ceasefire. Photograph: AFP\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a002.23 EDT<\/p>\n Continued from last post<\/a>:<\/p>\n The Iranian side had sought to portray the talks as simply a first step. However, actions taken by Trump in the aftermath \u2013 including a US naval blockade on the strait of Hormuz and inflammatory claims made in social media posts \u2013 had led the Iranians to push back from suggestions of further negotiations under the threat of \u201cforce\u201d.<\/p>\n Last week, Pakistan\u2019s army chief spent three days in Tehran, in an attempt to salvage the negotiations and get a second round of Islamabad talks back on track.<\/p>\n While both sides initially agreed to returning to negotiations this week, the Iranians then reversed their decision over the weekend after the US navy seized an Iranian ship, an act they called \u201cpiracy\u201d that would have \u201cgrave consequences\u201d. By Wednesday morning, it was still unclear if Iran would be sending their team back to Islamabad as hoped.<\/p>\n Speaking on Tuesday night, Trump said Iran would have to negotiate or \u201cface problems like they\u2019ve never seen\u201d.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a002.25 EDT<\/p>\n For Pakistan, much is riding on the success of this second round of talks.<\/p>\n Pakistan\u2019s government and military have been intricately involved and invested in bringing about a ceasefire between the US and Iran<\/a> for weeks, and have been credited with pushing both sides to the table.<\/p>\n It was efforts led by Pakistan\u2019s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, that helped finalise a temporary ceasefire on 8 April, bringing US president Donald Trump back from the brink after his threat to annihilate Iran\u2019s entire civilisation.<\/p>\n It was seen as a diplomatic triumph for Pakistan when both sides turned up for the first round of talks in Islamabad on 11 April, even as mistrust ran high between their negotiating teams. Iran sent two planeloads of senior officials to attend, which was seen as a sign of their seriousness to bring about a permanent end to the war.<\/p>\n Motorcyclists ride past a billboard featuring Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif (centre) and army chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir (left) in Islamabad on 20 April. Photograph: Asif Hassan\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n The talks started indirectly through Pakistani mediators, and then moved to face-to-face talks, led by US vice-president JD Vance on the US side and parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on the Iranian side.<\/p>\n The negotiations took place over 21 hours, during which time Vance was said to have phoned president Donald Trump more than a dozen times.<\/p>\n But as Vance boarded a flight back to Washington on 12 April, it was empty handed, having claimed the Iranians would not reach a deal on their nuclear programme.<\/p>\n Continued next post<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a002.27 EDT<\/p>\n Tehran denounces US seizure of Iranian ship<\/p>\n Iran has condemned what it labelled the \u201cmaritime piracy\u201d of the US seizing an Iranian-flagged container ship<\/a> and says it is a \u201cfurther complication\u201d of the Middle East situation.<\/p>\n The US military attacked the ship on Sunday as it attempted to get past an American blockade near the strait of Hormuz \u2013 the first such interception since the blockade of Iranian ports began last week.<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s foreign affairs ministry called for the immediate release of the vessel and its sailors, crew and their families, saying the seizure not only violated international law but was another \u201cclear violation\u201d of the ceasefire agreement with the US.<\/p>\n The ministry\u2019s statement on Tuesday \u2013 which Iran\u2019s semi-official Tasnim news agency posted on X<\/a> \u2013 said Iran had drawn the UN\u2019s attention to the incident and called for a \u201cserious condemnation and response from international institutions and responsible governments\u201d.<\/p>\n US Central Command said marines had departed the USS Tripoli assault ship by helicopter and rappelled on to the Touska on Sunday.<\/p>\n The weekend news threw into question Donald Trump\u2019s announcement that US negotiators would head to Pakistan<\/a> for another round of talks amid the expiry of the US-Iran ceasefire on Wednesday.<\/p>\n Trump said the ship was under US treasury sanctions because of a \u201cprior history of illegal activity\u201d.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a003.33 EDT<\/p>\n Trump says recovering Iran’s uranium will be ‘long and difficult’<\/p>\n Donald Trump has said retrieving uranium from Iran will be a \u201clong and difficult\u201d process in the wake of the US bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities last year.<\/p>\n \u201cOperation Midnight Hammer was a complete and total obliteration of the Nuclear Dust sites in Iran,\u201d the president posted<\/a> on his Truth Social platform overnight to Tuesday.<\/p>\n double quotation markTherefore, digging it out will be a long and difficult process.\u201d<\/p>\n Trump has used nuclear dust to refer to Iran\u2019s stockpile of enriched uranium but also to nuclear materials left from the June strikes.<\/p>\n The US president claimed after the bombardment that it had \u201cobliterated\u201d Iran\u2019s nuclear program, but as Peter Beaumont<\/a> reported, it soon became apparent this was not true<\/a>. The bombs had wreaked extensive damage but deep underground sites \u2013 burrowed beneath mountains in two sites in particular, Isfahan and Natanz \u2013 could not be destroyed.<\/p>\n A satellite picture of Iran\u2019s Fordow fuel enrichment plant, north-east of the city of Qom, after the US airstrikes in June last year. Photograph: Satellite image \u00a92025 Maxar Technologies\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n In Trump\u2019s latest post he also hit out at news outlets, saying:<\/p>\n double quotation markFake News CNN, and other corrupt Media Networks and Platforms, fail to give our great aviators the credit they deserve – Always trying to demean and belittle – LOSERS!!!\u201d<\/p>\n The future of Iran\u2019s nuclear material has become a key sticking point between the US and Iran in their ongoing standoff. Trump last week claimed Iran had agreed to hand over its enriched uranium to the US, prompting Iran to say it hadn\u2019t.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a001.31 EDT<\/p>\n On Tuesday morning, Islamabad sat poised and ready to host a second round of talks \u2013 even as uncertainty reigned over whether both sides would even turn up.<\/p>\n Pakistani officials remained optimistic that the second round of negotiations would happen, even as Iranian ministers said they would refuse to come to the table under the threat of \u201cforce\u201d and it remained unclear exactly when US vice-president JD Vance planned to depart Washington for Islamabad.<\/p>\n Roads were shut down around Islamabad\u2019s five-star Serena hotel, where the first round of negotiations took place over a tense 21 hours, but failed to strike any deal.<\/p>\n Police stand guard on a road leading to the Serena hotel in Islamabad as Pakistan prepares to host a second-round of US-Iran talks, despite uncertainly over the meeting will occur. Photograph: Akhtar Soomro\/Reuters<\/p>\n Over the past few days, Islamabad and other major cities have been grappling with blackouts lasting more than seven hours, as the country faces a grave energy shortage due to the ongoing blockade of the strait of Hormuz \u2013 bringing home the economic gravity of these talks for south Asian countries.<\/p>\n Neighbouring Bangladesh warned this week that its mobile network would soon face a shutdown as they were running out of fuel to run the power stations.<\/p>\n Islamabad\u2019s electricity board released a statement on Monday night making assurances there would be enough electricity to ensure that US and Iranian negotiators were not plunged into darkness for the duration of their meeting.<\/p>\n![\"Jakub](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Jakub_Krupa.png\")
Jakub Krupa<\/p>\n![\"Hannah](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1776762851_400_Hannah_Ellis-Petersen.png\")
Hannah Ellis-Petersen<\/p>\nHannah Ellis-Petersen<\/p>\nHannah Ellis-Petersen<\/p>\n