Meanwhile, as the clock ticks down<\/a> toward the end of a fragile ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran, the future of peace negotiations remains very much uncertain, which we will discuss later in this story.<\/p>\n This afternoon, President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that he was extending the ceasefire deadline. You can read more about this later in the story.<\/p>\n \u201cOvernight, U.S. forces conducted a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding of the stateless sanctioned M\/T Tifani without incident in the INDOPACOM area of responsibility,\u201d the Pentagon stated Tuesday morning on X.\u2028\u201cAs we have made clear, we will pursue global maritime enforcement efforts to disrupt illicit networks and interdict sanctioned vessels providing material support to Iran\u2014anywhere they operate. 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Video released by the Pentagon shows about two dozen armed troops boarding two MH-60S Seahawk<\/a> helicopters on a U.S. Navy Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB) ship<\/a>. The video then cuts to the troops repelling onto the deck of the Tifani and searching that vessel.<\/p>\n Overnight, U.S. forces conducted a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding of the stateless sanctioned M\/T Tifani without incident in the INDOPACOM area of responsibility.\u2070\u2070As we have made clear, we will pursue global maritime enforcement efforts to disrupt illicit\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/EGwDe3dBI3<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Department of War \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@DeptofWar) April 21, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n The Pentagon did not say where the incident took place, however, according to MarineTraffic.com<\/a>, the Tifani was last located yesterday in the Indian Ocean, about halfway between Sri Lanka and Indonesia and some 2,000 miles southeast of Iran. <\/p>\n The Pentagon told us that \u201cmultiple agencies\u201d played a role in interdicting the ship.\u00a0We have reached out for additional details.<\/p>\n Gregory Brew, Senior Analyst, Iran and Oil for Eurasia Group, stated on X that the Tifani departed from Iran\u2019s Kharg Island on April 5 and that the ship appears to have continued sailing on after the boarding. We asked the Pentagon for more details about the ship\u2019s disposition and they referred us to the White House, which sent us back to the Pentagon.<\/p>\n Tifani embarked from Kharg on 5 April, bound for Singapore. <\/p>\n FWIW this post suggests the ship was boarded and searched but not seized.<\/p>\n As of 3 hours ago, it was still en route to Singapore, though its course had shifted south, per Kpler. https:\/\/t.co\/Em2P9ZRKrT<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Gregory Brew (@gbrew24) April 21, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n The ship was sanctioned under a 2018 executive order<\/a> issued by President Donald Trump during his first term designed to counter Iranian malign activities and prevent it from obtaining a nuclear weapon.<\/p>\n UPDATES<\/p>\n Our coverage is now closed for the day.<\/p>\n UPDATE: 7:55 PM EDT \u2013<\/p>\n U.S. military officials say forces are positioned for a potential return to combat at levels higher than at the start of the Iran war, CBS News reported, noting that multiple aircraft carriers, thousands of Marines and additional airpower are deployed across the region near the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n U.S. military officials say forces are positioned for a potential return to combat at levels higher than at the start of the Iran war, with multiple aircraft carriers, thousands of Marines and additional airpower deployed across the region near the Strait of Hormuz. @CharlieCBS<\/a>\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/FiZENC6kJI<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 CBS Evening News with Tony Dokoupil (@CBSEveningNews) April 21, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Iranians don\u2019t seem impressed with Trump\u2019s ceasefire extension.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udea8 BREAKING Iranian forces are on full readiness and would respond if any action were taken against Iran.<\/p>\n \u2014 IRIB (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting) (@iribnews_irib) April 21, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n See these alerts from an Iranian official hitting the Reuters’ wire:<\/p>\n * TRUMP’S CEASEFIRE EXTENSION MEANS NOTHING, THE LOSING SIDE CANNOT DICTATE TERMS, ADVISOR TO IRAN’S PALIAMENT SPEAKER \u2014 Phil Stewart (@phildstewart) April 21, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Trump gave the fractures in Iran\u2019s leadership as a main reason for extending the ceasefire.<\/p>\n On X, Ariel Oseran, a reporter for Israel\u2019s I24 news outlet, offered some insights into the fissures that exist.<\/p>\n How chaotic is the situation in Iran\u2019s leadership? A source in Iran\u2019s Parliament told Tasnim News that the statements made by Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf\u2019s advisor \u201cdo not necessarily represent the Speaker’s positions.\u201d<\/p>\n The advisor, Mahdi Mohammadi, said this evening that the\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/H4up5mHIIP<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Ariel Oseran \u0623\u0631\u064a\u0626\u0644 \u0623\u0648\u0633\u064a\u0631\u0627\u0646 (@ariel_oseran) April 21, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n UPDATE: 4:50 PM EDT \u2013<\/p>\n Trump took to Truth Social to announce an \u201cextended ceasefire\u201d with Iran at the request of Pakistan, but is maintaining the blockade.<\/p>\n \u201cBased 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,\u201d Trump wrote. \u201cI 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.\u201d<\/p>\n UPDATE: 1:32 PM EDT \u2013<\/p>\n Vance\u2019s trip to Pakistan for a second round of negotiations with Iran has been put on hold after Tehran failed to respond to American positions, The New York Times reported<\/a>, citing a U.S. official with direct knowledge of the situation. Iran, for its part, said it had not yet decided whether to resume talks with the United States.<\/p>\n Vance had been scheduled to depart Tuesday morning for the Pakistani capital, where talks were set to resume on Wednesday \u2014 the same day the fragile cease-fire between the United States and Iran is set to expire. Without an Iranian response, the official said, the diplomatic process is in effect paused, though the trip has not been canceled.<\/p>\n NYT REPORT: JD Vance was set to leave for Pakistan this morning. The trip has been postponed.<\/p>\n According to other reports, Vance is now headed to the White House<\/p>\n \u2014 Open Source Intel (@Osint613) April 21, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Meanwhile, the Houthis say they are prepared to resume fighting as they did when the Yemen-based Iranian proxies launched a campaign against Red Sea shipping<\/a> in 2024.<\/p>\n \u201cHouthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi says the Yemeni resistance movement will return to fighting if a fragile ceasefire that halted 40 days of American-Israeli aggression against Iran expires without an agreement to permanently end the war,\u201d the Iranian Press TV news outlet reported on Telegram<\/a>.<\/p>\n The status of peace talks in Pakistan remains murky. While Vice President JD Vance and other top officials are expected to leave for the negotiations today<\/a>, Iranian officials have yet to officially commit. The main sticking points remain the future of Iran\u2019s highly enriched uranium, the Strait of Hormuz, the status of its ballistic missile inventory and support for proxies like Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis of Yemen.<\/p>\n \u201cA diplomatic source in Pakistan says no diplomatic delegation from Iran has been dispatched to Islamabad \u2018so far,\u2019\u201d the official Iranian IRNA news agency stated on Tuesday. \u201cIn response to speculations about possible negotiations in Pakistan, a diplomatic source told IRNA on Tuesday that no delegation from Iran has arrived in the Pakistani capital.\u201d<\/p>\n The source clarified that \u201cneither official nor unofficial information has been received regarding any Iranian involvement in the negotiations in Islamabad.\u201d<\/p>\n #BREAKING<\/a>: #Pakistan<\/a> Information Minister: \u2014 Arab News (@arabnews) April 21, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n In a brief phone call, Trump told CNBC host Joe Kernan he thinks the U.S. is \u201cgoing to end up with a great deal\u201d with Iran to end the war, even as he said he does not expect to extend a ceasefire due to expire on Wednesday.<\/p>\n \u201cI think they have no choice,\u201d Trump said during an interview on CNBC\u2019s \u201cSquawk Box<\/a>,\u201d when asked what he expected to come out of a second round of peace negotiations with Iran. \u201cWe\u2019ve taken out their navy, we\u2019ve taken out their air force, we\u2019ve taken out their leaders.\u201d<\/p>\n President Trump breaks down ongoing negotiations with Iran on @SquawkCNBC<\/a> \ud83c\udf99\ufe0f<\/p>\n “I think we’re in a very strong negotiating position to do what other presidents should’ve done\u2026 we had 47 years with these bloodthirsty people.” \u2013 President Donald J. Trump \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 pic.twitter.com\/X7nceyI622<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 21, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n The president added that he is ready to resume the conflict if a deal with Iran does not appear in the offing.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I expect to be bombing because I think that\u2019s a better attitude to go in with \u2013 but we\u2019re ready to go,\u201d Trump answered when asked if he needs at least the prospect for a signed deal either today or tomorrow. <\/p>\n .@JoeSquawk<\/a>: “You’re saying that you need at least the prospects for a signed deal today and tomorrow or else you would resume bombing Iran?”@POTUS<\/a>: “Well, I expect to be bombing because I think that’s a better attitude to go in with \u2014 but we’re ready to go.” pic.twitter.com\/vEmOfes6Er<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 21, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Trump also said \u201cI don\u2019t want to do that,\u201d when asked if he would extend the ceasefire beyond tomorrow if talks with Iran appear promising.<\/p>\n Iran is banking on \u201cmarket meltdowns\u201d and domestic economic pressures to get Trump to back down on his demands, Fox News reporter Trey Yingst suggested Tuesday morning.<\/p>\n \u201cIran sees this as a game of endurance. They believe that time is on their side and that ultimately the domestic pressure, when it comes to energy markets and the stock market, will force President Trump to make a deal that\u2019s in their favor,\u201d he explained. \u201cThat is not the truth. That is not the reality\u2026The president and his counterparts in Israel have the ability to continue this operation for months if they need to.\u201d<\/p>\n TEHRAN\u2019S TACTICS: Senior regional intelligence source indicates that Iran is betting on a game of “endurance,” banking on market meltdowns and domestic distress to force President Trump into a deal.@TreyYingst<\/a>: “Iran sees this as a game of endurance. They believe that time is\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/HTMz1dVt8H<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 FOX & Friends (@foxandfriends) April 21, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Trump is \u201cmisleading\u201d the world about \u201cconditions on the ground,\u201d Iran\u2019s top military operational commander claimed.<\/p>\n \u201cHolding the upper hand, the Armed Forces do not allow the lying and delusional president of the United States to exploit the situation or fabricate false narratives about conditions on the ground, particularly regarding the management and control of the Strait of Hormuz, during periods of silence in military confrontation,\u201d proffered Major General Ali Abdollahi, commander of Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, which is responsible for coordinating operations between the country\u2019s Army and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC).<\/p>\n Abollahi added that the Armed Forces \u201cwill duly respond to any breach of commitments\u201d by the \u201cadversaries,\u201d a reference to the U.S. firing on and seizing<\/a> the Iranian cargo ship Touska on Sunday.<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s Armed Forces Ready to Deliver Decisive Response to Any Enemy Breach<\/p>\n Major Gen. Ali Abdollahi, commander of Central Khatam al-Anbiya HQ, declared that Iran\u2019s armed forces are fully prepared to deliver a decisive & immediate response to any breach of commitments by enemies. pic.twitter.com\/KzP1sIlEL3<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Tasnim News Agency (@Tasnimnews_EN) April 21, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Though the status of the peace talks is unclear, Pakistan has emerged as a winner on the world stage. However, it is an unlikely mediator, The Washington Post notes<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cPakistan does not formally recognize Israel, one of the key countries involved,\u201d the Post posited. \u201cIt became a nuclear power in secret, as the U.S. and Israel have accused Iran of seeking to do. And it did not start off on the right foot with President Donald Trump, who in his first term said Pakistan had given Washington \u2018nothing but lies and deceit.\u201d<\/p>\n But over the past year, \u201ca focused campaign to win Trump\u2019s favor appears to have paid off,\u201d the newspaper added. \u201cFor months, Pakistan\u2019s leaders wooed the Trump administration with flashy deals and public praise.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe read him right,\u201d said Mushahid Hussain Syed, the former chairman of the Pakistani Senate\u2019s Defense Committee. He said Pakistan recognized Trump\u2019s transactional approach to diplomacy early.<\/p>\n \u201cWe delivered, and we delivered big time,\u201d Syed said. \u201cWe gave him the three C\u2019s: crypto, critical minerals and counterterrorism.\u201d<\/p>\n Pakistan, a nuclear-armed power that doesn\u2019t recognize Israel, is hosting talks to end the Iran war despite not always getting along with President Trump.<\/p>\n The country improved ties with the U.S. through deals in crypto, minerals and counterterrorism. https:\/\/t.co\/KQPjiNH2nN<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) April 21, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Recent events in and around the Strait of Hormuz<\/a> \u2013 including the IRGC opening then closing the narrow body of water, its attack on several foreign vessels and the U.S. seizure of an Iranian cargo ship \u2013 are creating further instability in the world energy markets, according to global market intelligence firm Kpler.<\/p>\n Hormuz reopening misread<\/p>\n The declaration that the Strait of Hormuz was open prompted a rapid market repricing, with #oil<\/a> falling and risk assets rising. Yet the reopening was conditional, requiring IRGC-managed transit rather than offering free passage. A short-lived surge in\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/srAFRnb9M7<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Kpler (@Kpler) April 21, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Shipping giant Maersk is urging ships to avoid the region.<\/p>\n \u201cVolatility persists in the situation,\u201d the company stated<\/a>. \u201cIn coordination with our security partners, we have assessed that as of now, transit through the Strait should be avoided. We will continue monitoring developments and provide updates as clarity improves.\u201d<\/p>\n The International Maritime Organization<\/a> is \u201cworking on an evacuation plan for hundreds of ships that have been stuck in the Persian Gulf since US and Israeli strikes on Iran began more than seven weeks ago,\u201d Bloomberg News reports<\/a>, citing Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez.<\/p>\n The plan can only be put into action when there are clear signs of de-escalation, Dominguez said on the sidelines of Singapore Maritime Week on Tuesday. The United Nations agency would also need to ascertain if mines had been laid in the strait before sending ships through, he said.<\/p>\n Around 800 ships remain stuck in the Persian Gulf after traffic through the Strait of Hormuz slowed to a trickle<\/a> following the outbreak of the war. Tehran\u2019s threats and attacks on vessels had made most shipowners too nervous to attempt a transit, although the Islamic Republic had been allowing some vessels that followed approved routes to exit, and demanding payment in some cases.<\/p>\n The U.S. blockade of Iranian ports<\/a> on April 13 \u2014 aimed at depriving Iran of revenue for the war \u2014 has made the situation even more perilous.<\/p>\n Even if the war ended today and the Strait was reopened, it will likely take several months \u2013 and maybe even into next year \u2013 for U.S. domestic gasoline prices to drop back down to pre-war levels, Axios noted.<\/a><\/p>\n There is disagreement on this even in Washington. Energy Secretary Chris Wright told CNN<\/a> Sunday that gas might not drop all the way down to the pre-war level \u2014 just under $3 per gallon \u2014 until next year. President Trump, for his part, appeared to contradict Wright in comments to The Hill<\/a> Monday, seeing a faster drop.<\/p>\n However, researchers and analysts Axios interviewed \u201csee slower price drops \u2014 pretty close to Wright\u2019s prediction,\u201d the outlet posited.<\/p>\n \u201cEven in the most optimistic of these scenarios, in which flows through Hormuz recover quickly with no restrictions, U.S. retail gasoline prices are likely to face an uphill battle to return to pre-war levels until 2027,\u201d Rob Smith, S&P Global director of refining and marketing, told Axios.<\/p>\n China is lowering domestic retail gasoline and diesel price caps, Reuters reported<\/a>. This marks its first cut this year as global oil prices retreated from their peaks of the Iran war.<\/p>\n The price drop \u201cwill save a private car owner about $3.23 to fill a 50-litre tank of 92-octane gasoline,\u201d the outlet noted. \u201cHigh gasoline and diesel prices have sharply curbed retail consumption, leading to a surge in inventories at independent refineries and prompting widespread wholesale price cuts to clear stocks, Chinese consultancy Oilchem said.\u201d<\/p>\n Iraqi militias backed by Iran launched dozens of explosive drones at Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states during more than five weeks of fighting, in what is becoming a shadowy war within a war pushing some of the world\u2019s largest oil producers toward open conflict, according to The Wall Street Journal<\/a>.<\/p>\n According to at least one Saudi assessment described by a person familiar with it, up to half of the nearly 1,000 drone attacks on the kingdom came from inside Iraq, the publication pointed out.<\/p>\n Iraqi militias backed by Iran launched dozens of explosive drones at Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states during more than five weeks of fighting, in what is becoming a shadowy war within a war https:\/\/t.co\/16B5sxake9<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Tifani1.jpg\")
The oil tanker M\/T Tifani with a U.S. Navy Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB) ship in the background. (Pentagon) <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Tifrani2.jpg\")
A U.S. Navy MH-60S Seahawk helicopter hovers over the deck of the Tifani. (Pentagon) <\/p>\n
Iran\u2019s central military HQ: in light of repeated statements by the U.S. president and American military commanders, Iran is monitoring the situation closely.<\/p>\n
* CONTINUATION OF THE BLOCKADE IS NO DIFFERENT FROM BOMBARDMENT AND MUST BE MET WITH A\u2026<\/p>\n
.Formal response from #Iranian<\/a> side about confirmation of delegation to attend Islamabad talks is still awaited
.Pakistan made sincere efforts to convince Iranian leadership to participate in second round of talks, efforts continue\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/cw9rPb1F6X<\/a><\/p>\n