\u201cI don\u2019t want to do that. We don\u2019t have that much time,\u201d Trump said when asked about the possibility of extending the ceasefire.<\/p>\n
Trump also said that the US was in a strong negotiating position with Iran<\/a> and would end up with a \u201cgreat deal\u201d.<\/p>\n He said there is not \u201cmuch time\u201d to reach a deal, adding that Tehran can get themselves on \u201ca very good footing\u201d if they settle on one with Washington.<\/p>\n \u201cI expect to be bombing \u2018cause that would be a better attitude,\u201d the president later told CNBC.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.23 EDT<\/p>\n Key events<\/p>\n Show key events only<\/p>\n Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature<\/p>\n Israel\u2019s military said Tuesday it has sentenced two soldiers to 30 days in jail and removed them from combat duty for smashing a statue of Jesus Christ in Lebanon<\/a>.<\/p>\n Images of an Israeli soldier with a sledgehammer smashing the statue\u2019s head emerged over the weekend, bringing widespread condemnation, AP reported.<\/p>\n Israel said one of the soldiers being punished hammered the statue to the ground. The other filmed the destruction.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Trump says Iranian leaders will ‘soon be in negotiations’ with US<\/p>\n In another Truth Social post, Donald Trump<\/a> said Iranian \u201cleaders\u201d will soon be in negotiations with his \u201crepresentatives\u201d \u2013 presumably the vice president, JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff and the president\u2019s son-in-law Jared Kushner.<\/p>\n Attaching his post with unverified news alleging that Iran<\/a> is planning to hang eight women, Trump said: \u201cI would greatly appreciate the release of these women. I am sure that they will respect the fact that you did so. Please do them no harm! Would be a great start to our negotiations!!!\u201d<\/p>\n Iranian officials have not publicly confirmed that a delegation will attend a new round of peace talks, although the Associated Press reports that JD Vance and Iran\u2019s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, will arrive in Islamabad tomorrow morning to lead their teams in negotiations.<\/p>\n Earlier, Ghalibaf said Tehran is preparing \u201cnew cards on the battlefield\u201d if the war with the US resumes after the ceasefire expires tomorrow. Trump has expressed his reluctance to extend the Wednesday deadline.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a010.03 EDT<\/p>\n US ‘much more powerful than five weeks ago’, claims Trump in CNBC interview<\/p>\n Some more from the CNBC interview now. When asked about his threats to bomb Iranian bridges and the country\u2019s electrical grid, Trump, without providing any evidence to support his comments, said: \u201cIt\u2019s not my choice but it would also hurt them, it would hurt them militarily. They use the bridges for their weapons, for their missile movements.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey are trying to move the missiles because we have obliterated most of their missiles and they are trying to move their missiles around even during the ceasefire.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe are totally loaded up. We have so much ammo, we have so much of everything\u2026 Much more powerful than it was four or five weeks ago. So we have used this to restock and they probably have done a little bit of restocking.\u201d<\/p>\n Donald Trump has reiterated his threats to attack Iran\u2019s infrastructure if Tehran does not agree to a deal with the US. Photograph: Tasos Katopodis\/Getty Images<\/p>\n The US president previously threatened to bomb Iran\u2019s water treatment facilities as well as its power plants and bridges if Tehran did not agree to abandon its nuclear weapons programme \u2013 a key sticking point between the two sides. Many legal experts agree<\/a> that mass bombing of civilian infrastructure in Iran would constitute a war crime.<\/p>\n Trump goes on to suggest that he suspects China may have helped Iran during the US- Israeli war against the country.<\/p>\n \u201cWe caught a ship yesterday that had some things on it, which wasn\u2019t very nice, a gift from China perhaps,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t know, but I\u2019m sort of surprised, but because I have a very good relationship, and I thought I had an understanding with President Xi, but that\u2019s all right. That\u2019s the way war goes, right?\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a010.00 EDT<\/p>\n Trump says he does not want to extend ceasefire with Iran<\/p>\n President Donald Trump<\/a> told CNBC in an interview on Tuesday that he did not want to extend a ceasefire with Iran, adding the US was in a strong negotiating position and would end up with what he called a great deal.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want to do that. We don\u2019t have that much time,\u201d Trump said when asked about the possibility of extending the ceasefire.<\/p>\n Trump also said that the US was in a strong negotiating position with Iran<\/a> and would end up with a \u201cgreat deal\u201d.<\/p>\n He said there is not \u201cmuch time\u201d to reach a deal, adding that Tehran can get themselves on \u201ca very good footing\u201d if they settle on one with Washington.<\/p>\n \u201cI expect to be bombing \u2018cause that would be a better attitude,\u201d the president later told CNBC.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.23 EDT<\/p>\n Lebanon\u2019s prime minister and French president Emmanuel Macron will discuss on Tuesday how to strengthen the country\u2019s hand in possible direct negotiations with Israel in the United States later this week, as Beirut turns to a trusted European ally.<\/p>\n The US will host ambassador-level talks with Israel and Lebanon on Thursday, although it remains unclear whether the objective is to extend a fragile 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah<\/a> or pave the way for deeper negotiations.<\/p>\n Israeli troops occupy territory deep in the south, aiming to create a buffer zone to shield northern Israel<\/a> from Hezbollah attack, while the group says it maintains the \u201cright to resist\u201d Israeli occupation.<\/p>\n \u201cFrance\u2019s role is not to insert itself between the parties in discussions that are, by nature, bilateral and direct,\u201d a French presidency official said ahead of prime minister Nawaf Salam\u2019s meeting with Macron.<\/p>\n \u201cFrance is one of the countries capable of playing a very concrete role in strengthening the Lebanese government\u2019s hand and supporting its action in practical terms.\u201c<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Well, it looks like there was some miscommunication with our video service and there is in fact no Pete Hegseth press conference today.<\/p>\n We will all have to wait a little while longer to hear his latest pearls of wisdom and unique take on the US-Israeli war on Iran.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n The US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, is due to give a war briefing at the Pentagon alongside Gen Dan Caine, the chair of the joint chiefs of staff, in about five minutes.<\/p>\n Stay with us as we will be covering it live and will attach a feed of the briefing at the top of the blog.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a008.14 EDT<\/p>\n The Pentagon says US forces boarded the sanctioned M\/T Tifani tanker overnight \u201cwithout incident\u201d in the Asia Pacific region.<\/p>\n \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 \u2013 anywhere they operate,\u201d the US Department of Defense wrote in a post on X<\/a>.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>US and Iran signal they will return to Pakistan for ceasefire talks – report<\/p>\n The Associated Press is reporting that two regional officials have said the US and Iran<\/a> have indicated they will hold a new round of the ceasefire talks in Islamabad, Pakistan\u2019s capital.<\/p>\n Officials told the news agency that \u201cPakistan-led mediators\u201d received confirmation that the US vice-president JD Vance and Iran\u2019s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf will arrive in Islamabad tomorrow morning to lead their teams in the talks.<\/p>\n We have not been able to independently verify this report. Iran, which has sent mixed messages about the talks, has said speculation about them sending a delegation to Pakistan should not be believed.<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s state broadcaster earlier dismissed \u201crumours\u201d about the departure or arrival (times) of the delegation being spread by unnamed \u201cinternational outlets and regional sources\u201d.<\/p>\n Yesterday evening, Ghalibaf said in a social media post 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 Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a007.41 EDT<\/p>\n Trump claims Iran has ‘violated’ ceasefire agreement ‘numerous times’<\/p>\n In an extremely brief Truth Social post, the US president, Donald Trump<\/a>, has said that \u201cIran has violated the ceasefire numerous times\u201d, without specifying what these breaches were.<\/p>\n His comments come amid continuing uncertainty over whether a second round of peace talks between Iran<\/a> and the US will take place in Pakistan today.<\/p>\n On Sunday, Trump accused Iran of firing on ships passing through the strait of Hormuz in what he claimed was in violation of the ceasefire agreement due to expire tomorrow.<\/p>\n A spokesperson for Iran\u2019s foreign ministry, however, said it was Washington\u2019s blockade of the waterway that was a violation of the agreement. Trump said on Friday that the naval blockade of Iranian ports would continue until a deal was reached.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a007.20 EDT<\/p>\n At least 26 Iranian ‘shadow fleet’ vessels have slipped through US blockade of strait of Hormuz<\/p>\n At least 26 Iranian \u201cshadow fleet\u201d vessels have bypassed the US naval blockade of the strait of Hormuz, according to Lloyd\u2019s List.<\/p>\n Since the US blockade took effect on 13 April, as many as 26 vessels have continued moving in and out of Iranian ports and have exported Iranian-origin cargo, maritime data shows. Lloyd\u2019s List said 11 tankers laden with Iranian cargo have left the Gulf of Oman or the Middle East Gulf since 13 April.<\/p>\n Iran officially closed the strait \u2013 to \u201chostile\u201d countries – on 4 March in response to US-Israeli airstrikes on the country, and briefly declared it back open<\/a> on Friday after a 10-day ceasefire deal<\/a> was agreed between Israel and Lebanon.<\/p>\n But Iranian officials said over the weekend they were effectively closing the vital waterway again after the US said it would not end its blockade of Iranian ports<\/a>.<\/p>\n Since the blockade began, the US has directed 27 vessels to turn around or return to an Iranian port, according to a social media post<\/a> published by Centcom yesterday.<\/p>\n Strait of Hormuz locator. <\/a>Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a007.14 EDT<\/p>\n China\u2019s ambassador to Pakistan, Jiang Zaidong, has expressed his \u201cfull support\u201d of Pakistan\u2019s mediation efforts between the US and Iran<\/a>.<\/p>\n In a post on X<\/a>, Pakistan\u2019s foreign ministry said talks between the country\u2019s deputy prime minister Ishaq Dar, who also serves as foreign minister, and Zaidong focused on the \u201clatest regional developments\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cAmb Zaidong conveyed China\u2019s full support for and appreciation of Pakistan\u2019s continued efforts to facilitate engagement between US and Iran for sustained peace and stability in the region and beyond,\u201d the ministry said.<\/p>\n During a phone call with Saudi Arabia\u2019s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that \u201cnormal traffic\u201d through the strait of Hormuz \u201cshould be maintained\u201d and, according to state media, said China \u201cadvocates for an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire\u201d.<\/p>\n China is widely seen to have benefited from the US-Israel war on Iran as it has enabled Beijing to boost its diplomatic power and the country\u2019s fossil fuel stockpiles and diversified energy mix insulated it from the worst of the oil shock, as my colleague notes in this analysis piece<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Chinese yuan has also been used by ships that have paid tolls to Iran for safe transit across the strait of Hormuz, according to reports.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a006.37 EDT<\/p>\n The internet blackout in Iran has entered its 53rd day, according to internet monitoring group NetBlocks. It said in a post on its website<\/a>:<\/p>\n double quotation markThe Iran internet blackout is now in its 53rd day after 1248 hours of disconnection from global networks.<\/p>\n As authorities work to develop tiered access for select users and businesses, the human impacts and economic harms of this digital censorship measure continue to spiral.<\/p>\n A select number of officials are still able to use the internet and post regularly on social media about the war. There was an earlier internet shutdown in January<\/a> during nationwide protests, which helped obscure extreme violence against Iran\u2019s population<\/a>.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a006.14 EDT<\/p>\n Belgium\u2019s foreign minister Maxime Prevot has described Israel\u2019s military actions in Lebanon<\/a> as \u201ctotally unacceptable\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cIsrael\u2019s conduct is completely unacceptable. Of course, we must firmly condemn Hezbollah\u2019s initial attacks, which, in seeking to show solidarity with Iran, dragged Lebanon into a war it did not want, as well as Israel\u2019s disproportionate and indiscriminate response,\u201d Prevot said ahead of a meeting with EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg.<\/p>\n He also said Belgium is calling for at least a partial suspension of the EU\u2019s Association\u2019s Agreement with Israel, adding that Belgium is \u201caware that a full suspension is probably out of reach given the positions of the various European countries\u201d ( see post at 09.19 <\/a>for more details).<\/p>\n Israel started a war on Lebanon on 2 March when Hezbollah, the Iranian backed Lebanese militant group and political party, launched rocket fire at Israel<\/a> after US-Israeli airstrikes killed former Iranian supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, in Tehran.<\/p>\n The aftermath of Israeli warplanes launching intense airstrikes on a residential neighbourhood in Tyre, southern Lebanon, before a ceasefire took effect. Photograph: Abdul Kader Al Bay\/ZUMA Press Wire\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n The IDF responded with a wave of intense strikes across Lebanon, targeting what it claimed was Hezbollah infrastructure, though many civilians were killed (over 2,290, according to the health ministry), homes destroyed and over 1.2 million people displaced across the country.<\/p>\n During the war, Israel also launched a ground invasion several kilometres into Lebanese territory, with a stated goal<\/a> to push Hezbollah back from the border in order to stop the ability of the group to fire rockets into communities in northern Israel. Israeli officials now say Israel will stay in control of dozens of towns and villages as part of what it describes as a security buffer zone \u2013 but from the ground this looks like a prelude to long term occupation.<\/p>\n The US state department will host new talks on Thursday between Israel and Lebanon, an American official told the AFP news agency, after a previous meeting saw the start of a 10-day ceasefire that took effect on 16 April.<\/p>\n Hezbollah is of the view that direct peace talks are a form of national humiliation and are about trying to pressure the group into laying down its weapons. The Lebanese president, Joseph Aoun, who wants to end the Israeli occupation of southern areas of his country and stop future Israeli attacks, is in favour of engaging in the talks.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a005.22 EDT<\/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 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 Updated at\u00a005.34 EDT<\/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![\"Jakub](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1776782291_347_Jakub_Krupa.png\")
Jakub Krupa<\/p>\n