Trump says Iran is ‘going to negotiate’
US President Donald Trump told conservative radio host John Fredericks that Iran is “going to negotiate” ahead of peace talks expected to take place this week in Pakistan.
“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 a phone interview on The John Fredericks Show Monday, per CNN. “Hopefully they’ll make a fair deal, and they’ll build their country back up”.
Rachel Dobkin21 April 2026 03:00
Explained: The key issues preventing Iran and the US from striking a deal
With the ceasefire at risk of breaking down this week without a deal or extension, The Independent takes a look at the key obstacles to talks:
James Reynolds21 April 2026 02:30
Recap: Trump gives Wednesday PM deadline for ceasefire expiry
Donald Trump said the ceasefire with Iran would expire on “Wednesday evening Washington time” on Monday, with the deadline fast closing in.
The president clarified the deadline in a call with Bloomberg, in which he also said he was unlikely to accept a ceasefire extension.
“I’m not going to be rushed into making a bad deal. We’ve got all the time in the world,” he said.
Trump announced the two-week ceasefire with Iran on April 7, and had not specified when precisely it ends.
A Pakistani source involved in the talks said previously it would expire at 8pm ET on Wednesday, which would be midnight GMT or 3:30am Thursday in Iran.
James Reynolds21 April 2026 02:00
Watch: US forces release video intercepting Iranian-flagged cargo vessel amid blockadeUS forces release video intercepting Iranian-flagged cargo vessel amid blockade
James Reynolds21 April 2026 01:30
Editorial | Diplomacy with Iran is not yet over – but it’s hanging by a thread
The possible new round of US-Iran talks offers one sign that this stalemate could be broken, although it may be that current US demands will make any significant breakthrough difficult. Another – also difficult, but perhaps more promising – avenue might be through international solidarity. The meeting in Paris last week, chaired by the UK and France and involving almost 50 countries, coincided with Iran’s announcement that it was reopening the strait, which seemed to render its closing agreement – with its pledge of an international mission to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz “when conditions permit” – superfluous.
With the strait once again closed, the UK and France have an opportunity to capitalise on the solidarity shown in Paris, and push for freedom of navigation to be reinstated. This is not a call for military intervention – far from it. It is rather to underline that so many states with a single shared interest can, and should, use all the diplomatic means at their disposal to convince Iran to restore free passage.
If, as the US has stated on several occasions, the Strait of Hormuz is not vital to its interests, then it has nothing to lose from unblocking Iran’s ports in return for Iran allowing normal passage through the strait. The US, Israel and Iran could then move to settle their considerable differences without inflicting any more damage on the rest of the world.
Read The Independent’s editorial:
James Reynolds21 April 2026 01:00
Iran still deciding how to proceed, says FM
Iran is “taking all aspects into consideration” and “will decide on how to proceed” with diplomacy, Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi told his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar on Monday in a call regarding the US-Iranian ceasefire.
Iran’s foreign ministry thanked Pakistan for its mediation efforts in a statement. But it said that “continued violations of the ceasefire” remained an obstacle to the diplomatic process.
James Reynolds21 April 2026 00:30
Iconic A-10 Warthog to live on until 2030 following action in Iran conflict
The iconic A-10 Warthog attack aircraft will live on until at least 2030, sparing it from an earlier retirement deadline of 2026, it was announced on Monday.
Air Force Secretary Troy Meink wrote on social media that the platform would be extended, saying the move “preserves combat power as the Defense Industrial Base works to increase combat aircraft production.”
The decision is the latest chapter in a long-running battle over the fate of the plane, which first flew in 1976 and has been on the Pentagon’s chopping block for more than two decades.
The A-10 has been used in the current conflict with Iran, according to U.S. Central Command. Its powerful nose-mounted guns have been used against Iranian ships in the Strait of Hormuz, according to reports.
A US-AF Fairchild A-10C Thunderbolt II “Warthog” takes off from RAF Lakenheath on April 8, 2026 in Lakenheath (Getty)
James Reynolds21 April 2026 00:00
Israel and Lebanon ‘still to meet for historic talks’
Even as US-Iranian talks lost steam, historic diplomatic talks between Israel and Lebanon were set to resume Thursday in Washington, according to officials.
The Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors met last week for the first direct diplomatic talks in decades. Israel says the talks are aimed at disarming Hezbollah and reaching a peace agreement with Lebanon.
The 10-day ceasefire arrangement was still not without claims of violations.
In two separate encounters on Monday, the Israeli air force struck and killed Hezbollah militants that the military said approached its troops in a threatening way. Israel has carried out several airstrikes since the ceasefire went into effect.
James Reynolds20 April 2026 23:36
Recap: Trump gives Wednesday ceasefire deadline
Donald Trump said the ceasefire with Iran would expire on “Wednesday evening Washington time” on Monday, with the deadline fast closing in.
The president clarified the deadline in a call with Bloomberg, in which he also said he was unlikely to accept a ceasefire extension.
“I’m not going to be rushed into making a bad deal. We’ve got all the time in the world,” he said.
Trump announced the two-week ceasefire with Iran on April 7, and had not specified when precisely it ends.
A Pakistani source involved in the talks said previously it would expire at 8pm ET on Wednesday, which would be midnight GMT or 3:30am Thursday in Iran.
James Reynolds20 April 2026 23:14
EU has enough kerosene for five months, says Netherlands
The European Union has enough kerosene for about five months, drawing on domestic production and strategic reserves, the Dutch government estimated on Monday.
European airlines have warned of potential jet fuel shortages within weeks as a result of the Iran war.
The Dutch government said in a letter to parliament that domestic supply of kerosene, or jet fuel, is 78% of normal levels, as most imports have ceased. The Netherlands has several of Europe’s largest refineries in the Port of Rotterdam.
Outlining measures to shield households and businesses from rising energy costs, the government said European production of diesel and kerosene, combined with the use of strategic reserves of crude oil and oil products, could cover “several months” of demand if supply disruptions remain at current levels.
It said that this equates to about five months for kerosene, and more than a year for diesel and petrol, assuming reserves are fully used and not diverted elsewhere.
A cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran closed again on Sunday (AFP/Getty)
James Reynolds20 April 2026 23:00