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Associated Press
- April 19, 2026 08:21 am
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Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Saturday, US President Donald Trump said "very good talks" are taking place with Iran, but stressed that he will not allow Tehran to "blackmail" the US through the Strait of Hormuz.
He added that Iran is behaving "a little cunningly, as it has for 47 years."
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Letter to the Reader — Why We're Asking for Your Support ContributeTrump also recalled that the US blockade of Iranian ports will continue until "our deal with Iran is 100% complete."
On the other hand, the speaker of Iran's parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, stated that although "progress has been made" in negotiations to end the war with the US, both sides are "far from final discussion."
Ghalibaf, one of the Iranian negotiators, was in Pakistan last week for peace talks with American representatives, including Vice President JD Vance.
So far, no date has been set for the next round of talks.
Netanyahu: The war with Iran is not over yet
Photo: Associated Press
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that the war with Iran is not over yet.
Netanyahu spoke to the media after a meeting in Jerusalem with Argentine President Javier Miel, reports the BBC.
"We are in a time of great challenges and great consequences. We have been engaged with the United States in a battle against the great tyranny of Iran," he said. "We have achieved great things. It is not over yet, and any moment can bring us new developments."
US negotiating team announced, Iran still hasn't confirmed participation
Photo: Associated Press
The American team heading to negotiations with Iran is no stranger to diplomatic talks.
The BBC has learned that those who will be part of the American negotiating team are:
- Vice President JD Vance
After attending the previous round of talks with Iran in Pakistan a week ago, Vance said the US team left with a "very simple proposal."
"We'll see if the Iranians accept it."
- Special Envoy Steve Witkoff
A real estate magnate and golf partner of Donald Trump, Witkoff has helped broker negotiations between Hamas and Israel in Gaza.
He has also played a key role in US talks with Russia over the war in Ukraine.
- Special envoy Jared Kushner
Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, is known for his international real estate businesses and developments.
Like Witkoff, he has acted as a mediator in peace talks in Ukraine.
But while the American negotiating team is already known, Iran has not yet confirmed its participation in the new talks in Pakistan.
More than three hours have passed since Donald Trump announced that US representatives are going to Pakistan for negotiations.
But so far, no identified Iranian official has confirmed or denied whether Iran will participate in a new round of talks.
Meanwhile, two Iranian media outlets affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have cast doubt on Iran's participation.
The Tasnim news agency said the Iranian team stressed that As long as there is a US blockade, it will not join the talks and has not yet decided whether to participate in the next round. However, the situation was described as “not positive”.
This does not necessarily mean that Iran will not participate. An official statement is still awaited.
Okay, how did the whole event go?
February 28: The US and Israel launch attacks on Iran after diplomatic talks fail. The next day, the first reports of attacks on merchant ships emerge.
March 2: An Iranian official says Iran will "set fire to anyone who tries to pass" through the Strait of Hormuz, effectively closing one of the world's major sea lanes.
March 6: Trump says there will be no deal "except for the unconditional surrender" of Iran.
March 21: Trump sets a deadline, threatening to strike Iran's energy infrastructure if the strait is not opened.
March 23: Trump extends the deadline, citing "productive talks," followed by further delays and new threats.
April 7: Trump warns that “an entire civilization will die” if the strait is not opened by a new deadline. Overnight, Pakistan, acting as a mediator, announces a two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran for further talks.
April 11: Senior officials from both sides, including US Vice President JD Vance and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, meet in Pakistan.
April 12: After 21 hours, the talks end without resolving key issues. Trump announces a blockade of Iranian ports.
April 17: Iran's foreign minister says the strait will remain open during the ceasefire. Trump says the blockade will continue.
April 18: Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) blocks the strait again - two merchant ships report attacks. Trump says "very good talks" are taking place, but the US will not be "blackmailed."
April 19: Trump announces that his representatives, led by Vance, will return to Pakistan on Monday for talks. He renews his threat to destroy every power plant and bridge in Iran if a deal is not reached. The Iranian leadership has not yet confirmed whether it will send representatives to Islamabad.
Trump announces US team has left for Pakistan for talks
Photo: Associated Press
US President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that the US team is leaving for Islamabad, Pakistan, on Sunday for talks with Iran.
"Iran decided to fire missiles into the Strait of Hormuz yesterday - A total violation of our Armistice Agreement! Many of them were aimed at a French ship and a UK cargo ship. That was not good, was it? My representatives will be going to Islamabad, Pakistan - They will be there tomorrow night, for negotiations. Iran recently announced that they were closing the Strait, which is strange, because our blockade has already closed it. They are helping us without knowing it, and they are the ones losing $500 million a day by closing the passage! The United States loses nothing," Trump wrote.
"We are offering a very fair and reasonable deal, and I hope they accept it because if they don't, the United States will destroy every power plant and every bridge in Iran. They will fall quickly, they will fall easily, and if they don't accept the deal, it will be my honor to do what needs to be done, what other presidents should have done to Iran over the last 47 years. It is time for Iran's killing machine to end," he added.
No traffic in Hormuz, Iran calls on Trump to lift "stupid" blockade
Ships are stuck again around the Strait of Hormuz as Iran resumes its blockade, while a maritime traffic tracking website shows no ships passing through the key waterway.
Iran's parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, has called the US blockade of Iran's ports "stupidity" but says progress has been made in talks, despite the two countries remaining "far" from a peace deal.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump recently stated that "very good talks" are taking place with Iran, but added that he will not allow Tehran to "blackmail" the US over the strait.
Trump has also said the blockade will continue until "our transaction with Iran is 100% complete," while Iran says the strait will remain closed until the US lifts the blockade.
Two Iranian warships have opened fire on a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, while other ships report being hit by "unknown projectiles" over the weekend.
Iran arrests two foreigners for importing Starlink technology
Illustration
Photo: Associated Press
Four individuals, including two foreign nationals, have been arrested in northwest Iran, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday, for participating in a "spy network linked to the US and Israel".
The foreigners, whose nationality has not been disclosed, are accused of importing satellite internet equipment like Starlink, which is a criminal offense in the country which is facing a seven-week internet outage.
Hundreds of Iranians have been arrested for "collaborating with enemy states" since the start of the US-Israeli war with Iran.
Iran's chief negotiator seeks 'lasting peace' but expresses distrust of US
The Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, has declared that his country aims for a "lasting peace", a few days before the ceasefire expires.
In a television interview with Iranian state media, he stressed that although Tehran has good intentions for long-term stability, there is a deep distrust of the United States.
“What is fundamental for us is distrust of the US. At the same time, we have good intentions and seek a lasting peace — a peace that prevents the recurrence of war,” Qalibaf said.
Israel claims to have killed one of Hezbollah's top commanders
Photo: Associated Press
The Israeli military has announced that it has carried out a series of airstrikes that it says have killed over 150 Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon.
According to the statement, among those killed is Ali Rida Abbas, identified as a Hezbollah commander in Bint Jbeil, an area that has been the scene of fierce clashes between Israeli forces and militants in the days before the ceasefire, writes AP.
Israel has not presented evidence to support these claims, while Hezbollah did not immediately confirm the death of its commander.
The ceasefire between the parties came into effect early Friday, following a period of escalating violence in the region.
Casualties reported in Lebanon despite ceasefire
Although ceasefires between the United States and Iran, as well as between Israel and Lebanon, appear to be being respected, several incidents over the weekend have resulted in casualties.
The Israeli military announced that two soldiers have been killed in southern Lebanon since the ceasefire came into effect. According to Israeli media, reservist Sergeant Major Barak Kalfon died in an explosion while clearing buildings, in which three other soldiers were injured.
Meanwhile, reservist Sergeant First Class Lidor Porat was killed in another incident, leaving nine people hospitalized. The armored vehicle carrying the troops reportedly hit a landmine, and the incident is being investigated as a possible ceasefire violation.
In a separate development, a French peacekeeper from the UNIFIL mission was killed in an attack that French President Emmanuel Macron blamed on Hezbollah. The latter has denied involvement in the incident.
Iran says Strait of Hormuz will remain closed
The Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammed Bagher Qalibaf, has stated that it is impossible for other countries to pass through the Strait of Hormuz if Iran cannot do so, stressing that this strategic point is already under Tehran's control. He warned that the full reopening of traffic in this vital maritime corridor will depend on the lifting of the naval blockade by the United States of America.
In a statement carried by semi-official Iranian media, Qalibaf said that if Washington does not lift the blockade, traffic in the Strait of Hormuz "will definitely be restricted," increasing tensions on one of the most important routes for global energy trade.
Meanwhile, a senior Iranian official has announced that Iran is not yet ready for a new round of direct talks with the US, accusing Washington of "maximalist" positions on key issues.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh stated that his country will not hand over enriched uranium to the US, rejecting claims made by US President Donald Trump.
"I can tell you that no enriched material will be sent to the United States. This is unacceptable and is not a starting point for negotiations," Khatibzadeh said, adding that Iran is ready to address existing concerns but will not accept demands it considers unacceptable.