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China offers $200,000 emergency humanitarian assistance to Iran after school attack.
Iran says death toll of US-Israeli strikes reaches 1,230.
Iran's IRGC official says will burn any ship trying to pass through Strait of Horm.
WASHINGTON - US Vice President JD Vance said Tuesday he will push for a "grand bargain" with Iran as he is expected to lead potential fresh in-person US-Iran talks which US President Donald Trump has said could happen this week in Pakistan.
All parties across the negotiation table in Islamabad "wanted to make a deal" in spite of decades of deep "mistrust" between the two countries, Vance said at an event in the southern US state of Georgia. He led the 21-hour talks with the Iranians in Pakistan on Saturday.
Trump "doesn't want to make like a small deal. He wants to make the grand bargain," Vance told the audience, adding that Trump's policy is that Iran "doesn't have a nuclear weapon."
Along with the vice president, Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner are also expected to attend any possible second meeting, CNN reported on Tuesday, citing sources familiar with the matter.
"Future talks are under discussion, but nothing has been scheduled at this time," a US official told CNN.
Trump told The New York Post earlier on Tuesday that another round of US-Iran talks "could be happening over next two days" in Pakistan.
"Something could be happening over the next two days, and we're more inclined to go there," Trump said of the talks in a phone interview.
Trump said Monday that the sticking point in talks with Iran "was over nuclear" and a priority for the United States is to retrieve Iran's enriched uranium.
Washington has proposed a 20-year suspension of Iran's nuclear activities, and Tehran has countered with a proposal to suspend its nuclear program for up to five years during their first round of talks, The New York Times reported on Monday.
2 ships from Iranian ports pass Strait of Hormuz despite US blockade -- report
ISLAMABAD - US and Iranian negotiating teams could return here later this week for further talks, Reuters quoted multiple sources as saying on Tuesday, after the two sides ended their latest round without a breakthrough.
US officials told the Associated Press that Islamabad and Geneva have been considered as possible venues for the new round of US-Iran negotiations.
Disputes over Iran's nuclear program persist, with Washington pressing Tehran to freeze uranium enrichment and give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, while Iran is seeking the release of frozen funds and broader sanctions relief.
Meanwhile, the United States has imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports, and US President Donald Trump warned that US forces would "eliminate" any Iranian vessel approaching the blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.
Mediators from Pakistan, Egypt and Türkiye are working to revive negotiations before the current ceasefire expires, according to reports.
"We are not in a complete deadlock. The door is not closed yet. Both sides are bargaining. It's a bazaar," a regional source told Axios, a US online media outlet.
ISLAMABAD -- Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Asif on Monday expressed optimism about the resumption of negotiations between Iran and the United States, saying a new round of dialogue is expected soon after recent talks held in Islamabad.
Talking to local media, the minister said there were still chances for the dialogue process to continue, describing the overall atmosphere following the discussions as positive and reassuring.
The minister noted that no negative signals had emerged from the negotiations so far.
Asif reiterated that Pakistan, along with other countries, continues to support diplomatic efforts and has urged both sides to uphold the ceasefire and pursue a negotiated settlement.
"Only positive developments are emerging," said Asif, expressing hope that future rounds of talks could lead to a meaningful outcome.
TEHRAN- Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has blamed the US maximalist demands and naval blockade threats for the two countries' failure to reach an agreement in their recent peace talks in Pakistan.
He made the remarks in a post on X early Monday, stressing that Tehran and Washington were only "inches away" from reaching an agreement in their negotiations in Islamabad, the Pakistani capital, on Saturday on easing tensions in the Middle East.
"In intensive talks at highest level in 47 years, Iran engaged with US in good faith to end war. But when just inches away from 'Islamabad MoU,' we encountered maximalism, shifting goalposts, and blockade," Araghchi said.
"Zero lessons earned. Good will beget good will. Enmity begets enmity," he added.
In reaction to the talks' failure, US President Donald Trump said in a Sunday post on Truth Social that the US Navy would begin blocking ships trying to enter or leave the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran's Navy Commander Shahram Irani on Sunday described Trump's threat of imposing a naval blockade on the Strait of Hormuz as "very ridiculous and laughable," the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.
He added Iran's naval forces are monitoring all movements by the US army in the region.
Also on Sunday, Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps said in a statement that any military vessels that intend to approach the Strait of Hormuz under any title or pretext will be considered a ceasefire violation and will be dealt with severely.
ISLAMABAD - After peace talks between the United States and Iran concluded in Islamabad without an agreement, regional mediators are racing to secure a second round of negotiations within days to prevent the collapse of a fragile, two-week ceasefire, the Wall Street Journal reported Sunday, citing officials familiar with the matter.
The major sticking points include the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz without collecting transit fees, the fate of Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium, and Tehran's demand for the release of roughly $27 billion in frozen revenues.
Pakistani authorities, who hosted the initial session, are in active consultation with both Washington and Tehran to revive the talks before the ceasefire lapses. Despite the lack of a breakthrough, the Pakistani side remains cautiously optimistic about the prospects of continued engagement.
The primary objective is to "wrap it up before the deadline" - set for April 22 - to avert a return to open hostilities, a senior Pakistani source was quoted as saying.
TEHRAN - Iran's military said Monday that US restrictions on vessels in international waters are "illegal and constitute piracy."
"The restrictions imposed by criminal America on maritime navigation and transit in international waters are illegal and constitute piracy," said a statement issued by Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, the unified command of the Iranian armed forces.
Iran will decisively implement a permanent mechanism to control the Strait of Hormuz following US threats, the statement said.
No port in the Persian Gulf or the Gulf of Oman will be safe if Iran's ports are threatened, it added.
Iran's military warns that no Gulf ports will be safe if its own threatened: report
WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump is looking at resuming limited military strikes in Iran in addition to the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz "as a way to break a stalemate in peace talks," The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday.
Citing officials and people familiar with the situation, the report said that limited strikes are among the options that Trump was considering on Sunday, hours after negotiations with Iran collapsed in Pakistan.
Officials said that "a full-fledged bombing campaign" was less likely given the prospect of further destabilizing the region and "the president's aversion to prolonged military conflicts."
Trump could also seek a more temporary blockade "while he pressures allies to take responsibility for a prolonged military escort mission through the strait in the future," the report added.
Earlier in the day, Trump announced that the US Navy would begin blocking ships trying to enter or leave the Strait of Hormuz.
US Central Command said in a statement on Sunday that US forces will begin implementing a blockade of "all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports" on Monday at 10 am Eastern Time.
WASHINGTON -- US forces will begin implementing a blockade of "all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports" on Monday at 10 a.m. Eastern Time, US Central Command said in a statement Sunday.
The blockade, in accordance with US President Donald Trump's proclamation, will be enforced "impartially" against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, according to the statement, which was posted on social media platform X.
US Central Command forces "will not impede freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports," it added.
The statement came a few hours after Trump announced on Truth Social that the US Navy would begin blocking ships trying to enter or leave the Strait of Hormuz.
In an interview with Fox News, Trump said that the United States and allied countries would deploy minesweepers to the strait to clear sea mines and secure shipping lanes.
After Trump's statement on Strait of Hormuz naval blockade, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy Command warned Sunday that any "wrong move" in the Strait of Hormuz would trap its enemies in "deadly whirlpools."
JERUSALEM -- Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Sunday the military has launched a new operation to demolish all homes in the villages along the Israel-Lebanon border, as fighting continues in the area.
Speaking to troops during a visit to southern Lebanon, Katz said Israeli forces would not withdraw unless Hezbollah's rocket fire toward northern Israel stops.
"We decided that we are not leaving the north anymore," he said. "We will continue this, and the goal is to disarm Hezbollah."
Katz said residents south of the Litani River would not be allowed to return. "All residents ... will not return south of the Litani River," he said, adding they would be barred from returning until security for northern Israel is guaranteed.
He said the operation was dubbed "The Silver Plough," under which, he said, all homes in the area would be demolished because they are repeatedly used as "terror outposts," without providing evidence. "We simply eliminate the threat," he added.
He compared the plan to large-scale demolitions in Gaza, citing Rafah and Beit Hanoun, where almost entire neighborhoods were leveled and other areas heavily damaged.
Hezbollah entered the conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran on March 2 by launching rockets from southern Lebanon toward Israel for the first time since a ceasefire on Nov 27, 2024, prompting Israel to carry out an intensified military campaign targeting multiple areas across the country.
A two-week ceasefire between Iran and the United States took effect on Wednesday. Israel said it would abide by the truce but argued the agreement does not apply to Lebanon. That assertion was rejected by Iran and by mediator Pakistan.
TEHRAN -- The Navy of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Sunday any "erroneous" move by the "enemy" in the Strait of Hormuz will have deadly consequences.
It issued the warning in a post on social media platform X, sharing "drone surveillance footage of the real situation in the Strait of Hormuz."
The IRGC's Navy said all movements and non-movements in the Strait of Hormuz are under complete control of the Iranian armed forces, adding that, "Any erroneous maneuver will trap the enemy in deadly whirlpools in the strait."
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said Saturday that two US warships transited the Strait of Hormuz and began mine-clearing operations in the Gulf. Iran's main military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, rejected that account, "strongly" denying CENTCOM's claim that American vessels had entered the strait.
In an exclusive report on Sunday, Iran's state-run Press TV said the US military's attempt to sail two destroyers through the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday "ended as a failed propaganda stunt timed to coincide with (Tehran-Washington) talks in Islamabad."
The Press TV identified the US destroyers as USS Michael Murphy and USS Frank E. Peterson, saying they were forced to retreat by Iran's naval forces.
Also on Sunday, the IRGC said in a statement that any military vessels that intend to approach the Strait of Hormuz under any title or pretext will be considered a ceasefire violation and will be dealt with severely.
On Feb 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and several other Iranian cities, killing Iran's then Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, along with senior military commanders and civilians. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and US assets in the Middle East, and tightened control over the Strait of Hormuz by restricting passage by vessels belonging to or affiliated with Israel and the United States.
A two-week ceasefire between Iran and the United States took effect on Wednesday, followed by the holding of lengthy talks between the Iranian and US delegations in Islamabad, which failed to lead to an agreement.
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TEHRAN -- Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Sunday his country is fully ready to achieve a "balanced and fair" agreement with the United States that guarantees lasting peace and security in the West Asia region.
He made the remarks in a phone call with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in which the two sides discussed the latest regional developments, and the Tehran-Washington talks in the Pakistani capital Islamabad over the weekend, according to a statement published on the website of his office.
Pezeshkian said Iran's red lines are its national interests and people's rights, adding if the United States remains committed to international legal frameworks, an agreement will be within reach.
He voiced Iran's readiness to cooperate with its neighbors to ensure peace and security in the region without transregional states' presence and interference.
Putin, for his part, highlighted his country's support for diplomatic processes to politically resolve the ongoing crisis, expressing Russia's readiness to use its capacities to help find a political and diplomatic solution to the tension in the region and continue active contacts and consultations to that end.
The Russian president underlined the Iranian side's "rightful" demands, including the need for receiving compensation for the damages sustained during the war with the United States and Israel as well as long-term security guarantees for the non-repetition of the "aggression."
On Feb 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and several other Iranian cities, killing Iran's then Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, along with senior military commanders and civilians. Iran responded by launching waves of missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and US bases and assets in the Middle East.
A two-week ceasefire between Iran and the United States took effect on Wednesday, followed by the holding of lengthy talks between the Iranian and US delegations in Islamabad, which failed to lead to an agreement.
The United States and Iran have failed to reach any agreement after 21 hours of talks that concluded on Sunday in Pakistan, putting a fragile two-week ceasefire at grave risk as the six-week-old conflict, which has killed thousands and sent global oil prices soaring, hangs in the balance.
The face-to-face talks in Isla-mabad marked the first direct high-level meeting between Washington and Tehran in more than a decade, and were their most senior diplomatic encounter since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Iran's semiofficial Tasnim news agency said that "excessive" US demands had blocked reaching an agreement. Other Iranian media outlets said that there was agreement on a number of issues, but that the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's nuclear program were the main points of difference.
Esmaeil Baghaei, a spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry, described the negotiations as taking place in an atmosphere of deep distrust. "It is only natural that we could not have expected to reach a comprehensive agreement in just one round of talks," he said.
When asked whether diplomacy had been exhausted, he said, "Diplomacy never ends."
Iran had been in the middle of nuclear negotiations with US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner in late February when the US and Israel — Washington's closest Middle East ally — launched military operations against Iran. The attacks triggered sweeping retaliation by Tehran that plunged the region into full-blown conflict.
JD Vance, US vice-president and head of the US delegation, told reporters that Iran had chosen not to accept US terms while insisting that he had put forward a "final and best offer".
"The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement, and I think that's bad news for Iran much more than it's bad news for the US," he said. His remarks, however, offered no clarity on what happens once the 14-day ceasefire brokered by Pakistan expires.
Pakistani mediators urged both sides to uphold the truce. "We hope that the two sides continue with a positive spirit to achieve durable peace and prosperity for the entire region and beyond," said Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.
"There were mood swings from the two sides and the temperature went up and down during the meeting," a Pakistani source told Reuters in reference to the talks, which began on Saturday and continued overnight.
The Iranian delegation was led by Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Analysts had earlier said that its composition signaled Tehran's seriousness about securing a deal in Islamabad.
"The size, seniority and scope of the Iranian delegation … signal both Tehran's sincerity in these negotiations and its clear expectations and confidence," said Trita Parsi, executive vice-president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft and an expert on US-Iran diplomacy.
Before the talks began, a senior Iranian source told Reuters that the US had agreed to release frozen Iranian assets in Qatar and other foreign banks. A US official denied making any such commitment.
According to Iranian state television and officials, Tehran is also demanding full control of the Strait of Hormuz, war reparations and a regionwide ceasefire covering Lebanon.
However, Israel has insisted that the Lebanon conflict is not within the remit of the truce with Iran, which has maintained that the fighting in Lebanon must stop. Lebanese authorities said that Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon on Saturday and early Sunday killed 18 people, pushing the overall death toll from Israel's campaign past 2,000 since the conflict began.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has become Iran's most powerful strategic card in the conflict. Before the conflict, around one-fifth of the world's seaborne oil transited the waterway daily in more than 100 vessels. Since the ceasefire took hold, only 12 ships have reportedly been recorded as passing through.
During the negotiations, the US military announced that two destroyers had transited the strategic waterway ahead of mine-clearing operations — the first such passage since the conflict started. Iran's joint military command quickly denied the claim.
"Any attempt by military vessels to cross the Strait of Hormuz will be confronted firmly and decisively," Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said in a statement.
Hours after the talks ended without a deal, Trump announced that the US Navy would immediately blockade the Strait of Hormuz and interdict any vessel in international waters that had paid a toll to Iran.
WASHINGTON -- US President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that the US Navy would begin blocking ships trying to enter or leave the Strait of Hormuz, after peace talks with Iran failed to produce a deal.
"Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz," Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
"I have also instructed our Navy to seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran," Trump continued, adding that "no one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas."
"We will also begin destroying the mines the Iranians laid in the Straits," he added.
On peace talks, Trump said that the meeting "went well," with most points agreed to, but "the only point that really mattered, NUCLEAR, was not."
Trump's remarks came a few hours after US-Iran talks in Islamabad, Pakistan, concluded without a deal on Sunday.
After Trump's statement on Strait of Hormuz naval blockade, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy Command warned Sunday that any "wrong move" in the Strait of Hormuz would trap its enemies in "deadly whirlpools."
The United States and Iran have failed to strike any agreement after 21 hours of talks that concluded Sunday in Pakistan, putting a fragile two-week ceasefire at grave risk as the six-week-old conflict that has killed thousands and sent global oil prices soaring hangs in the balance.
The face-to-face talks in Islamabad marked the first direct high-level meeting between Washington and Tehran in more than a decade, and the most senior diplomatic encounter since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency said that "excessive" US demands had blocked reaching an agreement. Other Iranian media said there was agreement on a number of issues but that the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's nuclear program were the main points of difference.
Esmaeil Baghaei, a spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry, described the negotiations as taking place in an atmosphere of deep distrust.
"It is only natural that we could not have expected to reach a comprehensive agreement in just one round of talks," he said.
When asked whether diplomacy had been exhausted, he replied, "Diplomacy never ends."
Iran had been in the middle of nuclear negotiations with Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner on Feb 28 when the US and Israel — Washington's closest Middle East ally — launched military operations against Iran. The attack triggered sweeping retaliation by Tehran that plunged the region into full-blown conflict.
JD Vance, US vice-president and the head of the US delegation, told reporters that Iran had chosen not to accept US terms while insisting that he had put forward a "final and best offer".
"The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement, and I think that's bad news for Iran much more than it's bad news for the US," he said.
His remarks, however, offered no clarity on what happens once the 14-day ceasefire brokered by Pakistan expires.
Pakistani mediators urged both sides to uphold the truce. "We hope that the two sides continue with a positive spirit to achieve durable peace and prosperity for the entire region and beyond," Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said.
"There were mood swings from the two sides and the temperature went up and down during the meeting," a Pakistani source told Reuters in reference to an early round of talks, which began on Saturday and carried on overnight.
Iran's delegation was led by Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Analysts had earlier said the composition of the team signaled Tehran's seriousness about securing a deal in Islamabad.
"The size, seniority and scope of the Iranian delegation … signal both Tehran's sincerity in these negotiations and its clear expectations and confidence," Trita Parsi, executive vice-president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft and an expert on US-Iran diplomacy, said.
Before the talks began, a senior Iranian source told Reuters the US had agreed to release frozen assets in Qatar and other foreign banks. A US official denied making any such commitment.
According to Iranian state television and officials, Tehran is also demanding full control of the Strait of Hormuz, war reparations and a region-wide ceasefire covering Lebanon.
Israel, however, has insisted the Lebanon conflict is not covered by the truce with Iran, which has maintained that fighting in Lebanon must stop. Lebanese authorities said Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon on Saturday and early Sunday killed 18 people, pushing the overall death toll from Israel's campaign past 2,000 since the war began.
The de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz has become Iran's most powerful strategic card in the conflict. Before the war, roughly a fifth of the world's seaborne oil transited the waterway daily on more than 100 vessels. Since the ceasefire took hold, just 12 ships have been recorded passing through.
During the negotiations, the US military announced two destroyers had transited the strategic waterway ahead of mine-clearing operations — the first such passage since the war started. Iran's joint military command quickly denied the claim.
"Any attempt by military vessels to cross the Strait of Hormuz will be confronted firmly and decisively," the Revolutionary Guards' Naval Command said in a statement.
TEHRAN - Iran and the United States reached an understanding on a number of issues, but views diverged on two or three important issues, and ultimately their talks in Islamabad, Pakistan did not lead to an agreement, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Sunday.
"It is natural that, from the beginning, we should not have expected to reach an agreement within a single session. No one had such an expectation either," Baghaei was quoted as saying by Iran's Mehr News Agency.
Baghaei said Tehran is "confident that contacts between us and Pakistan and our other friends in the region will continue."
TEHRAN -- Negotiations between delegations from Iran and the United States will be extended for another day at Pakistan's proposal and at the two sides' consent, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported early Sunday.
The report said given the "illogical and excessive demands" of the United States and the Iranian delegation's insistence on ensuring national interests, Pakistan proposed to hold another round of negotiations on Sunday and the two sides agreed.
This occurred at the end of the latest round of Pakistani-mediated talks that ended early Sunday in Islamabad, and after the two delegations exchanged texts, according to Tasnim.
ISLAMABAD - The talks between Iran and the United States have entered an "expert-level phase," according to Pakistani sources.
Some members of both sides' specialized committees have already reached the negotiation site.
The specialized committees include experts who will discuss the unfreezing of Iran's assets and the nuclear energy issue, sources said.
US destroyer turns back from Hormuz Strait after Iranian warning; no US vessel crossed strait yet: Iranian media
