Peace talks doubtful as U.S. seizes Iranian ship : NPR
Commuters drive previous an enormous billboard referring to the ‘Strait of Hormuz’ alongside a busy avenue in Tehran on April 19, 2026.
Atta Kenare/AFP by way of Getty Photographs
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Atta Kenare/AFP by way of Getty Photographs
A U.S. negotiating staff is headed to Pakistan Monday for a second spherical of peace talks with Iran – which says it may not even present up.
Tehran’s reticence comes after the U.S. on Sunday fired on and seized considered one of its cargo ships within the Strait of Hormuz as a part of Washington’s blockade on Iranian vessels within the important waterway, and simply two days earlier than the ceasefire is ready to run out.
A video launched by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) exhibits the operation, with Marines descending from a helicopter by rope to board the vessel, the Touska, after “guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance…disabled Touska’s propulsion.”
President Trump mentioned Sunday the U.S. army had “stopped them proper of their tracks by blowing a gap within the engine room” after the ship did not heed repeated warnings.
Trump mentioned Marines then took management of the vessel and moved to analyze its cargo. He mentioned the Iranian flagged ship was below the present U.S. Treasury Division sanctions.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard warned it is going to take motion in opposition to the U.S. army for the seizure of that ship, with out elaborating.
Oil costs surged in response to those developments, rising greater than 5.3 % at $95.62 a barrel on Monday from Friday’s shut at $90.38 a barrel.
The April 8 ceasefire settlement between the U.S.-Israel and Iran is ready to run out on Wednesday.
Here is extra information from the Center East battle on Monday:
Safety personnel stand guard at a safety checkpost alongside a highway briefly closed close to the Serena Lodge on the Purple Zone space in Islamabad on April 20, 2026, forward of anticipated US-Iran peace talks.
Aamir Qureshi/AFP by way of Getty Photographs
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Aamir Qureshi/AFP by way of Getty Photographs
Talks or no talks?
Preparations to host Iranian and U.S. negotiating groups have been underway in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, on Monday, regardless of questions over whether or not Iran would attend.
Iran Overseas Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei mentioned Monday Tehran had no plans but concerning a second spherical of talks, accusing the U.S. of missing “seriousness in pursuing a diplomatic course of,” based on Iran’s state information company, IRNA.
A US Air Drive Boeing C-17A McChord plane prepares to land at Pakistan’s Nur Khan army airbase in Rawalpindi on April 20, 2026.
Farooq Naeem/AFP by way of Getty Photographs
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Farooq Naeem/AFP by way of Getty Photographs
Trump introduced Sunday {that a} negotiating staff was headed to Islamabad on Monday night and warned Iran in opposition to strolling away from negotiations.
Trump mentioned “We’re providing a very reasonable and cheap DEAL, and I hope they take it as a result of, if they do not, the USA goes to knock out each single Energy Plant, and each single Bridge, in Iran. NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!”
The primary spherical of peace talks led by Vice President Vance simply over every week in the past broke down, with Vance accusing Iran of being unwilling to just accept Washington’s phrases on Iran’s plans for nuclear enrichment.
A ballot launched this week by NBC exhibits Trump’s approval score has hit a brand new low, with 63% of these surveyed disapproving of the president’s efficiency.
Two-thirds of respondents disapproved of Trump’s dealing with of the Iran battle and inflation, the ballot confirmed.
Chinese language condemnation
Iran ally China has weighed in on the U.S. seizure of the Touska, based on the Related Press, expressing concern over “the forcible interception” and calling for a resumption of peace talks.
China is closely reliant on Iranian oil imports.
Loss of life toll in Iran
Iran officers mentioned Monday at the very least 3,375 individuals had been killed in the course of the battle.
Iranian Purple Crescent rescuers practice in the course of the US-Iran ceasefire at their coaching camp in southwest Tehran on April 19, 2026 in Tehran, Iran.
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Majid Saeedi/Getty Photographs Europe
Abbas Masjedi, the top of Iran’s Authorized Drugs Group, did not give separate figures for civilian and safety power casualties.
He mentioned 383 of the lifeless have been youngsters below 18 years previous, based on Iran’s Mizan information company.
Lebanon ceasefire holding
The non permanent ceasefire to pause the preventing between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon is holding, although shaky.
Within the south, the place the Israeli army continues to be occupying a big swath of land, Israel has carried out a variety of airstrikes in opposition to what it referred to as “terrorist exercise.”
Broken buildings are seen within the Haret Hreik neighborhood of Dahieh in Beirut’s southern suburbs on April 19, 2026, after Israeli strikes and days after a 10-day ceasefire took impact at midnight on April 17.
Manon Roca/Center East Photographs/AFP by way of Getty
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Manon Roca/Center East Photographs/AFP by way of Getty
The ceasefire settlement between Israel and Lebanon says Israel can proceed army exercise in self-defense.
Hezbollah claimed duty for an explosion that killed at the very least one Israeli soldier over the weekend and mentioned the explosive system was planted earlier than the ceasefire.
Jane Arraf in Amman, Jordan, Aya Batrawy in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Kate Bartlett in Johannesburg contributed to this report.
