Iran War:1)Italy dismisses replacing Iran at the World Cup; 2)What to know as Trump extends ceasefire in Iran war; 3)No delegation from Iran visits Islamabad, state television says, as talks speculation grows; 4)doubts over talks between Iran and US after violence flares in Strait of Hormuz; 5) U.S. seizes Iranian-flagged ship near Strait of Hormuz and Tehran vows to respond; 6)Trump says U.S. negotiators will go to Pakistan on Monday for more talks with Iran;7)Iran attacks ship in Strait of Hormuz, complicating diplomatic efforts to resume talks;

1)Italy dismisses replacing Iran at the World Cup

Courtesy Barrie360.com and The Associated Press

By Andrew Dampf, Graham Dunbar and Seung Min Kim, April 24, 2026

Italian sports officials say four-time champion Italy is not interested in replacing Iran at the upcoming World Cup following a suggestion to that effect by a Trump administration official.

Iran has not withdrawn from the World Cup, and the team is preparing to play in the U.S. despite the war in the Middle East. FIFA has insisted its group stage games near Los Angeles and in Seattle will go ahead as planned in June.

The Financial Times reported that Paolo Zampolli, the U.S. special envoy for global partnerships, had suggested the swap to President Donald Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

In a phone interview with the Associated Press on Thursday, Zampolli emphasized that “my request is not a political request.” The ask, which was made to Trump and Infantino on Wednesday, was meant as a contingency plan in case Iran could not participate in the soccer tournament at the last minute.

“I had a dream,” Zampolli told the AP. “My request was for the Italian people and the American-Italian people.”

He said in the FT interview that, with four titles, the Italian national team’s appearance in the World Cup would be justified.

Italian officials pushed back hard at the suggestion, with Sports Minister Andrea Abodi saying Thursday that “first of all, it’s not possible. Secondly, it’s not a good idea.”

Luciano Buonfiglio, the president of the Italian Olympic Committee, which oversees all sports in Italy, also dismissed the idea.

“I would feel offended,” Buonfiglio said. “You need to deserve to go to the World Cup.”

Italy’s Finance Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti called the suggested swap “shameful.”

Hours later, Trump was asked at the White House about Iranian soccer players potentially not being allowed into the U.S. for the World Cup. He initially joked, “I don’t think about it too much,” before adding, “That’s an interesting question.”

“Let me give that some thought,” Trump added.

He then deferred to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said, “Nothing from the U.S. has told them they can’t come.”

“The problem with Iran would be, not their athletes. It would be some of the other people that they want to bring with them,” Rubio said, suggesting that Iran’s soccer team could bring in people loyal to militant groups disguised as journalists and trainers.

“We may not be able to let them in,” Rubio said of people around the team. “But not the athletes themselves.”

He added that there had been “speculation that Iran may decide not to come, but then Italy could fill their spot,” without adding details.

“If they decide not to come on their own, it’s ’cause they decided not to come,” the secretary of state said of Iranian athletes.

While Iran was among the first teams to qualify for the World Cup, Italy missed out for the third consecutive tournament, resulting in the resignations of its national team coach and soccer federation president.

Zampolli has long been a part of the Trump family orbit, having introduced then-Melania Knauss to Donald Trump at a New York Fashion Week party in 1998. He regularly posts on social media about his meetings with Infantino, calling him the “King of Soccer.” Trump last year appointed him as special representative for global partnerships.

In March, The New York Times reported that Zampolli had reached out to a top official at Immigration and Customs Enforcement, informing him that the mother of his child was in the country illegally as the two were locked in a custody dispute. She was ultimately deported.

The White House did not return a request for comment. Its World Cup task force, housed under the Department of Homeland Security, said it had no comment. FIFA also would not comment.

The Iranian embassy in Rome denounced Zampolli’s remarks in a comment on X.

“Football belongs to the people, not to politicians,” the embassy said. “Italy earned its soccer prowess on the field, not thanks to political maneuvers. The attempt to exclude Iran from the World Cup shows only the ‘moral bankruptcy’ of the United States, which fears even the presence of 11 young Iranians on the field of play.”

Iran’s status at the World Cup, which starts in June, has been a source of debate and concern since the U.S. and Israel launched military attacks on the country in February.

Trump in March discouraged Iran from participating in the tournament, citing safety concerns.

FIFA has consistently said Iran will stick to the World Cup schedule decided last December, and refused to negotiate any suggestion of moving the team’s games to co-host Mexico.

An Iranian government spokesperson said Wednesday that the men’s national team is preparing for “proud and successful participation” in its World Cup games in the U.S.

Iran earned one of eight guaranteed World Cup places allocated to the Asian Football Confederation. Should Iran pull out, in theory, the replacement should be the United Arab Emirates, the highest-ranked Asian team that didn’t qualify.

One possible element of uncertainty is the language of the World Cup tournament rules.

FIFA wrote that it can decide to replace a withdrawn team “with another association,” though without specifying the replacement must come from the same continental confederation.

2)What to know as Trump extends ceasefire in Iran war

Courtesy Barrie360.com and The Associated Press

By Josef Federman, April 21, 2026

President Donald Trump has announced an extension of the ceasefire in the Iran war, giving mediators additional time to arrange a new round of face-to-face talks between the U.S. and Iran.

Trump said he made the move, just hours before the current ceasefire was to expire, at Pakistan’s request as he waits for a “unified proposal” from Iran.

The announcement averted a resumption of fighting for the time being. But gaps between the sides remain wide, a planned trip to Pakistan by Vice President JD Vance to lead the American negotiating team remains on hold and a U.S. blockade of Iran remains in place.

Here’s what to know about where the ceasefire stands, the possible talks in Pakistan and other issues surrounding the war:

Ceasefire is extended, blame is exchanged.

Two regional officials told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the United States and Iran had signalled they will hold a new round of talks. Pakistan-led mediators received confirmation that top negotiators, Vance and Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, were expected to lead their teams.

But late Tuesday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman said there was no “final decision” on whether to attend. The spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, told state TV that the lack of a decision was because of “contradictory messages” and “unacceptable actions” from the Americans, in particular the U.S. naval blockade of Iran.

Vance, meanwhile, called off a trip to Pakistan, as Pakistani leaders raced to try to salvage the talks. With a 0000 GMT deadline looming, Trump announced that the ceasefire would be extended indefinitely.

Trump said he had taken the step at Pakistan’s request, and blamed what he described as Iran’s “seriously fractured” leadership for indecision. He said Pakistan had asked him to wait until Iran’s leaders “can come up with a unified proposal.” Still, he said the U.S. blockade would continue.

Even if Pakistan can arrange a meeting, serious challenges remain on the future of the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s nuclear program and the blockade. Iran targeted ships in the strait over the weekend. The U.S. also attacked and boarded one Iranian vessel that tried to outrun the American naval blockade in the strait — signaling that the situation remains volatile.

A fragile ceasefire risks showing cracks

The U.S. and Israel launched the war on Feb. 28, opening a six-week war that has sent oil prices rising and shaken the global economy.

The current truce between Iran, Israel and the United States began April 8 after multiple deadlines posed by Trump that threatened Iran’s very “civilization” at one point. Last Friday, a ceasefire between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon also took effect. Both ceasefires have broadly held.

An earlier round of negotiations between Iran and the U.S. was held in Pakistan from April 11 into the early morning the following day. Vance took part in the highest-level talks between America and Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, which ended without an agreement.

Since this weekend, authorities in Islamabad have made preparations similar to those that accompanied the first talks, suggesting another round loomed.

Strait of Hormuz remains effectively shut

The Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which 20% of all natural gas and oil passes, remains effectively closed over Iranian attacks in the waterway. That included some attacks Saturday. There’s also a fear that Iran mined a portion of the strait used by transiting ships during peacetime. Since the war, Iran reportedly has been charging as much as $2 million a vessel to allow them to pass. Opening the strait remains a key focus of negotiations and Tehran’s strongest leverage against Washington, particularly as countries around the world have begun rationing energy and warning of shortages of jet fuel.

The United States, meanwhile, has begun blocking ships from Iranian ports. The U.S. Navy attacked an Iranian container ship that tried to run through the U.S. blockade this weekend, with Marines rappelling onto it from helicopters. Iran has condemned the incident as “piracy” and a violation of international law.

Iran’s nuclear stockpile remains in country

All of Iran’s highly enriched uranium remains in the country, likely entombed at enrichment sites bombed by the U.S. during a 12-day war last June. Iran hasn’t enriched since then but maintains it has the right to do so for peaceful purposes and denies seeking nuclear weapons. Trump, along with Israel, has called for Iran to completely dismantle its nuclear program and give up its stockpile. Iran rejected that in its 10-point proposal for ending the war.

__ AP reporters Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Aamer Madhani in Washington, Samy Magdy in Cairo and Munir Ahmed in Islamabad contributed reporting.

3)No delegation from Iran visits Islamabad, state television says, as talks speculation grows

Courtesy Barrie360.com and The Associated Press

By Canadian Press, April 21, 2026

Iranian state television on Tuesday issued an on-screen alert saying that “no delegation from Iran has visited Islamabad … so far” as speculation about possible talks with the United States grows.

The on-screen alert likely reflects the internal debate ongoing within Iran’s theocracy as it weighs how to respond to the U.S. Navy’s seizure of an Iranian container ship over the weekend. Iranian state TV long has been controlled by hard-liners within Iran’s theocracy.

So far, no official has acknowledged that a delegation will be heading to Islamabad, where officials have been on standby for days now for the possible talks. U.S. Vice President JD Vance is expected to lead an American team to the talks. Iran has offered no word on who could lead its delegation.

Last time, parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf led the Iranian side. There’s been no public discussion in Iran about how to resume talks. There has been pushback from extreme hard-liners in Iran in recent days over resuming talks, particularly after the ship attack. There had been at least one online push for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei to issue a public proclamation about backing further negotiations or not — but the new Iranian leader hasn’t issued any statement, nor has been been seen in any image since the war as Israeli and U.S. officials say he had been wounded in the conflict.

That has put Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard likely in the driver’s seat of governing the Islamic Republic. The Guard’s forces had been key in the war and largely operated without oversight from Tehran in choosing targets. Iran’s civilian leadership has broadly been quiet, particularly after Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote online this weekend that the strait had been opened, only for that to be later denied by others in Tehran. Iran has throttled traffic through the strait, which connects the Persian Gulf to the open seas, since shortly after the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28 to start the war. The U.S. has also instituted a blockade of Iranian ports in response to pressure from Tehran.

Iranian state television on Tuesday issued an on-screen alert saying that “no delegation from Iran has visited Islamabad … so far” as speculation about possible talks with the United States grows.

The on-screen alert likely reflects the internal debate ongoing within Iran’s theocracy as it weighs how to respond to the U.S. Navy’s seizure of an Iranian container ship over the weekend.

Iranian state TV has long been controlled by hard-liners within Iran’s theocracy.

So far, no official has acknowledged that a delegation will be heading to Islamabad, where officials have been on standby for days now for the possible talks.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance is expected to lead an American team to the talks. Iran has offered no word on who could lead its delegation. Last time, parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf led the Iranian side.

There’s been no public discussion in Iran about how to resume talks. There has been pushback from extreme hard-liners in Iran in recent days over resuming talks, particularly after the ship attack.

There had been at least one online push for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei to issue a public proclamation about backing further negotiations or not — but the new Iranian leader hasn’t issued any statement, nor has he been seen in any image since the war, as Israeli and U.S. officials say he had been wounded in the conflict.

That has put Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard likely in the driver’s seat of governing the Islamic Republic. The Guard’s forces had been key in the war and largely operated without oversight from Tehran in choosing targets.

Iran’s civilian leadership has broadly been quiet, particularly after Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote online this weekend that the strait had been opened, only for that to be later denied by others in Tehran.

Iran has throttled traffic through the strait, which connects the Persian Gulf to the open seas, since shortly after the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28 to start the war. The U.S. has also instituted a blockade of Iranian ports in response to pressure from Tehran.

4)Doubts over talks between Iran and US after violence flares in Strait of Hormuz

Courtesy Barrie360.com and The Associated Press

By Munir Ahmed, Jon Gambrell and David Rising, April 20, 2026

Pakistan moved ahead Monday with preparations for a new round of talks between the United States and Iran two days before a tenuous ceasefire is set to expire, even as renewed conflict around the Strait of Hormuz raised questions about whether the meeting would take place.

Over the weekend, the U.S. attacked and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel that it said had tried to evade its blockade of Iranian ports. Iran’s joint military command vowed to respond, and its Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi told his Pakistani counterpart that American threats to Iranian ships and ports were “clear signs” of Washington’s disingenuousness ahead of the planned talks, Iran state media reported.

With tensions flaring and the ceasefire due to expire midweek, Pakistan was pushing for talks to resume Tuesday as planned. Pakistan said Monday that Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi held separate meetings in Islamabad with the Iranian ambassador and the acting U.S. ambassador to discuss arrangements.

Two Pakistani officials said Monday that Iran has expressed a willingness to send a delegation to Islamabad. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press.

U.S. President Donald Trump has said American negotiators would head to the Pakistani capital on Monday, but it was not immediately clear whether those plans would now change.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told reporters in Tehran on Monday that there were no plans yet to attend the talks with the U.S. But at the same time, he did not rule it out.

“We have no plans for the next round of negotiations and no decision has been made in this regard,” Baghaei said.

Iran on Saturday said it had received new proposals from the United States but suggested a wide gap remained between the sides. It was unclear whether either side had shifted stances on issues that derailed the last round of negotiations, including Iran’s nuclear enrichment program, its regional proxies and the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran throttled traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf to the open seas, shortly after the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28 to start the war. The U.S. has also instituted a blockade of Iranian ports.

Roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil trade normally passes through the strait, along with critical supplies of fertilizer for the world’s farmers, natural gas and humanitarian supplies for places in dire need like Afghanistan and Sudan.

Iran says more than 3,000 have been killed in country so far

Since the war started, at least 3,375 people have been killed in Iran, according to a new toll released Monday in official Iranian media by Abbas Masjedi, the head of Iran’s Legal Medicine Organization. He did not break down casualties among civilians and security forces, instead just saying that 2,875 were male and 496 were female. Masjedi said 383 of the dead were children 18 years old and under.

More than 2,290 people have also been killed in Lebanon, 23 in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Fifteen Israeli soldiers in Lebanon and 13 U.S. service members throughout the region have been killed.

Oil prices on the rise again after renewed conflict in Strait of Hormuz

Iran’s grip on the Strait of Hormuz has also sent oil prices skyrocketing and given rise to one of the worst global energy crises in decades.

Oil prices recovered slightly following Iran’s announcement that the strait was being reopened a 10-day truce between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon took hold on Friday.

But then Trump said the U.S. blockade “will remain in full force” until Tehran reaches a deal with the U.S. and on Sunday the military seized the Iranian cargo ship, the first interception since the blockade began last week.

Iran’s joint military command called the armed boarding an act of piracy and a ceasefire violation, the state broadcaster said, and vowed to again enforce restrictions imposed early in the war. Already on Saturday, Iran fired at ships trying to transit.

Oil prices were up again in early trading on Monday, with Brent crude, the international standard, at about $95 a barrel — up more than 30% from the day the war started.

Iran early Monday warned it could keep up the global economic pain as ships remained unable to transit the strait, with hundreds of vessels waiting at each end for clearance.

Security of the strait is not free, and “the choice is clear: either a free oil market for all, or the risk of significant costs for everyone,” Mohammad Reza Aref, first vice president of Iran, said in a social media post calling for a lasting end to military and economic pressure on Tehran.

Israel condemns soldier defacing Jesus statue in Lebanon

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the defacing of a statue of Jesus Christ by an Israeli soldier in Lebanon, saying he was “stunned and saddened.”

Photos surfaced over the weekend of an Israeli soldier using a sledgehammer to smash the head of a toppled Jesus statue. The Israeli military confirmed the images were genuine, setting off a wave of condemnation.

A ceasefire began Friday in Lebanon, where fighting between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants broke out two days after the U.S. and Israel launched their war on Iran. Mediators said the fighting in Lebanon was undermining efforts to end the conflict between Iran and the U.S.

5) U.S. forces seize an Iranian-flagged cargo ship near the Strait of Hormuz during a naval blockade operation as tensions rise with Iran

Courtesy Barrie360.com and The Associated Press

By Michelle L. Price, Samy Magdy And Sam Metz, April 19, 2026

The United States said it attacked and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship that tried to get around a naval blockade near the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, the first interception since its blockade of Iranian ports began last week.

Iran will respond soon, its state broadcaster said later, calling the armed boarding an act of piracy.

The events threw into question both the fragile ceasefire and President Donald Trump ‘s earlier announcement that U.S. negotiators would head to Pakistan on Monday for another round of talks with Iran. The ceasefire is set to expire by Wednesday, and Washington and Tehran’s standoff over the strait has now sharpened.

Trump on social media said a U.S. Navy guided missile destroyer in the Gulf of Oman warned the ship, the Touska, to stop and then “stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engineroom.” U.S. Marines had custody of the U.S.-sanctioned vessel and were “seeing what’s on board!”

It was not clear whether anyone was hurt. The U.S. Central Command, which didn’t answer questions, said the destroyer had issued “repeated warnings over a six-hour period.”

Iranian state media suggest the talks won’t take place

There was no comment from Iranian officials on Trump’s announcement of the talks. However, Iranian state media, without citing anyone beyond unnamed sources, issued brief reports suggesting that they would not happen.

Minutes after the ship seizure was announced, Iranian state media reported on President Masoud Pezeshkian’s phone conversation with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif earlier Sunday. U.S. actions including bullying and unreasonable behavior have led to increased suspicion that the U.S. will repeat previous patterns and “betray diplomacy,” the reports cited Pezeshkian as saying.

Separately, Iran’s state broadcaster said Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told his Pakistani counterpart on a phone call that recent U.S. actions, rhetoric and contradictions were signs of “bad intentions and lack of seriousness in diplomacy.”

Pakistan did not confirm a second round of talks, but authorities began tightening security in Islamabad. A regional official involved in the efforts said mediators were finalizing preparations and U.S. advance security teams were on the ground. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss preparations with the media.

The White House said Vice President JD Vance, who led the first round of historic face-to-face talks over 21 hours last weekend, would lead the U.S. delegation to Pakistan with envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

Iran on Saturday said it had received new proposals from the United States. While Iran’s chief negotiator, parliament speaker Mohammed Bagher Qalibaf, late Saturday said “there will be no retreat in the field of diplomacy,” he acknowledged a wide gap remained between the sides.

It was unclear whether either side had shifted stances on issues that derailed the last round of negotiations, including Iran’s nuclear enrichment program, its regional proxies and the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump’s announcement on new talks repeated his threats against Iranian infrastructure that have drawn widespread criticism and warnings of war crimes. If Iran doesn’t agree to the U.S.-proposed deal, “the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran,” he wrote.

Iran says transits of the Strait of Hormuz are ‘impossible’

Ships remained unable to transit the critical waterway amid threats from Iran and the U.S. blockade of ships heading to and from Iranian ports. Hundreds of vessels were waiting at each end for clearance.

One of the worst global energy crises in decades threatened to deepen. Roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil trade normally passes through the strait, along with critical supplies of fertilizer for the world’s farmers, natural gas and humanitarian supplies for places in dire need like Afghanistan and Sudan.

Iran had announced the strait’s reopening after a 10-day truce between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon took hold on Friday. But then Trump said the U.S. blockade “will remain in full force” until Tehran reaches a deal with the United States, and Iran said it would again enforce the restrictions it imposed early in the war. On Saturday, Iran fired at ships trying to transit.

For the Islamic Republic, the strait’s closure is perhaps its most powerful weapon, inflicting political pain on Trump. For the United States, the blockade squeezes Iran’s already weakened economy. Each side has accused the other of violating the ceasefire.

Since most supplies to U.S. military bases in the Gulf region come through the strait, “Iran is determined to maintain oversight and control over traffic through the strait until the war fully ends,” Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said late Saturday. That means Iran-designated routes, payment of fees and issuance of transit certificates.

The council has recently acted as Iran’s de facto top decision-making body.

The war is now in its eighth week after the U.S. and Israel launched it on Feb. 28 during talks over Tehran’s nuclear program. At least 3,000 people have been killed in Iran, more than 2,290 in Lebanon, 23 in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Fifteen Israeli soldiers in Lebanon and 13 U.S. service members throughout the region have been killed.

___ Magy reported from Cairo and Metz from Ramallah, West Bank. Associated Press writer Munir Ahmed in Islamabad contributed to this report.

6)Trump says U.S. negotiators will go to Pakistan on Monday for more talks with Iran

Source The Associated Press

By Michelle L. Price, Samy Magady and Sam Metz, April 19, 2026

President Donald Trump said U.S. negotiators will head to Pakistan on Monday for another round of talks with Iran, raising hopes of extending a fragile ceasefire set to expire by Wednesday, even as Washington and Tehran remain in a standoff over the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran did not immediately confirm the talks but its chief negotiator, parliament speaker Mohammed Bagher Qalibaf, said in an interview aired on state television late Saturday that “there will be no retreat in the field of diplomacy,” while acknowledging a wide gap remained between the sides.

The White House said Vice President JD Vance, who led the first round of historic face-to-face talks over 21 hours last weekend, would lead the U.S. delegation to Pakistan with envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

Pakistani authorities began tightening security in Islamabad. A regional official involved in the efforts said mediators were finalizing preparations and U.S. advance security teams were on the ground. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss preparations with the media.

Iran on Saturday said it had received new proposals from the United States. It was unclear whether either side had shifted stances on issues that derailed the last round of negotiations, including Iran’s nuclear enrichment program, its regional proxies and control over the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump’s announcement repeated his threats against Iranian infrastructure that have drawn widespread criticism and warnings of war crimes. If Iran doesn’t agree to the U.S.-proposed deal, “the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran,” he wrote.

Iran says transits of the Strait of Hormuz are ‘impossible’

Ships remain unable to transit the critical waterway amid threats from Iran and a U.S. blockade on ships heading to and from Iranian ports. Hundreds of vessels were waiting at each end for clearance.

One of the worst global energy crises in decades threatened to deepen. Roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil trade normally passes through the strait, along with critical supplies of fertilizer for the world’s farmers, natural gas and humanitarian supplies for places in dire need like Afghanistan and Sudan.

Iranian officials earlier on Sunday held firm that ships wouldn’t pass while the U.S. blockade remained in effect. “It is impossible for others to pass through the Strait of Hormuz while we cannot,” Qalibaf said.

In his post about talks, Trump accused Iran of violating the ceasefire by firing at ships transiting the strait. Iran has called the U.S. blockade a violation, and foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei on Sunday called it an “act of aggression.”

Iran had announced the strait’s reopening after a 10-day truce between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon took hold on Friday. But Iran said it would continue enforcing its restrictions there after Trump said the U.S. blockade “will remain in full force” until Tehran reaches a deal with the United States.

After a brief uptick in transit attempts on Saturday, Iran fired on two Indian-flagged merchant ships that were forced to turn around, leading India to summon Iran’s ambassador over the “serious incident.” India noted that Iran earlier let several India-bound ships through.

For the Islamic Republic, the strait’s closure — imposed after the U.S. and Israel launched the Iran war on Feb. 28 during talks over Tehran’s nuclear program — is perhaps its most powerful weapon, inflicting political pain on Trump. For the United States, the blockade squeezes Iran’s already weakened economy by denying it long-term cash flow.

The war — now in its eighth week — has killed at least 3,000 people in Iran, more than 2,290 in Lebanon, 23 in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Fifteen Israeli soldiers in Lebanon and 13 U.S. service members throughout the region have been killed.

Since most supplies to U.S. military bases in the Gulf region come through the strait, “Iran is determined to maintain oversight and control over traffic through the strait until the war fully ends,” Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said late Saturday. That means Iran-designated routes, payment of fees and issuance of transit certificates.

The council has recently acted as Iran’s de facto top decision-making body.

Pakistan presses on diplomacy and Iran issues a warning

Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who spoke by phone with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Sunday, has said his country is working to “bridge” differences between the U.S. and Iran.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh on Saturday told The Associated Press that the U.S. is “risking the whole ceasefire package” with its blockade.

Khatibzadeh said Iran won’t hand over its stock of 970 pounds (440 kilograms) of enriched uranium to the United States, calling the idea “a nonstarter.” The deputy minister didn’t address other proposals for the enriched uranium, saying only that “we are ready to address any concerns.”

Magy reported from Cairo and Metz from Ramallah, West Bank. Munir Ahmed contributed to this report from Islamabad.

7)Iran attacks ship in Strait of Hormuz, complicating diplomatic efforts to resume talks

Courtesy Barrie360.com and The Associated Press

By Jon Gambrell and David Rising, April 22, 2026

Tankers and bulk carriers anchored in the Strait of Hormuz, Saturday, April 18, 2026. (AP Photo)

Iran fired on a container ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, damaging the vessel and complicating efforts to bring the United States and Iran together in Pakistan for talks to end the war.

The morning attack by Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard came after U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. would indefinitely extend the ceasefire with Iran, which had been due to expire on Wednesday, to give Tehran time to come up with a “unified proposal” ahead of possible negotiations.

Iran has offered no formal acknowledgment of Trump’s ceasefire extension.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked Trump for agreeing to the extension, saying it would buy time for ongoing diplomatic efforts.

“With the trust and confidence reposed in us, Pakistan shall continue its earnest efforts for a negotiated settlement of the conflict,” he wrote on X.

Trump said the U.S. would continue its blockade of Iranian ports, which Iran has called “unacceptable,” and has indicated was a reason it had not yet agreed to join talks in Islamabad.

The Revolutionary Guard vowed Wednesday to “deliver crushing blows beyond the enemy’s imagination to its remaining assets in the region.”

Iran claims ship ignored warnings before attacked

Wednesday’s attack in the Strait of Hormuz came after the U.S. seized an Iranian container ship after shooting it this past weekend and boarded an oil tanker associated with Iran’s oil trade in the Indian Ocean.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre, a monitoring agency run by the British military that first reported the 7:55 a.m. attack, said a Revolutionary Guard gunboat did not hail the ship before firing. It added that nobody was hurt in the attack.

Iran’s Nour News, however, reported that the Guard only opened fire on the ship after it had “ignored the warnings of the Iranian armed forces.” Iran’s semiofficial Fars news agency described the attack as Iran “lawfully enforcing its control over the Strait of Hormuz.

In peacetime, about 20% of the world’s oil and natural gas transits the strategic waterway, which leads from the Persian Gulf to the open oceans and was fully open until the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28 to start the war.

Since then, Tehran has throttled shipping traffic through the strait, causing oil prices to skyrocket and impacting global economies.

In early trading on Wednesday, Brent crude oil, the international standard, was trading at close to $98 a barrel, up more than 30% since the day the war started.

Pakistan forges ahead with diplomatic efforts

Pakistan has been working tirelessly to bring both sides together for a second round of talks.

So far, Iran has not committed, but Pakistani officials there have expressed confidence that Tehran will send a delegation to resume negotiations. The first round, on April 11 and 12, ended without an agreement.

Over the weekend, Iran said that it had received new proposals from Washington, but also suggested that a wide gap remains between the sides. Issues that derailed the previous round of negotiations included Iran’s nuclear enrichment program, its regional proxies and the Strait.

Following Trump’s announcement of the ceasefire extension, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said he hoped it would create “critical space for diplomacy and confidence-building between Iran and the United States,” according to his spokesman, Stephane Dujarric.

Since the war started, at least 3,375 people have been killed in Iran, according to authorities. More than 2,290 people have been killed in Lebanon, 23 people have died in Israel, and more than a dozen have died in Gulf Arab states. Fifteen Israeli soldiers in Lebanon and 13 U.S. service members throughout the region have been killed.