Phot- Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine speaks next to a map showing a blockade line on the Strait of Hormuz, during a briefing on the Iran war at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 16, 2026. Photo by Nathan Howard/Reuters..
Here is the latest about the war in Iran and Iran today:
- US President Trump says Iran has committed a “serious violation” of the ceasefire but a peace deal “will happen one way or another – the nice way or the hard way”.
- Iran and the US have made progress in negotiations but are still a long way from a deal, according to Iran’s chief negotiator – amplifying concerns about a possible return to war when their ceasefire expires on Wednesday.
- Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh says no date has been set for a new round of face-to-face talks with the US and slams Washington’s refusal to abandon its “maximalist” demands.
- Israel launches attacks on southern Lebanon despite a ceasefire and says it established a “yellow line” – similar to the one it imposed in Gaza. This also comes despite president Trump’s to Israel against attacking Lebanon , as the 2 countries prepare for the peace talks
- Trump sends envoys to Pakistan as talks aim to ‘extend ceasefire’. he is sending his Middle East envoys Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner. He said will not be sending Vice President JD Vance since ” simply isn’t the time to put that security apparatus in place.”
- The two envoys are expected to arrive on Monday night, likely for discussions on Tuesday, with the goal not only to try to extend the ceasefire but also to put in place some sort of framework agreement between Iran and the United States to continue these discussions.
- No Iranian negotiating team being sent to Pakistan yet. There is currently no decision by Iran to send a negotiating delegation to Pakistan “as long as there is a naval blockade”, Iran’s Tasnim News Agency reports. “The Iranian team has stressed that as long as Trump’s announcement of a naval blockade against Iran remains in effect, there will be no negotiations,” Tasnim’s correspondent reported.
- The blockade was designed by the United States Navy to allow all ships to cross except those that are Iranian-flagged. No ships are crossing the Strait of Hormuz because the Iranians have closed it. So there’s nothing to blockade because the ships are not passing where the US Navy is.
- Lebanon another Gaza – We’re seeing a direct parallel to the scenario in Gaza in Lebanon. Israel declares it will continue controlling occupying Lebanon. It declared a so-called yellow line, which, as we know from Gaza is also quite elastic so it could expand a few kilometres here or there.
- Everything in that area under Israeli control is basically condemned for demolition.
- France’s Macron to meet Lebanon’s PM Salam in Paris on Monday . The visit highlights Macron’s commitment to seeing “full and complete respect for the ceasefire in Lebanon” as well as France’s support for Lebanon’s “territorial integrity”, the president’s office said in a statement.
- ALJAZEERA/ YL
