Middle East crisis live: US-Iran talks in doubt as JD Vance’s Pakistan trip reportedly on hold

During a news conference alongside France’s president Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday, Lebanon’s prime minister Nawaf Salam said his government was not seeking confrontation with Iran-backed Hezbollah, but it would not allow itself to be intimidated as it continues direct talks with Israel to end the conflict.

Salam said he would need all Lebanon’s partners to help as direct talks at the ambassador level continue later this week in Washington.

“We are continuing along this path, convinced that diplomacy is not a sign of weakness, but a responsible act to leave no avenue unexplored in restoring my country’s sovereignty and protecting its people,” Salam said.

The New York Times is reporting that vice-president JD Vance’s trip to Islamabad has been halted after Tehran failed to respond to American negotiating positions.

A US official told the news outlet that Vance’s trip, which was expected to start on Tuesday, was placed on hold after Iran failed to meet US terms.

The visit could resume if Iran meets these terms, but the White House is waiting for a signal that Iran’s negotiators are willing to sign a deal.

In a post on X, the Israeli army said Hezbollah launched several rockets towards its soldiers in southern Lebanon.

The Israeli army retaliated by striking “the launcher from which the rockets were launched.”

The move follows on the heels of a ceasefire that took effect in Lebanon, where Israel has been conducting devastating airstrikes aimed at wiping out the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia. A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah mediated by Washington came into effect last Thursday.

AFP is reporting that Iran’s judiciary denied that eight women were at risk of execution after president Donald Trump had requested clemency on their behalf.

The remarks come after, earlier today, Trump said on Truth Social that the women’s release “would be a great start to our negotiations!!!,” attaching a post by pro-Israel activist Eyal Yakoby, who claimed Iran was preparing to execute the women.

“Trump was misled once again by fake news,” the judiciary’s official Mizan Online website said. “The women who were claimed to be on the verge of execution, some of them have been released, while others face charges that, if convictions are upheld, would at most result in imprisonment.”

• US president Donald Trump told broadcaster CNBC in an interview on Tuesday that he did not want to extend a ceasefire with Iran, adding the US was in a strong negotiating position and would end up with what he called a great deal. “I don’t want to do that. We don’t have that much time,” Trump said when asked about the possibility of extending the ceasefire.

• The US vice-president JD Vance has not yet departed Washington for talks on Iran and is participating in additional policy meetings, a White House official said on Tuesday afternoon. It comes as president Donald Trump said earlier in the day that the US is in a strong position for talks with Iran during a second round of negotiations in Pakistan.

• In an extremely brief Truth Social post, the US president, Donald Trump, said that “Iran has violated the ceasefire numerous times”, without specifying what these breaches were. His comments come amid continuing uncertainty over whether a second round of peace talks between Iran and the US will take place in Pakistan today.

• Pakistan has yet to receive a formal response from Iran on whether it would send a delegation for a second round of talks with the United States, Islamabad’s information minister has said. “Formal response from Iranian side about confirmation of delegation to attend Islamabad Peace Talks is still awaited,” minister Attaullah Tarar posted on X, saying that a decision was “critical” as just hours remained until the two-week ceasefire struck between the warring sides expires.

• Lebanon on Tuesday raised the toll from six weeks of war between Israel and Hezbollah to 2,454 dead as a fragile 10-day ceasefire holds. The government’s disaster risk management unit in a statement also said 7,658 people had been wounded in the conflict, which began on 2 March, days after the broader Middle East war erupted.

• Israel’s military said Tuesday it has sentenced two soldiers to 30 days in jail and removed them from combat duty for smashing a statue of Jesus Christ in Lebanon. Images of an Israeli soldier with a sledgehammer smashing the statue’s head emerged over the weekend, bringing widespread condemnation, AP reported.

• Iranian authorities have arrested more than 3,600 people on charges related to the US-Israeli war ranging from sharing videos with media outlets based overseas to possessing Starlink internet terminals, an NGO said on Tuesday. Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) said the figure, based on state media reports and its own research, represented a minimum given the current internet restrictions in the Islamic republic, and that the actual number of arrests was “likely much higher”.

• Lebanon’s prime minister and French president Emmanuel Macron will discuss on Tuesday how to strengthen the country’s hand in possible direct negotiations with Israel in the United States later this week, as Beirut turns to a trusted European ally. The US will host ambassador-level talks with Israel and Lebanon on Thursday, although it remains unclear whether the objective is to extend a fragile 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah or pave the way for deeper negotiations.

• The Pentagon says US forces boarded the sanctioned M/T Tifani tanker overnight “without incident” in the Asia Pacific region. “As we have made clear, we will pursue global maritime enforcement efforts to disrupt illicit networks and interdict sanctioned vessels providing material support to Iran – anywhere they operate,” the US Department of Defense wrote in a post on X.

• Germany and Italy on Tuesday rebuffed calls to suspend an EU cooperation deal with Israel, despite rising anger over the war in Lebanon and the situation in the West Bank. Spain and Ireland had put the issue of halting the June 2000 agreement back on the table at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg.

• At least 26 Iranian “shadow fleet” vessels have bypassed the US naval blockade of the strait of Hormuz, according to Lloyd’s List. Since the US blockade took effect on 13 April, as many as 26 vessels have continued moving in and out of Iranian ports and have exported Iranian-origin cargo, maritime data shows. Lloyd’s List said 11 tankers laden with Iranian cargo have left the Gulf of Oman or the Middle East Gulf since 13 April.

• Israel is continuing its attacks on Gaza, where the humanitarian situation remains dire despite a ceasefire. At least four Palestinian people have been killed by Israeli attacks in the southern and northern parts of the Gaza Strip so far today, Palestinian news agency Wafa is reporting.

• The US-Israel war on Iran is creating the worst energy crisis ever faced by the world, the head of the International Energy Agency (IEA), which advises 32 member countries on energy supply and security, said. “This is indeed the biggest crisis in history,” Fatih Biroltold France Inter radio in an interview broadcast this morning.

The US vice-president JD Vance has not yet departed Washington for talks on Iran and is participating in additional policy meetings, a White House official said on Tuesday afternoon.

It comes as president Donald Trump said earlier in the day that the US is in a strong position for talks with Iran during a second round of negotiations in Pakistan.

“We’re going to end up with a great deal. I think they have no choice…We’re in a very, very strong negotiating position,” Trump told broadcaster CNBC.

A US delegation led by Vance had been expected to leave shortly from Washington for Islamabad, which earlier this month hosted a first round of talks, ending without progress.

Germany and Italy on Tuesday rebuffed calls to suspend an EU cooperation deal with Israel, despite rising anger over the war in Lebanon and the situation in the West Bank.

Spain and Ireland had put the issue of halting the June 2000 agreement back on the table at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg.

German foreign minister Johann Wadephul called the proposal “inappropriate”.

“We have to talk with Israel about the critical issues,” he said, adding: “That has to be done in a critical, constructive dialogue with Israel.”

Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he expects to resume bombing Iran, as a fragile 14-day ceasefire approaches its deadline Wednesday with no deal in sight.

“I expect to be bombing because I think that’s a better attitude to go in with,” Trump told CNBC’s Squawk Box. “We’re ready to go. The military is raring to go.”

When asked if he would extend the ceasefire, he replied: “I don’t want to do that. We don’t have that much time.”

He added that the US was in a strong negotiating position and would ultimately secure what he called a great deal – though on what timeline, and at what cost, remained unclear.

The remarks came alongside a Truth Social post in which Trump accused Tehran of having “Violated the Cease Fire numerous times!” – an allegation that appeared to lay the groundwork for justifying resumed strikes.

Despite his sharp tongue, Trump at the same time indicated that a fresh round of negotiations was still on the table, with JD Vance and Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, expected to arrive in Islamabad for a second round of talks on Tuesday.

Lebanon on Tuesday raised the toll from six weeks of war between Israel and Hezbollah to 2,454 dead as a fragile 10-day ceasefire holds.

The government’s disaster risk management unit in a statement also said 7,658 people had been wounded in the conflict, which began on 2 March, days after the broader Middle East war erupted.

Authorities and rescuers in Lebanon have been continuing to recover and identify bodies in areas that were subjected to heavy Israeli strikes.

Pakistan has yet to receive a formal response from Iran on whether it would send a delegation for a second round of talks with the United States, Islamabad’s information minister has said.

“Formal response from Iranian side about confirmation of delegation to attend Islamabad Peace Talks is still awaited,” minister Attaullah Tarar posted on X, saying that a decision was “critical” as just hours remained until the two-week ceasefire struck between the warring sides expires.

He wrote:

The situation as it stands at 1930 PST

1. Formal response from Iranian side about confirmation of delegation to attend Islamabad Peace Talks is still awaited.

2. ⁠Pakistan as the mediator is in constant touch with Iranians and pursuing the path of diplomacy and dialogue.

3. Ceasefire ends at 4:50 am PST, 22 April. Decision from Iran to attend the talks before the end of two weeks ceasefire is critical.

4. ⁠Pakistan has made sincere efforts to convince the Iranian leadership to participate in the second round of talks and these efforts continue.

Iranian authorities have arrested more than 3,600 people on charges related to the US-Israeli war ranging from sharing videos with media outlets based overseas to possessing Starlink internet terminals, an NGO said on Tuesday.

Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) said the figure, based on state media reports and its own research, represented a minimum given the current internet restrictions in the Islamic republic, and that the actual number of arrests was “likely much higher”.

It said at least 3,646 people had been arrested since the war broke out on 28 February, with at least 767 of the cases reported after the start of a ceasefire on 8 April.

Israel’s military said Tuesday it has sentenced two soldiers to 30 days in jail and removed them from combat duty for smashing a statue of Jesus Christ in Lebanon.

Images of an Israeli soldier with a sledgehammer smashing the statue’s head emerged over the weekend, bringing widespread condemnation, AP reported.

Israel said one of the soldiers being punished hammered the statue to the ground. The other filmed the destruction.

In another Truth Social post, Donald Trump said Iranian “leaders” will soon be in negotiations with his “representatives” – presumably the vice president, JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff and the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.

Attaching his post with unverified news alleging that Iran is planning to hang eight women, Trump said: “I would greatly appreciate the release of these women. I am sure that they will respect the fact that you did so. Please do them no harm! Would be a great start to our negotiations!!!”

Iranian officials have not publicly confirmed that a delegation will attend a new round of peace talks, although the Associated Press reports that JD Vance and Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, will arrive in Islamabad tomorrow morning to lead their teams in negotiations.

Earlier, Ghalibaf said Tehran is preparing “new cards on the battlefield” if the war with the US resumes after the ceasefire expires tomorrow. Trump has expressed his reluctance to extend the Wednesday deadline.

Some more from the CNBC interview now. When asked about his threats to bomb Iranian bridges and the country’s electrical grid, Trump, without providing any evidence to support his comments, said: “It’s not my choice but it would also hurt them, it would hurt them militarily. They use the bridges for their weapons, for their missile movements.”

“They are trying to move the missiles because we have obliterated most of their missiles and they are trying to move their missiles around even during the ceasefire.”

“We are totally loaded up. We have so much ammo, we have so much of everything… Much more powerful than it was four or five weeks ago. So we have used this to restock and they probably have done a little bit of restocking.”

The US president previously threatened to bomb Iran’s water treatment facilities as well as its power plants and bridges if Tehran did not agree to abandon its nuclear weapons programme – a key sticking point between the two sides. Many legal experts agree that mass bombing of civilian infrastructure in Iran would constitute a war crime.

Trump goes on to suggest that he suspects China may have helped Iran during the US- Israeli war against the country.

“We caught a ship yesterday that had some things on it, which wasn’t very nice, a gift from China perhaps,” he said. “I don’t know, but I’m sort of surprised, but because I have a very good relationship, and I thought I had an understanding with President Xi, but that’s all right. That’s the way war goes, right?”

President Donald Trump told CNBC in an interview on Tuesday that he did not want to extend a ceasefire with Iran, adding the US was in a strong negotiating position and would end up with what he called a great deal.

“I don’t want to do that. We don’t have that much time,” Trump said when asked about the possibility of extending the ceasefire.

Trump also said that the US was in a strong negotiating position with Iran and would end up with a “great deal”.

He said there is not “much time” to reach a deal, adding that Tehran can get themselves on “a very good footing” if they settle on one with Washington.

“I expect to be bombing ‘cause that would be a better attitude,” the president later told CNBC.

Lebanon’s prime minister and French president Emmanuel Macron will discuss on Tuesday how to strengthen the country’s hand in possible direct negotiations with Israel in the United States later this week, as Beirut turns to a trusted European ally.

The US will host ambassador-level talks with Israel and Lebanon on Thursday, although it remains unclear whether the objective is to extend a fragile 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah or pave the way for deeper negotiations.

Israeli troops occupy territory deep in the south, aiming to create a buffer zone to shield northern Israel from Hezbollah attack, while the group says it maintains the “right to resist” Israeli occupation.

“France’s role is not to insert itself between the parties in discussions that are, by nature, bilateral and direct,” a French presidency official said ahead of prime minister Nawaf Salam’s meeting with Macron.

“France is one of the countries capable of playing a very concrete role in strengthening the Lebanese government’s hand and supporting its action in practical terms.“

Well, it looks like there was some miscommunication with our video service and there is in fact no Pete Hegseth press conference today.

We will all have to wait a little while longer to hear his latest pearls of wisdom and unique take on the US-Israeli war on Iran.

The US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, is due to give a war briefing at the Pentagon alongside Gen Dan Caine, the chair of the joint chiefs of staff, in about five minutes.

Stay with us as we will be covering it live and will attach a feed of the briefing at the top of the blog.

The Pentagon says US forces boarded the sanctioned M/T Tifani tanker overnight “without incident” in the Asia Pacific region.

“As we have made clear, we will pursue global maritime enforcement efforts to disrupt illicit networks and interdict sanctioned vessels providing material support to Iran – anywhere they operate,” the US Department of Defense wrote in a post on X.