US Israel-Iran War Day 46: US Hormuz blockade starts; Washington, Tehran eye second round of talks

Iran War Day 46 News: President Donald Trump said Monday that the US military has begun a blockade of all Iranian ports and coastal areas and Iran responded with threats on ports in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Trump had vowed earlier to block the Strait of Hormuz entirely.

Trump later suggested he was willing to engage with Iran, saying he had spoken to “the other side.” This came after he warned on social media that Iranian warships coming “anywhere close” to the US blockade would be destroyed.

Ceasefire talks between the US and Iran ended Sunday without an agreement, raising questions about what happens when the current two-week truce expires on April 22. The Israeli military, meanwhile, pushed ahead with its offensive in southern Lebanon, engaging in fierce fighting with Hezbollah militants over a strategic town, while the group fires rockets and drones at northern Israel.


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Trump signals Iran talks

U.S. President Donald Trump has indicated that negotiations with Iran could restart as early as this week, signaling possible renewed diplomatic engagement following an inconclusive first round of talks over Tehran’s nuclear programme.

• Trump said a second round of talks with Iran “could be happening over the next two days” in a call with The New York Post
• He initially suggested the talks may be held in Europe
• He later indicated that Pakistan’s capital could again host the discussions
• The previous round of talks ended without an agreement on Iran’s nuclear ambitions
• The White House has identified Iran’s nuclear programme as a key sticking point in negotiations

Guterres warns on international law

António Guterres warned that international law is being increasingly violated, particularly amid rising tensions in the Middle East, saying such breaches are deepening global instability and mistrust. He called for renewed diplomatic engagement between the United States and Iran and stressed the importance of safeguarding freedom of navigation in strategic waterways.

• Guterres said international law is being “trampled,” especially in the Middle East
• He warned that such violations are increasing global instability and mistrust
• He urged the resumption of U.S.–Iran talks to reduce tensions
• He emphasized respect for freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz
• He announced a visit to The Hague to mark the 80th anniversary of the International Court of Justice
• He said the visit aims to reaffirm that international law is essential amid global fragmentation and geopolitical rivalry

Pakistan proposes US–Iran talks

Diplomatic efforts involving the United States, Iran, and regional stakeholders appear to be gaining cautious momentum as new proposals and statements indicate possible progress toward renewed negotiations.

• Pakistani officials say Islamabad has proposed a second round of talks between the United States and Iran
• The proposal aims to support ongoing efforts to reduce tensions between the two sides
• According to reports cited by Associated Press, US Vice President JD Vance said negotiations with Iran have made some progress
• US President Donald Trump stated that the US has been contacted by the other side, which has expressed interest in reaching a deal
• The developments suggest tentative diplomatic movement amid continuing regional tensions

Macron urges ceasefire and talks

Following high-level meetings and rising regional tensions, France is pushing for de-escalation, renewed dialogue, and coordinated international action.

• Emmanuel Macron met with Iran’s president and Donald Trump to address the situation
• He called for the resumption of negotiations that were previously halted in Islamabad
• Emphasis was placed on clarifying misunderstandings and preventing further escalation
• Macron stressed the need for a strictly respected ceasefire, including in Lebanon
• He urged the immediate, unconditional reopening of the Strait of Hormuz without restrictions
• He said negotiations could resume quickly if these conditions are met, with support from key stakeholders
• France and United Kingdom will co-host a conference in Paris on Friday
• The meeting will gather non-belligerent countries via videoconference
• The goal is to support a multilateral, purely defensive mission to restore freedom of navigation in the strait when security conditions allow

Vance says Iranians made some progress' in talks on nuclear issues

• Vice President JD Vance said in an interview with FOX News Channel's “Special Report” that negotiations “did make some progress” in the Islamabad talks on the US insistence on the removal of nuclear material from Iran as well as a mechanism to ensure uranium cannot be enriched in the future.
• “They moved in our direction,” Vance said in the interview. He said he thought Iranian negotiators were “unable to cut a deal” and needed to get approval from others in Tehran.

US seeks pause of Iran uranium enrichment

• US seeks 20-year suspension of Iran's uranium enrichment programme as part of a deal to end the war.

Also read: NATO allies refuse to join Trump's Strait of Hormuz blockade

US and Iran could be headed toward a second round of talks, AP sources say

• The sides are weighing new in-person negotiations in a bid to reach a deal aimed at ending their six-week war before the ceasefire expires next week.
• The three said discussions were still underway about a new round of talks, while a diplomat from one of the mediating countries went further to say Tehran and Washington have agreed to it.
• The diplomat and US officials said Islamabad, Pakistan, was once again being discussed as the host location.

Official says Iran is seeking compensation from 5 Middle East countries

• Iran's representative to the United Nations has demanded compensation from countries it says participated in the US and Israeli war effort against Iran.
• Iran's state media report the nations include Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.

US military has 15 warships in the Middle East

• Aside from the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, the US Navy has 11 destroyers, three amphibious assault ships, and a littoral combat ship, all in the waters of the Middle East, a defence official said.
• A second defence official says no U.S. warships are in the Persian Gulf — the body of water that forms most of Iran's coastline.

Oil prices ease

• The S&P 500 rallied 1% Monday and is back to within 1.3% of its record. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.6%, and the Nasdaq composite rose 1.2%.
• Even in the oil market, where prices jumped above $100 per barrel after ceasefire talks failed to end the war, prices pared their leaps as Monday progressed. The moves for financial markets overall were much more modest than the extreme swings that have hit since the war began in late February.

Netanyahu focuses on Iran in Holocaust speech

• The Israeli PM says the war against Iran was a powerful contrast to the Holocaust.
• In an address marking Israel's annual Holocaust memorial day, Netanyahu said that while Jews were like an “abused animal crying in agony” at the hands of the Nazis, the modern state of Israel fights back against its enemies.