US-Iran peace talks LIVE updates: Three vessels hit by gunfire in Strait of Hormuz, crews safe

US Iran war LIVE updates: Iran’s ambassador Reza Amiri Moghadam called on Pakistan’s Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on April 22 to discuss the ongoing regional situation and peace efforts, said Pak PMO’s office.

US Iran war LIVE updates: to counter them, mainly for a massive increase for a little-known office working with US commandos to test and evaluate various systems, according to defense officials.

The drone-funding proposal includes $54.6 billion for the Defense Autonomous Working Group, or DAWG, from just $225.9 million this year. That would appear to be the largest single year-over-year boost of any defense program or office, meaning it’s likely to draw particular congressional and public scrutiny in an already eye-catching $1.5 trillion request that’s 42% larger than this year’s budget.

The big boost for the Pentagon’s little-known drone unit comes as the US and Israeli war against Iran illustrates how drones can help level the playing field against even the world’s most well-funded armed forces. Tehran has sent volleys of its cheap Shahed one-way attack drones into energy facilities and other buildings across the Persian Gulf, closing the Strait of Hormuz to tanker traffic, raising global energy prices and putting pressure on President Donald Trump to find a diplomatic off-ramp. (Bloomberg)

US Iran war LIVE updates: The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) on Wednesday said that its troops and air force carried out a strike in Southern Lebanon after claiming the violation of ceasefire by Hezbollah involving two members crossing the “Forward Defence Line” and approaching the Israeli soldiers.

In a statement, the IDF said the incident took place in the Saluki area in southern Lebanon, where the IDF claimed to detect a potential threat.

“Yesterday (Tuesday), IDF soldiers identified in the area of the Saluki in southern Lebanon, two terrorists who violated the ceasefire understandings, crossed the Forward Defence Line and approached the soldiers, posing an immediate threat,” said the IDF in an official statement. (ANI)

US Iran war LIVE updates: Israel’s foreign minister on Wednesday called on Lebanon to ‘work together’ with Israel against Hezbollah.

US Iran war LIVE updates: At least three container ships were hit by gunfire in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, maritime security sources and the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said.

Iran has imposed restrictions on ships using the strait, first in retaliation for the U.S.-Israeli bombardment of the country, and then in response to a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports.

A Liberia-flagged container ship sustained damage to its bridge after being hit by gunfire and rocket-propelled grenades northeast of Oman.

The UKMTO said the master of the vessel reported being approached by an IRGC gunboat. The vessel, it said, was subsequently fired upon. All crew members were safe and there was no fire or environmental impact due to the incident. (Reuters)

US Iran war LIVE updates: Trump later announced the extension of the ceasefire, citing a request from Pakistan’s Field Marshal Asim Munir and PM Shehbaz Sharif. He also cited “facts that the government of Iran is seriously fractured.”

US President said that he has been asked to hold their attacks on Iran, “until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal.”

However, along with the extension of the ceasefire, Trump also said that the US will continue its naval blockade and, “in all other respects, remain ready and able.”

US Iran war LIVE updates: Cargo ship leaving Iran fired upon, stopped in water, says Maritime agency
(AFP)

US Iran war LIVE updates: UKMTO says it received a report of an incident 8 nautical miles west of Iran, with details still awaited.

US Iran war LIVE updates: 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. (AP)

US Iran war LIVE updates: US President Donald Trump indefinitely extended a ceasefire with Iran just before its expiration, while maintaining a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz after planned peace talks between the two sides fell apart.

Trump said in a Truth Social post that Pakistan, which is mediating, asked the US to hold off on fresh strikes. The US is extending the ceasefire until Iran submits a new proposal “and discussions are concluded, one way or the other.” In another post, the president said that without the blockade, “there can never be a Deal with Iran, unless we blow up the rest of their Country, their leaders included!”

Vice President JD Vance had been set to travel to Pakistan to resume talks with Iran, but representatives from Tehran refused to attend, citing what they said were unreasonable American demands. Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency said there is currently no prospect of Iran participating in negotiations. (Bloomberg)

US Iran war LIVE updates: In a significant diplomatic development, Iran has established a clear precondition for the resumption of negotiations, with its UN Ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani, stating that Tehran is prepared to engage in talks only after the United States ends its naval blockade.

Citing an interview given by Iravani to Rudlaw News Network at the UN HQ, Tasnim News Agency reported that the Iranian envoy emphasised that for any dialogue to proceed, Washington must first halt its “ceasefire violations.”

“The naval blockade of the United States, it is a violation of the ceasefire. And we told them that they should break this blockade. We have received some sign that they are ready to break it. And as soon as they break this blockade, I think that the next round of the negotiation will take place in Istanbul. Listen to them, we have not initiated the military aggression. They initiated the war against us and we are ready. If they want to sit on table and discuss and find a political solution, they will find us ready. If they want to go to the war, in this case also Iran is ready for that,” Iravani said.

The ambassador’s remarks suggest that while a channel for communication may exist, the removal of the blockade remains the primary obstacle to a formal diplomatic process. (ANI)

US Iran war LIVE updates: At least two fully laden Iranian tankers have sailed out of the Persian Gulf and past a US blockade this week, part of a flotilla that has made its way around the warships and ferried roughly 9 million barrels of oil to the market.

The Hero II and Hedy, two Iran-flagged, very-large crude carriers, are the latest to be captured in satellite imagery, moving past the line identified by the US and into the Arabian Sea on April 20, according to data intelligence firm Vortexa. The pair can together carry as much as 4 million barrels of oil.

The exit of laden tankers demonstrates the limits of US efforts to cordon off Tehran’s crude exports — which President Donald Trump has described as a “tremendous success” — and pressure an otherwise resilient Iranian regime into concessions. Since the blockade began last week, the US Navy has seized an Iran-linked cargo vessel and boarded a sanctioned oil tanker in waters east of Sri Lanka, widening its targeted area. (Bloomberg)

US Iran war LIVE updates: UK Maritime Traffic Organization (UKMTO) on Wednesday said Iran attacked a container ship near Strait of Hormuz.

The maritime authority said that the attack happened around 7:55 am in the strait, when the container was approached by a gunboat belonging to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which gave no radio warning before it “fired upon the vessel,” CNN reported.

No damage has been reported.

US Iran war LIVE updates: An Israeli strike on Lebanon’s Bekaa region killed one person and wounded two others on Wednesday, Lebanese state media reported, despite an ongoing truce between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah.

“One person was killed and two others were wounded as a result of an attack carried out by an enemy drone at dawn, on the outskirts of Al-Jabur in West Bekaa,” Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported.

Hezbollah on Tuesday said it had launched rockets and attack drones at a site in northern Israel in response to “blatant” Israeli ceasefire violations, which it said included “attacks on civilians and the destruction of their homes and villages”. (AFP)

US Iran war LIVE updates: While the truce between the United States and Iran has been extended, tensions continue to prevail between the two nations. On Wednesday, the Islamic Republic issued a fresh warning to its neighbouring Gulf states, stating that if they allow their bases to be used for attacking Tehran, “they can bid farewell to oil production.”

US Iran war LIVE updates: United States President Donald Trump has credited Pakistani leadership for shift in ceasefire strategy.

US Iran war LIVE updates: The president said he’s extending the ceasefire with Iran at Pakistan’s request as he waits for a “unified proposal” from the Islamic Republic, but that the U.S. military will continue its blockade of Iranian ports.

Trump added that “he’s directed our Military to continue the Blockade and, in all other respects, remain ready and able, and will therefore extend the Ceasefire until such time as their proposal is submitted, and discussions are concluded, one way or the other.”

The president made the move even as the White House has put on hold Vice President JD Vance’s expected trip to Islamabad for a second round of talks as Tehran, at least for time being, is balking at further talks.

US Iran war LIVE updates: After Trump announced ceasefire extension, Mahdi Mohammadi, a senior adviser to Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said, “ Trump’s ceasefire extension means nothing. The losing side cannot dictate terms. The continuation of the siege is no different from bombardment and must be met with a military response. Moreover, Trump’s ceasefire extension is certainly a ploy to buy time for a surprise strike. The time for Iran to take the initiative has come.”

US Iran war LIVE updates: In a post on X Tuesday evening, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the blockade of Iranian ports “directly targets the regime’s primary revenue lifelines” by constraining maritime trade.

“Kharg Island storage will be full and the fragile Iranian oil wells will be shut in,” Bessent said.

Kharg Island is considered the beating heart of Iran’s oil industry, through which 90% of its exports pass.

In line with previous statements about economic pressure efforts, Bessent also said Iranian funds would remain frozen and any person or vessel facilitating the flow of funds to Iran would risk US sanctions. (AP)

US Iran war LIVE updates: President Donald Trump made cryptic comments Tuesday about China possibly providing weapons or other potentially lethal war supplies to Iran, a move that would test a US red line on aiding Tehran during the war.

The president suggested in an interview on CNBC Tuesday that the US caught a boat with a “gift” from China, after talking about the US restocking its munitions, hinting — without explicitly saying — that the present was some form of lethal aid for Tehran.

“We caught a ship yesterday that had some things on it, which wasn’t very nice — a gift from China, perhaps, I don’t know,” Trump said. “I thought I had an understanding with President Xi, but that’s alright. That’s the way the war goes right?”

The White House did not respond to requests for comment on Tuesday.

Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Guo Jiakun at a briefing on Tuesday, responding to a question about unverified reports of China being linked to chemical shipments for missiles said, “as far as I know, the vessel seized by the US is a foreign container ship. China rejects any false association and speculation.” (Bloomberg)

US Iran war LIVE updates: President Donald Trump extended the US ceasefire with Iran to allow more time for peace talks, with Tehran silent on the decision early Wednesday.

Trump indefinitely pushed back the end of the two week truce, crediting a request from mediator Pakistan and stressing the need to give Iran’s “fractured” leadership time to form a proposal. But he said the US blockade of Iran’s ports — a sticking point for Tehran — would continue.

In a Truth social post Tuesday the US president accused Iran of wanting to keep the Strait of Hormuz open “so they can make $500 Million Dollars a day,” which he said the Gulf nation would risk losing if it remains closed.

Trump insisted in the post that keeping a US blockade of the strait, a critical waterway for about a fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas exports, is vital for forging a deal with Iran. (AFP)

US Iran war LIVE updates: Iran has suggested that the United States may be preparing to ease tensions over its naval blockade, according to Press TV, quoting Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani.

According to Press TV, Iravani said, “Tehran has received signs indicating that the United States is ready to end the naval blockade.”

Iravani has also formally urged the global body to press the United States to immediately and unconditionally release the Iranian commercial vessel Touska, along with its crew and their families, as reported by Iranian state broadcaster Press TV.

US Iran war LIVE updates: US President Donald Trump has indefinitely extended the ceasefire with Iran at the request of mediator Pakistan, saying the move was aimed at giving Tehran’s fractured leadership time to come up with a unified proposal to end the seven-week war.

The dramatic announcement came just hours before the two-week ceasefire announced on April 8 was set to expire, and effectively delayed the planned visit of a US delegation led by Vice President JD Vance to Islamabad for peace talks with Iranian interlocutors.

Vance and US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were scheduled to travel to Islamabad on Tuesday, but the White House said the delegation’s “trip to Pakistan will not be happening today (Tuesday).” (PTI)

US Iran war LIVE updates: US Vice President JD Vance has cancelled his upcoming diplomatic mission to Islamabad for Iran-related negotiations indefinitely, The Wall Street Journal reported. This decision follows President Donald Trump’s recent declaration of a “ceasefire extension” and his demand for a “unified proposal” from Tehran.

The high-stakes visit, which was “scheduled for Tuesday,” has now been “called off with no new dates set,” according to a White House official. The cancellation signals a shift in the administration’s timeline as Washington waits for a more cohesive diplomatic signal from the Iranian leadership.

Regarding the possibility of future talks, the White House official further noted that “any future travel for diplomatic engagements will be announced later.” The postponement comes as the Trump administration recalibrates its approach to the region, prioritising a singular, comprehensive framework before resuming high-level executive discussions in the Pakistani capital.

In tandem with this diplomatic pause, US President Donald Trump has announced a further extension of the ceasefire involving Iran, citing a direct appeal from the Pakistani leadership to delay a planned military strike. (ANI)

US Iran war LIVE updates: Iranian hard-liners rallied late Tuesday night as possible talks in Islamabad with the United States broke down, with members of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard apparently bringing a ballistic missile on a mobile launcher to one event.

Footage aired by Iranian state TV showed men carrying Kalashnikov-style assault rifles riding atop a missile that resembled a Qadr ballistic missile in Iran’s capital, Tehran.

Such Qadr missiles can release individual bomblets known as cluster munitions, which Iran used widely when attacking Israel during the war.

Trump offers combative social media post as ceasefire indefinitely extended

Trump offered a combative social media post Tuesday night after indefinitely extending a ceasefire in the Iran war after talks in Islamabad failed to materialize.

Writing on his Truth Social website, Trump contended that “Iran doesn’t want the Strait of Hormuz closed, they want it open” so they can sell their crude oil.

Trump said if he allowed that to happen, there “can never be a Deal with Iran, unless we blow up the rest of their Country, their leaders included!”

It’s unclear what the next step forward is to resume talks in Pakistan’s capital. (AP)