US and Iran in indirect talks to extend two-week ceasefire

Summary

The US and Iran have been in indirect talks aimed at extending the two-week ceasefire beyond its expiry on 22 April, as Pakistan’s army chief arrived in Tehran to continue mediation efforts. Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, denied on Wednesday that the US had “formally” requested to extend the two-week ceasefire but added that Washington remained “very much engaged in these negotiations”. A second round of negotiations would “very likely” be held in Islamabad, she said, adding that the White House feels “good about the prospects of a deal” only days after negotiations to reach a peace agreement failed. “Nothing is official until you hear it from us here at the White House,” she added. The remarks came as Pakistani officials launched a new round of shuttle diplomacy in an effort to negotiate an end to the conflict, travelling to Iran and other countries in the region to marshal diplomatic support for a peace agreement. Field Marshal Asim Munir led a Pakistani delegation to Tehran on Wednesday to convey a message from Washington, while working to arrange a second round of US-Iranian ceasefire negotiations. The high-powered delegation also included the interior minister, Mohsin Naqvi, officials in Islamabad said. On the same day, Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan’s prime minister, set off on a four-day tour to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey, in an attempt to bolster peace efforts by coordinating support from other regional powers. Reports from the region suggested both sides were in favour of prolonging the truce, though Donald Trump suggested an extension may not even be necessary to secure a peace agreement. “During this visit, the views of both sides are likely to be discussed in detail,” said Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, adding that an exchange of messages between Washington and Tehran had continued even after 21 hours of ceasefire talks in Islamabad had broken up over the weekend. Sources in Tehran said Iran demanded an end to Israeli attacks on Lebanon as a precondition for another round of negotiations with the US. Israel has portrayed its talks with the Lebanese government in Washington as a “historic opportunity” to end the Iranian-allied Hezbollah militia’s grip on Lebanon. But Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, indicated in a video statement on Wednesday evening that he had not committed to a ceasefire, saying the IDF was continuing to “strike Hezbollah” in its stronghold in Lebanon of Bint Jbeil and that he had given instructions to broaden a “security zone” by continuing operations in Lebanon. “Our forces continue to strike Hezbollah, we are about to conquer Bint Jbeil,” he said. “In parallel, yesterday I gave instructions to the IDF to continue thickening the security zone.” Lt Gen Eyal Zamir, the Israeli army chief of staff, visited Israeli troops on Wednesday and vowed to eliminate Hezbollah’s presence south of the Litani River, about 30km (19 miles) from the Israeli border. “I have ordered that all of the area of south Lebanon up to the Litani line be turned into a Hezbollah terrorist kill zone,” Zamir said, adding: “We are advancing and striking Hezbollah and they are retreating.” The US military said a naval blockade of Iranian ports imposed after the end of the Islamabad talks had been “fully implemented” and US warships had turned back nine ships, including the Chinese-owned tanker Rich Starry, which had tried to cross the strait of Hormuz on Tuesday. The ship has been placed under sanctions by the US. Maj Gen Ali Abdollahi, the leader of Iran’s joint military command, on Wednesday said its military could halt trade in the Gulf region if the US did not lift its blockade on Iranian ports. Scott Bessent, the US Treasury secretary, has said the US was ready to escalate financial pressure on Iran by preparing for the “financial equivalent” of the US bombing campaign. The administration has “told companies, we have told countries that if you are buying Iranian oil, that if Iranian money is sitting in your banks, we are now willing to apply secondary sanctions, which is a very stern measure”, he said. “And the Iranians should know that this is going to be the financial equivalent of what we saw in the kinetic activities.” China has voiced its objections to the naval blockade, but Trump claimed on Wednesday that he had won agreement from Xi Jinping, China’s president, not to send arms to Iran. The foreign ministry in Beijing had denied over the course of the war that China was supplying weapons to Iran. However, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday that Iran’s Revolutionary Guard aerospace force had acquired a Chinese spy satellite in 2024 and had used it to target US bases in the region during the five-week war. Trump continued his predictions of a swift end to the war, which he has kept up since starting the conflict in partnership with Netanyahu. He told an ABC News correspondent, Jonathan Karl: “I think you’re going to be watching an amazing two days ahead.” The president told Karl the war could be ended before the expiry of the ceasefire next Wednesday, arguing the US could simply withdraw having inflicted significant damage on Iran’s military, or exit after a deal with Tehran. “It could end either way, but I think a deal is preferable because then they can rebuild,” he said. Trump also told Fox News that the war could be over “very soon” and that there would then be a sharp decline in the price of oil, which hovered around $95 on Wednesday as traders remained uncertain on the future of peace talks. After the Islamabad talks ended on Sunday, Trump ordered a naval blockade on shipping coming in or out of Iranian Gulf ports, as a counter to Iran’s near-total closure of the strategic waterway leading into the Gulf, the strait of Hormuz, since the start of the war, and to increase economic pressure. Ali Abdollahi warned that Iran would block all exports and imports across the region, including the Gulf, the Gulf of Oman and the Red Sea, if the US blockade continued. “Iran will act with strength to defend its national sovereignty and its interests,” Ali Abdollahi said.