Iran live updates: Tehran has 'no plans' for new round of talks, spokesperson says

The two-week ceasefire announced earlier this month will expire on April 22.

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Last updated: Monday, April 20, 2026 6:07PM GMT
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President Donald Trump announced "major combat operations" against Iran on Feb. 28, with massive joint U.S.-Israeli strikes targeting military and government sites.

After initial U.S.-Iran talks in Pakistan failed to reach a peace deal, Trump announced Sunday, April 19, that U.S. negotiators would head back to Islamabad Monday for a new round.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Vice President JD Vance would accompany special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law, to Islamabad for the talks.

Iran's continuing blockage of the Strait of Hormuz and their alleged refusal to abandon their nuclear program remain key sticking points in negotiations, according to Trump.

Apr 19, 2026, 11:30 AM GMT

Iranian navy to bring 'new defeats' for US and Israel, supreme leader says

Iran's supreme leader vowed that his navy would bring "new defeats" to the U.S. and Israel, threats made in a statement released on Saturday as Tehran said it would reassert control over the Strait of Hormuz.

Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not made a public appearance since the beginning of the war, said in a statement that the country's "brave navy is ready to make the enemies taste the bitterness of new defeats."

A portion of the purported Khamenei statement was read by a presenter on Iranian state TV on Saturday.

An Indian-flagged oil tanker came under fire in the critical waterway.

-ABC News' Rashid Haddou

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Apr 19, 2026, 2:11 AM GMT

India summons Iranian ambassador over shooting incidents in Strait of Hormuz

The Iranian ambassador to India was summoned by India's Ministry of External Affairs to discuss the "serious incident" involving two Indian-flagged ships that came under fire in the Strait of Hormuz Saturday.

"During the meeting, Foreign Secretary conveyed India's deep concern at the shooting incident earlier today involving two Indian-flagged ships in the Strait of Hormuz," the spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

Tankers anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Qeshm Island, Iran, Saturday, April 18, 2026.
Tankers anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Qeshm Island, Iran, Saturday, April 18, 2026.

In the meeting, the Foreign Minister also recalled that Iran had previously "facilitated the safe passage of several ships bound for India," the statement said.

-ABC News' Nicholas Kerr

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Apr 19, 2026, 2:04 AM GMT

Iran says it's reviewing new US proposals delivered via Pakistan

Iran said it is reviewing new proposals from the U.S. conveyed through Pakistan's mediators, with no response issued thus far.

The proposals were presented in recent days during the Pakistani army chief's visit to Tehran amid efforts to revive negotiations, Iran's Supreme National Security Council said in a statement published by state media Saturday.

Pointing to the conditions tied to a ceasefire in all fronts, the council said Tehran had agreed to a temporary opening of the Strait of Hormuz following a ceasefire in Lebanon.

A bulk carrier ship anchored in the Strait of Hormuz, Saturday, April 18, 2026.
A bulk carrier ship anchored in the Strait of Hormuz, Saturday, April 18, 2026.

The council noted in the statement that Tehran allows only commercial vessels to pass, excluding military ships and vessels from "hostile countries."

The council said it will continue to monitor and control maritime traffic through the strategic waterway until a lasting peace is achieved, citing security concerns over the use of the strait to supply U.S. military bases in the region.

-ABC News' Maryam Rahimi

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Apr 19, 2026, 2:04 AM GMT

Trump says Iran getting 'a little cute' as it seeks to reimpose control over strait

President Donald Trump acknowledged that Iran is seeking to close the Strait of Hormuz again, saying Iran "got a little cute."

"They can't blackmail us," he said.

"We have very good conversations going on. It's, it's working out very well. They got a little cute, as they have been doing for 47 years, and nobody ever took them on. We took them on," Trump said.

President Donald Trump listens in the Oval Office of the White House, Saturday, April 18, 2026, in Washington.
President Donald Trump listens in the Oval Office of the White House, Saturday, April 18, 2026, in Washington.

The president then appeared to brag that the U.S. was benefiting from the lack of oil transiting through the strait - touting that ships were coming to the U.S. now instead.

"In fact, a lot of the ships are coming up to Texas I don't know if you know, in Louisiana, the ships are coming up. They got used to it. Maybe they'll keep doing it," Trump said.

-ABC News' Selina Wang and Nicholas Kerr