The United States said on Wednesday its military had completely halted trade going in and out of Iran by sea, even though President Donald Trump said talks with Tehran on ending the war could resume this week.
Trump said negotiations between U.S. and Iranian officials could resume in Pakistan in the next two days and Vice President JD Vance, who led weekend talks that ended without a breakthrough, said he felt positive about where things stood.
"I think you’re going to be watching an amazing two days ahead," Trump told ABC News reporter Jonathan Karl, adding he did not think it would be necessary to extend a two-week ceasefire that ends on 21 April.
"It could end either way, but I think a deal is preferable because then they can rebuild," Trump said, according to a post by Karl on X. "They really do have a different regime now. No matter what, we took out the radicals."
Officials from Pakistan, Iran and the Gulf also said negotiating teams from the U.S. and Iran could return to Pakistan later this week, although one senior Iranian source said no date had been set.
Despite the optimistic note, more vessels were being turned back under the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports, including a U.S.-sanctioned and Chinese-owned tanker Rich Starry that was making its way back to the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday after exiting the Persian Gulf.
Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of the U.S. Central Command, said American forces had completely halted economic trade going in and out of Iran by sea, which he said fuels 90% of Iran's economy.
"In less than 36 hours since the blockade was implemented, U.S. forces have completely halted economic trade going into and out of Iran by sea," Cooper said in a post on X.
Earlier the U.S. military said it had intercepted eight Iran-linked oil tankers since the start of the blockade on Monday, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Trump, speaking to the New York Post on Tuesday (14 April), said his negotiators are likely to be back, thanks largely to the "great job" Pakistan's army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, was doing to moderate the talks.
Later on Tuesday, at an event in Georgia, U.S. Vice President JD Vance said Trump wanted to make a "grand bargain" with Iran but there was a lot of mistrust between the two countries.
"You are not going to solve that problem overnight," he said.
The signs of diplomatic engagement to end the conflict that began on 28 February helped calm oil markets, pressing benchmark prices down for a second day on Wednesday. Asian stocks rose while the safe-haven dollar stabilised after falling for a seventh straight session overnight.
The war has prompted Iran to effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial global waterway for crude and gas transport and cut shipments from the Gulf to global buyers, particularly in Asia and Europe.
About 5,000 people have died in the hostilities, including about 3,000 in Iran and 2,000 in Lebanon according to official figures.
Iran's nuclear ambitions were a key sticking point at the weekend talks. The U.S. had proposed a 20-year suspension of all nuclear activity by Iran, while Tehran had suggested a halt of three to five years, according to people familiar with the proposals.
Speaking in Seoul, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, said the length of any moratorium on Iranian uranium enrichment was a political decision and it was possible Tehran might accept a compromise as a confidence-building act.
The U.S. has also pressed for any enriched nuclear material to be removed from Iran, while Tehran has demanded that international sanctions against it be removed.
One source involved in the negotiations in Pakistan said back-channel talks since the weekend had produced progress in closing that gap, bringing the two sides closer to a deal that could be put forward at a new round of talks.
However, in a major complication for peace prospects, Israel has continued to attack Lebanon as it targets Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group. Israel and the U.S. say that campaign is not covered by the ceasefire, while Iran insists it is.
On Tuesday, the UK, Canada, Japan and seven other countries condemned the killings of United Nation peacekeepers in Lebanon and called for "an urgent end to hostilities".
The statement comes after the deaths of three Indonesian peacekeepers last month. The countries welcomed the ceasefire agreed between the U.S., Israel and Iran.
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Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 24th July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
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The U.S. military said it completed a fresh wave of strikes on Iran late on Thursday, marking the 13th consecutive night of American attacks. The latest operation lasted more than two hours, according to U.S. Central Command.
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Spain has declared a national emergency and evacuated more than 10,000 people after uncontrolled wildfires reached the outskirts of Madrid. Emergency crews have rescued residents as multiple blazes continue to spread across the region.
The U.S. military said it completed a fresh wave of strikes on Iran late on Thursday, marking the 13th consecutive night of American attacks. The latest operation lasted more than two hours, according to U.S. Central Command.
U.S. strikes on Iran entered a 12th consecutive night, while Yemen's Houthis said they attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, urging President Donald Trump to warn Tehran it would be held responsible for any future Houthi attacks.
Global oil prices climbed above $100 a barrel for the first time in nearly two months on Thursday (23 July) after Yemen's Houthi movement said it had attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, raising fresh concerns about global energy supplies.
The United States has bombed Iran for an 11th consecutive night as the Pentagon says the war’s cost reach $37.5 billion. President Donald Trump threatens a heavy strike on the suspected Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site. Tehran warns that any attack could trigger a wider regional escalation.
Iran has strongly condemned the recent U.S. attack on the construction site of the Karoon Nuclear Power Plant in Darkhovin, Khuzestan Province. Tehran officials are urging the UN to adopt a “zero-tolerance” policy regarding attacks on civilian nuclear centers under the world body’s verification.
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