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Published on April 20, 2026 at 7:21 AM; Updated on April 20, 2026 at 12:40 PM
A restless night in the Strait of Hormuz. Despite Tehran’s initial announcement of not intending to participate in new negotiations with Washington, as reported by Iranian state television, they may ultimately take part.
An American delegation is set to arrive in Pakistan on Monday, April 20, 2026, to revive peace talks just two days before the ceasefire expires. Iran has stated that they have not yet made a decision regarding their potential participation.
Several Iranian media outlets suggest that the lifting of the American naval blockade would be a precondition for these talks. This issue is further complicated by the US Navy’s seizure of an Iranian cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman on Sunday, April 19, 2026.
12:30 PM: No decision made regarding negotiations
Iran has stated that they have not yet made a decision about potentially participating in the new peace talks with the United States scheduled in Islamabad.
The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also questioned the seriousness of the United States in continuing diplomatic efforts, citing current ceasefire violations.
Sunday, Iranian state television (IRIB) stated that Tehran currently has no plans to participate in the upcoming Iran-US discussions, while the official agency IRNA mentioned that there was no clear prospect of successful negotiations.
10:00 AM: Beijing expresses concern
“We express our concern over the forced interception of the ship by the American party,” said Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Monday in Beijing.
“China supports the parties involved in maintaining the momentum of both the ceasefire and the negotiations,” he added, as Tehran had indicated they did not plan to participate in new negotiations with Washington.
7:00 AM: Negotiations on hold
Despite uncertainty surrounding Iranian participation, Donald Trump announced on Sunday, April 19, that he would send Vice President JD Vance to Pakistan to lead a delegation for talks, following a failed attempt earlier in April.
Awaiting confirmation of the talks, security measures in Islamabad were visibly increased on Sunday, with closed roads, barbed wire, and barricades observed by AFP journalists.
6:30 AM: An Iranian cargo ship seized
“The Iranian-flagged cargo ship Touska attempted to breach our maritime blockade, and it paid the price,” wrote Donald Trump on his Truth Social platform.
An American destroyer intercepted the cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman and ordered it to stop, but when the crew refused to comply, the warship immobilized the vessel by firing at the engine room, giving Marines control of the ship, according to the US President.
Tehran, through a military spokesperson, promised to “respond soon.”
The Iranian Armed Forces will retaliate and take retaliatory measures against this act of armed piracy and against the American military,” said the Iranian military spokesperson.
Iran accused the US of “violating the two-week ceasefire” in effect since April 8.
Before the cargo ship seizure announcement, Trump had condemned attacks attributed to Iran on several commercial ships trying to pass through the strait.
6:00 AM: A weekend of tensions
“Tehran believed that by opening the strait last Friday, the US would respond by lifting the blockade,” noted Vali Nasr, a professor of international relations at Johns Hopkins University.
“But the continued blockade only fueled Iran’s suspicion that the talks in Islamabad are just a diplomatic ploy before another military attack,” he added.
On Saturday, Iran announced it would resume “strict control” of the strait, reversing its decision to reopen it the previous day due to the American blockade. On Sunday, the strait’s traffic was reduced to zero, according to Marine Traffic.
With information from AFP. Customize your news by adding your favorite cities and media outlets with My News.
