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.

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Apr 20, 2026, 6:11 PM GMT

US Embassy Baghdad says Iran-aligned militias still planning attacks

The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad issued a fresh warning to American citizens of the danger posed by Iranian-aligned militias in Iraq, as the country reopened its airspace and some commercial flights resumed.

Members of an Iraqi Shiite militant group attend a funeral of a fighter with the Kataib Hezbollah, who was killed in a U.S. airstrike, Wednesday, April 8, 2026.
Members of an Iraqi Shiite militant group attend a funeral of a fighter with the Kataib Hezbollah, who was killed in a U.S. airstrike, Wednesday, April 8, 2026.

"Iraq's Iran-aligned terrorist militias continue planning additional attacks against U.S. citizens and U.S.-associated targets throughout Iraq, including in the Iraqi Kurdistan region," the Embassy said in a post to X. "Some entities associated with the Iraqi government continue to provide effective political, financial and operational cover to these terrorist militias."

"Iraq's airspace has reopened and limited commercial flights have resumed. U.S. citizens considering air travel through Iraq should be aware of the ongoing risks of missiles, drones and projectiles in Iraqi airspace," the Embassy wrote.

BySomayeh Malekian ABCNews logo
Apr 20, 2026, 6:11 PM GMT

Iran has 'no plans' for new round of talks, spokesperson says

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Monday that Iran has not yet made any decision regarding a potential new round of peace talks with the U.S. in Islamabad.

Motorists ride past the Imam Sadiq (AS) mosque with a giant Iranian flag installed on its front at the Palestine Square in Tehran on April 19, 2026.
Motorists ride past the Imam Sadiq (AS) mosque with a giant Iranian flag installed on its front at the Palestine Square in Tehran on April 19, 2026.

"As of now that I am here, we have no plans for the next round of negotiations," Baghaei said in a press conference, as quoted by Iran's semi-official Tasnim News Agency.

Referring to the possible continuation of talks in Pakistan, Baghaei said, "We have clearly announced the red lines and unacceptable items from the beginning, and insisting on them will not change our principled positions."

Baghaei told reporters that the U.S. and Israel are to blame for the ongoing disruption in the Strait of Hormuz.

"The international community must hold these two actors accountable for making the region insecure," Baghaei said, adding that U.S. conduct "has shown that it is not serious about pursuing the diplomatic process."

Baghaei cited ongoing Israeli strikes in Lebanon, the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports and Sunday's seizure of an Iranian cargo vessel as "clear examples" of "aggressive acts."

Baghaei added that the repeated U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran over the past nine months have undermined Tehran's trust in American diplomacy.

BySomayeh Malekian ABCNews logo
Apr 20, 2026, 6:11 PM GMT

Iran to respond to US 'aggression' against cargo vessel, military says

The spokesperson for Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters -- the country's top joint military command -- said in a statement on Monday that Iran would respond to the U.S. "aggression" against an Iranian merchant vessel in the Gulf of Oman, Iranian state television reported on Telegram.

Iranian forces will take "necessary action" in response to the American seizure of the M/V Touska on Sunday, the spokesperson said.

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Apr 19, 2026, 11:00 PM GMT

Iran vows to retaliate after US seizes Iranian cargo ship: State media

The Iranian Military Headquarters said that the U.S. has broken the ceasefire after President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. Navy had attacked and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman.

The Iranian military claimed the move "violated the ceasefire and maritime piracy," according to the statement published on the Iranian state news outlet FARS.

"The aggressor America violated the ceasefire and maritime piracy by firing at an Iranian merchant ship in the waters of the Sea of Oman, disabling its navigation system, and landing a number of its terrorist marines on the deck of the vessel," the statement read.

The Iranian military said it would "soon respond and retaliate against this armed piracy by the US military."