Iran-Israel war LIVE: Trump has no justification to deprive Iran of nuclear rights, says Pezeshkian

Vice President J.D. Vance isn’t very going to lead the U.S. delegation for contemporary talks with Iran in Pakistan, President Donald Trump told ABC News on Sunday (April 19, 2026), citing security concerns — irrespective of high officers suggesting Mr. Vance would build the trip back and forth.

Earlier in the day, both the U.S. envoy to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, and Energy Secretary Chris Wright had indicated that Mr. Vance would lead the spherical of negotiations in Islamabad from Monday (April 20, 2026).

“It’s splendid thanks to security,” Mr. Trump told ABC News of the motive Vance isn’t very making the trip back and forth. “JD’s colossal.” — AFP

Security in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad develop into once stepped up visibly on Sunday (April 20, 2026)sooner than peace talks between the US and Iran in the coming days.

President Donald Trump said U.S. negotiators will seemingly be in Pakistan on Monday (April 21, 2026) to resume talks on ending the war with Iran, dinky better than a week after face-to-face talks in Islamabad on April 11 ended without settlement. — AFP

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Israel Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Sunday (April 20, 2026) that the military had been urged to make employ of “corpulent power” in Lebanon — even at some level of the ongoing ceasefire — need to gentle Israeli troops face any threat.

“High Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I definitely hold urged the IDF to act with corpulent power, both on the ground and from the air, in conjunction with at some level of the ceasefire, in inform to offer protection to our troopers in Lebanon from any threat,” Mr/. Katz said at a just in the occupied West Bank.

He said that the military had also been ordered “to get rid of the properties in the (frontline) villages reach the border that served in every appreciate as Hezbollah wretchedness outposts and threatened Israeli communities,” Mr. Katz added. — AFP

Iran’s Foreign Ministry said on Sunday (April 20, 2026) that the U.S. naval blockade on Iranian ports is a violation of the ceasefire as well to an “illegal and felony” act.

“The United States’ so-called ‘blockade’ of Iran’s ports or shoreline isn’t very splendid a violation of Pakistani-mediated ceasefire however also both illegal and felony,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei in a post on X, correct as U.S. President Donald Trump also accused Iran of ceasefire violations by firing on ships.

“Furthermore, by intentionally inflicting collective punishment on the Iranian population, it quantities to war crime and crime against humanity,” Mr. Baqaei added. — AFP

U.S. President Donald Trump said ⁠in a Truth Social ‌post on Sunday (April 20, 2026) ‌that ‌representatives are ⁠going to ⁠Islamabad, Pakistan, “the next day to come night time” for Iran negotiations.

“We’re offering ‌a extremely honest and sensible ‌deal, and I’m hoping they take hold of ⁠it because, if they ‌don’t, the US goes to knock ‌out every single energy plant, and ⁠every single ⁠bridge, in Iran,” Mr. Trump ‌wrote. — Reuters

In the first corpulent month of the lasting West Asia crisis, India’s shameful oil imports declined 17% on a yr-over-yr foundation in March this yr, in accordance with provisional data from the Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC). 

As a results of the decrease, New Delhi spent about 4.9% much less at some level of the talked about period on its shameful imports. 

Though, the receive import bill for oil and gasoline blended stayed practically flat at some level of the talked about period at $11 billion, marginally down from $11.3 billion in the similar period final yr. — The Hindu Bureau

Iran will resume global flights on Monday (April 20, 2026) from Mashhad airport in the country’s northeast, its civil aviation authority said.

“Permission to just global passenger flights at Mashhad Airport has been issued, starting the next day to come,” command TV said, quoting the Civil Aviation Organisation.

The organisation later said travellers can now “aquire tickets for global routes to and from Mashhad Airport,” in accordance with the legit IRNA news company. — AFP

Turkiye on Sunday (April 19, 2026) accused Israel of attempting for to discover a “fait accompli” in Lebanon irrespective of an agreed ceasefire, with the Foreign Minister denouncing “Israeli expansionism”.

“The continued Iran–United States negotiations appear to be overshadowing this snarl (in Lebanon). Israel looks to be to be attempting to take hold of fair correct thing about this distraction to discover a fait accompli,” Hakan Fidan said.

On Saturday (April 18, 2026), Fidan said Israel develop into once attempting to beget contemporary territories. — AFP

Syrian command media said on Sunday (April 19) that security forces thwarted a missile-launching operation by Iran-backed Lebanese team Hezbollah from its territory.

From March 2 till a 10-day ceasefire went into power on April 17, Hezbollah develop into once battling Israel after drawing Lebanon into the West Asian war with rocket fire aimed at Israel in strengthen of Tehran.

Syria’s legit SANA news company, quoting an internal ministry source, said security forces “thwarted a sabotage build orchestrated by a cell linked to the Hezbollah terrorist militia”.

It alleged the team “intended to originate missiles all over the border with the goal of destabilising the country”.

Syrian authorities are adversarial to Hezbollah as the team played a key just in Syria’s civil war that led to 2024, struggling with alongside the forces of now ousted leader Bashar al-Assad.

-AFP

Turkiye said it remained “optimistic” that a two-week ceasefire between Iran and the US keep to expire on Wednesday (April 22) will seemingly be extended.

“Nobody wants to discover a contemporary war destroy out when the ceasefire expires next week. We hope … the occasions will lengthen the ceasefire,” Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Sunday (April 19) at the Antalya Diplomacy Dialogue board.

“I’m hoping there’ll be an extension. I am optimistic,” he said.

-AFP

Four folks, in conjunction with two ‌international nationals, were arrested in ⁠Iran’s northwest, semi-legit Tasnim news company ‌reported on Sunday (April 19), ‌for being segment ‌of ⁠a “U.S.-Israel-linked espionage ⁠network.”

The foreigners, whose nationality develop into once not disclosed, ‌are accused of importing satellite net instruments ‌reminiscent of Starlink, which is a felony ⁠offence in the country, which ‌has faced seven weeks of an net blackout.

A total bunch of Iranians ‌had been arrested for “cooperating with enemy states” ⁠for the explanation that originate ⁠of the U.S.-Israeli war ‌with Iran.

-Reuters

Iran isn’t very yet ready to reduction a contemporary spherical of face-to-face talks with U.S. officers, a senior Iranian legit said on Saturday (April 18), citing Washington’s refusal to abandon “maximalist” demands on key components.

In an interview with The Linked Press on the margins of a diplomacy discussion board in Turkiye, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh also said his country isn’t very going to give up its enriched uranium to the US, rejecting claims made by U.S. President Donald Trump.

“I will expose you that no enriched discipline materials goes to be shipped to the US,” Mr. Khatibzadeh said.

“It is a ways a non-starter, and I will guarantee you that while we are ready to manage with any concerns that we attain hold, we’re not going to accept things that are nonstarters.”

Mr. Khatibzadeh said there had been many exchanges of messages between the perimeters, however accused the US of maintaining company on demands Iran deems to be outrageous.

-AP

Iran now updates and replenishes its missile ‌and drone launchers at a ⁠elevated speed than it did before the ‌war with the U.S. ‌and Israel, ‌the Modern ⁠Guards Aerospace Power ⁠commander said on Sunday (April 19), in accordance with Nournews.

Israel and the U.S. ‌launched assaults on Iran on February 28, with one ‌of their objectives being the neutralization of Iran’s missile ⁠strike power.

Majid Mousavi’s direct develop into once shared ‌alongside an edited video of him inspecting an unspecified underground missile facility. The video ‌also incorporated pictures of drones, missiles and launchers internal underground ⁠facilities as well to ⁠ground missile launches.

Reuters develop into once unable ‌to substantiate the pictures.

The Strait of Hormuz remained closed on Sunday (April 19, 2026) in the stand-off between Iran and the US, with Iran’s extremely efficient Speaker of Parliament signalling a final peace deal develop into once “a ways” off irrespective of circulation in negotiations.

As mediation efforts persevered following high-stage talks in Pakistan that did not reach a deal, Iran said it would not reopen the critical maritime change route till the US ended its blockade of Iranian ports.

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Speaker of the Iranian parliament, said in a televised tackle on Saturday (April 18, 2026) night time that there had been “growth” with Washington “however there are many gaps and some elementary components remain”.

Read the memoir here

World finance leaders, whipsawed by West Asia war news, came to grips ‌this past week with their incapacity to mitigate the commercial damage from an increasing selection of frequent geopolitical shocks, and a realization that depending on U.S. leadership to in discovering to the underside of crises isn’t very any longer the guarantee it had prolonged been.

At Global Monetary Fund and World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington, participants swung ⁠from gloom over a worsening world financial outlook attributable to deepening energy payment and provide shocks to tentative optimism as it seemed Iran could perhaps reopen the Strait of Hormuz and allow flows of oil, gasoline, fertilizer and varied commodities to resume.

By Saturday (April 18), that optimism develop into once already fading amid contemporary assaults on transport. The IMF and the World Bank pledged as much as a blended $150 billion in ‌contemporary financing help for organising international locations hit hardest by the huge energy payment shock, and illustrious their re-engagement with Venezuela’s performing executive after a seven-yr stop.

-Reuters

Most Gulf equities were subdued in early trading on Sunday (April 19, 2026) as renewed uncertainty over the Strait of Hormuz ‌and the command of U.S.-Iran talks dampened optimism over a fragile ⁠ceasefire, with Tehran asserting talks had progressed however foremost gaps remained.

Iran said on Saturday (April 18) ‌it develop into once tightening alter over the Strait of Hormuz and warned ‌mariners that the a need to hold energy ‌route develop into once ⁠closed again, while President Donald ⁠Trump said Tehran could perhaps not blackmail the US by shutting the waterway.

Saudi Arabia’s benchmark index fell 0.3% in a choppy change, hit by a 0.7% drop in oil ‌foremost Saudi Aramco.

On Friday (April 16), oil costs settled roughly 9% decrease after Iran said commercial transport could perhaps resume thru ⁠the Strait of Hormuz at some level of ⁠the ceasefire, and Mr. Trump said Tehran had agreed not to conclude ‌the waterway again.

In Qatar, the index lost 0.2%, with telecoms company Ooredoo falling 1.5%. 

-Reuters

Iran doubled down on its pledge to limit ships passing thru the Strait of Hormuz as prolonged as the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports stays in space, as mediators scrambled to get extra talks before the ceasefire expires this week.

Iranian parliamentary Speaker Mohammed Bagher Qalibaf said in a televised interview that Tehran would continue to threaten commercial vessels transiting the serious waterway, after it fired on ships attempting to cross on Saturday (April 18).

“It is a ways inconceivable for others to trip thru the Strait of Hormuz while we cannot,” Mr. Qalibaf, who’s Iran’s chief negotiator in talks with the US, said.

Iran’s Navy has warned ships against transiting the strait, a chokepoint by which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil on the total passes. After a transient uptick in transit attempts on Saturday (April 18), vessels in the Persian Gulf held their positions, wary after two India-flagged ships were fired on mid-transit and forced to turn succor.

-AP

NATO Secretary Typical Mark Rutte has brushed aside hypothesis a pair of imaginable U.S. withdrawal from NATO, asserting he doesn’t question of Washington to proceed the alliance.

As reported by DW News, Mr. Rutte said in an interview with Germany’s Die Welt that the US stays committed to the transatlantic bloc.

“I don’t discover the U.S. leaving NATO,” Mr. Rutte asserted at some level of an interview with the Sunday (April 19) version of Germany’s Die Welt newspaper.

The NATO chief extra clarified that he holds no doubts touching on Washington’s dedication to the nuclear defence of the continent.

-ANI

U.S. President Donald ‌Trump has no justification to ⁠deprive Iran of its nuclear ‌rights, the Iranian Student ‌News Agency ‌quoted ⁠Iranian ⁠President Masoud Pezeshkian as asserting on Sunday (April 19, 2026), as ‌Washington and Tehran continue to face disagreements ‌over nuclear components.

“Trump says Iran cannot ⁠build employ of its ‌nuclear rights however doesn’t lisp for what crime. Who ‌is he to deprive a nation ⁠of its rights?” Mr. Pezeshkian ⁠develop into once quoted as ‌asserting.

-Reuters

Battle between the Church and the command isn’t very out of the ordinary in Western history. However this develop into once the first time in the stylish era that the Commander-in-Chief of essentially the most extremely efficient Christian-majority command acquired trusty into a public war of phrases with the pontiff. What made it more recurring develop into once they were both American citizens. To Mr. Trump’s annoyance, Pope Leo is the more current American. 

A contemporary NBC News poll stumbled on the Pope to expertise a 34-level receive favourability rating, in distinction to Mr. Trump’s minus 12-level rating. Mr. Trump’s irritation with Pope Leo develop into once not without grounds. He has faced dinky political resistance to ‘Operation Account Fury’, the joint military operation with Israel that he launched against Iran on February 28. The Congress develop into once below Republican alter, and Democrat politicians were equally committed to unconditional military strengthen for Israel. With very dinky pushback from establishment voices, the Trump administration sought to dress up what develop into once essentially a war of preference as a quasi-non secular mission of Christian righteousness – a so-called ‘correct war’.

Read the memoir here

Lebanon’s military said Sunday it had reopened a street and bridge damaged by Israeli strikes in the country’s south, as a 10-day truce holds between Hezbollah and Israel.

In a press free up, the military said it “entirely reopened” a street linking the city of Nabatieh with the Khardali plot, and had “in part reopened the Burj Rahal-Tyre bridge”.

“Work is also underway to rehabilitate the Tayr Falsay-Tyre bridge… following damage caused by the Israeli aggression,” the military added.

Israeli strikes on bridges that execrable Lebanon’s Litani river, which flows around 30 kilometres (20 miles) north of Israel, hold largely decrease off the plot south of the waterway from the leisure of Lebanon, in accordance with the military.– AFP

Slowdown in the U.S. financial system amid rising geopolitical tensions and energy shocks has raised concerns with miniature however principal implications for India, famed a document by SBI be taught.

The document has flagged concerns over a doable slowdown in the U.S. financial system amid rising geopolitical tensions and energy shocks, however famed that “this time is seemingly to be varied” compared to past recessionary cycles, with miniature however principal implications for India.

In accordance with the document, historical traits suggest that every foremost world oil shock has most incessantly been followed by a recession in the US. Episodes reminiscent of the 1973 oil embargo, the 1979 Iran crisis, the Gulf Battle, and the 2008 world financial crisis all noticed lively spikes in shameful costs earlier financial contractions in the U.S..– ANI

Naim Kassem, head of the Iran-backed Lebanese militant team Hezbollah, in a press free up read on the team’s al- Manar TV said a paper revealed by the U.S. Notify Department that it described as the textual hiss of a ceasefire settlement between Lebanon and Israel “ability nothing at the provocative stage, however it is miles an insult to our country”.

“All people knows that the executive of Lebanon has not met or authorized this direct,” he said.

The textual hiss revealed by the U.S. described the ten-day truce as a gesture by Israel “to permit moral-religion negotiations” in direction of a everlasting peace settlement with Lebanon.

The textual hiss offers Israel the “moral to take hold of all critical measures in self-defence, at any time, against planned, imminent, or ongoing assaults”. It doesn’t mention any an identical moral for Lebanon or Hezbollah.

Mr. Kassem said the truce need to gentle entail “a total close of all hostilities” and that Hezbollah “will acknowledge to enemy violations”. 

-AP

Despite no legit announcement a pair of 2nd spherical of talks between the U.S. and Iran, Pakistani authorities hold begun taking stringent security measures for the safety of international delegates.

The U.S. and Iran held uncommon inform talks in Pakistan on April 11 and 12 aimed at ending their war, however the talks ended with none settlement.

Pakistan re-launched its diplomatic efforts to facilitate one other spherical of talks in Islamabad for a final settlement to total the war between Washington and Tehran.– PTI

Iran had been “victorious in the discipline” at some level of weeks of war and had splendid agreed to a transient-timeframe truce with the US because its demands had been met, the Iranian parliamentary speaker said on Saturday.

The two-week ceasefire is determined to total Wednesday except it is miles renewed, with a everlasting deal that mediators in conjunction with Pakistan are pushing to in discovering over the line gentle not finalised and growth on key sticking components unsure.

“We were victorious in the discipline,” Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said in a nationwide televised tackle, adding the US had not achieved its targets and Iran managed the strategic Strait of Hormuz maritime transit route.– AFP

The critical Strait of Hormuz isn’t very going to reopen till the US lifts its naval blockade on Iranian ports, Tehran said Saturday, as a high legit warned that a final peace deal remained “a ways” off.

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, speaker of the Iranian parliament, said in a televised tackle that there develop into once “growth” in talks with Washington “however there are many gaps and some elementary components remain.”

“We are gentle removed from the final discussion,” said Mr. Ghalibaf, one in every of Tehran’s negotiators in the talks aimed at ending the war launched by Israel and the US against the Islamic Republic.

— AFP