Iran casts doubt over talks as Vance heads to Pakistan
Iran vowed on Friday not to participate in negotiations unless a ceasefire takes hold in Lebanon and Iran’s assets are unfrozen, casting doubt over high-stakes peace talks set to begin Saturday in Pakistan.
Iran's parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Baqer Qaliba, said in a statement on X that the two measures “must be fulfilled before negotiations begin.” The comments come as Vice President JD Vance was enroute to Islamabad, where he will be leading a U.S. delegation in negotiations meant to bring a complete end to the war.
Iran has accused Israel of violating the ongoing ceasefire by launching its deadliest strikes on Lebanon since the beginning of the war. President Donald Trump said the temporary truce did not extend to Lebanon but said he asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to scale back the offensive.
Netanyahu has since promised to continue fighting the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon, even as the U.S. plans to host peace talks between Israel and Lebanon in Washington next week.
Meanwhile, tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained at a trickle, frustrating Trump as Iran says all countries must coordinate with Iranian authorities before passing along one of the world’s most vital shipping lanes.
Little traffic through Hormuz strait controlled by Iran, analysis shows
Michael Loria
Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, the critical oil shipping lane that’s become a focal point of the war, remained well below average and the few ships that made it through were linked to Iran, an analysis shows.
Nine ships passed through the channel off the Iranian coast on Thursday, an analysis of Kpler Risk and Compliance data by Maritime News found. Seven of the ships were operating under some sort of sanction, according to the analysis.
The data shows that despite the ceasefire agreement, traffic through the strait remains well below average levels of between 70 and 130 vessels daily, according to experts.
Average gas prices in the U.S. remain highly elevated as a result of skyrocketing oil prices in the wake of the war. Across the country, gas cost about $4.13 per gallon Friday evening, according to GasBuddy’s live tracker. Brent crude oil prices remained close to $100 per barrel, up from around $65 before the war.
Iranian diplomats say US accepts 'preconditions' for talks, but no confirmation from Trump
Michael Loria
Officials at the Iranian Embassy to South Africa said in a statement that "the preconditions have been accepted," an apparent reference to terms the country’s leaders said the United States would have to meet to begin negotiations.
The State Department deferred questions from USA TODAY about the embassy’s statement to the White House. Trump administration officials have not responded to requests for comment.
Iranian leaders have made it clear they will not negotiate with U.S. officials in Pakistan over the weekend unless the United States agrees to certain terms. Among Iran’s terms are that the ceasefire agreement extends to Lebanon and that the U.S. unfreeze sanctioned Iranian assets.
Trump thinks peace talks will 'go pretty quickly'
Terry Collins
President Donald Trump told reporters on Friday that he believes the U.S.‑Iran peace talks in Pakistan will go well.
"I think it will go pretty quickly," Trump said before boarding Air Force One to attend an event in Charlottesville, Virginia, adding that the Iranian military is defeated at all levels. "And if it doesn't, we'll finish it off. One way or the other."
The president reiterated that he has confidence in the U.S. negotiating team consisting of Vice President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner. "We'll see how it works out," Trump said, mentioning that the Strait of Hormuz will open soon as well, "with or without (Iran)."
When asked by reporters what a good deal would look like, Trump said, "No nuclear weapon. No nuclear weapon, that's 99% of it." The president also said he didn't know if the negotiations with Iran would be a "one-and-done" situation.
"I can't tell you, I have to see what happens tomorrow," Trump said. "They've been talking for 47 years with other presidents; we're not doing much talking."
Iranian delegation arrives in Pakistan
Michael Loria
Iran’s diplomatic delegation arrived in Pakistan around midnight ahead of negotiations with U.S. officials over the weekend, Iranian government officials announced.
The delegation from Iran includes Iran’s Speaker of Parliament Mohammad B. Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi. The two leaders have been highly vocal defenders of the Iranian regime throughout the war and in recent days have signaled that any peace that does not include Lebanon will be a nonstarter.
Iranian diplomats bound for Pakistan flew aboard what they have dubbed "flight Minab168," a reference to an apparent strike on a school in Iran that killed 168 people, including scores of children.
Israel, Lebanon to meet in DC for 'ceasefire negotiations'
Michael Loria
Diplomats from Israel and Lebanon will meet in Washington, D.C., "to discuss ceasefire negotiations," the State Department said in a statement to USA TODAY.
The department’s confirmation of upcoming talks comes after the office of Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun announced the talks will take place Tuesday in Washington. The State Department declined to confirm whether talks will begin Tuesday.
According to Aoun’s office, the scheduling of upcoming talks comes after a three-way call Friday between Lebanon’s ambassador to the U.S., Israel’s ambassador to the U.S. and the U.S. ambassador to Lebanon.
'Make or break', Pakistan PM says of upcoming peace talks
Michael Loria
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in an address Friday evening that the upcoming peace talks he helped broker between the U.S. and Iran will be "make or break."
"The permanent ceasefire is the next difficult phase, which is to resolve the complicated issues through negotiation. This, as called in English, is a make-or-break phase," Sharif said in his address.
Sharif’s address comes as diplomatic delegations from the U.S. and Iran head to Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital where peace talks are expected to take place over the weekend.
Pakistan, an Islamic republic bordering Iran, has played a key role in brokering talks between the sides.
Contributing: Reuters
Death toll from Israeli strikes on Lebanon rises
Christopher Cann
At least 357 people were killed and 1,200 others injured in Israeli strikes across Lebanon on Wednesday, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry, which warned that the death toll was likely to rise further as authorities search through the rubble.
The Israeli attacks, carried out hours after the U.S.-Iran ceasefire went into effect, were the deadliest since the war began on Feb. 28. The Israeli military said it struck more than 100 Hezbollah targets across Lebanon.
The assault involved multiple strikes in densely populated parts of Beirut, Lebanon's capital, and came without warning. More strikes were reported across coastal city of Tyre on Friday, even as negotiations between Israel and Lebanon were set to take place in Washington next week.
Trump says Iranians 'have no cards' – except the Strait of Hormuz
Christopher Cann
President Donald Trump on Friday ramped up his pressure on Iran ahead of peace talks scheduled for this weekend, writing that the country's remaining leadership is only alive "to negotiate."
"The Iranians don’t seem to realize they have no cards, other than a short term extortion of the World by using International Waterways," Trump said in a post on Truth Social. "The only reason they are alive today is to negotiate!"
This comes as Iran says it will not participate in peace talks unless its assets are unfrozen and Israel halts all fighting in Lebanon.
In a separate post Friday afternoon, Trump said "The Iranians are better at handling the Fake News Media, and 'Public Relations,' than they are at fighting!"
Iranian parliament speaker says Lebanon ceasefire must precede negotiations
Christopher Cann
Iran's parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Baqer Qaliba, said a ceasefire in Lebanon and "the release of Iran’s blocked assets" must be implemented before negotiations begin.
Qaliba said in a statement on X that the two measures have been "mutually agreed upon" but have not yet been fulfilled.
The statement comes as Vice President JD Vance heads to Islamabad, Pakistan, where negotiations to end the war in Iran are set to take place this weekend.
Trump says God supports war on Iran. Pope Leo disagrees.
Christopher Cann
Pope Leo in a statement on Friday said "God does not bless any conflict" and added that any follower of Jesus Christ is "never on the side of those who once wielded the sword and today drop bombs."
"Military action will not create space for freedom or times of #Peace, which comes only from the patient promotion of coexistence and dialogue among peoples," said Pope Leo, who has been increasingly critical of the Trump administration's handling of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.
Pope Leo did not name anyone in his statement, but the remarks come as the Trump administration increasingly invokes Christian theology in its war effort.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently prayed for U.S. forces to carry out “overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy" and said "We ask these things with bold confidence in the mighty and powerful name of Jesus Christ.”
When asked if he believes God supports the U.S.-led war, President Donald Trump said, “I do, because God is good... and God wants to see people taken care of.” Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic, has said that he prays the U.S. is "on God’s side."
Vance says he's optimistic about peace talks
Christopher Cann
Vice President JD Vance said he believes the peace talks in Pakistan will go well this weekend, but said the U.S. delegation will only be receptive to good faith negotiations.
"We're looking forward to the negotiation. I think it's going to be positive," Vance told reporters before boarding Air Force Two.
"If the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith, we're certainly willing to extend the open hand," Vance added. "If they're going to try to play us, then they're going to find the negotiating team is not that receptive."
Vance heading to Pakistan for weekend talks on ending Iran war
Zac Anderson
Vice President JD Vance has described the Iran war ceasefire as a "fragile truce." Starting Saturday, he'll be tasked with negotiating in person with Iranian officials to see if he can turn the two-week ceasefire deal into something more lasting and durable.
Vance is heading to Pakistan with Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff for negotiations aimed at achieving a permanent settlement to end the war. Pakistan has served a key intermediary between U.S. officials and the regime in Tehran.
Trump said after the ceasefire was announced that it was "a big day for World Peace!" Whether it can hold remains to be seen, with both sides complaining about the other not abiding by the terms.
Traffic through Hormuz declined on first day of ceasefire: Analysis
Michael Loria
Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, the oil shipping lane that has become perhaps the core issue of the war, declined on the first day of a ceasefire, according to an analysis of vessel movements.
The analysis by Maritime News of Kpler Risk and Compliance data found five ships passed through the strait on Wednesday, the first day of the ceasefire, down from 11 vessels on the day before. The reopening of the channel is a core tenet of the ceasefire agreement for the United States and Israel. Iranian state media reported the country would not grant safe passage to vessels if Israel did not cease its attack on Lebanon, where Iran’s ally Hezbollah is based.
According to the analysis, "the operating environment in the Strait therefore remains unchanged, with permissive passings continuing under the same conditions as before."
The findings contradict statements from the White House that traffic through the strait has increased since the ceasefire agreement.
Is Iran tolling Strait of Hormuz? 'They better stop now!' Trump says
Michael Loria
President Donald Trump responded to reports that Iran will become an effective toll operator for the Strait of Hormuz with a statement slamming the idea.
"There are reports that Iran is charging fees to tankers going through the Hormuz Strait," the president wrote in a Thursday post on Truth Social. "They better not be and, if they are, they better stop now! President DONALD J. TRUMP"
Trump’s comments come shortly after Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei posted a statement that Iran would "definitely take the management of the Strait of Hormuz to a new phase."
The president’s comments come after he floated the idea of the United States charging tolls on ships passing through the strait. "We have a concept where we’ll charge tolls," Trump said on April 6.
US to host peace talks between Israel and Lebanon in DC
Michael Loria
U.S. officials will host peace talks between Israel and Lebanon in Washington, DC, next week, the State Department confirmed to USA TODAY.
The talks between the two sides come as the United States and Israel remain at odds with Iran over whether the ceasefire extends to Lebanon, where Iran’s ally Hezbollah is based. Hezbollah launched strikes on Israel in response to the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Israel has responded with a massive bombing campaign and invasion of the southern part of the country. On Wednesday, the first day of the ceasefire, Israel hit Lebanon with its deadliest barrage of strikes of the war, killing hundreds and leveling buildings in Beirut.
Talks are expected to take place shortly after top Trump administration officials travel to Pakistan over the weekend for peace negotiations with Iran.
The State Department confirmation of upcoming talks comes in response to reporting by Al-Monitor that Lebanese officials would travel to Washington for negotiations. The news and opinion site focused on the Middle East cited a senior Lebanese official.