US President Donald Trump Tuesday indicated that talks to end the Iran war could resume in Pakistan this week, days after negotiations between the two sides collapsed over the weekend and triggered America’s move to block Iranian ports.
“You should stay there, really, because something could be happening over the next two days, and we’re more inclined to go there,” Trump told a New York Post reporter who was in Islamabad for the first round of talks.
After an interview discussing prospects for negotiations, the reporter said the President had called her back “with an update”.
After the weekend talks ended without the two sides agreeing to a deal, Trump declared a US naval blockade on ships using Iranian ports in the Gulf to increase pressure on the country’s economy. His administration also said it was a counter to Iran’s near-total closure of the Strait of Hormuz since the US and Israel attacked Iran on 28 February.
While the US blockade drew angry rhetoric from Iran, signs that diplomatic engagement might continue helped to calm oil markets, pushing benchmark prices below $100 per barrel. Analysts say oil prices are likely to remain elevated for weeks after the strait is fully reopened, due to backlogs, damaged infrastructure and elevated uncertainty
US-Israel & Iran war | Live updates
10.00 am: Oil prices stable, markets up
Oil prices were largely steady Wednesday as markets banked on hope that the US and Iran may reach a deal to end the over month-long war. The price of global benchmark Brent crude gained just above $95 a barrel.
Nifty 50 rose 1.49 percent to 24,198.30, and Sensex added 1.52 percent to 78,009.81, as of 9:45 am Wednesday. Nikkei 225 in Japan was up by around 1 percent while South Korea’s Kospi rose by 3 percent.
“Optimism has strengthened following reports of progress in the resumption of US-Iran talks and early signs of de-escalation,” said Ponmudi R, chief executive of Enrich Money, told Reuters.
9.45 am: ‘Small bit of economic pain’ worth it, says US
On the US’s Iran war, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told BBC that a “small bit of economic pain” is worthwhile for long-term international security.
His statement came as International Monetary Fund warned of a global recession due to the war, which has upended energy and petrochemical supplies world over due to effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf.
IMF Tuesday presented three growth scenarios: weaker, worse and severe, depending on how the war unfolds. Under its worst-case outlook, the global economy teeters on the brink of recession, with oil prices averaging $110 a barrel in 2026 and $125 in 2027. The most benign scenario for its World Economic Outlook was taken as “reference forecast”, which assumed a short-lived conflict and oil prices normalising by the second half of 2026.
9.30 am: Trump’s widening feud with Pope?
Continuing his public tirade against Pope Leo, Trump said in another online post that someone should tell the head of Catholic church Iran must not have a nuclear weapon.
“Will someone please tell Pope Leo that Iran has killed at least 42,000 innocent, completely unarmed, protesters in the last two months, and that for Iran to have a Nuclear Bomb is absolutely unacceptable,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.
“AMERICA IS BACK!!!” he added.
🚨 Trump: “Will someone please tell Pope Leo that Iran has killed at least 42,000 innocent, completely unarmed, protesters in the last two months, and that for Iran to have a Nuclear Bomb is absolutely unacceptable. Thank you for your attention to this matter. AMERICA IS BACK!!!… pic.twitter.com/ISFO0MDQLq
— Raylan Givens (@JewishWarrior13) April 15, 2026
The statement comes two days after Trump attacked the Pope on social media, calling him “weak on crime” and “terrible on foreign policy” after the pontiff, the first US born Pope, criticised the US and Israel’s war on Iran. Pope Leo, without naming Trump, said had “no fear” of the US administration and would continue to denounce war.
9.10 am: Trump praises ‘fantastic’ Pakistan army chief
After hinting that the second round of talks may be held this week, Trump went on to praise Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, who he said was doing a “great job” in arranging the negotiations.
“He’s fantastic, and therefore it’s more likely that we go back there,” Trump said.
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9.00 am: Recap of Israel-Lebanon talks
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio Tuesday hosted a meeting between envoys for Israel and Lebanon, which the State Department described as the first major high-level engagement between the two countries since 1993.
Lebanon sought a ceasefire to end Israeli strikes that have killed more than 2,000 people and forced 1.2 million from their homes, while Israel was pressing for Beirut to disarm Iran-backed Hezbollah.
The US State Department said afterward that the two sides agreed to continue their talks.
Israel’s ambassador to the US said he was hopeful the Lebanese government wanted to reduce Hezbollah’s influence, while Lebanon’s ambassador to the US said in a statement that the meeting was “constructive”, and the date and location of the next meeting would be announced in due course.
Lebanon’s government sought the negotiations despite objections from Hezbollah.
Israel, despite the talks and a two-week Iran ceasefire announced by Trump on 6 April, has continued to pound Lebanon, where it says it is targeting Hezbollah. Israel and the US claim this military operation is not covered by the ceasefire, but Iran has insisted that it is.
An end to hostilities in Lebanon was one of Iran’s points for negotiating over the past weekend.
8.45 am: Trump wanted ‘grand bargain’, says Vance
On Tuesday, at an event in Georgia, US Vice President J.D. Vance, who led the American delegation at the first round of talks, 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,” Vance said.
#WATCH | US Vice President JD Vance says, "The President made a policy that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon and we are making sure that very thing happens… The President doesn't want a small deal, he wants a grand bargain… This is why we made a ton of progress in Pakistan,… pic.twitter.com/BfdoWPXPio
— ANI (@ANI) April 14, 2026
8.30 am: Two days of US’s blockade
US Central Command said no ships made it past its blockade of Iranian ports in the first 24 hours it was in place, while six merchant vessels turned back. Centcom said more than a dozen US warships were involved in the blockade, which only applies to ships going to or from Iran.
However, shipping data showed the blockade had made little difference to Strait of Hormuz traffic on Tuesday, with at least eight ships crossing the waterway.
The United States’ NATO allies, including the UK and France, said they would not be drawn into the conflict by taking part in the blockade, although they have offered to help safeguard the strait when an agreement is in place.
China, the main buyer of Iranian oil, said the US blockade was “dangerous and irresponsible” and would only aggravate tensions. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent criticised China for hoarding oil during the war.
Source: Reuters
8.00 am: Multiple sources hint at talks
Since Tuesday, West Asian, Pakistani and Iranian officials have also said negotiating teams could return to Pakistan this week, but no date was agreed upon. United Nations Secretary General António Guterres also said it was “highly probable” that talks would restart.
Also Read: Modi, Trump discuss need to keep Strait of Hormuz open & secure after Iran hints at ‘new mechanism’