A U.S. negotiating team traveled to Islamabad Monday for a planned second round of peace talks with Iran — but Tehran signaled it might not attend after Washington seized an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. forces boarded the ship, identified as the Touska, on Sunday as part of a broader U.S. blockade of Iranian-flagged vessels in the strategic waterway. U.S. Central Command released video showing Marines fast‑roping from a helicopter onto the deck after the guided‑missile destroyer USS Spruance disabled the vessel’s propulsion. President Trump said the U.S. had “stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engine room” after the ship allegedly ignored repeated warnings, and that Marines inspected the cargo. The administration said the vessel was subject to existing U.S. Treasury Department sanctions.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned it would respond to the seizure, but gave no details. The incident occurred two days before a ceasefire that took effect April 8 between the U.S.-Israel coalition and Iran was due to expire on Wednesday.
Markets reacted immediately: oil jumped more than 5.3%, rising to $95.62 a barrel on Monday from Friday’s close of $90.38.
Diplomatic uncertainty
Preparations to host both delegations were underway in Islamabad Monday, yet Iran questioned whether it would participate. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei told state media that Tehran had “no plans yet” to attend a second round and accused the United States of lacking “seriousness in pursuing a diplomatic process,” according to IRNA.
President Trump announced the U.S. negotiating team’s travel on Sunday and warned Iran against walking away, saying Washington was offering a “very fair and reasonable deal” and cautioning there would be severe consequences if talks failed.
The first round of negotiations, led just over a week ago by Vice President Vance, collapsed after Vance accused Iran of refusing U.S. terms on nuclear enrichment. The standoff and the military action have contributed to political pressure at home: an NBC poll released this week showed Mr. Trump’s approval rating at a new low, with 63% disapproving of his performance and roughly two‑thirds disapproving of his handling of the Iran conflict and inflation.
International reaction and regional violence
China, a major buyer of Iranian oil and an ally to Tehran, criticized what it called the “forcible interception” of the Touska and urged a return to diplomacy, the Associated Press reported.
Casualty figures and related fronts
Iranian officials said Monday that at least 3,375 people have been killed during the war. Abbas Masjedi, head of Iran’s Legal Medicine Organization, said the figure does not distinguish between civilian and security‑force deaths and noted that 383 of the dead were children under 18, according to the state‑linked Mizan news agency.
Meanwhile, a fragile temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon remained in place. Southern Lebanon — where Israeli forces still control significant areas — saw continued Israeli airstrikes described by Israel as responses to “terrorist activity.” The ceasefire allows Israel to take military action in self‑defense. Over the weekend, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for an explosion that killed at least one Israeli soldier, saying the device had been emplaced before the ceasefire began.
Reporting contributions
Jane Arraf in Amman, Aya Batrawy in Dubai and Kate Bartlett in Johannesburg contributed to this report.