Hopes rise for renewed talks as US military says Iran blockade is in
force
[April 15, 2026]
By SAMY MAGDY, SAM METZ, MUNIR AHMED
CAIRO (AP) — Hopes rose for renewed talks between the United States and
Iran on Wednesday, as the U.S. military said its blockade of Iranian
ports was in full effect and Tehran threatened to retaliate by striking
targets across the war-weary region.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that a second round of talks
could happen "over the next two days," telling the New York Post the
negotiations could be held again in Islamabad as diplomats worked
through back channels to arrange them.
Regional officials said on Wednesday that the United States and Iran
gave an “in principle agreement” to extend the two-week ceasefire, which
is due to expire on April 22, to allow for more diplomacy.
One of the officials, who is involved in the mediation efforts, said
mediators were working on a compromise to the three main disputed points
— Iran's nuclear program, the Strait of Hormuz and compensation for
Iran’s wartime damages.
Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter.
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said it’s “highly probable” that
talks will restart, citing a meeting he had with Pakistan’s Foreign
Minister Ishaq Dar. The office of Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz
Sharif said he would travel to Saudi Arabia Wednesday as his country
pushes to mediate new talks, before heading to Turkey for the Anatalya
Peace Forum, which starts Friday.
Oil prices fell on hopes for an end to fighting, and in the U.S. stocks
surged close to records set in January. The war, now in its seventh
week, has jolted markets and rattled the global economy as shipping has
been cut off and airstrikes have torn through military and civilian
infrastructure across the region.
Meanwhile in Washington, the first direct talks in decades between the
Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors to the U.S. concluded on a productive
note Tuesday, according to the U.S. State Department.
Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter said the two countries are “on the
same side of the equation” in “liberating Lebanon” from the militant
Hezbollah group. Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh Moawad called the
meeting “constructive” but urged an end to the ongoing conflict between
Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants. Since March, that war has
displaced more than 1 million people in Lebanon.
Israel and Lebanon have technically been at war since Israel was
established in 1948, and Lebanon remains deeply divided over diplomatic
engagement with Israel.
First round of talks with Iran failed to end conflict
An initial round of talks held last weekend in Pakistan, aimed at
permanently ending the U.S.-Iran conflict, failed to produce an
agreement. The White House said Iran’s nuclear ambitions were a central
sticking point.
“I think they want to make a deal very badly,” Trump said in an excerpt
from an interview with Fox Business Network’s “Mornings with Maria"
scheduled to air Wednesday morning. He added: “I view it as very close
to over.”
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Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter speaks with reporters
outside of the State Department in Washington, Tuesday, April 14,
2026. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
A U.S. official said Tuesday that fresh talks with Iran were still
under discussion and that nothing has been scheduled. The official
spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to
discuss sensitive negotiations.
Muhammad Aurangzeb, Pakistan’s finance minister, told The Associated
Press that “our leadership is not giving up” on efforts to help the
U.S. and Iran end the conflict.
Though the ceasefire appeared to hold, the showdown over the
strategic Strait of Hormuz risked reigniting hostilities and
deepening the regional war's economic fallout.
The fighting has killed at least 3,000 people in Iran, more than
2,100 in Lebanon, 23 in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab
states. Thirteen U.S. service members have also been killed.
Tankers turned around after blockade took effect
U.S. Central Command said Tuesday no ships made it past the blockade
in the first 24 hours, while six merchant vessels complied with
direction from U.S. forces to turn around and reenter Iranian
waters.
The blockade is intended to pressure Iran, which has exported
millions of barrels of oil, mostly to Asia, since the war began Feb.
28. Much of it has likely been carried by so-called dark transits
that evade sanctions and oversight, providing cash that’s been vital
to keeping Iran running.
Tankers approaching the strait Monday turned around shortly after
the blockade took effect, though one reversed course again and
transited the waterway.
Since the war began, Iran has curtailed maritime traffic, with most
commercial vessels avoiding the waterway. Tehran's effective closure
of the strait, through which a fifth of global oil transits in
peacetime, has sent oil prices skyrocketing, pushing up the cost of
gasoline, food and other basic goods far beyond the Middle East.
___
Metz reported from Ramallah, West Bank and Ahmed from Islamabad.
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