US Vice President JD Vance and the speaker of Iran’s parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. Getty Images

We’ve been providing information that a second round of talks between the United States and Iran is anticipated to occur in Islamabad, Pakistan in the near future.

Here’s an overview of the delegations anticipated to be involved in the discussions representing each nation:

United States

JD Vance: The US vice president, previously skeptical about the Iran war, played a role in brokering the current two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran, along with the recent truce between Israel and Lebanon, a senior administration official informed Xenix News. Last month, we noted that Iranian representatives chose to interact with Vance instead of other US officials.

Steve Witkoff: A prosperous real estate mogul, Witkoff has maintained a friendship with US President Donald Trump for many years. Together with Kushner, he assisted in brokering a ceasefire in Gaza and has also engaged in discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding the conflict in Ukraine.

Jared Kushner: Kushner is the spouse of Trump’s daughter Ivanka. He acted as a primary negotiator for the Middle East during Trump’s initial term and established strong connections with regional leaders, informally advising administration officials on dealing with Arab leaders, Trump administration figures and sources close to Kushner informed Xenix News last year.

Iran

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf: Ghalibaf, the head of the Iranian team in Pakistan, also serves as the speaker of Iran’s Parliament. A regime insider known for stifling opposition, Ghalibaf has become a crucial communicator with the Trump administration during the conflict.

Abbas Araghchi: As Iran’s foreign minister, Araghchi has been deeply involved in previous nuclear discussions with Western nations. Weeks prior to the US and Israel launching their assaults on Iran, Araghchi informed Xenix News that Tehran had “lost trust” in the US, yet he felt “confident” that Iran and the US could “reach an agreement” regarding Tehran’s nuclear program.

Ali Bagheri Kani: Kani is another crucial hardline negotiator who has played a significant role in past discussions with the US, particularly regarding nuclear negotiations.

Xenix News reports contributed by Lex Harvey, Kristen Holmes, Kylie Atwood, Stephen Collinson, Alayna Treene, and Frederik Pleitgen.

Officers maintain security at a checkpoint close to signage related to the US-Iran peace discussions in Islamabad, Pakistan, on April 11. Farooq Naeem/AFP/Getty Images

Over the past weekend, representatives from the US and Iran convened in Islamabad for an extensive 21 hours of discussions, but ultimately departed Pakistan without an agreement to resolve the conflict.

US Vice President JD Vance pointed out that Iran’s unwillingness to give up its nuclear program was the main obstacle, whereas Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the chief Iranian negotiator, stated that the US did not earn the trust of the Iranian team.

As a new series of discussions is expected to start in the next few days, here’s an in-depth look at the events of last weekend:

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Vance reached Islamabad and had individual meetings with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif before commencing the in-person discussions on Saturday afternoon.

A few hours into the discussions, specialists in economic, military, legal, and nuclear matters from both parties convened, according to Iran’s government.

In the early hours of Sunday morning local time, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency announced that the delegations had commenced a new phase of trilateral discussions, noting that considerable obstacles persisted.

Hours later, Vance conducted a news conference, during which he revealed that no agreement had been reached by the parties, despite what he described as “substantive discussions” and the US presenting its “final and best offer.”

In the meantime, Iran’s Tasnim attributed the failure to establish “a common framework and agreement” to “US overreach and ambitions.”

 Xenix News Laura Sharman, Lex Harvey, Betsy Klein, Sophia Saifi, Sophie Tanno, Issy Ronald, Mohammed Tawfeeq, Kevin Liptak, Tim Lister and Aida Karimi contributed to this reporting.

Tracking data indicates that no tankers have traversed the Strait of Hormuz today, marking Sunday as one of the most tranquil days in the waterway since the conflict started.

This comes after the announcement by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on Saturday that the strait has been closed to traffic once more.

Earlier today, two sanctioned tankers transporting liquid petroleum gas were departing from the Persian Gulf when they were suddenly redirected by Iran’s military, as reported by the Iranian state-affiliated news outlet Tasnim.

Footage from the ship monitoring platform Marine Tracker displays numerous ships at anchor. These are shown by the tiny circles grouped on both sides of the strait. The other vessels navigated in circles to steer clear of the waterway.

A few small boats have been seen entering the channel, but they mostly include tugboats or vessels flying the Iranian flag.

President Donald Trump indicates that a US team is traveling to Pakistan for discussions with Iran, and the American group is being formed — however, there has been no official confirmation from Iran regarding the negotiations.

The state-linked Fars News Agency in Iran reported that a definitive decision regarding Iran’s participation in the second round of talks “has not been confirmed or dismissed.”

IRIB, the Iranian state-controlled broadcaster, additionally mentioned that Iranian officials have not yet confirmed Iran’s involvement in the discussions.

Fars cited “sources within Iran” as stating that the general perspective for discussions wasn’t “especially encouraging.” It mentioned that another source indicated “that while the US maritime blockade persists, Iran will not entertain a second meeting in Islamabad.”

Xenix News is unable to confirm the information shared by Fars; however, earlier Iranian sources informed us that an Iranian delegation is set to arrive in Pakistan on Tuesday.

The semi-official news source Tasnim elaborated, stating on Sunday that “Iran does not have any plans at present to dispatch a negotiation team.”

Tasnim stated that discussions would not occur as long as the US maintains a maritime blockade on Iranian ports.

Data from Marine Traffic monitored earlier today indicates that tankers are reversing direction at the Persian Gulf region of the Strait of Hormuz.

The ships transporting LPG and crude oil seemed to alter their routes after Iran’s military announced that restrictions on ship movement through the Strait of Hormuz were being reinstated, citing “repeated breaches of trust” by the US.

The red dots on the map above indicate tankers that are not moving; several of these have emerged on either side of the strait since the restrictions were made public.

The red arrows indicate tankers transporting LPG and crude oil. The green arrows indicate cargo ships that frequently transport containers.

Iran indicates it is reviewing new US suggestions following discussions with intermediary Pakistan.

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council states that Tehran is reviewing fresh US proposals after discussions with Pakistan’s military leader Asim Munir, who has been serving as a mediator between the nations.

Though Tehran has not provided an official reply, the council reinforced several earlier stated demands, including expanded authority over the Strait of Hormuz, in a statement issued today by the semi-official Mehr News.

“Iran is resolved to maintain oversight and authority over transit via the Strait of Hormuz until the war concludes and permanent peace is achieved in the area,” the council stated, emphasizing the necessity to sever American military installations in the region from their supply lines.

The council mentioned that this would be enforced through a system of fees, transit certificates, and restrictions on ships traveling only designated routes.

Earlier today, Pakistan’s Munir concluded a three-day official visit to Iran, during which he and a Pakistani delegation engaged with senior Iranian officials to encourage Tehran to return to negotiations with the US before the two-week ceasefire ends.

Discussions at a high level between the US and Iran over the weekend did not result in any agreement. Since that time, the US has enacted a blockade on Iranian ports.

The council asserted that it views this as a “breach of the ceasefire” and stated that Iran will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until the blockade is lifted.

Today, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that a French soldier serving in the United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon was killed.

Macron identified the soldier as Florian Montorio from the 17th Parachute EngineerRegiment, deployed in Lebanon with the United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL). He mentioned that three additional soldiers were injured.

Macron stated that “all indications point to Hezbollah being responsible for this attack,” and urged the Lebanese government to promptly apprehend those involved.

Hezbollah rejected the claim. In a statement, it urged “care in attributing blame and accountability regarding the incident while awaiting the Lebanese army’s investigation to completely ascertain the circumstances.”

UNIFIL stated that its patrol was removing explosive ordnance on a road in the village of Ghanduriyah in southern Lebanon when it “was fired upon with small arms from non-state actors.” The force reported that two of the three injured soldiers sustained critical wounds.

Nawaf Salam, Lebanon’s prime minister, denounced the assault and stated that he ordered a prompt inquiry.

“This reckless conduct undoubtedly harms Lebanon and its relationships with allied and supportive nations globally,” he stated.

The assault occurs during a 10-day truce between Israel and Lebanon, which was declared by US President Donald Trump on Thursday after the two nations engaged in their first direct discussions in decades earlier this week in Washington, DC.

Israel’s military accused Hezbollah of breaching the ceasefire on Saturday, claiming it spotted multiple “terrorists” nearing its troops and presenting an imminent danger. The military stated it “carried out targeted attacks on the militants.”

This post has been revised to include a statement from Hezbollah.

US President Donald Trump addresses the audience while signing an executive order at the White House on Saturday. Nathan Howard/Reuters

By Xenix news

President Donald Trump stated on Saturday that discussions with Iran are continuing but indicated frustration with Tehran’s tactics, remarking “they got a little cute,” while also noting that talks are advancing.

“Trump stated that we are having excellent discussions regarding Iran.” “They became somewhat charming, as they have for 47 years,” Trump stated.

“They aimed to seal off the strait once more, as they have for years.” “They cannot extort us,” Trump stated, mentioning that he will have additional details “before the day’s end.”

“We’re engaging with them, and you know, we’re adopting a firm position.” They took the lives of many individuals. “Many of our individuals have died,” Trump stated.

US President Donald Trump heads toward the White House after arriving back in Washington, DC on Friday. Samuel Corum/Getty Images

US President Donald Trump has two activities planned for today: engaging in executive time at 8 a.m. ET, followed by signing an executive order one hour later at 9 a.m. ET.

The executive order, based on information from a knowledgeable source, will promote increased research on the psychedelic ibogaine, as we mentioned earlier this week.

Speaking on Air Force One yesterday, Trump stated that he might not prolong the ceasefire between the US and Iran if discussions do not result in a deal to conclude the war by Wednesday.

“Perhaps I won’t prolong it, leaving you with a blockade, and regrettably, we may need to start dropping bombs once more,” the president remarked.

He also stated that the US would acquire Iran’s reserves of highly enriched uranium one way or another, cautioning it could arrive “in a far less friendly form” if talks collapse.

We will provide you with any pertinent updates regarding Trump today as we receive them

A message allegedly from the new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei states that Iran’s navy is “prepared to make the enemies experience the harshness of fresh defeats.”

Khamenei, who has not appeared in public or shared any video messages since becoming Iran’s Supreme Leader six weeks ago, did not mention the recent uncertainty regarding the status of the Strait of Hormuz in his written statement.

Rather, it commended Iran’s military for “bravely protecting the land, waters, and the banner that is rightfully theirs.”

Just a few statements have been ascribed to Khamenei. This event commemorated Army Day, which this year aligned with the birthday of his deceased father, Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in coordinated US-Israeli airstrikes at the war’s outset.

Iranian gunboats fired on tanker, shipping body says

On Saturday, gunboats from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards opened fire on a tanker navigating through the Strait of Hormuz, as stated in a notice from the UK Maritime Traffic Organization (UKMTO).

The UKMTO stated that it obtained a direct alert from the tanker’s captain, who informed that he was “confronted by 2 IRGC gun boats,” approximately 20 nautical miles (30 kms) off the coast of Oman.

The captain stated that no radio alert had been issued prior to the ship – whose identity UKMTO did not reveal – being attacked.

“UKMTO reported that the tanker and crew are safe.”

The event occurred as Iran reinstated severe restrictions on shipping attempting to pass through the Strait due to US President Donald Trump stating Friday that a blockade on vessels utilizing Iranian ports would persist.

“The condition of the Strait of Hormuz will remain unchanged as long as vessels traveling from Iran to Iran continue to face threats,” the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) navy posted on X Saturday.

Iranian state media reported in recent hours that Tehran will persist in limiting movement in the waterway as the US upholds its blockade of Iranian ports.

If you’re only now catching up, here’s the way events have unfolded in the last 24 hours:

Following a 10-day truce between Israel and Hezbollah that began yesterday, Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi announced that the Strait of Hormuz would be accessible for the duration of the ceasefire.

US President Donald Trump recognized Araghchi’s statement in a post on Truth Social, saying: “THANK YOU!”

In another message, Trump stated that the US naval blockade on Iranian ports will “stay fully in place” until both nations reach a complete resolution to the conflict between them. “This procedure ought to progress rapidly since the majority of the issues have already been discussed,” he stated.

In the afternoon, Iranian state media Fars announced that Iran would shut down the strait again if the US persisted with its blockade. The Iranian Parliament’s speaker also cautioned about this.

Shipping giants voiced doubts regarding their ability to navigate the waterway following the announcements, yet a cruise ship, making the journey without any passengers, sailed through the channel towards Muscat.

Trump stated that Iran had “conceded to all” in discussions, including regarding enriched uranium, which the US opposes Iran possessing

This morning, Iran’s military said that it was reimposing restrictions on the passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, alleging “repeated breaches of trust” by the United States in the two sides’ ceasefire.