Iran-Israel War

Security officers are stationed at a security checkpoint on a road that is temporarily closed near the Serena Hotel in the Red Zone of Islamabad on Monday. Aamir Qureshi/AFP/Getty Images

Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, anxiously awaits confirmation on the continuation of a second round of US-Iran peace negotiations following the US capture of an Iranian-flagged vessel, which has led to an angry reaction from Tehran.

Within the city’s “Red Zone” – home to the nation’s parliament, Supreme Court, major government offices, and foreign embassies – the two primary hotels have emptied their rooms of guests in preparation for the delegations’ arrival.

The Serena, where initial – and unproductive – discussions occurred earlier this month, and the Marriott – which housed the Iranian delegation during those discussions – have been vacated.

Traffic is completely stopped on the main road entering the Red Zone following the city’s police announcement of alternative traffic arrangements “because of foreign delegations arriving in Islamabad.”

Residents of the city have been urged to take different paths.

All officials working in the Red Zone have been instructed to telecommute on April 20.

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

President Donald Trump’s approval rating is at 37% as dissatisfaction grows over his management of the economy and the conflict with Iran, based on an NBC News/SurveyMonkey poll of US adults published this morning.

The Xenix News Poll of Polls aggregate, incorporating the latest survey, currently shows Trump’s approval rating at an average of 38%, consistent with figures from recent months.

In the NBC/SurveyMonkey poll, carried out from March 30 to April 13, Trump’s approval for managing inflation and living expenses is only 32%, a drop from approximately 40% a year prior, with around half of Americans now expressing strong disapproval of his efforts on the matter.

The survey reveals that 29% of Americans consider the economy their primary concern, surpassing the 24% who cite threats to democracy.

https://xenixnews.comAt the same time, about two-thirds of Americans are critical of Trump’s management of the conflict with Iran, with 54% expressing strong disapproval. The survey, conducted while Trump declared a brief ceasefire, did not reveal a notable change in public sentiment after the announcement. According to the pollsters, the backing from individuals who identify as supporters of the MAGA movement continues to be strong, with 87% expressing approval of Trump’s approach to the war.

A 61% majority of Americans believe the US should refrain from any additional military intervention in Iran, while 16% advocate for continuing with airstrikes only and 23% suggest the US should explore options that include deploying ground forces.

The NBC News/SurveyMonkey poll took place online between March 30 and April 13, surveying 32,433 adults in the US, with a margin of error of plus or minus 1.8 percentage points.

Vice President JD Vance reaches Islamabad, Pakistan, for a meeting on April 11. Jacquelyn Martin/Pool/AP

Vice President JD Vance will participate in the upcoming Iran discussions in Pakistan alongside special envoy Steve Witkoff and the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, the White House informed Xenix News.

This occurs even though President Donald Trump has stated that the vice president would not participate in the most recent discussions, explaining to MS Now that it was because of security issues. Trump’s remarks sparked uncertainty regarding which officials would attend the discussions in Islamabad, as the president stated that his “representatives” would arrive there tomorrow evening.

According to sources knowledgeable about Secret Service policy, the agency aims to keep Vance and the president from being in the same location simultaneously, not just during travel to the area due to the ongoing conflict and associated security threats, but also for domestic journeys.

Should Trump ultimately choose to visit Pakistan if a final agreement occurs, it’s probable that Vance would have to come back to the US beforehand.

The upcoming negotiations will take place over a week after Vance attended the initial round of discussions in Pakistan with Witkoff and Kushner. The negotiations concluded without an agreement to resolve the conflict.

In reaction to the mixed signals regarding the US delegation, a White House representative informed Xenix News: “situations evolved.”

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.