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Iran live updates: Trump says Israel 'never talked' him into war with Iran

The two-week ceasefire announced earlier this month will expire on April 22.

ByDavid Brennan
Last Updated: April 20, 2026, 1:06 PM EDT

President Donald Trump announced "major combat operations" against Iran on Feb. 28, with massive joint U.S.-Israeli strikes targeting military, government and infrastructure sites.

Following the announcement of a two-week ceasefire, initial U.S.-Iran talks in Pakistan earlier this month failed to reach a peace deal. The original ceasefire is set to expire on April 22.

Trump said on Sunday that U.S. negotiators would return to Islamabad on Monday for a new round of talks. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Vice President JD Vance would accompany special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law, to Islamabad.

But Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Monday that Tehran has "no plans" to participate.

Key Headlines

Here's how the news is developing.
2 hours and 48 minutes ago

Trump says Israel 'never talked' him into war with Iran

President Donald Trump wrote on social media on Monday that Israel "never talked" him into war with Iran.

President Donald Trump speaks at a Turning Point USA event on April 17, 2026, in Phoenix.
Ross D. Franklin/AP

“Israel never talked me into the war with Iran, the results of Oct. 7th, added to my lifelong opinion that IRAN CAN NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON,” the president wrote.

Trump also said in the post that if Iran's leadership is "smart, Iran can have a great and prosperous future!"

-ABC News’ Michelle Stoddart

2 hours and 50 minutes ago

US has directed 27 ships to turn around

U.S. forces have directed 27 ships to turn around or return to an Iranian port since the start of the block against vessels entering or exiting Iranian ports and coastal areas, according to CENTCOM.

-ABC News’ Luis Martinez

7:11 AM EDT

US Embassy Baghdad says Iran-aligned militias still planning attacks

The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad issued a fresh warning to American citizens of the danger posed by Iranian-aligned militias in Iraq, as the country reopened its airspace and some commercial flights resumed.

"Iraq's Iran-aligned terrorist militias continue planning additional attacks against U.S. citizens and U.S.-associated targets throughout Iraq, including in the Iraqi Kurdistan region," the Embassy said in a post to X. "Some entities associated with the Iraqi government continue to provide effective political, financial and operational cover to these terrorist militias."

"Iraq's airspace has reopened and limited commercial flights have resumed. U.S. citizens considering air travel through Iraq should be aware of the ongoing risks of missiles, drones and projectiles in Iraqi airspace," the Embassy wrote.

Members of Iraq's pro-Iran paramilitary group Hezbollah Brigades gather in a mourning procession for a fighter in Baghdad on April 8, 2026.
Ahmad Al-rubaye/AFP via Getty Images
6:48 AM EDT

Netanyahu 'stunned' by photo of soldier destroying Jesus statue

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted a statement to social media on Monday addressing the incident in which an Israeli soldier was photographed taking a sledgehammer to the face of a torn down statue of Jesus Christ in southern Lebanon.

Netanyahu said he was "stunned and saddened to learn that an IDF soldier damaged a Catholic religious icon in southern Lebanon."

"I condemn the act in the strongest terms. Military authorities are conducting a criminal probe of the matter and will take appropriately harsh disciplinary action against the offender," Netanyahu added.

-ABC News' Jordana Miller and Victoria Beaule

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