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Iran live updates: Iranian leader vows 'new defeats' for US, Israel as Tehran reviews new US proposals

The White House said on Friday that the Strait of Hormuz was "completely open."

Last Updated: April 19, 2026, 6:02 AM EDT

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

After negotiations, U.S.-Iran talks in Pakistan failed to reach a peace deal. Trump said that Iran's nuclear program was the key sticking point, and said the U.S. would respond with a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz starting at 10 a.m. ET on Monday.

Iran announced it would fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, but Trump said the blockade will remain in place until the U.S.'s "transaction" with Iran is complete.

Israel, meanwhile, has reached a ceasefire agreement with Lebanon, ending its ground operations and intense strikes, where it was engaged with the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he supported the ceasefire with Iran.

2 hours and 48 minutes ago

US-Iran talks have made progress, but 'gaps' remain, Tehran's chief negotiator says

Iran's parliament speaker and chief peace negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said talks with the United States have made progress, but "many gaps and some fundamental points remain."

Speaking on Iranian state TV in a long address that ran for about an hour, covering the recent talks in Islamabad, Ghalibaf said the two sides had reached agreement on some matters, while others remain unresolved, with new proposals still under discussion.

An Iranian woman flashes the V-sign as she takes part in a rally dubbed "Sacrificed Girls" to pay tribute to women killed during Middle East war, in Tehran on April 17, 2026.
AFP via Getty Images

He said both sides have "one or two" core issues that are non-negotiable, adding that "the distance to a final agreement remains considerable."

Ghalibaf stressed that the United States must take steps to build trust with the Iranian public, calling it "the most important step" in the process.

-ABC News’ Rashid Haddou and Maryam Rahimi

3 hours and 37 minutes ago

Iranian navy to bring 'new defeats' for US and Israel, supreme leader says

Iran's supreme leader vowed that his navy would bring "new defeats" to the U.S. and Israel, threats made in a statement released on Saturday as Tehran said it would reassert control over the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian women hold up an image of Iran's new supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei as they part in a rally dubbed "Sacrificed Girls" to pay tribute to women killed during the Middle East war, in Tehran on April 17, 2026.
AFP via Getty Images

Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not made a public appearance since the beginning of the war, said in a statement that the country's "brave navy is ready to make the enemies taste the bitterness of new defeats."

A portion of the purported Khamenei statement was read by a presenter on Iranian state TV on Saturday.

-ABC News’ Rashid Haddou

Apr 18, 2026, 1:35 PM EDT

India summons Iranian ambassador over shooting incidents in Strait of Hormuz

The Iranian ambassador to India was summoned by India's Ministry of External Affairs to discuss the "serious incident" involving two Indian-flagged ships that came under fire in the Strait of Hormuz Saturday.

"During the meeting, Foreign Secretary conveyed India’s deep concern at the shooting incident earlier today involving two Indian-flagged ships in the Strait of Hormuz," the spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

Tankers anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Qeshm Island, Iran, Saturday, April 18, 2026.
Asghar Besharati/AP

In the meeting, the Foreign Minister also recalled that Iran had previously "facilitated the safe passage of several ships bound for India," the statement said.

-ABC News' Nicholas Kerr

Apr 18, 2026, 12:43 PM EDT

Iran says it's reviewing new US proposals delivered via Pakistan

Iran said it is reviewing new proposals from the U.S. conveyed through Pakistan's mediators, with no response issued thus far.

The proposals were presented in recent days during the Pakistani army chief's visit to Tehran amid efforts to revive negotiations, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said in a statement published by state media Saturday.

Pointing to the conditions tied to a ceasefire in all fronts, the council said Tehran had agreed to a temporary opening of the Strait of Hormuz following a ceasefire in Lebanon.

Ships and tankers in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Musandam, Oman, April 18, 2026.
Stringer via Reuters

The council noted in the statement that Tehran allows only commercial vessels to pass, excluding military ships and vessels from "hostile countries."

The council said it will continue to monitor and control maritime traffic through the strategic waterway until a lasting peace is achieved, citing security concerns over the use of the strait to supply U.S. military bases in the region.

-ABC News' Maryam Rahimi

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