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Iran live updates: Trump says US Navy attacked and seized Iranian-flagged cargo ship

"U.S. Marines have custody of the vessel," Trump said.

Last Updated: April 19, 2026, 5:48 PM 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 initial U.S.-Iran talks in Pakistan failed to reach a peace deal, Trump announced Sunday, April 19, that U.S. negotiators would head back to Islamabad Monday for a new round.

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 for the talks.

Iran's continuing blockage of the Strait of Homuz and their alleged refusal to abandon their nuclear program remain key sticking points in negotiations, according to Trump.

9:27 AM EDT

Trump again threatens to strike Iranian infrastructure; announces new round of talks in Islamabad

President Donald Trump said in a Sunday post on his social media platform that he was dispatching his representatives to Islamabad, Pakistan, for another round of peace talks with Iran on Monday night.

"My Representatives are going to Islamabad, Pakistan – They will be there tomorrow evening, for Negotiations," the president wrote.

He also blasted Iran for allegedly firing on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz Saturday, which he called a “total violation” of the ceasefire, and urged Iran to make a deal with the U.S. or face strikes on power plants and bridges inside the country.

“We’re offering a very fair and reasonable DEAL, and I hope they take it because, if they don’t, the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran. NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!" Trump wrote. "They’ll come down fast, they’ll come down easy and, if they don’t take the DEAL, it will be my Honor to do what has to be done, which should have been done to Iran, by other Presidents, for the last 47 years. IT’S TIME FOR THE IRAN KILLING MACHINE TO END!"

Trump made a similar threat against Iran on Easter weekend, posting on his social media platform that he would bomb Iran's power plants and bridges and send the country "back to the Stone Ages, where they belong" if they didn't then open the Strait of Hormuz to shipping traffic.

The current ceasefire agreement is set to expire on Wednesday.

-ABC News' Nicholas Kerr

6:02 AM EDT

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

5:13 AM EDT

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

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