APPLENEWS - STORY ADD
Iran live updates: Tehran has 'no plans' for new round of talks, spokesperson says
The two-week ceasefire announced earlier this month will expire on April 22.
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
- Trump says 'unlikely' he'll extend ceasefire if deal not reached by deadline
- Trump says Israel 'never talked' him into war with Iran
- Iran to respond to US 'aggression' against cargo vessel, military says
- Iran has 'no plans' for new round of talks, spokesperson says
- Marines from USS Tripoli seized Iranian vessel, CENTCOM says
Trump says 'unlikely' he'll extend ceasefire if deal not reached by deadline
In an interview with Bloomberg on Monday, President Donald Trump said that it is "highly unlikely" that he extends the ceasefire if a deal is not reached before the deadline, which the president said is Wednesday evening ET.
The president also doubled down on his blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, saying, “I’m not opening it up.”
“They want me to open it. The Iranians desperately want it opened. I’m not opening it until a deal is signed,” Trump said, according to Bloomberg.
-ABC News’ Michelle Stoddart
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.
“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
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
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.