President Donald Trump on Tuesday said talks between the U.S. and Iran could restart this week in Pakistan as American armed forces imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports and coastal areas.
Trump, in an interview with the New York Post, said negotiations “could be happening over the next two days” in Pakistan. An initial round of peace talks in Islamabad fell apart over disagreements about the future of Iran’s nuclear enrichment program.
U.S. Central Command on Tuesday hailed the American blockade on Iran a success, saying no ships managed to pass the restricted areas during the first 24 hours of the blockade. Six commercial vessels complied with orders to turn around, Centcom added.
In Washington, Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosted talks between envoys from Lebanon and Israel, the first diplomatic talks between the two countries in decades. The negotiations come as Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah continued to trade strikes and rocket fire.
Days after Israel and the U.S. launched the war on Iran, Hezbollah fired rockets at northern Israel in support of Tehran. Israel responded with a punishing bombing campaign that devastated parts of Beirut and a ground invasion into a large section of southern Lebanon.
Michael Loria
King Charles’ upcoming trip to the United States, where he plans to sit down for tea with President Trump, is making waves across the pond, where lawmakers say the United Kingdom needs to draw a hard line with Trump over his wartime rhetoric.
The King and his wife, Queen Camilla, are set to head to the U.S. on April 27 for a four-day visit marking the 250th anniversary of American independence from the crown. Their trip itinerary includes a ceremonial dinner at the White House, an address to Congress by King Charles and a trip to New York to meet with family members of 9/11 victims.
Ed Davey, a member of Parliament and leader of the Liberal Democrats party, called on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to urge the king to call off the visit, warning Charles could be used as a prop to signal British support for the war.
“He is no friend of the United Kingdom, he is no leader of the free world, he is a corrupt gangster and that is how we must treat him,” said Davey of Trump. “I really fear for what Trump might say or do while our king is forced to stand by his side. We cannot put his majesty in that position.”
Davey singled out Trump’s comments on April 7 about wiping out Iran’s “whole civilization.” The crown says it will proceed as planned.
“The visit … recognises the challenges the United Kingdom, the United States, and our allies face across the world,” a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said Tuesday. “This visit is a moment to reaffirm and renew our bilateral ties as we address those challenges together, in the UK’s national interest.”
Adrianna Rodriguez
Vice President JD Vance said he feels “very good” about negotiations with Iran despite failing to arrive at a deal during peace talks in Pakistan.
While speaking at a Turning Point USA tour event at the University of Georgia, Vance said those involved “made a ton of progress,” and the ceasefire continues to hold. However, the vice president said peace talks fell through because President Donald Trump didn’t want to make “a small deal.”
“The president doesn’t want to make a small deal; he wants to make the grand bargain,” Vance said. “The deal’s not done because he wants a deal where Iran doesn’t have a nuclear weapon, not sponsoring state terrorism and the people of Iran can thrive and prosper and join the world economy.”
Michael Loria
Democrats in Congress are planning to hold a vote Wednesday aimed at reining in President Trump’s war powers, the latest such effort amid the Iran war.
U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-IL, is the latest Democratic senator to file a War Powers resolution. The former combat veteran is expected to bring the resolution, which would force a vote to stop the war in Iran, to the Senate floor on Wednesday.
“Donald Trump continues to plunge our nation deeper into his unjustified war of choice, putting American lives at even further risk abroad and sending prices skyrocketing for Americans at home,” the Illinois Democrat said in a statement. “While Republicans abdicate their responsibilities to our troops and their duty to uphold their oaths, the wanna-be dictator in the White House continues to prove he has no serious plan to end this needless conflict. The Senate must fulfill its constitutional duty and vote to stop it immediately, before our economy takes yet another hit and more lives are lost.”
The upcoming vote follows similar efforts brought by Sen. Cory Booker, D-NJ, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va, and Sen. Chris Murphy, D-CT. All of the votes have failed due to Republican opposition. But Democrats have scored political points by forcing Trump’s party members to voice their support for a deeply unpopular war.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, said Senate Democrats will continue bringing the issue to a vote every week as long as the war remains underway.
The Constitution assigns the power to declare war to Congress although lawmakers have not done so for decades through wars in Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq. The White House argues Trump can order limited, short-term military operations.
Christopher Cann and Michael Loria
The Treasury Department on Tuesday said it’s prepared to deploy secondary sanctions on foreign financial institutions supporting Iran and vowed not to renew its authorization allowing the sale of Iranian oil already at sea.
“Treasury is moving aggressively with Economic Fury, maintaining maximum pressure on Iran. Financial institutions should be on notice that the department is leveraging the full range of available tools and authorities and is prepared to deploy secondary sanctions against foreign financial institutions that continue to support Iran’s activities,” the agency said on X.
The department added that it would soon let its waiver authorizing the sale of some Iranian oil to expire. That measure, along with another easing sanctions on some Russian oil exports, was part of an effort to quell the economic impact of Iran’s grip on the Strait of Hormuz.
In practice, the waiver had little impact on markets and proved an economic windfall of potentially $139 million for Iran. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle criticized the sanctions relief for the economic gains it provided Iran in the midst of fighting.
The waiver on Russian oil was criticized on similar grounds and allowed to expire without being renewed.
Michael Loria
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, urged the White House to take a hard-line stance with Iran as Trump says peace talks could restart soon.
“I hope speculation and rumors about yet another extension of the ceasefire to reach a deal with Iran are off base,” said Graham in a statement. “To me, President Trump’s position is clear. I fear the Iranians will play the same old game they always play, dragging things out by doing things like making menial concessions.”
Graham’s comments come amid reports that Iran offered to suspend its nuclear enrichment program for five years when U.S. negotiators had asked for 20 years.
The Republican senator said the president should draw a hard line in negotiations to ensure Iran commits to suspending enrichment indefinitely, delivers to the U.S. the country’s enriched uranium, reopens the Strait of Hormuz, abandons its missile programs and ceases support for allies deemed to be terrorists.
“This would allow Iran to exist as a nation but not as the largest state sponsor of terrorism,” Graham said. “If there is no deal, it is time to finish the job.”
It’s unclear exactly how closely Graham’s proposed position reflects those of the White House. Trump earlier Tuesday said he wanted Iran to suspend enrichment indefinitely. Vice President JD Vance also said the country needed to hand over its uranium on Monday.
USA TODAY has reached out to the White House for comment.
Christopher Cann
Israel’s ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter said the Israeli and Lebanese governments agree on many issues, including a desire to eliminate Hezbollah as a powerful military and political force in Lebanon.
“We discovered today that we’re on the same side of the equation. That’s the most positive thing we could have come away with,” Leiter said, praising the talks in Washington. “We are both united in liberating Lebanon from an occupation power dominated by Iran called Hezbollah.”
The Lebanese state has been seeking to disarm Hezbollah peacefully since a war between the militia and Israel in 2024. The current government banned Hezbollah’s military wing after it opened fire on Israel last month.
Ahead of the talks on Tuesday, Hezbollah urged the Lebanese government to cancel the meeting and vowed to continue responding with force to Israel’s ongoing military campaign.
Contributing: Reuters.
Terry Collins
French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced they will co-chair a video conference in Paris to seek ways to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Macron said in a social media post that they will meet on April 17 with the leaders of at least 40 countries via video to work on “restoring freedom of navigation” on the strait as the war in Iran enters its seventh week.
While a two-week ceasefire is still in place, the leaders say they hope to have a “multinational plan to safeguard international shipping” ready when the war ends.
Starmer said in his own social media post that the ongoing closure of the strait is “deeply damaging,” and reopening the vital trading route for global shipping is critical to “help ease cost of living pressures.”
Terry Collins
Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday said he was optimistic and urged patience as peace talks between Israeli and Lebanese diplomats began in Washington.
“Our hope here, and I know this will be a process, all of the complexities of this matter are not going to be resolved in the next six hours, but we can begin to move forward to create the framework,” Rubio told reporters before the parties began discussing possible ways to end the conflict.
Christopher Cann
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday said talks between the U.S. and Iran could resume after an initial round of negotiations failed over the weekend.
“The indication we have is that it is highly probable that these talks will restart,” Guterres told reporters outside the U.N. headquarters in New York City.
He also urged countries to respect the freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. on Monday began imposing a blockade on Iranian ships in response to Tehran’s effective closure of the critical trade route.
Terry Collins
President Donald Trump said talks between the US and Iran could restart “in the next two days.”
In an interview with the New York Poston April 14, the president said that talks with Iran could resume in Pakistan “could be happening over the next two days.”
Trump said Asim Munir, Pakistan’s chief of defense forces, was doing a “great job” in mediation. The president did not say who would represent the U.S. in a possible second round of talks, but confirmed he wouldn’t take part.
The president said he wasn’t pleased with reports that the U.S. had asked Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment program for at least 20 years during talks with Iran last weekend that didn’t lead to the end of the war.
“I’ve been saying they can’t have nuclear weapons,” Trump told the newspaper. “So I don’t like the 20 years.”
Christopher Cann
In the first day of the U.S. Navy blockade on Iranian ports, six commercial vessel complied with American forces’ demands to turn around, according to U.S. Central Command.
The half dozen commercial ships were ordered to reenter one of the Iranian ports located on the Gulf of Oman, the military said, adding that “no ship managed to breach the American blockade.”
More than 100,000 sailors, Marines and Air Force personnel were involved in the effort that involved 12 warships and dozens of aircraft, U.S. Central Command said.
The blockade, which went into effect at 10 a.m. on Monday, applies to all ships that stop at Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. The blockade does not apply to ships moving through the Strait of Hormuz “en route to and from non-Iranian ports.”
Terry Collins
Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed optimism and patience before peace talks between Israeli and Lebanese diplomats were set to begin on April 14 at the Department of State in Washington.
Rubio told reporters that “all of the complexities of this matter are not going to be resolved in the next six hours,” but he hoped the talks would help start future relations.
“Something very positive, something very permanent, so the people of Lebanon can have the kind of future they deserve, and so that the people of Israel can live without fear,” Rubio said.
Rubio said the talks are “a process,” not an event, and will take time.
“But we believe it’s worth this endeavor, and it’s a historic gathering that we hope to build on,” Rubio added. “I hope today that we can build a framework upon which a permanent and lasting peace can be developed.”
Terry Collins
The U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is “dangerous and irresponsible,” China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Lin Jian said on social media on April 13, adding the measure will only “aggravate confrontation, escalate tension, undermine the already fragile ceasefire” between the U.S. and Iran.
Jian said China believes that only a complete ceasefire can fundamentally create conditions for easing the situation.
“We urge relevant parties to honor the ceasefire agreement, stick to the direction of peace talks and take concrete actions to de-escalate the situation so that normal traffic via the Strait will be able to resume as soon as possible,” Jian saidin a post on X.
Christopher Cann
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty is expected to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to discuss the ongoing war in the Middle East, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said on X.
Egypt, along with other countries such as Pakistan, has been among the intermediaries involved in negotiations between the U.S. and Iran since the war began on Feb. 28.
Andrea Riquier
Oil retreated as investors turned more optimistic about a deal to end the Middle East conflict.
Brent crude was trading just below $98 a barrel in the morning, down about 1.5%. That’s a far cry from the $67 a barrel or so from before the war, but does offer some relief for overheated energy markets.
GasBuddy’s national average for a gallon of gas was still elevated, at $4.097. It takes gas prices a bit longer to catch up with the moves in oil.
Christopher Cann
French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday said he spoke with President Trump and Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian a day earlier and urged for another round of peace talks.
“I urged the resumption of the negotiations suspended in Islamabad, the clearing up of misunderstandings, and the avoidance of any further escalation,” Macron said on X.
“It is essential, in particular, that the ceasefire be strictly respected by all parties and that it include Lebanon,” Macron continued. Macron added that it’s “equally important” that the Strait of Hormuz be reopened “unconditionally, without restrictions or tolls, as soon as possible.”
“Under these conditions, negotiations should be able to resume quickly, with the support of the key parties concerned,” Macron said.
Francesca Chambers
Secretary of State Marco Rubio will hold peace talks, aimed at ending the conflict in Lebanon, on Tuesday in Washington. They will begin at 11 am at the State Department.
Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter and Lebanese Ambassador to the U.S. Nada Hamadeh will attend the session that marks the first direct diplomatic talks between the Middle Eastern nations in more than three decades. U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa and other State Department officials will also participate.
Lebanon was not included in the two-week ceasefire that U.S. and Israeli forces agreed to with Iran, and Israel has carried out strikes in Lebanon against Iranian proxy group Hezbollah since negotiations with Tehran began in April.
Michael Loria
Trump administration officials are asking Iran to suspend its nuclear enrichment program for at least 20 years, a source familiar with the matter told USA TODAY.
Confirmation of the White House’s position follows reporting by The New York Times that U.S. officials wanted the country to suspend its uranium enrichment program for two decades and Iran countered by offering to suspend the program for five years.
Iranian officials have long insisted the country is enriching uranium for civilian purposes. Experts say the level of enrichment they achieved surpassed levels necessary for civilian purposes. The Trump administration has defended the war as necessary in order to prevent Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon.
Confirmation of the White House’s position also follows comments from Vice President JD Vance earlier Monday that over the course of negotiations in Pakistan, Iran “moved in our direction” on nuclear issues. Vance did not elaborate.
The Times cited two Iranian officials and a U.S. official in their reporting on Iran’s offer.
Michael Loria
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said at a public forum Monday that energy prices will remain high and “maybe even rising” over the next few weeks.
“We’re going to see energy prices high and maybe even rising until we get the ships, meaningful ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz,” Wright said at the 2026 Semafor World Economy summit. “That’s probably some time in the next few weeks.”
The Trump appointee described earlier estimates that gas prices will fall by the summer as “aggressive.”
“The longer the conflict goes, the longer the rebound is,” Wright said.
According to GasBuddy, the average price of a gallon of gas across the U.S. was about $4.11 on Monday evening, up from $2.81 at the start of the year before the war.
Michael Loria
Chinese Defense Minister Admiral Dong Jun reportedly warned U.S. officials not to interfere with Chinese ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
“Our ships are moving in and out of the waters of the Strait of Hormuz. We have trade and energy agreements with Iran. We will respect and honor those agreements and expect others not to interfere in our affairs,” said Jun, according to reports in News18 and India Today.
Jun’s comments come as the U.S. military establishes a blockade on ships leaving the narrow waterway off the coast of Iran. China gets about half of its oil from the Middle East, including about 11% from Iran. The country at war with the U.S. sells the vast majority of its oil exports to China.
In response to a request for comment, a White House spokesperson directed USA TODAY to comments Trump made to reporters Monday at the White House.
“We have a very good relationship with China,” the president said.