US Vice President JD Vance (R) speaks during a press conference as Jared Kushner (L) and Steve Witkoff look on in Islamabad, Pakistan, April 12, 2026 (Reuters)
EA on International Outlets: Iran Tightens Its Control of Strait of Hormuz
UPDATES: US-Israel War on Iran, Day 53 — Tehran Tightens Grip on Strait of Hormuz
UPDATE 0719 GMT:
Iran’s Foreign Ministry is demanding the release of the cargo ship Touska and its crew, seized by a US warship and Marine in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday.
The Ministry condemned the “maritime piracy” and its “further complication” of the situation amid the US-Israel War, calling it another “clear violation” of a two-week ceasefire agreement.
ORIGINAL ENTRY: After 48 hours, it is still uncertain if Iran will attend talks with the Trump camp in Pakistan on Tuesday, seeking an end to the US-Israel War.
Vice President J.D. Vance, real estate developer Steve Witkoff, and Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner were supposed to depart for Islamabad on Monday night. However, they waited as Tehran refused to commit to discussions.
Since the weekend, Iran’s leaders said negotiations were conditional on the US lifting its blockade of Iranian ports. The Americans refused, with a destroyer seizing an Iran-flagged cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday.
On Monday, President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran was not committed to the talks, as “distrust of the enemy and vigilance in interactions are an undeniable necessity”. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei cited US violations of a two-week ceasefire — due to expire at midnight on Tuesday — and called the Trump camp’s proposals “unserious” and its demands “unrealistic”.
In the afternoon, a “senior Iranian official” shifted the position. He said Tehran is “positively reviewing” involvement in talks with the US, while stressing that no final decision has been made.
EA learned from an official close to the situation that Iranian security personnel are in Islamabad. However, they noted that no officials have yet arrived from Tehran.
