Iran-US talks 'progressing,' but final agreement still 'far': Iran
What's the story
Iran has reported "progress" in peace talks with the United States, but a final agreement is still "far" off. The two-week ceasefire is set to end on Wednesday. Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of the Iranian parliament, said there are "many gaps and some fundamental points remain." He added, "We are still far from the final discussion," after leading an Iranian delegation in talks with US Vice President JD Vance in Islamabad on April 11, 2026.
Conflict status
Iran claims to have been victorious in the field
Ghalibaf also claimed that Iran had been "victorious in the field" during the weeks of war. He said they agreed to a temporary truce with Washington only after their demands were met. "If we accepted the ceasefire, it was because they accepted our demands," he said, referring to the United States. The speaker emphasized that the US had not achieved its goals, and Iran controlled the strategic Strait of Hormuz maritime transit route.
Diplomatic tensions
Trump warns of military action if long-term deal not reached
US President Donald Trump acknowledged "very good conversations" with Iran but warned against any attempts to "blackmail" the United States. He accused Iran of trying to close the Strait of Hormuz again and threatened to escalate military action if a long-term deal wasn't reached before the ceasefire expired. Meanwhile, the Iranian military declared the Strait was closed again after initially saying it was open.
Maritime security
Iranian guards threaten to target vessels crossing strait
Iran's Revolutionary Guards warned that any vessel crossing the Strait of Hormuz would be targeted. This comes after two Indian-flagged vessels were fired upon by Iranian gunboats in the strait. The incident prompted New Delhi to summon the Iranian ambassador and express deep concern over safety on merchant shipping routes.