US-Iran war news live: Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted an area in the southern Lebanese city of Nabatieh on April 12, 2026.
US-Iran war live: The United States has announced a sweeping maritime move against Iran after ceasefire talks collapsed in Islamabad. President Donald Trump said the US Navy would swiftly begin a blockade of ships entering or leaving the Strait of Hormuz, after high-stakes talks with Iran in Islamabad ended without an agreement.
Earlier in the day, the United States and Iran wrapped up 21 hours of face-to-face negotiations without reaching a deal, leaving the future of the fragile, two-week ceasefire uncertain. The US Central Command said it will blockade all Iranian ports beginning Monday at 10 am EDT (5:30 pm in Iran).
CENTCOM said the blockade will be “enforced impartially against vessels of all nations.” However, it added that ships traveling between non-Iranian ports will still be allowed to transit the Strait of Hormuz.
A US official said the move is aimed at demonstrating the limits of Iran’s leverage as negotiations stall. The war, now in its seventh week, has already killed thousands and disrupted global markets.
Shipping halts in Hormuz Strait
Shipping activity in the Strait of Hormuz appeared to be immediately affected. Lloyd’s List Intelligence wrote Sunday that “all traffic” through the Strait stopped after Trump’s announcement on Truth Social. Two vessels that had been leaving the strait reportedly turned back, reported news agency AP.
This comes after limited traffic had only just begun to resume following the earlier pause in hostilities.
Tehran Navy claims control over Hormuz
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Navy said it maintains “full control” over the Hormuz Strait and warned that any military vessels approaching the waterway “will be met with a firm and forceful response.”
Tehran added that the strait remains open for non-military vessels.
Iran accuses US of derailing talks
Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran had negotiated in “good faith” and was close to an agreement. “When just inches away from ‘Islamabad MoU’, we encountered maximalism, shifting goalposts, and blockade,” he wrote.
“Good will begets good will. Enmity begets enmity,” he added.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, who led the Iranian delegation in Pakistan talks, dismissed Trump’s threats, saying they would have no impact on the Iranian people.
Qalibaf described the talks as “intensive, serious and challenging,” adding that Iran had put forward “strong initiatives to demonstrate Iran’s goodwill, which led to progress,” though he did not elaborate.
US lays down hard red lines
According to an unnamed US official, Vice President JD Vance used the talks to outline Washington’s non-negotiables and possible areas of compromise, AP report added.
The core objective remains ensuring Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon. Additional red lines include ending uranium enrichment, dismantling key facilities, allowing retrieval of highly enriched uranium, halting funding to Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, and ensuring the Strait of Hormuz remains open.
Iran, however, could not agree to all of these conditions.
UK role unclear amid minesweeper claims
Trump also said the United Kingdom would send minesweepers to the region, though Britain’s defence ministry did not immediately confirm the claim.
British foreign secretary Yvette Cooper had earlier discussed coordinating international efforts to clear mines from the strait once the conflict de-escalates, including meetings with dozens of nations.
A follow-up meeting on restoring free movement in the shipping lane is expected later this week.
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Earlier in the day, the United States and Iran wrapped up 21 hours of face-to-face negotiations without reaching a deal, leaving the future of the fragile, two-week ceasefire uncertain. The US Central Command said it will blockade all Iranian ports beginning Monday at 10 am EDT (5:30 pm in Iran).
CENTCOM said the blockade will be “enforced impartially against vessels of all nations.” However, it added that ships traveling between non-Iranian ports will still be allowed to transit the Strait of Hormuz.
A US official said the move is aimed at demonstrating the limits of Iran’s leverage as negotiations stall. The war, now in its seventh week, has already killed thousands and disrupted global markets.
Shipping halts in Hormuz Strait
Shipping activity in the Strait of Hormuz appeared to be immediately affected. Lloyd’s List Intelligence wrote Sunday that “all traffic” through the Strait stopped after Trump’s announcement on Truth Social. Two vessels that had been leaving the strait reportedly turned back, reported news agency AP.
This comes after limited traffic had only just begun to resume following the earlier pause in hostilities.
Tehran Navy claims control over Hormuz
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Navy said it maintains “full control” over the Hormuz Strait and warned that any military vessels approaching the waterway “will be met with a firm and forceful response.”
Tehran added that the strait remains open for non-military vessels.
Iran accuses US of derailing talks
Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran had negotiated in “good faith” and was close to an agreement. “When just inches away from ‘Islamabad MoU’, we encountered maximalism, shifting goalposts, and blockade,” he wrote.
“Good will begets good will. Enmity begets enmity,” he added.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, who led the Iranian delegation in Pakistan talks, dismissed Trump’s threats, saying they would have no impact on the Iranian people.
Qalibaf described the talks as “intensive, serious and challenging,” adding that Iran had put forward “strong initiatives to demonstrate Iran’s goodwill, which led to progress,” though he did not elaborate.
US lays down hard red lines
According to an unnamed US official, Vice President JD Vance used the talks to outline Washington’s non-negotiables and possible areas of compromise, AP report added.
The core objective remains ensuring Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon. Additional red lines include ending uranium enrichment, dismantling key facilities, allowing retrieval of highly enriched uranium, halting funding to Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, and ensuring the Strait of Hormuz remains open.
Iran, however, could not agree to all of these conditions.
UK role unclear amid minesweeper claims
Trump also said the United Kingdom would send minesweepers to the region, though Britain’s defence ministry did not immediately confirm the claim.
British foreign secretary Yvette Cooper had earlier discussed coordinating international efforts to clear mines from the strait once the conflict de-escalates, including meetings with dozens of nations.
A follow-up meeting on restoring free movement in the shipping lane is expected later this week.
Follow all the updates here:
Apr 13, 2026 7:22:50 AM IST
US-Iran war live updates: Oil prices jump above $100 after US prepares Hormuz blockade
US-Iran war live updates: Oil prices surged sharply on Monday, with Brent crude climbing above the $100-per-barrel mark after reports that the US Navy is preparing to block ships from reaching Iran via the Strait of Hormuz.
Brent crude futures rose $6.71, or 7.05%, to $101.91 a barrel by 0104 GMT, after closing 0.75% lower in the previous session, reported Reuters.
The move follows the collapse of US-Iran negotiations in Pakistan, which ended without a deal to end the ongoing conflict.
Apr 13, 2026 7:18:10 AM IST
US-Iran war live updates: Trump says he doesn’t care if Iran returns to talks
US-Iran war live updates: US President Donald Trump has said he is indifferent to whether Iran returns to negotiations with Washington after talks in Pakistan failed to produce a breakthrough.
“I don’t care if they come back or not. If they don’t come back, I’m fine,” Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland upon his return from Florida, news agency AFP reported.
His remarks come as diplomatic efforts between the two sides remain stalled following marathon discussions in Islamabad that ended without an agreement.
Apr 13, 2026 7:15:43 AM IST
US-Iran war live updates: Trump criticises Pope Leo over Iran stance
US-Iran war live updates: US President Donald Trump has launched a sharp attack on Pope Leo, accusing him of being “weak on Iran” and questioning his stance on foreign policy and nuclear weapons.
“I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon,” Trump wrote, in a lengthy post on TruthSocial.
He further described the Pope as “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy,” adding criticism over remarks that referenced “fear” of his administration.
Trump also said the pontiff should “focus on being a great pope, not a politician,” arguing that the Catholic Church was being harmed by what he called political interventions.
Apr 13, 2026 6:59:04 AM IST
US-Iran war live updates: US intel says China may supply Iran with air defence systems, says report
US-Iran war live updates: Fresh intelligence assessments from the United States suggest that China could be preparing to bolster Iran’s air defence capabilities in the coming weeks, according to media reports.
NBC News, citing a source familiar with the matter, reported that Beijing may supply Tehran with new air defence weapons soon. The development was first reported by CNN on Saturday.
Apr 13, 2026 6:58:10 AM IST
US-Iran war live: Tehran President says deal possible if Washington ‘respects rights of Iranians’
US-Iran war live: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has signalled that a deal with the United States is still within reach, even after talks in Islamabad collapsed without an agreement.
“If the American government abandons its totalitarianism and respects the rights of the Iranian nation, ways to reach an agreement will certainly be found,” Pezeshkian wrote on X.
His remarks come after marathon negotiations between Washington and Tehran ended without a breakthrough, despite earlier hopes that the talks could lay the groundwork for de-escalation.
