Iran war: Trump expects bombing to resume if there's no deal

Islamabad said on Tuesday it was yet to receive a formal response from Tehran regarding its attendance at peace talks with the US, initially scheduled for Tuesday.

Pakistan's Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the country was in "constant touch with the Iranians," and had made "sincere efforts" to convince Tehran to take part in the second round of talks. 

The minister reminded that the ceasefire ends at 04:50 a.m. PST (1150 GMT), stressing that Iran's decision before the ceasefire expires is "critical."

US Defense Department forces intercepted and boarded a vessel reportedly affiliated with Iran in the Indian Ocean, with the Pentagon saying the move was part of its effort to "interdict sanctioned vessels providing material support to Iran."

In a statement on X, the Pentagon described the intercepted vessel, M/T Tifani, as a "stateless sanctioned" ship, saying it was boarded "without incident in the INDOPACOM area of responsibility," a reference to the US-Indo-Pacific Command. 

Intelligence firm Vanguard Tech identified the Tifani as a "Botswana-flagged tanker," with ship-tracking data showing the ship in the Indian Ocean between Sri Lanka and Indonesia.

The French AFP news agency identified the vessel as being affiliated with Iranian activity.

AFP cited information by energy intelligence firm Kpler as saying the vessel had loaded some two million barrels of crude oil at Iran's Kharg Island on April 5 and having then passed through the Strait of Hormuz on April 9.

"International waters are not a refuge for sanctioned vessels," the Pentagon said in its post.

Iran on Tuesday condemned the arrest of a group in the United Arab Emirates, saying those detained were accused without evidence of links to Tehran and involvement in plotting "terror" attacks. 

In a statement, an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said the arrests were made under "baseless pretexts." He called on the UAE "to respect the rights and human dignity of individuals, refrain from retaliatory behaviour." 

UAE state security released on Monday the names and mugshots of 27 detainees, without disclosing their nationality. The suspects are said to be linked to Iran and face charges including forming and running a secret organization, pledging allegiance to foreign entities, and undermining national unity and social stability, according to the UAE.

Tensions between Iran and the UAE have escalated in the wake of the US-Israel attack on Iran. The UAE has been the country most targeted by Iranian strikes during the conflict, although most attacks were intercepted.

Iran, in turn, accuses the Gulf country of allowing the United States to use its territory for military operations and has targeted what it describes as US interests in the region with missile and drone strikes.

Last month, the UAE said it had arrested at least five people linked to a "terrorist network" tied to Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah.

President Trump told broadcaster CNBC that Washington had significant leverage in negotiations, and that he therefore would not seek to extend the current ceasefire with Tehran.

"I ​don't want to do that. ​We ‌don't have that much time," he said when asked if he would try to make an extension to the current agreement.

He said that while diplomats were ready for further truce talks in Pakistan, he assumed the bombing campaign would pick back up again if Iran didn't make certain concessions — something that appears increasingly unlikely.

"We're ready ⁠to go. ​I mean, the military is raring to go," he said.

President Donald Trump said the US naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz will remain in place until Iran agrees to a peace deal.

The standoff over the crucial shipping route intensified over the weekend after US forces fired on and seized an Iranian vessel, with Tehran then refusing to accept diplomacy "under the shadow of threats."

There is no clarity on what happens next either since there is no public confirmation that Iran will take part in a second round of talks before the US ceasefire with Iran expires on Wednesday evening Washington time. 

European Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas said on Tuesday that the EU is considering importing US ⁠jet fuel grade Jet A — which is currently not approved by the bloc — to reduce its dependence on Middle East imports.

His remarks, made after a video conference of EU transport ministers on Tuesday, come a day before the European Commission is due to present a broader package of energy and transport measures.

It will give guidance on how to handle airport slots, anti-tankering, passenger ‌rights ⁠and ⁠public service obligations if there are jet fuel shortages due ​to the Iran war.

Tzitzikostas, the commissioner for sustainable transport and tourism, said there ​were currently no shortages but that a continued blockade of the Strait of Hormuz would ‌have "catastrophic" consequences.

The International Energy Agency and several airlines have warned that aviation fuel is likely to be in short supply in Europe within a few weeks.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has rejected a proposal by Spain and Ireland to suspend the EU's cooperation deal with Israel amid growing anger over its attacks on Lebanon and the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Speaking at the start of a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg, Wadephul called the proposal "inappropriate."

"We have to talk with Israel about the critical issues," he said. "That has to be done in a critical, constructive dialogue with Israel. That is what we stand for."

A suspension of the entire cooperation agreement, as urged by Spain and Ireland, would require a unanimous vote by all 27 EU states, meaning the proposal would almost certainly not pass.

However, the part of the deal facilitating closer trade ties could theoretically be more easily suspended, as doing so would need support only from a weighted majority.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has called on ‌Iran ⁠to ⁠hold constructive talks ​with the US ​in Islamabad, saying it was in the interests of its own people to do so.

"As ​we ‌know, the US vice ‌president is prepared ‌to ​travel to Islamabad," Wadephul said ahead ​of a foreign ministers' ⁠meeting in ​Brussels on ​Tuesday.

"Iran should ​now take ‌up this ​offer for ⁠the sake of its ⁠own ​people," he said.

Wadephul also criticized Iran's virtual blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, an important transit route for much of the world's gas and oil, and urged Iran to reopen the waterway without delay.

He said Europe stood ready to ensure security in the strait after the conflict had ended.

Iranian state television on Tuesday showed an on-screen alert saying that "no delegation from Iran has visited Islamabad," dismissing reports to the contrary.

The alert came amid growing speculation as to whether Tehran will hold a second round of peace talks with Washington.

The US Navy's seizure of an Iranian container ship over the weekend is likely to have an impact on whether Iran decides to take part in talks or not, with hardliners calling for a harsh response.

So far, no official has acknowledged that a delegation will be heading to Pakistan.

The world is facing its worst-ever energy crisis as a result of the war by the US and Israel against Iran, the head of the International Energy ‌Agency (IEA) ⁠said ⁠on Tuesday.

"This is indeed the biggest crisis in history," Fatih Birol told France Inter radio ​in an interview.

"The crisis is ​already huge, if you combine the ​effects ‌of the petrol crisis and the gas crisis with Russia," he added, saying that it was, however, aggravated by shortages of other commodities, such as fertilizer, caused by the conflict.

He said the shortages would lead to higher inflation and impede economic growth in developing countries.

The Iran war has led, among other things, to a virtual blockage of the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway through which a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas and much of the world's fertilizer is transported.

The conflict compounds the effects of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which already cut off Russian gas supplies to Europe.

Earlier this month, Birol said he saw the ‌current situation in global energy markets as worse than previous crises in ​1973, 1979 ⁠and 2022 combined.

A man accused of leading a network linked to Israel's intelligence service and of carrying out an arson attack on a Tehran mosque during protests in January has been executed, according to Mizan, the news outlet of Iran's judiciary.

"Amir Ali Mirjafari ... one of the armed elements collaborating with the enemy who had attempted to set fire to the Gholhak Grand Mosque and was the leader of the Mossad network's anti-security activities in that area, was hanged this morning," Mizan said on its website. 

The reported execution is the latest in a series carried out by Iranian authorities in the aftermath of the anti-government protests, which Tehran blamed on opposition groups and foreign interference from Israel and the US.

European Union foreign ministers are scheduled to meet for discussions on current developments in the ongoing war in the Middle East on Tuesday.

The ministers will, among other things, talk about the wider regional fallout from the US-Israel war on Iran, including the standoff over the Strait of Hormuz.

The situation in Lebanon, which has come under attack amid a conflict between the Iran-backed militia Hezbollah and Israel, will also be a focus of the talks.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam will be joining the talks in Luxembourg to give a picture of the situation in his country.

The meeting will also cover other issues, including that of support for Ukraine in its battle against the ongoing Russian invasion.

The EU's contribution to the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process and the situation in Georgia as a Kremlin-friendly government increasingly turns its back on Europe, will also be on the agenda.

The United States and Iran each warned they were ready for war as the clock ticked down on a ceasefire, amid uncertainty over talks that President Donald Trump said would resume in Pakistan.

With the 14-day ceasefire to expire Wednesday, he said, "I am under no pressure whatsoever" to make a deal with Iran, while also expressing confidence that further negotiations with Tehran will soon take place in Pakistan.

Meanwhile, Iran’s chief negotiator and parliament speaker, Mohammed Bagher Qalibaf, accused the United States of wanting Iran to surrender and added that on the contrary, Iran has been preparing "to reveal new cards on the battlefield."

On Monday, Axios reported, citing US sources, that US Vice President JD Vance will travel to Pakistan on Tuesday to meet with Iranian officials.

Just over a week ago, a first round of talks took place in Islamabad between senior representatives from Washington and Tehran. However, the talks ended without producing any tangible results.

A US official told the AFP news agency that the United States will hold new negotiations between Israel and Lebanon on Thursday.

The talks aim to encourage an agreement following the start of a fragile US-mediated ceasefire.

"We will continue to facilitate direct, good-faith discussions between the two governments," a State Department official said on the customary condition of anonymity.

The first direct talks between Israel and Lebanon in decades were held on April 14.

DW begins its Tuesday coverage of the Middle East amid continuing uncertainty over whether the United States and Iran will resume negotiations in Pakistan.

Iran’s parliament speaker and chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, said Tehran will not accept talks with Washington if they come under threat.

Writing on X, Qalibaf accused US President Donald Trump of trying to turn the negotiating table into what he called a “table of surrender.”

Stay tuned for more news and analysis.