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Mediators push to extend U.S.-Iran ceasefire
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Special Series Middle East conflict Conflict in the Middle East has been escalating. These stories provide context for current developments and the history that led up to them.
National Security 3 things to know about naval blockades as U.S.
and Iran, was in Iran's capital Tehran Thursday to secure a second round of U.S.-Iran negotiations ahead of April 22, the deadline of the tenuous two-week ceasefire.
Pakistan, which holds strong diplomatic relations with both the U.S. and Iran, has emerged as a key mediator in negotiations between the two countries.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stressed the point on Wednesday, saying the Pakistanis "are the only mediator in this negotiation" and the president felt it's important to streamline the process through them.
Vice President JD Vance, Washington's lead negotiator, said a major sticking point that led to the breakdown in Saturday's talks was Iran's refusal to commit to abandoning its nuclear ambitions.
In this photo released by Telegram channel of the Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, right, welcomes Pakistan's Army Chief Field Marshal Gen. Asim Munir upon his arrival in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, April 15, 2026. AP/Telegram channel of the the Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. hide caption
"The simple fact is that we need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon, and they will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon," Vance said.
Iran, under its 10-point negotiation plan, demanded an end to Israel's attacks against the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah as part of any permanent agreement. Other demands from the Iranian delegation included the release of $6 billion in frozen assets, guarantees around its nuclear program and the right to charge ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran's military warned it will retaliate by blocking other important shipping routes if the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz continues.
Major-General Ali Abdol-lahi, the commander of Iran's top military command center, renewed threats on Wednesday to halt all trade in the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman and the Red Sea in retaliation for U.S. blockade of Iranian ports.
A man stands onshore with the Greek-flagged crude oil tanker "Asahi Princess" off the coast of the Syrian Baniyas port refinery, along the Mediterranean Sea on April 15, 2026. Bakr Alkasem/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
Of particular concern is Bab al Mandeb, a narrow waterway in the Red Sea for vessels sailing between Europe and Asia. Iranian-aligned Houthi militias in Yemen control much of the coastline near the Bab al Mandeb. Houthis disrupted shipping in that passage during the height of the Gaza war.
Another route that could be in jeopardy if Iran retaliates is a pipeline that Saudi Arabia has used just after the Iran war began on Feb. 28 to divert crude oil from the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea.
A top aide to Iran's supreme leader said Thursday Iran would sink U.S. ships if Trump tries to "police" the Strait of Hormuz and that he'd welcome a ground invasion as a chance to hold US soldiers hostage.
Mohsen Rezaee, a former commander in chief of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, told the Iranian Fars news agency he is personally opposed to a ceasefire, and that Iran is prepared for a prolonged conflict with the United States.
Feelings are mixed among the Iranian public about the possibility of a ceasefire. Many say they welcome an end to the war, but critics of the regime say keeping a hardline government in place will lead to a harsher crackdown on dissent and personal freedoms.
In this voice note shared with NPR, a carpenter in the city of Rasht, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he fears for his safety, said he thinks it's a good sign that Iran has sat at the negotiating table at all. But many, he says — are fed up with and how long the process has taken. It makes people's hopelessness even worse, he said.
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− By
NPR Staff
A woman walks past a large billboard referring to the Strait of Hormuz in Vanak Square in Tehran, Iran, on Wednesday.
+ By
NPR Staff
Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli strike that targeted the Lebanese village of Kfar Tibnit on Thursday.
− AFP via Getty Images hide caption
Pakistan's Foreign Ministry says the United States and Iran expect to meet for a second round of peace talks aimed at finding a permanent end to the nearly seven-week war in the Middle East, as a delegation of Pakistani mediators met with Iranian officials in Tehran.
+ Lebanese President Joseph Aoun stressed the importance of a ceasefire before any direct negotiations with Israel. Abbas Fakih/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
Israel will begin a 10-day ceasefire in Lebanon, according to President Trump, which would pause Israel's conflict with Iran-backed Hezbollah that has escalated since the U.S. and Israel launched a war with Iran. That truce will start Thursday at 5 p.m. Eastern time, he wrote on social media.
+ This comes midway through another, two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran, even as the U.S. enforces a naval blockade on ships entering and exiting Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz.
− begins patrols in the Strait of Hormuz Pakistani officials said Lebanon remained a part of the two-week ceasefire currently in place.
+ patrols the Strait of Hormuz Here are more updates from the Middle East conflict:
Israel ceasefire in Lebanon | U.S.-Iran talks | Iranian threats
Lebanese displaced woman Mariam Zein sits with her son inside the classroom of a school transformed into a displaced reception center in the area of Dekwaneh, east of Beirut on April 15, 2026. Joseph Eid/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
Israel will enter a 10-day ceasefire in the fight against Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, according to President Trump.
− "Peace in Lebanon, cessations of armed attacks in Lebanon are essential for peace talks," Tahir Andrabi, a Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesperson, told reporters.
+ "I just had excellent conversations with the Highly Respected President Joseph Aoun, of Lebanon, and Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, of Israel. These two Leaders have agreed that in order to achieve PEACE between their Countries, they will formally begin a 10 Day CEASEFIRE at 5 P.M. EST," Trump wrote on social media.
− Israel, however, continued operations in southern Lebanon Thursday, including an airstrike that destroyed the last bridge linking southern Lebanon to the rest of the country.
+ An Israeli drone flies over the southern port city of Tyre, Lebanon, Wednesday, April 15, 2026.
− President Trump said late Wednesday efforts were underway "to get a little breathing room" between Israel and Lebanon and that the leaders of the two countries were slated to speak on Thursday.
+ Hussein Malla/AP hide caption
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said in a statement he welcomed Trump's ceasefire announcement.
− An Israeli official said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would speak with Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun Thursday, though Lebanon's presidency told NPR it did not have any information about such talks.
+ The leaders of Israel and Hezbollah did not immediately comment.
− Here are more updates from the region:
U.S.-Iran talks | Israel-Lebanon talks | Iranian threats
Lebanese displaced woman Mariam Zein sits with her son inside the classroom of a school transformed into a displaced reception center in the area of Dekwaneh, east of Beirut on April 15, 2026.
+ Trump also said he is inviting Netanyahu and Aoun to the White House for peace talks.
This comes two days after Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors to the U.S.
− Joseph Eid/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
Pakistan's army chief, Asim Munir, a key mediator in talks between the U.S.
+ held rare talks in Washington, the first direct, high-level engagement between the two countries in decades.
The latest chapter of fighting escalated after Israel and the U.S.
+ launched attacks on Iran on Feb. 28. In a couple of days, Hezbollah began firing rockets into northern Israel. Israel responded with airstrikes and an invasion of southern Lebanon.
Israeli strikes have killed more than 2,100 people and displaced over 1 million in Lebanon, according to Lebanese authorities.
Hezbollah's attacks have killed at least 12 Israeli soldiers and two civilians, according to Israeli authorities.
This is a developing story that will be updated.
Pakistan's army chief, Asim Munir, a key mediator in talks between the U.S.
− An Israeli official said Prime Minister Netanyahu would speak with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Thursday, though Lebanon's presidency said it had no information about any such talks.
Gila Gamliel, a member of Israel's security cabinet, told Israeli Army Radio that the conversation would take place "after so many years of a total disconnect in the dialogue between the two states, and this move will hopefully, in the end, lead to prosperity."
The Lebanese newspaper Al-Modon reported that Aoun was expecting a call this afternoon from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and that Netanyahu "may join him."
A spokesperson for the Lebanese president, however, told NPR they didn't have any information about the alleged talks.
An Israeli drone flies over the southern port city of Tyre, Lebanon, Wednesday, April 15, 2026. Hussein Malla/AP hide caption
The conflicting statements came hours after President Donald Trump, in a post on Truth Social, said the two leaders would speak.
Trump's announcement followed a trilateral meeting between the United States, Israel and Lebanon on Tuesday, as both sides sought an off-ramp for the conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
Israel's continued attacks in Lebanon have posed an ongoing threat to the fragile truce, with Israel disputing that the agreement extended to its operations against Hezbollah. Iran and Pakistan insisted it did.
The talks marked the first direct exchanges between Israel and Lebanon since 1993. While there was no major breakthrough, representatives from both countries spoke positively about the more than two-hour meeting.
Rubio said the talks were about "bringing a permanent end to 20 or 30 years of Hezbollah's influence in this part of the world."
Despite the talks, fighting has continued between Hezbollah and Israel in Lebanon, where more than 2,100 people have been killed by Israeli strikes, according to Lebanese health officials. Hezbollah has also fired into Israel, killing at least 12 soldiers and two civilians, according to Israeli health authorities.
Fighting between Israel and Lebanon began just days after the start of the war with Iran on Feb. 28, when Hezbollah began firing rockets into northern Israel. Israel responded with airstrikes and an invasion of southern Lebanon, which has displaced more than 1 million people, according to Lebanese authorities.
The Lebanese government wants a ceasefire and withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon. Israel has said it will not agree to it until Hezbollah disarms, a longstanding Israeli demand, which the Lebanese government has been unable to enforce in the past.
It is also unclear if Hezbollah, which is also a political party that holds significant power in Lebanon, would agree to a ceasefire.
− Kat Lonsdorf and Jawad Rizkallah in Beirut, Aya Batrawy in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Ahmed Abuhamda in Cairo, Rebecca Rosman in London, Tina Kraja in Washington and Jackie Northam in Maine contributed to this report.
+ Daniel Estrin in Tel Aviv, Israel, Kat Lonsdorf and Jawad Rizkallah in Beirut, Aya Batrawy in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Ahmed Abuhamda in Cairo, Rebecca Rosman in London, Jackie Northam in Maine, Tina Kraja and Alex Leff in Washington contributed to this report.