Day 48 | Uncertainty over Iran talks as key Pakistani negotiator visits Tehran
The 2026 Iran War began on February 28, when the United States and ‘Israel’ launched a large-scale attack on Iran, unleashing nearly 900 airstrikes within 12 hours on the Islamic Republic’s missile systems, air defenses, nuclear facilities, military bases, and leadership targets.
The assault followed years of shadow conflict, including direct missile exchanges in 2024 and a limited 12-day war in 2025 that damaged Iran’s nuclear and ballistic capabilities.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and senior officials were killed in the opening strikes. Iran responded within hours, launching waves of ballistic missiles and drones at ‘Israel’, US bases, and targets across the Gulf.
On April 8, the United States, Iran, and ‘Israel’ agreed to a temporary two-week ceasefire, brokered by Pakistan, with Iran committing to reopen the Strait of Hormuz while negotiations continue toward a broader agreement.
The fragile truce has since come under strain, particularly as ‘Israel’ launched major bombardments in Lebanon and clashes with the Iran-backed group Hezbollah intensified.
Here’s the latest:
• Trump hints at renewed talks: US President Donald Trump said “something could be happening” over the next two days regarding negotiations with Iran in Pakistan after previous talks faltered.
• Key sticking points remain: Officials say both sides have floated a suspension of Iranian uranium enrichment, but remain divided over the timeline. The US is also pushing for the dismantling of Iran’s major nuclear enrichment facilities and the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
• US marine blockade: Washington has declared a marine blockade, though shipping data shows several Iran-linked vessels have continued transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Overall activity at Iranian ports appears to have declined.
• ‘Israel’-Lebanon talks conclude: After the first direct negotiations in decades, ‘Israel’ and Lebanon agreed to hold further talks “at a mutually agreed time and venue,” according to the US State Department. ‘Israel’ declined to commit to a ceasefire in southern Lebanon.
• Lebanon strikes strain truce: ‘Israel’ has carried out its heaviest strikes on Lebanon, including in densely populated areas of central Beirut, since Hezbollah joined the war in early March.
• Iran warns talks may collapse: Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the “workable basis” for negotiations had already been violated, suggesting further talks could be “unreasonable.”
• Confusion over ceasefire terms: A senior US official said Iran’s 10-point proposal does not match the conditions the White House says were agreed to when the war was paused.
