US Iran war highlights: White House ‘confirms’ Vance won't travel to Pak after Trump announces ceasefire extension

US Iran war LIVE updates: Updates for this blog have now been closed. Follow here for live updates

US Iran war LIVE updates: US Senator Lindsey Graham heaped praise on Trump's decision to continue the military blockade of Iranian ports as a “very smart decision”.

“While I support a diplomatic solution as the preferred outcome to bring Iran to heel, we must remember Iran’s history of keeping their word and honoring deals. It is, at best, checkered,” Graham said in a tweet.

US Iran war LIVE updates: Hours before he announced that the ongoing Iran-US ceasefire will be extended, Donald Trump had said that it was “highly unlikely” that he would so do. He had even issued threats to Iran.

US Iran war LIVE updates: Even as Donald Trump announced the extension of the truce with Iran, he warned that the US military would continue its blockade of Iranian ports.

In a Truth Social post, he said he would "extend the Ceasefire until such time as their proposal is submitted, and discussions are concluded, one way or the other.”

US Iran war LIVE updates: Oil prices in the US saw a significant jump in early trade despite Trump's ceasefire extension announcement. The jump is being attributed to the uncertainty on talks between US and Iran.

US West Texas Intermediate crude futures climbed as high as $90.70 a barrel and traded up 59 cents, or 0.7%, at $90.26 at 2215 GMT, reported Reuters.

US Iran war LIVE updates: The White House has confirmed that Vice President JD Vance won't be travelling to Islamabad, news agencies AP and AFP reported. The White House did not offer any additional updates on the possibility of in-person meetings.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said Tuesday he is extending the ceasefire with Iran at Pakistan's request while awaiting a "unified proposal" from Tehran.

US Iran war LIVE updates: While there hasn't been any official reaction from Iran on the ceasefire extention announced by Donald Trump, Reuters said in a report quoting Tasnim news agency that Iran had not asked for a ceasefire extension and repeated threats to break the US blockade by force.

US Iran war LIVE updates: Pakistan prime minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked Donald Trump for accepting his and Field Marshal Asim Munir's “request” on extending the ceasefire with Iran.

“With the trust and confidence reposed in, Pakistan shall continue its earnest efforts for negotiated settlement of conflict,” Sharif wrote on X.

US Iran war LIVE updates: An advisor to Iranian parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, has reportedly claimed that Trump's announcement of extending the ceasefire is a “ploy for a surprise attack”.

The advisor also rejected the extension as “nothing” and said that the “losing side” cannot dictate terms, according to Reuter's report.

US Iran war LIVE updates: US President Donald Trump said that Pakistan's Shehbaz Sharif and Asim Munir requested that the US attacks on Iran be held off until Tehran officials come up with a unified proposal. Trump said this in a Truth Social post announcing the extension of ceasefire with Iran.

US Iran war LIVE updates: Advisor to Iran's parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, has reportedly rejected Trump's ceasefire extension announcement as “nothing”.

“The losing side can't dictate terms,” the official was quoted as saying by Reuters. The official also alleged that the extension was a ploy to buy time for a surprise attack.

US Iran war LIVE updates: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that ‘striking a commercial vessel and taking its crew hostage’ is violation of ceasefire by the US.

His remarks came days after an Iranian-flagged vessel named Touska was taken into custody by the US Marines in the Gulf of Oman.

US Iran war LIVE updates: US President Donald Trump has announced an extension of the shaky ceasefire with Iran that was due to expire soon. “I will therefore extend the Ceasefire until such time as their (Iran's) proposal is submitted, and discussions are concluded, one way or the other,” Trump said in a Truth Social post.

US Iran war LIVE updates: Iran has reportedly threatened to end oil production in the Middle East if the Islamic republic faced attacks launched from its Gulf neighbours' territory.

"The southern neighbours should know that if their geography and facilities are used in the service of the enemies to attack the Iranian nation, they should bid farewell to oil production in the Middle East," the commander of Guards' aerospace force, Majid Mousavi, was quoted by Fars news agency as saying, according to an AFP report.

US Iran war LIVE updates: A senior official has told news agency Reuters that Iran was willing to attend the second round of talks in Pakistan if the US abandons its policy of pressure and threats. The Iranian official reportedly also said that Pakistan was trying to get the US to lift its naval blockade of ports and release Touska, an Iranian-flagged vessel intercepted by the US Marines on Sunday.

US Iran war LIVE updates: US President Donald Trump on Tuesday fresh warnings to Iran, saying in a CNBC interview that the US was “ready to go” with bombing raids if a breakthrough is not reached.

Meanwhile, a New York Times report said that JD Vance's Pak visit has been put on hold over Iran's failure to commit to the talks or respond to the US's negotiating position.

US Iran war LIVE updates: Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said that the naval blockade of Iranian ports by the US is an “act of war”, further warning that Tehran knew how to “neutralize restrictions” and “resist bullying”.

“Blockading Iranian ports is an act of war and thus a violation of the ceasefire. Striking a commercial vessel and taking its crew hostage is an even greater violation,” the minister wrote on X.

US Iran war LIVE updates: Fourteen people and some companies have come under fresh US sanctions over the supply of weapons to Iran. According to an AP report, the targets also include aircraft and based in Iran, Turkey and the UAE.

They were cited for their involvement in procuring or transporting weapons or components on Iran's behalf, Treasury said in a statement.

US Iran war LIVE updates: US Vice President JD Vance's trip to Pakistan is currently on hold after Iran did not respond to American negotiating positions, an American official with direct knowledge told New York Times.

While Vance was scheduled to leave for Islamabad Tuesday morning, this was put on hold after no Iranian response was received on the matter. However, the trip has not been cancelled and could resume if Iran's negotiators respond in a positive manner, NYT reported.

US Iran war LIVE updates: US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said US could resume “bombing” if the ceasefire deadline expires without a deal with Iran.

“Well, I expect to be bombing because I think that’s a better attitude to go in with. But we’re ready to go. I mean, the military is raring to go,” Trump told CNBC.

US Iran war LIVE updates: Iran's judiciary denied on Tuesday that eight women faced execution after US President Donald Trump sought clemency on their behalf, AFP reported.

“Trump was misled once again by fake news,” the judiciary's official Mizan Online website said, according to AFP.

US Iran war LIVE updates: The Israeli military on Tuesday said sirens in northern Israel were determined to be a false identification.

Sirens were sounded in Kfar Yovel and Maayan Baruch in northern Israel, near the Lebanese border.

US Iran war LIVE updates: Pakistan has said that the two-week ceasefire between US and Iran will end at 23.50 GMT on Tuesday (5.20 am IST on Wednesday).

“Ceasefire ends at 4:50 am PST, 22 April,” Pakistan information minister Attaullah Tarar posted on X, referring to Pakistan Standard Time.

US Iran war LIVE updates: The White House on Tuesday clarified that US Vice President JD Vance has not yet left for Iran, and that he is currently attending additional policy meetings, Reuters news agency reported.

This comes even as Pakistan's information minister Attaullah Tarar said that Iran has provided no formal confirmation on attending the talks with US in Islamabad.

US Iran war LIVE updates: Iran has executed a man convicted of helping to set fire to a major mosque in Tehran during protests in January, AFP cited the Iranian judiciary as saying.

Amir Ali Mirjafari was accused of setting fire to the Gholhak Grand Mosque and also working with the Israeli espionage agency Mossad, the judiciary's Mizan news agency reported. Mirjafari was the eight person to be executed over the January protests.