The Latest: Doubt surrounds Iran-US talks as ceasefire is set to expire
Apr 20, 2026, 9:41 PM | Updated: Apr 21, 2026, 8:32 pm
A man mourns over the coffin of a Hezbollah fighter who was killed in the war between Hezbollah and Israel during a mass funeral in Bazouriyeh village, south Lebanon, Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS
(AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)
The prospect of a second round of talks was uncertain Tuesday after Iran’s chief negotiator said Iran would not negotiate in the face of threats while U.S. President Donald Trump offered mixed messages about the path ahead for the U.S. war against Iran, declaring that he was in no rush to end the conflict.
Mohammed Bagher Qalibaf, Iran’s chief negotiator and parliament speaker, wrote in a post on X early Tuesday that “We do not accept negotiations under the shadow of threats,” and the Islamic Republic has been preparing “to reveal new cards on the battlefield.”
Trump indicated that he still expects to dispatch his negotiating team, led by U.S. Vice President JD Vance, to Pakistan’s capital of Islamabad for talks, even as Iran insisted it would not take part until the U.S. leader dialed back his demands. Trump said he’s “highly unlikely” to renew the ceasefire before it expires Wednesday.
Since the war started, fighting has killed at least 3,375 people in Iran and more than 2,290 in Lebanon. Additionally, 23 people have died in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Fifteen Israeli soldiers in Lebanon and 13 U.S. service members throughout the region have been killed.
Here is the latest:
Shares are mixed in Asia and oil prices have slipped following the latest rise of U.S.-Iran tensions.
The lackluster start to trading Tuesday followed a modest retreat on Wall Street.
On Monday, the S&P 500 slipped 0.2% from its all-time high and the Dow industrials edged less than 0.1% lower. The Nasdaq composite fell 0.3%.
The price for a barrel of Brent crude oil remains above $95.
Trump attacked critics after a second round of talks with Iran was thrown into doubt by the U.S. Navy’s seizure of an Iranian-flagged cargo ship.
Financial markets have had vicious swings, both up and down, since the war began because of uncertainty about how long it may last.
The fear is that a long-term disruption could keep so much oil and natural gas off global markets that it creates a punishing wave of inflation for the global economy.
