Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that he discussed the situation in West Asia with United States President Donald Trump and “stressed the importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open and secure”.

In a social media post, Modi said that he and Trump reviewed the “substantial progress” achieved in bilateral cooperation in several sectors. “We are committed to further strengthening our Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership in all areas,” the Indian prime minister added.

Here are more top updates from the conflict in West Asia:

  • The blockade: At least three tankers linked to Iran had entered the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, Reuters reported, citing shipping data. The ships, reportedly including one Chinese-owned vessel sanctioned by the US, are not covered by the ⁠blockade as they were not ​heading to Iranian ports.
  • US-Iran talks: US Vice President JD Vance on Monday said that Iran had moved closer to the United States position during peace talks in Islamabad, and that it was now up to Tehran to take the next steps on moving the discussions forward.
  • The US and Iran had failed to arrive at an agreement during peace talks held over the weekend, after which the US blockaded Iranian ports in the Persian Gulf beginning on Monday. The US’ blockade is aimed at maritime traffic linked to Iran. The US Central Command said that ships travelling to or from non-Iranian ports will be allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
  • Commenting on the talks during an interview to Fox News on Monday, Vance, however, said: “I wouldn’t just say that things went wrong, I also think things went right. We made a lot of progress.”
  • Vance told Fox News on Monday that if the United States’ “red lines” about Iran not having a nuclear weapon are met, the two countries could agree on a “very, very good deal”. He said: “They [Iran] moved in our direction, which is why I think we would say that we had some good signs, but they didn’t move far enough.”
  • Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday told his French counterpart Jean-Noël Barrot that the US’ “excessive” and continually changing demands” impeded an agreement from taking place in the Pakistani capital, The New York Times quoted Iranian state media as saying. However, like Vance, Araghchi also said that there had been “progress on many issues discussed”.
  • Iran on Monday said that it could suspend uranium enrichment for five years as part of its talks with the US, The New York Times reported, citing two unidentified Iranian officials and one American official. The Donald Trump administration rejected the offer, insisting that Iran suspend uranium enrichment for 20 years.
  • Pakistan proposes second round of talks: Pakistan has proposed that it could host a second round of talks in Islamabad between Washington and Tehran before the two-week ceasefire ends on April 22, AP reported, quoting two unidentified Pakistani officials. One of the officials said that although the talks over the weekend ended without an agreement, they were part of an ongoing diplomatic process instead of a one-off effort.
  • Earlier, Iran said that a deal had been “inches away” during talks in Pakistan but accused the US of “maximalism, shifting goalposts and blockade” at the last moment, AFP reported. Araghchi had said “Iran engaged with [the] US in good faith to end the war”. 

The war

The US and Israel launched an attack on Iran on February 28, claiming that Tehran’s action posed an existential threat to Israel. Washington acts as a guarantor of Israel’s security. Iran retaliated by striking Israel and US military bases in the region and targeting major cities in Gulf countries.

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Tehran also effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterbody connecting the Gulf to the Arabian Sea, for most international commercial vessels, triggering a global energy crisis. About 20% of global petroleum supply passes through the maritime chokepoint.

Washington and Tehran had on April 8 agreed to a two-week ceasefire to allow further negotiations to end the conflict. While Israel, which was not involved in the talks, has not struck Iran since the ceasefire took effect, it has continued to attack Lebanon. However, peace talks that were held in Islamabad collapsed on Sunday.

Israel has been claiming that Iran is close to obtaining a nuclear weapon, which could alter the regional security balance. Tehran has long maintained that its nuclear programme is for civilian purposes.