A United States delegation will arrive in Pakistan’s Islamabad on Monday for the second round of negotiations with Iran, said US President Donald Trump in a social media post.

“We are offering a very fair and reasonable deal, and I hope they take it because, if they do not, the United States is going to knock out every single power plant, and every single bridge, in Iran,” Trump said in a social media post.

Earlier in the day, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, speaker of the Iranian Parliament, had said that although there had been “progress” in the talks with Washington, “but there are many gaps and some fundamental points remain”, reported AFP.

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

  • The Strait of Hormuz: Earlier on Saturday, Iran had said that it was reimposing strict military controls on the Strait of Hormuz, alleging “repeated breaches of trust” by the US. Iran’s central military command said that, in response to the naval blockade of its ports imposed by the US, the strategic waterway was again “under strict management and control of the armed forces”, the news agency reported.
  • The country’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that any effort to cross the strait “will be considered cooperation with the enemy, and the offending vessel will be targeted”, AFP reported.
  • This came a day after Tehran said on Friday that, in line with the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, the passage for all commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz “is declared completely open” for the remaining period of the agreement.
  • However, United States President Donald Trump had said on Friday that the US’ naval blockade of Iran will remain in force till a deal is reached with Tehran.
  • On Sunday, Iran’s foreign ministry stated that the US naval blockade on Iranian ports is a violation of the ceasefire, describing it as an “unlawful and criminal” act. This came soon after Trump also accused Iran of ceasefire violations by firing on ships.
  • Announcing the second round of talks, Trump also said that if Tehran does not accept the deal Washington was offering, “it will be my Honor to do what has to be done, which should have been done to Iran, by other Presidents, for the last 47 years”.
  • US-Iran talks: The authorities in Pakistan have tightened security measures for the safety of foreign delegates in the country, according to reports. The district authorities in Rawalpindi announced on Sunday that all private, public and goods transport have been suspended.
  • Attack on Indian vessel: Iran’s announcement of closing the Strait of Hormuz came hours after an Indian crude oil tanker carrying about two million barrels of oil from Iraq was fired upon by Iranian forces on Saturday in the maritime chokepoint.
  • This followed reports that two Indian vessels had been forced to turn back from the strait. The two Indian ships involved were Jag Arnav and Sanmar Herald, the Hindustan Times report. While Jag Arnav was reportedly fired upon by the Iranian Navy, Sanmar Herald, which was in the vicinity, was not harmed.
  • New Delhi’s response: The Indian government on Saturday “called in” the Iranian Ambassador Mohammad Fathali to convey “India’s deep concern at the shooting incident”.
  • Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri “noted the importance that India attached to the safety of merchant shipping and mariners and recalled that Iran had earlier facilitated the safe passage of several ships bound for India”, the Ministry of External Affairs said. The foreign secretary urged Iran to “resume at the earliest the process of facilitating India-bound ships across the Strait”, the government said.
  • Toll in Iran: The attacks by the US and Israel have killed more than 3,400 persons in Iran, AFP reported. The toll was announced by Iran’s state-run Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs. on April 7, the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency had said that at least 3,600 persons had been killed, including 1,701 civilians.

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.

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.

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On April 8, Washington and Tehran 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 had continued to attack Lebanon until the deal reached on Thursday.

The peace talks between Iran and the US that were held in Islamabad collapsed on April 12.

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.