Live | US seizes Iranian-flagged vessel; Iran vows swift response

Iran’s military vowed a swift response to the US seizure of an Iranian-flagged tanker in the Gulf of Oman, state media reported on Sunday.

The military headquarters said the attack and subsequent boarding of the ship by US forces was a violation of the ceasefire and denounced it as piracy, Iran’s state-run broadcaster said.

The US Navy attacked and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship it said had tried to evade a naval blockade near the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday. The US says it fired on the ship and seized it because it had crossed the blockade line after ignoring multiple warnings.

Meanwhile, Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Aragchi has told his Pakistani counterpart that Washington’s demands in negotiations and its threats to Iranian ships and ports mark “clear signs” of America’s disingenuousness.

The country’s top diplomat made the remarks in a phone call to Pakistan's foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, according to Iranian state media.

Pakistan has stepped up security in and around the national capital, as US President Donald Trump on Sunday announced that American negotiators will be there on Monday for peace talks with Iran.

It was not immediately clear whether the American negotiating team will be led by Vice President JD Vance, who was in Islamabad for the first round of talks.

“Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are heading to the Middle East,” Trump told Fox News. Special Envoy Witkoff and Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, had accompanied Vance during the first round of talks.

Even before Trump's announcement, the administration of Islamabad and Rawalpindi indicated the arrival of foreign delegates for talks.

“Due to the arrival of foreign delegations in Islamabad, Red Zone and Extended Red Zone will remain completely closed for all kinds of traffic,” Islamabad police said on its official X account.

“Citizens are advised to use alternate routes and cooperate with traffic police to ensure smooth flow and security,” it said.

Earlier, a police spokesperson said more than 10,000 police personnel have been deployed and over 600 checkpoints have been established across Rawalpindi, the sprawling city adjacent to Islamabad, the Express Tribune newspaper reported.

The security protocol is also being implemented in the capital city.

Authorities have announced that from Sunday midnight, several sensitive areas surrounding Nur Khan Airbase and Islamabad International Airport will be sealed. The Nur Khan Airbase is located in Rawalpindi while the Islamabad International Airport falls in the territorial jurisdiction of Attock district of Punjab province but the passengers have to pass through the Rawalpindi district area to reach Islamabad.

Hence, with mega security arrangements in Rawalpindi, authorities said they are not taking any chances after Trump last week said he may visit Pakistan for the signing of the agreement with Iran.

The Express Tribune newspaper reported that a complete ban has been imposed on drone flights, pigeon flying and aerial firing in Rawalpindi. Officers will also be stationed on rooftops as part of heightened vigilance.

Iran is not yet ready to hold a new round of face-to-face talks with US officials, a senior Iranian official has said, citing Washington’s refusal to abandon “maximalist” demands on key issues.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh told AP his country will not hand over its enriched uranium to Washington, rejecting claims made by US President Donald Trump.

“I can tell you that no enriched material is going to be shipped to the United States,” Khatibzadeh said. “This is a non-starter, and I can assure you that while we are ready to address any concerns that we do have, we're not going to accept things that are nonstarters.”

Khatibzadeh said there have been many exchanges of messages between the sides, but accused the US of holding firm on demands Iran deems to be excessive.

“We are still not there yet to move on to an actual meeting because there are issues that the Americans have not yet abandoned their maximalist position,” Khatibzadeh said. Iran was seeking the finalisation of a “framework agreement” before moving to an in-person meeting, he added.

“The other sides also should understand and address our main concerns, which are illegal unilateral sanctions that Americans have imposed on Iranians and this economic terrorism which has targeted Iranian people to suffocate them and make them revolt against the political structure inside Iran,” Khatibzadeh said.

Asked whether Iran would respond to renewed attacks by Israel on Lebanon despite the ceasefire, Khatibzadeh said: “Iran has no option, just to stop aggressors once and forever.”

Iran has doubled down on its pledge to restrict ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz as long as the US blockade of Iranian ports remains in place, as mediators scramble to secure further talks before the ceasefire expires this week.

Iranian parliamentary Speaker Mohammed Bagher Qalibaf has said in a televised interview that Tehran will continue to threaten commercial vessels transiting the critical waterway, after it fired on ships attempting to pass on Saturday.

“It is impossible for others to pass through the Strait of Hormuz while we cannot,” Qalibaf, who is Iran's chief negotiator in talks with the United States, said.

The firing on the two Indian-flagged tankers, Sanmar Herald and Jag Arnav, by the Iranian Navy on Saturday (April 18) highlighted the confusion in the Strait of Hormuz amid the ongoing conflict involving the US, Israel, and Iran. The two tankers turned back in the crucial waterway without any damage or injuries to their crew.

A distress call from the Sanmar Herald, shared by Tanker Trackers, captured the crew’s alarm: “Sepah Navy. Sepah Navy. This is motor tanker Sanmar Herald. You gave me clearance to go. My name is second on your list. You are firing now. Let me turn back.” NBC reported the tanker was in the strait’s “Green Area” and had briefly switched off its Automatic Identification System before reactivating it further east.