Iran’s President Stresses Importance of Diplomacy While Noting Distrust of U.S

DUBAI, April 20 (Reuters) – Iranian President ⁠Masoud ⁠Pezeshkian said on ⁠Monday that every rational and diplomatic ​path should be used to reduce tensions with the ‌U.S., but added that ‌vigilance and distrust in interactions with Washington ⁠were ⁠an “undeniable necessity”, according to the state news agency IRNA.

A ​two-week ceasefire between Iran and the U.S. is set to expire on Wednesday, with U.S. representatives set ​to reach Islamabad for Iran negotiations on Monday ⁠while ⁠Tehran has yet to ⁠announce ​whether it will send a delegation to Pakistan.

Iranian state ​TV quoted an ⁠unnamed informed source as saying there were no plans for a second round of negotiations due to the U.S.’ “excessive and irrational” demands as ⁠well as its changing stances.

The adversaries are at loggerheads ⁠over the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran tightened control over maritime transit as the U.S. continues to blockade Iranian ports and on Sunday took custody of a vessel trying to get past the American blockade.

Both Iran and the U.S. have accused each other of ⁠violating the ceasefire. Pezeshkian said the U.S. blockade showed that Washington was moving toward “repeating previous patterns and betraying diplomacy”, according to state ​TV.

(Reporting by Dubai Newsroom; Editing by Toby ​Chopra and Kevin Liffey)

Copyright 2026 Thomson Reuters.

Photos You Should See – April 2026

Seagulls are pictured at the Baltic Sea beach in Timmendorfer Strand, Germany, on a sunny Sunday, April 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

Source link

Visited 1 times, 1 visit(s) today

Related Article

Mourners carry Iranian flags in Tehran on April 1, 2026 during a funeral procession for Alireza Tangsiri, head of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, and others killed in Israeli strikes (AP)

Which Iran is America dealing with?

THE PAST couple of days in the Middle East have been characterised by the now-familiar whiplash. On April 17th Donald Trump announced the Strait of Hormuz had opened to traffic. Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, confirmed as much. The same day outlets linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) criticised Mr Araghchi for failing

20 April 2026
Over a week ago, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu had asked to postpone his testimony in his long-running corruption trial. (Reuters)

Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s testimony postponed in corruption trial. Here’s why

The Jerusalem District Court has reportedly postponed the scheduled testimony of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after his office requested cancellation, citing “security-diplomatic reasons”. Over a week ago, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu had asked to postpone his testimony in his long-running corruption trial. (Reuters) Jerusalem District Court Judges Rivka Friedman-Feldman, Moshe Bar-Am, and Oded Shaham

20 April 2026
Seagulls are pictured at the Baltic Sea beach in Timmendorfer Strand, Germany, on a sunny Sunday, April 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

Nigeria Tightens Broadcast Rules to Curb Divisive Content Ahead of 2027 Elections

LAGOS, April 20 (Reuters) – Nigeria’s broadcast regulator ⁠has ⁠barred radio and television presenters ⁠from airing personal opinions, intimidating guests or broadcasting divisive political ​content, warning of sanctions ahead of the 2027 general elections. Africa’s largest democracy goes to the polls ‌in January following past election cycles ‌marred by misinformation and sporadic violence.  In a

20 April 2026
The skyscraper is being built by a company under sanctions by the U.S. Treasury Department for its alleged connection to one of hundreds of scam operations that have cropped up across Cambodia

How Cybercrime Became a Leading Industry in ‘Scambodia’

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia—A gold-hued skyscraper is rising above the traffic-clogged streets of the capital city on the Mekong River. The skyscraper is being built by a company under sanctions by the U.S. Treasury Department for its alleged connection to one of hundreds of scam operations that have cropped up across Cambodia The building is already

20 April 2026
Ebrahim Azizi, who chairs the Iranian Parliament's national security and foreign policy committee, said that Tehran's authority over the Strait is an "inalienable right". (AP)

Strait of Hormuz emerges as Iran’s most powerful weapon amid war with US

Iran has, for decades, issued threats of closing the Strait of Hormuz over conflicts with countries in the Middle East and sanctions like those imposed by the US. The long history of tensions dates back to Iran’s 1980-88 war with Iraq. Ebrahim Azizi, who chairs the Iranian Parliament’s national security and foreign policy committee, said

20 April 2026
Donald Trump has a plan that will force Iran to capitulate, the military official said. (AI-generated image)

US admiral explains Trump’s ‘brilliant’ plan that will force Iran to concede defeat

The United States is pursuing a strategy designed to push Iran towards “capitulation,” former US national security official Robert Harward has said, pointing to a coordinated military and economic campaign he claims is already straining Tehran. Donald Trump has a plan that will force Iran to capitulate, the military official said. (AI-generated image) Harward told

20 April 2026
Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney attends the Question Period on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, April 15, 2026. (AP)

Carney: Canada’s ‘strengths’ due to close US ties now weakness

Toronto: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has warned that his country’s “former strengths” based on close ties to the United States have become its “weaknesses” and must be corrected. Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney attends the Question Period on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, April 15, 2026. (AP) Carney made this statement in a nearly 10-minute-long

20 April 2026

Hamas Says Ready To Surrender Some Weapons 6 Months After Gaza Ceasefire | World News

Last Updated:April 20, 2026, 10:35 IST Hamas signals readiness to surrender thousands of police weapons in Gaza to a new Trump led peace body, stopping short of full disarmament demanded by Israel. Hamas Says It Can Transfer Thousands of Arms to Gaza Administration. (AFP) Six months after the ceasefire with Israel came into effect, Hamas

20 April 2026
Tankers anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Qeshm Island, Iran. (AP)

Is Strait of Hormuz open or closed? Confusion amid firing, blockades and U-turns

The status of the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most critical oil transit route, remains deeply uncertain, with shifting signals from Iran and the United States leaving global shipping effectively paralysed. Despite brief claims over the weekend that the waterway had reopened, fresh military threats, a continuing US naval blockade, and direct attacks on vessels

20 April 2026
The war with Iran has offered a golden advertising opportunity to Chinese satellite firms. (UNSPLASH)

How Chinese satellites have boosted Iran’s war effort

SINCE THE start of Operation Epic Fury on February 28th, China has proved careful in its support for Iran. On March 2nd its foreign ministry spokesperson said the American-Israeli strikes “violate international law”. Chinese ships carrying sodium perchlorate, an ingredient potentially used in missile propellant, are thought to have arrived in Iran earlier this month.

20 April 2026
ET logo

UAE asks US for a wartime financial lifeline as Iran conflict drags: Report

The United Arab Emirates has opened talks with the United States about obtaining a financial backstop in case the Iran war plunges the oil-rich Persian Gulf state into a deeper crisis, US officials told the Wall Street Journal on Sunday. UAE Central Bank Governor Khaled Mohamed Balama raised the idea of a currency-swap line with

20 April 2026
Seagulls are pictured at the Baltic Sea beach in Timmendorfer Strand, Germany, on a sunny Sunday, April 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

North Korea Again Tests Cluster Munitions in a Launch Observed by Kim and His Daughter

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea said Monday it test-launched ballistic missiles with cluster bomb warheads in the second such test this month, likely underscoring its push to expand its capabilities to penetrate U.S. and South Korean defenses. The report by the North’s official Korean Central News Agency appeared to refer to the multiple

20 April 2026
Seagulls are pictured at the Baltic Sea beach in Timmendorfer Strand, Germany, on a sunny Sunday, April 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

Ukraine Pushes for Europe to Build Defense System Against Ballistic Weapons

KYIV, April 19 (Reuters) – Europe must have ⁠its ⁠own defense system ⁠against ballistic weapons, and Ukraine is already holding ​talks with several countries on its creation, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy ‌said on Sunday. Defense against ‌ballistic missiles is one of Ukraine’s biggest challenges in ⁠the ⁠war with Russia, since only certain types of missiles

19 April 2026
Seagulls are pictured at the Baltic Sea beach in Timmendorfer Strand, Germany, on a sunny Sunday, April 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

Russian Attacks Kill at Least 2 as Ukraine Strikes a Russian Drone Factory

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian strikes killed at least two people in Ukraine, officials said Sunday, as the Ukrainian military struck a drone factory in southwestern Russia. A “massive” nighttime drone strike on Chernihiv in northern Ukraine killed a 16-year-old boy and wounded four others, according to the head of the city’s military administration. Rescuers

19 April 2026
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x