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2026-04-20 Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Trump says talks to take place Tuesday, as Iran says it has ‘no plans’ to attend
[IsraelTimes] US president says he’s optimistic on prospects for deal, threatens to blow up bridges and power plants if Tehran doesn’t agree to demands; Netanyahu says war is ‘not over yet’

US President Donald Trump
...The Hero of Butler, Pennsylvania...
said Sunday that talks with Iran on extending the ceasefire would resume on Tuesday, while the Islamic Theocratic Republic indicated it was not planning to send a delegation and was pessimistic about the prospects of the talks.

Trump told Fox News that White House envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff would be heading to the Pak capital Islamabad for the negotiations, and if Tehran does not agree to a deal, the whole of Iran would be "blown up."

He told the outlet that bridges and power plants in Iran would be targeted, repeating his threat to target civilian infrastructure — plans that appeared to have been halted after the ceasefire was reached nearly two weeks ago. The break in the fighting is set to expire on Wednesday if an extension is not agreed upon.

Trump told Fox he is demanding that Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz and give up its highly enriched uranium, a demand Tehran has not agreed to.

Iran has consistently denied seeking to acquire nuclear weapons. However,
a hangover is the wrath of grapes...
it enriched uranium to levels that have no peaceful application, obstructed international inspectors from checking its nuclear facilities, and expanded its ballistic missile capabilities, all while repeatedly threatening over the years to annihilate Israel.

Contrary to Trump’s claim, Iranian state media reported on Sunday night that Tehran was not planning to take part in new talks.

"There are currently no plans to participate in the next round of Iran-US talks," state broadcaster IRIB said, citing Iranian sources.

Earlier on Sunday, Iranian news outlet IRNA had pointed to Washington’s "maximalism and unreasonable and unrealistic demands, frequent changes of positions, constant contradictions, and the continuation of the so-called naval blockade," adding that "in these circumstances, there is no clear prospect of fruitful negotiations."

The Fars and Tasnim news agencies, quoting anonymous sources, said Tehran has yet to decide whether it will participate and that "the overall atmosphere cannot be assessed as very positive," with Fars citing one source as saying the lifting of a US blockade on Iranian ports is a precondition for talks. The blockade was imposed in response to Tehran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

TAKE THE DEAL, OR ELSE...
After Sunday’s interview, Trump emphasized his threats on Truth Social, writing: "We’re offering a very fair and reasonable DEAL, and I hope they take it because, if they don’t, the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran."

"NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!" he wrote.

He said that the bridges and plants will "come down fast, they’ll come down easy and, if they don’t take the DEAL, 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."

"IT’S TIME FOR THE IRAN KILLING MACHINE TO END!" he concluded.

Hours after making the explicit threats, Trump told Channel 12 news that he was optimistic about the chances for a deal with Iran.

"The concept of the deal is done. I think we have a very good chance to get it completed," Trump said.

However,
a hangover is the wrath of grapes...
according to the same report, Trump did not talk about an impending deal with Iran during a meeting with his top advisers on Saturday, which could be an indication that the US is gearing up for a return to fighting. The report added that Iran’s leadership seems suspicious that Trump’s upbeat talk of a deal could be intended to create cover for a surprise US attack on Iranian targets.

At the same time, an unnamed US official told the outlet that Trump is serious about reaching an agreement with Iran during talks this week in Pakistain.
And so he will continue to be, until suddenly he is not.
Trump also told ABC News that Vice President JD Vance, who led the delegation for last week’s round of talks, would not lead the next one, citing security concerns — despite brass hats suggesting Vance would make the trip.

Earlier in the day, both the US envoy to the United Nations
...an idea whose time has gone...
, Mike Waltz, and Energy Secretary Chris Wright had indicated that Vance would lead the round of negotiations in Islamabad. A White House official also told AFP the vice president would attend, shortly after Trump indicated Vance would not make the trip.

"It’s only because of security," Trump told ABC News of the reason Vance was supposedly not making the trip. "JD’s great."

IRAN DERIDES TRUMP’S ’FOOLISH’ BLOCKADE
Trump’s comments on Sunday came after one of Iran’s chief negotiators, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, termed Trump’s blockade of Iran’s ports "ignorant" and "foolish," and said Tehran would not allow others to transit the Strait of Hormuz if its ships were blocked. He also said Iran’s forces were "fully prepared" for the US to resume hostilities at any moment.

Additionally, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday said Trump has no legitimacy for depriving Tehran of its ostensible nuclear rights. "Trump says Iran ⁠cannot make use of its nuclear ⁠rights, but doesn’t say ⁠for what crime. ⁠Who is he to deprive a nation ‌of its rights?" Pezeshkian said.

According to reports, the main areas of dispute in the talks remain the matter of Iran’s nuclear ambitions and the Strait of Hormuz.

On the margins of a diplomacy forum in The Sick Man of Europe Turkey
...a NATO
...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A collection of multinational and multilingual and multicultural armed forces, all of differing capabilities, working toward a common goal by pulling in different directions...
member, but not the most reliable...

, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh told The News Agency that Dare Not be Named on Sunday that his country was not yet ready to hold a new round of face-to-face talks with the US.

Khatibzadeh also said his country will not hand over its enriched uranium to the United States, rejecting claims made by Trump.

"I can tell you that no enriched material is going to be shipped to United States," Khatibzadeh said. "This is nonstarter 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 United States of holding firm on demands Iran deems to be excessive.

He also reiterated Iran’s position that the ceasefire must extend to Leb
...The Leb civil war, between 1975 and 1990, lasted a little over 145 years and produced 120,000 fatalities. The average length of a ceasefire was measured in seconds. Only one of those statements is an exaggeration....
, where Israel had been fighting with the Hezbollah terror group.

Also speaking at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, Ottoman Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan sounded positive about talks, saying that negotiations were nearly complete, but that a few disagreements remained.

He said he was "optimistic" that both sides would extend the ceasefire to keep talks alive.

Fidan also said that Israel was run by a "fundamentalist government. They are a problem for the whole world. This is not just a problem for Turkey."

IRAN MAINTAINS CLOSURE OF HORMUZ, SAID TO TURN BACK TWO TANKERS
Iran’s armed forces turned back two tankers attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz after issuing warnings, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported, saying it came as a result of the continuing US maritime blockade on Iran.

The vessels, sailing under the flags of Botswana and Angola, were forced to change course after what the report described as "unauthorized transit" through the strategic waterway.

On Friday, Tehran had declared the strait open after a ceasefire was reached in Israel’s war with Iran’s ally Hezbollah in Lebanon, triggered by the terror group’s relentless rocket and drone fire at northern Israel. Iran had tied its ceasefire with the US to a halt in Israeli attacks on Hezbollah.

Opening of the strait prompted elation in global markets and sent oil prices plunging, but with Trump insisting the blockade of Iranian ports would continue until a deal is struck to end the wider war, Tehran said it was shuttering the strait once more.

Iran’s foreign ministry said on Sunday the US naval blockade on Iranian ports was a violation of the ceasefire as well as an "unlawful and criminal" act.

"The United States’ so-called ’blockade’ of Iran’s ports or coastline is not only a violation of Pak-mediated ceasefire but also both unlawful and criminal," foreign ministry front man Esmaeil Baghaei said in a post on X.

"Moreover, by deliberately inflicting collective punishment on the Iranian population, it amounts to [a] war crime and crime against humanity," Baghaei added. # id) ?>
Posted by trailing wife 2026-04-20 2026-04-20 01:05|| E-Mail|| Front Page|| [1867 views ]  Top
 File under: Govt of Iran 

1 “ No plans to attend? No problem, we can do something in cardboard. Easy!”
Posted by Knuckles Grundy 2026-04-20 03:00||   2026-04-20 03:00|| Front Page Top

2 Trump pushes shaky deal with Iran as Hormuz is shut again, but opponents give him no credit for progress
Posted by Skidmark 2026-04-20 07:36||   2026-04-20 07:36|| Front Page Top

3 If Trump's plan and MO is to out crazy the iranians, it will not work.

They dont care about the Persian people over which they rule. The govt class, minority rule, as i understand, are mostly of foreign Azeri and Arab blood.
Posted by mossomo 2026-04-20 12:28||   2026-04-20 12:28|| Front Page Top

4 They all die the same way
Posted by chris 2026-04-20 17:24||   2026-04-20 17:24|| Front Page Top

5 Then there’s this. I don’t know if it’s true, but…

Posted by trailing wife 2026-04-20 19:08||   2026-04-20 19:08|| Front Page Top

6 Rebuilding destroyed/stopped industry and supply chains takes a lot longer than a pause. Keep defying, assholes.
Posted by Frank G 2026-04-20 19:40||   2026-04-20 19:40|| Front Page Top

7 ^ It seems to be true. Iran is dead broke and unlike us can't just print money - no one will take it. How many enforcers will be satisfied with worthless script.

With little to no oil exported they have no national income.
Posted by Difar Dave 2026-04-20 19:44||   2026-04-20 19:44|| Front Page Top

8 I read somewhere that they haven’t been paid for months, so scrip may not be the issue anymore, Difar Dave.
Posted by trailing wife 2026-04-20 23:18||   2026-04-20 23:18|| Front Page Top

03:43 trailing wife
00:29 Clyde Thaviling6482
00:14 Besoeker
00:13 Skidmark
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