Day 52 of Middle East conflict - Trump says extension of ceasefire with Iran is ‘highly unlikely’

Our live coverage has ended • Get the latest updates on the war with Iran here. Read more All catch up 54 Posts Link Copied! Key developments • Seized ship: Iran’s Foreign Ministry called for the release of the Iranian cargo vessel seized by the US Navy on Sunday, as well as “its sailors, crew and their families.” Iran has vowed to retaliate for the seizure. • Looming deadline: US President Donald Trump said the ceasefire with Iran ends “Wednesday evening Washington time,” adding it’s “highly unlikely” he would extend it if a deal is not reached before then. • Status of negotiations: Vice President JD Vance and top US officials are expected to depart Tuesday for Pakistan ahead of a potential second round of talks, according to sources. Trump projected confidence Tehran would come to the table although Iran’s Foreign Ministry earlier insisted there were no negotiations . • Lebanon-Israel talks: A second round of talks between Israel and Lebanon is scheduled for Thursday, according to Israeli and US officials. Read more Link Copied! Iran calls for immediate release of cargo ship seized by US By Lex Harvey This screen capture from a video released on April 19 shows Iranian-flagged cargo ship M/V Touska from the US Navy Arleigh Burke-class Aegis guided missile destroyer USS Spruance in the north Arabian Sea. CENTCOM/Handout/Reuters Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemned the seizure of Iranian cargo ship Touska by US forces and called for the “immediate release of the Iranian vessel, its sailors, crew and their families” in a statement published Tuesday. The US Navy fired on and seized the Iranian-flagged ship Sunday after it tried to get past the US naval blockade in the Gulf of Oman, according to President Donald Trump. Footage released by the military showed a guided-missile destroyer firing on the vessel and Marines rappelling from helicopters onto its deck. Iran previously vowed to retaliate for the seizure of the ship, which the Foreign Ministry called “extremely dangerous” and “criminal” in its Tuesday statement. It said the cargo was worth “millions,” without specifying what the cargo was. “There is no doubt that the Islamic Republic of Iran will use all its capacities to defend Iran’s national interests and security and to safeguard the rights and dignity of its citizens,” the statement said. “It is also clear that full responsibility for any further escalation in the region lies with the United States.” It is not clear how many people were aboard the ship and whether they are Iranian. CNN has reached out to US Central Command for comment on the nationality of the crew and the status of the cargo ship. CNN’s Brad Lendon and Teele Rebane contributed reporting. Read more Link Copied! US Air Force extending life of A-10 "Warthog" ground-attack jets By Brad Lendon Maryland Air National Guard A-10 Warthogs perform in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, United States, on July 24, 2025. Brett Johnsen/NurPhoto/AP The US Air Force is extending the life of its A-10 Thunderbolt ground-attack jet until at least 2030, the office of the secretary of the Air Force said on social media Monday. The service had planned to completely retire the iconic jets, nicknamed the “Warthog,” later this year, though Congress later mandated in the National Defense Authorization Act that the Air Force keep 103 of the twin-engine jets in its fleet, with 2029 projected as its final year of service. The jets have proven useful in the war in Iran, and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine praised the jets and their pilots for the role in spearheading the rescue of two air crew who ejected from their F-15E fighter after it was hit by a missile over Iranian territory. A-10s played a key role in suppressing Iranian forces trying to get to the downed American flight crew and other US rescue forces that landed in Iran, Caine said. One A-10 was hit during the rescue and its pilot later ejected after flying the aircraft back over friendly territory, Caine said. The first A-10 was was delivered to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, in October 1975, according to the Air Force fact sheet, and has seen action in several conflicts since. Its 30mm gatling gun nose cannon produces a “BRRRPPPP” sound and can destroy tanks and decimate infantry firing up to 3,900 rounds a minute, according to an Air Force. “We will EXTEND the A-10 ‘Warthog’ platform to 2030. This preserves combat power as the Defense Industrial Base works to increase combat aircraft production,” the post from the Air Force secretary’s office said. One note: The final class of A-10 pilots graduated earlier this month from training at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. Read more Link Copied! Trump insists Iran is “going to negotiate” ahead of potential talks By Alejandra Jaramillo President Donald Trump insisted Monday that Iran is “going to negotiate” ahead of anticipated talks in Pakistan. Speaking in a short phone interview on “The John Fredericks Show,” a conservative radio program, Trump projected confidence that Tehran would come to the table, while warning of consequences if it does not. “Well, they’re going to negotiate, and if they don’t, they’re going to see problems like they’ve never seen before,” the president said. “Hopefully they’ll make a fair deal, and they’ll build their country back up,” Trump continued, adding that when they do so, “they will not have a nuclear weapon.” Before ending the call, Trump returned to his justification for military action. “And I have to say we had no choice in Iran,” he said. “It wasn’t like we had a choice. We had to do it.” “We’ve done a great job, and we’ll get it closed out, and everybody’s going to be happy,” he added before hanging up. Read more Link Copied! Night footage shows US Marines boarding Iranian-flagged ship CNN staff CNN’s Brian Todd breaks down night footage of US Marines boarding and seizing an Iranian-flagged cargo ship that tried to bypass the US naval blockade on Sunday. Video Ad Feedback Night footage shows US Marines boarding Iranian-flagged vessel 2:37 • Source: CNN Night footage shows US Marines boarding Iranian-flagged vessel 2:37 The boarding of the disabled Iranian ship was captured in a “carefully edited video released by the US military,” Todd says, and showed US Marines dropping down to the deck of the “Touska” from helicopters. The ship is now in US custody. Read more Link Copied! What Iranian officials are saying as second round of talks with US remains uncertain By Elise Hammond Top US officials are expected to head to Pakistan tomorrow ahead of a second round of peace talks with Iran — but the Iranian Foreign Ministry has said its country does not have plans to reengage the US “for now.” It comes after US President Donald Trump said the ceasefire between the two countries ends on Wednesday , and that he’s not likely to extend it. Late Monday, GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham, one of the most hawkish lawmakers on the war, was seen arriving at the West Wing entrance of the White House ahead of the potential talks. Here’s what’s senior Iranians have been saying today: Iran is “ taking all aspects into consideration ” and “will decide on how to proceed,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar in a phone call. The Iranian Foreign Ministry said “provocative actions” and continued ceasefire violations by the US were a major obstacle to continuing diplomacy. Negotiator and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Ghalibaf said Trump is seeking to turn the negotiating table “into a table of surrender or to justify renewed warmongering,” according to a post on X. Meantime: Only 16 ships traversed the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, including two Iranian-flagged vessels that entered and one Iranian-flagged cargo ship that exited, according to data from MarineTraffic.com. Ellie Geranmayeh, Senior Fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, spoke today with CNN’s Paula Newton about the fragile state of US-Iran diplomacy. Video Ad Feedback Return to war with Iran could be ‘even worse’ than before, warns expert Ellie Geranmayeh 9:10 • Source: CNN Return to war with Iran could be ‘even worse’ than before, warns expert Ellie Geranmayeh 9:10 CNN’s Mohammed Tawfeeq, Max Saltman and Avery Schmitz contributed reporting to this post. Read more Link Copied! Lindsey Graham arrives at White House as Iran peace talks loom By Alejandra Jaramillo Sen. Lindsey Graham, one of the most hawkish lawmakers on the Iran war, was seen arriving at the West Wing entrance of the White House on Monday, as the Trump administration ramps up preparations for potential peace talks. Graham has been an influential voice on foreign policy within Trump’s orbit, particularly on issues related to Iran. His visit comes as Vice President JD Vance and other top US officials are expected to depart Tuesday for Islamabad, Pakistan, ahead of a possible second round of negotiations with Iran. Read more Link Copied! Iran's top negotiator says Trump turning negotiating table into "table of surrender" By Max Saltman Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf speaks during a press conference in Tehran on November 27, 2024. Majid Asgaripour/Wana News Agency/Reuters/File Iranian negotiator and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Ghalibaf said Monday that President Donald Trump “seeks to turn this negotiating table — in his own imagination — into a table of surrender or to justify renewed warmongering.” “We do not accept negotiations under the shadow of threats, and in the past two weeks, we have prepared to reveal new cards on the battlefield,” he said in a post on X. Ghalibaf’s statement adds to the uncertainty surrounding possible talks in Pakistan. While sources tell CNN that the US delegation intends to head to Islamabad for more negotiations tomorrow, the Iranian Foreign Ministry has said that Iran does not have plans to reengage the US “for now.” Read more Link Copied! Only 16 ships entered or exited the Strait of Hormuz on Monday By Max Saltman and Avery Schmitz Only 16 ships traversed the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, as captains and ships’ owners remain cautious in the face of the shaky ceasefire. Nine ships entered the strait Monday, including two Iranian-flagged vessels, one of which was a tanker, according to data from MarineTraffic.com. Meanwhile, seven vessels exited, including one Iranian-flagged cargo ship. CNN cannot independently verify the data shown on sites like MarineTraffic.com, and shipping data does not always provide a full picture of the number of ships sailing through the strait – some ships might turn their transponders off, and others may be subject to spoofing, changing their signals to mask their location. Earlier Monday, US Central Command claimed that American forces “have directed 27 vessels to turn around or return to an Iranian port” since the US blockade of Iran’s ports began last week. Read more Link Copied! Hungary’s incoming prime minister implies Netanyahu would be arrested if he visits By Max Saltman and Heather Law Video Ad Feedback Hungary’s incoming prime minister implies Netanyahu would be arrested if he visits 0:32 • Source: CNN Hungary’s incoming prime minister implies Netanyahu would be arrested if he visits 0:32 Hungarian Prime Minister-elect Péter Magyar implied that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would be arrested if he came to Budapest due to his active warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC). “If a country is a member of the International Criminal Court, and a person who is under an arrest warrant enters our territory, then that person must be taken into custody,” Magyar told reporters Monday, according to a translation from Reuters. Magyar also said he has informed Netanyahu of his desire to reintegrate Hungary into the ICC system. Incumbent Prime Minister Viktor Orbán cultivated close ties with Netanyahu’s right-wing government and had set Hungary on track to leave the ICC before welcoming Netanyahu to Budapest in 2025. Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant are both subject to an arrest warrant , issued by the ICC in 2024, for alleged war crimes during the war in Gaza. Both men have denied wrongdoing.