Iran Stalls as Ceasefire Clock Ticks

by | Apr 20, 2026 | News

gray warship on body of water

The two-week U.S.-Israel ceasefire with Iran expires Wednesday, and a deal looks elusive. Iran’s state broadcaster announced Sunday that Tehran has “no plans” to attend the next round of talks — contradicting President Trump, who said negotiations would resume Tuesday in Islamabad with envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff.

Trump issued stark warnings on Truth Social: if Iran refuses a deal, the U.S. will target every bridge and power plant in the country. “NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!” he wrote. Hours later, he told Channel 12 he was nonetheless “optimistic” — leaving observers, including Israeli officials, uncertain of his true intentions. One senior Israeli official quipped that running Trump’s statements through ChatGPT “will implode” it.

Iran’s deputy foreign minister ruled out surrendering enriched uranium to the U.S., calling it a “nonstarter.” Tehran also insists its missile program is off the table entirely and that the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports violates the ceasefire.

Prime Minister Netanyahu, appearing alongside Argentina’s President Milei in Jerusalem, reminded the world the campaign is “not over yet.” Israel has target lists prepared if talks collapse.

The stakes are high. Before the war, Iran was projected to stockpile 8,000 ballistic missiles within 18 months — enough to overwhelm Israeli air defenses. The U.S.-Israel strikes significantly degraded that capacity, but Israeli military intelligence warns Iran will rebuild. How quickly depends on sanctions relief, Chinese material support, and any limitations imposed through a deal.

Time is running out.

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