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Review of the US/Israel Iran war ceasefire recap from the ninth day, which includes the ongoing blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, official discussions between representatives ahead of future talks in Islamabad, along with other major reports published on day 9 (16 April).
Diplomatic Talks:
Pakistan’s Army Chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, met with both Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf in Tehran, along with President Masoud Pezeshkian, and Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters Commander Major General Ali Abdollahi, as Pakistan discussed efforts to bring Iran and the United States closer to a deal at another meeting in Islamabad.
Reuters was told by a senior Iranian official that the visit by Pakistan’s Army Chief helped reduced differences in some areas of the negotiations, stating that there are greater hopes for extending the ceasefire and holding a second round of talks, however, substantial differences still remained regarding the nuclear issue, and the fate of Iran’s highly enriched uranium, along with the duration of nuclear restrictions.
Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is going to hold talks this week on regional security cooperation with other foreign ministers from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and possibly Egypt, on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, with the talks aiming to establish a regular platform for coordination on regional issues, separate from ongoing efforts to end the war.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi thanked China for blocking a UN Security Council resolution on reopening the Strait of Hormuz during a call with his Chinese counterpart, where he warned of ‘dangerous consequences’ from US actions in the Persian Gulf, while calling China’s veto, alongside Russia, effective in preventing escalation.
Gulf Arab and European leaders believe a peace deal between Iran and the US could take up to six months, asking for a ceasefire extension to reflect this timeline, reported Bloomberg, noting they wanted the Strait of Hormuz reopened immediately to restore energy flows, warning a global food crisis could emerge if disruptions continued into next month, and noting that energy prices could rise further if the war drags on.
Security arrangements have already begun in Pakistan, and President Trump said talks would happen ‘over the weekend,’ reported IROP News, adding that it appeared highly likely the next round of the decisive Islamabad Talks could be held as early as Sunday.
Other News:
Ships sanctioned by the US will now be subject to boarding, search and seizure under the American blockade of Iranian ports, the US Naval Forces Central Command said, stating that the vessels, regardless of location, are subject to visit, board, search, and if needed, seizure. After 72 hours of enforcement of the blockade, 14 vessels had been turned around, complying with the direction of the American armed forces.
Despite the blockade, Iran has moved roughly nine million barrels of crude from floating storage in the Gulf of Oman since the US naval blockades began on April 13, according to Tanker Trackers, who noted that a tanker belonging to Iran successfully passed through the blockade on Tuesday, while several sanction complaint tankers had steered towards Iraq with their AIS transponders off, away from the blockade.
Analysts said Iran could withstand a full halt to oil exports for up to two months before being forced to shut production after the US blockade began, according to Reuters, who estimated that Iran has around 90 million barrels of onshore crude oil storage capacity, meaning exports could be initially diverted into storage until tanks are filled, at which point output would need to be reduced.
The Heads of the US Interior and Energy Departments are to hold a call with CEOs from energy companies such as Exxon and Chevron to discuss ways of boosting oil and gas output amid the rising global energy prices due to the Iran war, reported Reuters, stating that global oil prices have increased to above $99 per barrel, with traders questioning whether peace talks between the US and Iran would resolve disruptions to Middle Eastern energy supplies caused by the war.
Executive Director of the International Energy Agency Fatih Birol told the AP that Europe may have only six weeks of jet fuel remaining, warning of possible flight cancellations ‘soon’ if oil supplies remained blocked in the Iran war, describing the situation as potentially ‘the largest energy crisis ever’, driven by blocked oil and gas flows through the Hormuz Strait.
US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth warned Iran and the IRGC that the US knew what military assets were being moved and where to, stating that this wasn’t a fair fight and the US were carrying out surveillance, noticing that the Iranians were digging out bombed and devastated facilities, however, the US were reloading with more power and better intelligence than ever before, Hegseth claimed, adding that the US were locked and loaded on critical infrastructure, remaining power generation and the energy industry, but they would rather not attack them although they were ready to go at the command of the President.
Trump answered questions from waiting reporters on the White House lawn on Thursday afternoon, stating that Iran wanted to make a deal and were willing to do things they weren’t two months ago, while noting there was no 20 year limit on the nuclear issue because Iran wouldn’t have nuclear weapons, and if there was no deal the fighting would continue, adding that the blockade is maybe more powerful than the bombing.
Germany are prepared to assist in an international mission to secure the Strait of Hormuz, focusing on mine clearance operations and maritime reconnaissance from their base in Djibouti, which will be presented by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at a meeting in Paris with French President Macron, British Prime Minister Starmer and Italy Prime Minister Meloni, reported Süddeutsche Zeitung.
Commander-in-Chief of the Iranian Army Hatami rejected US claims that the Iranian Air Force was destroyed, stating that Iranian fighter jets escorted the Pakistani delegation arriving in Tehran yesterday through Iranian airspace.
The USS Abraham Lincoln is transiting the Arabian Sea as US Forces enforce a blockade of Iran’s ports and coastlines, as Central Command clarified that the blockade does not extend to the Strait of Hormuz, adding that more than 10,000 American members, 12 ships and over 100 aircraft are currently enforcing the blockade in the regional waters.
