AJ
The ceasefire recap for day 16 from the US/Israel Iran war brings the latest information about talks and mediation between the USA and Iran, along with attacks in Iraq by Iranian forces, and news regarding the Strait of Hormuz, along with everything else from April 24.
Pakistan reported on Friday morning that they had kept the security in place throughout Islamabad this week, according to Reuters and the NYT, as talks between the USA and Iran were still expected to take place at some point in the near future, but they couldn’t have expected reports later that stated Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s delegation were heading to Islamabad on Friday night, and White House Press Secretary confirmed that a US delegation including Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to depart the United States on Saturday, which CNN also confirmed.
FM Araghchi is carrying a message and response in relation to the US proposals from the previous negotiations according to Reuters, but has been reportedly ordered not to hold discussions with the Americans this weekend until such time as any approval has been given from Tehran reported Al Jazeera citing a senior Iranian source, and Araghchi himself noted that his weekend’s plans also included trips to Muscat and Moscow to discuss regional political issues, hoping that Russia could have ideas to help break the diplomatic deadlock and Oman’s close ties could play a role in facilitating a return to negotiations.
Israel clearly weren’t happy that the US and Iran were talking enough for the ceasefire to remain in place, which was evident when Kan News reported on Friday that there were ‘significant tensions unfolding within Iran’s negotiating team,’ claiming FM Araghchi was dissatisfied with the handling of talks following reports involving Parliament Speaker Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf, while also claiming that communication difficulties with Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei was affecting decision making leading to the IRGC playing an increasingly influential role. Kan also stated that both US and Israeli militaries had been conducting Joint discussions and situation assessments in preparation of renewed military strikes, but any final decision still rested with US President Trump.
Meanwhile, Israeli Channel 12 cited sources close to the situation said coordination between Israel and the United States included measures in case of failed negotiations, while officials had allegedly conveyed a message to Washington there should be no retreat regarding the Naval blockade. The Washington Post reported that the decision not to send Vice President JD Vance was in line with protocol, requiring him to negotiate with a ‘counterpart at the same level,’ noting that it would also make it easier for the administration to deal with the media fallout from its failure, because Kushner and Witkoff were inclined to include Israel’s goals in the negotiating position.
Fars News Agency appeared to clear up any confusion when they reported that Iranian FM Minister had travelled to Pakistan as part of a regional tour, that just happened to coincide with the arrival of US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, but the main reason that Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf hadn’t attended is because the talks are bilateral in nature and reciprocal to the visit recently of Pakistani Army Chief Asim Munir, and added that Tehran previously stated any decision on talks with Washington would be based solely on Iranian national interests, and Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmail Baghaei confirmed no meetings were going to take place in a post on X.
Strait of Hormuz:
President Trump spoke about Iran after announcing a 3-week ceasefire in Lebanon, admitting that the US didn’t know that Iran were laying mines in the Strait, but if they were doing it, it’s ‘very foolish thing to do,’ in a live clip from Sky News shared by Tabz Live.
US military officials are preparing new contingency plans in case the ceasefire with Iran collapses and there has been a strong focus on operations around the Strait of Hormuz, CNN reported, noting the plans emphasized ‘dynamic targeting’ of Iran’s capabilities in the Strait, the southern Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, including potential strikes on fast attack boats, minelaying vessels, and other asymmetric assets that Tehran has used to assert pressure on the US.
However, unlike earlier phases of the conflict which targeted sites further in Iran, the new options would involve a more concentrated campaign around key maritime chokepoints, but officials caution that strikes alone were unlikely to reopen the waterway.
Additional options under consideration include strikes on dual-use infrastructure such as energy facilities which could potentially force Iran back to the negotiating table, as well as targeting individual Iranian military leaders and other ‘obstructionists’ within the government who US officials have recently suggested are actively undermining negotiations, but renewed US strikes could also target remaining missile systems, launchers, and production sites that weren’t destroyed or have since been located since previous strikes, something Israel has been pushing for since the ceasefire began.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said in a morning briefing that Europe and Asia had benefited from US protection for decades, but the time for free riding was over, because America and the free world deserved allies who are capable, loyal, and understood that being an ally wasn’t a ‘one-way street,’ adding that the US weren’t counting on Europe but noted that Europe needed the Strait more than the US did, and might want to start doing less talking or fancy conferences and get in a boat, claiming it was more Europe’s fight than the America’s.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine said the US were closely tracking vessels of interest heading towards and away from Iran as well as those outside the blockade area when it was ordered, stating that everyone saw this past weekend the US were more than prepared to intercept them, adding that as of this morning, 34 ships had met the US blockade and ‘made the wise choice to turn around,’ but noted that Iran had attacked five merchant vessels, seizing two of them as they attempted to pass through the Strait, alleging that these were ships Iran itself had already given permission to proceed.
Other News:
China: As part of the sanctions imposed by the US on Friday, a Chinese oil refinery named Hengli Petrochemical and around 40 shipping companies were named for allegedly transporting Iranian oil.
EU: Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen said on Friday at a conference in Cyprus that the shared goal of the EU now is to negotiate a lasting end to the war and this included restoring full and permanent freedom in the Strait of Hormuz without tolls, stating it was equally clear that any peace agreement would have to address Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile program, and added that the events of the last seven weeks had shown the real danger that a nuclear Iran could pose to the rest of the world.
Germany: Chancellor Merz said that the easing of sanctions on Iran could be part of a process because anything that ends the conflict as quickly as possible is good, the Clash Report said: “First there must be a quick and clear agreement to ensure free navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, second we need a definitive end to Iran’s nuclear program, and third, Israel must no longer feel threatened, Iran must stop threatening Israel and its neighbours.”
Iran: FM Abbas Araghchi met with the President of Iraqi Kurdistan and informed him of the need to stop cross-border terrorism, while also stating that Iran would keep bombing the Kurds and eliminating terrorist leaders in Erbil, the Middle East Spectator reported.
Iran: The Trump administration have frozen $344 million in cryptocurrency it said was linked to Iran, reported CNN, claiming a US official said: “Working with blockchain analytics experts, the US government observed evidence of material links to the Iranian regime, including confirmed transactions with Iranian exchanges and a series of transactions routed through intermediary addresses that interact with Central Bank of Iran-associated wallets.”
Iran: US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent took to X to state the same as the CNN post, noting the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control were sanctioning multiple wallets tied to Iran, following the money that Tehran was desperately attempting to move outside the country and targeting all financial lifelines associated with the regime.
Iran: The country’s parliamentary media chief has denied reports that Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf resigned as head of the Iranian negotiating team, describing the claims were an attempt to disrupt public opinion, and said that Ghalibaf continued his work with seriousness.
Iran: Tasnim News reported that the seized ship Espaminondas was suspected of cooperating with the US military, stating that during the past six months the IRGC had built up intelligence through monitoring, and this vessel had made multiple trips to US ports, adding that because of the ignoring of warnings and maritime violations by moving within the Strait during a closure, it was seized by the IRGC Navy.
Iran: Senior Iranian official Mohsen Rezaee said on X that Iran was united, cohesive and unanimous, hitting back at comments by President Trump, PM Netanyahu, along with the Jewish journalists at various outlets across Israel and the US including Axios regarding fractures within the regime, adding that “with the strong hand of Iran’s valiant sons and the tightly knit ranks of the devoted nation, the sound of America’s broken bones will echo from the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman to the ears of the world.”
Iran: Fars News and other Iranian organisations shared multiple videos that appeared to show large presences of enthusiastic civilians on what is said to be the ‘fifty-fifth night of National Defence’, with places including Bojnourd, District 22 of Tehran, Behshahri, Maragheh, Enghelab Square, Ilamis, and Pakdashti all celebrating.
Iraq: The Helga oil tanker that is flying the Comoros flag reached one of the offshore oil loading terminals at Iraq’s Basra port and is preparing to load around 2 million barrels of crude, reported Reuters, noting that it was only the second tanker to arrive at Basra’s southern offshore terminals since the closure of the Strait of Hormuz during the war with Iran (prior to the US blockade).
Iraq: Since the start of the ceasefire on April 8, 12 drones and missile strikes hit Iranian Kurdish opposition camps in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, killing at least four fighters and wounding seven others, targeting the KDPI, Komala Toilers, PAK and Komala Party, reported Warfront Witness, noting that PAK was seen as the most exposed after they publicly offered to serve as Israel’s ‘boots on the ground,’ while the KDPI and Komala factions could be pushed into exile, as Iran appeared to be making the region untenable for these groups which could potentially force their relocation to a third country.
Israel: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday: “I promised you we would change the face of the Middle East, and that is exactly what we are doing,” adding that he had an excellent conversation with Trump: “He is pressing Iran very hard, both economically and militarily, and we are operating in full cooperation.”
Kuwait: The Islamic Resistance in Iraq attacked sites of the Kuwait Army with two drones, in which damage was caused, and Kuwait’s military said two drones launched from Iraq-based pro-Iranian militias also struck two different points along the Kuwait-Iraq border, with no casualties reported.
Pakistan: Former Minister of Information and Pakistani Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed told Al Mayadeen that Iran presented the ’10-point plan which Trump accepted’ and Pakistan also said that one point was that there ‘should be an end to the war on all fronts including Lebanon’, stressing that Lebanon was part of the comprehensive peace plan, adding that Pakistan accepted this position and ‘Trump also accepted it.” The Senator also stated that this was ‘Netanyahu’s war,’ claiming that Netanyahu brought in US President Trump through ‘blackmail over the Epstein Files,’ while convincing Trump that ‘it would be easy’ to change the regime, and added that Israel didn’t want peace, because: “Zionism believes in Greater Israel and that is a nation which we reject.”
UAE: President MBZ’s advisor Anwar Gargash said on Friday: “It has become very clear to the region, to the United Arab Emirates and other countries, that Iran is the long-term threat – you can’t be attacked with 2,800 missiles and drones and then talk to me about trust, that will take ages and ages.”
USA: Military officials were still attempting to persuade the American public that the crewmen in the Middle East were properly fed and maintained, claiming: “Sailors aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln serve meals to crew members, and a typical aircraft carrier strike group serves around 4,000 eggs daily,’ adding that now there were three groups operating in the Middle East, the Sailors and Marines were consuming more than 12,000 eggs on a daily basis.
USA: Republican Senator and warmonger Lindsey Graham told Fox News on Thursday night that the bottom line was that Iran had no pathway to a nuclear bomb and were no longer the largest state sponsor of terrorism, claiming Iran didn’t have enough missiles to terrorise the region and the world like they used to, stating it was an amazing success while adding that President Trump was right, because there was no hurry, and the US needed to get it right: “He’s the first guy in 47 years to take these guys on, and they’ve had their ass kicked – let’s just be patient,” he said.
USA: Chances of Iran agreeing to further in-person talks was reportedly said to be slipping away and undermined by President Trump’s threats and mass social media posts, according to Bloomberg, who cited officials familiar with the negotiations, adding that Trump’s social media posts along with the continued naval blockade have hurt mediation efforts, with Iranian negotiators arguing that statements like threatening to ‘blow up the rest of their country’ or send it ‘back to the Stone Ages’ are an attempt to humiliate Tehran’s leaders, making them less inclined to make a deal.
USA: Earlier in the week the NYT reported that Iran was already imposing significant financial strain on the US military, with costs mounting rapidly and raising concerns about long-term sustainability with munitions having to be pulled from European and Asian stockpiles, noting that the US fired more than 1,000 tomahawk missiles (10 times the number it buys each year), and used more than 1,200 Patriot interceptors along with more than 1,000 precision strike and ATACMS missiles, adding that costs had reached tens of billions of dollars and estimates in early April placing the total between roughly $25 billion and $35 billion (by two different groups).
USA: The White House Press Secretary said during questioning on Wednesday night by reporters that the article was completely false: “The United States of America has the most powerful military in the world, fully loaded with more than enough weapons and munitions, in stockpiles here and all around the globe, to effectively defend the homeland and achieve any military operation directed by the Commander in Chief.”
USA: A report by CNN stated that the US were considering assassination strikes against specific Iranian leaders who are thought to be blocking US-Iran negotiations, which came following Truth Social posts by President Trump (published on AJ News on the April 23 Recap), and the list allegedly includes the name of the Commander-in-Chief of the IRGC Ahmad Vahidi.
USA: For the first time in three decades, three aircraft carriers are operating in the Middle East at the same time, the US Central Command proudly announced: “Accompanied by their carrier air wings, the USS Abraham Lincoln, the USS Gerald R Ford and USS George H W Bush include over 200 aircraft and 15,000 Sailors and Marines,” the statement added.
USA: The Global Head of Goldman Sachs told CNBC the Strait of Hormuz will never be the same as it was before, because while maritime traffic may flow, the Iranians are likely going to maintain control over what passes through, Tasnim News reported.
USA: Gas stations could soon be facing the same shock as the Asian supply chain, reported CNN and Fars News Agency, noting that hospitals had been facing shortages of medical equipment, people had started stockpiling plastic bags and factories were struggling with packaging crises, noting that if Asian factories were struggling with raw material shortages, its likely that this could also happen in the US, but possibly not on a widespread or severe scale, however, the longer the Strait of Hormuz blockage lasts, the harder it will be for the US to escape the problems accumulated in other parts of the world.
USA: Trump declined to answer a Reuters question asking what would be required for the President to lift the blockade on the Straight of Hormuz: “I’d have to be able to answer that question later,” he said: “I have to see what they’re offering.”
