— 🇺🇸/🇮🇷 President Trump on Truth Social:

‘To the Iranian leaders, who will soon be in negotiations with my representatives: I would greatly appreciate the release of these women. I am sure that they will respect the fact that you did so.

Please do them no harm! Would be a great start to our negotiations!!! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP’

@Middle_East_Spectator

—❗️🇺🇸/🇮🇷/🇵🇰 Pakistan’s Minister of Information, Ataullah Tarar:

1. Formal response from Iranian side about confirmation of delegation to attend Islamabad Peace Talks is still awaited.

2. ⁠Pakistan as the mediator is in constant touch with Iranians and pursuing the path of diplomacy and dialogue.

3. Ceasefire ends at 4:50 am PST (Pakistan time), 22 April. Decision from Iran to attend the talks before the end of two weeks ceasefire is critical.

4. ⁠Pakistan has made sincere efforts to convince the Iranian leadership to participate in the second round of talks and these efforts continue.

@Middle_East_Spectator

—❗️🇮🇱/🇱🇧 NEW: Red Alerts in Northern Israel, possible rocket fire from Hezbollah

@Middle_East_Spectator

—❗️🇮🇱/🇱🇧 CONFIRMED: Several rockets were fired from southern Lebanon for the first time since the ceasefire was declared

The video above shows Israeli interceptor trails in the sky.

@Middle_East_Spectator

—❗️🇮🇱/🇱🇧 UPDATE: Israeli media say it was a false alarm, interceptors were launched at a ‘large migratory bird’

@Middle_East_Spectator

—❗️🇮🇱/🇱🇧 UPDATE (2): Israeli National Broadcaster Kann now confirms rockets were fired from Lebanon, despite the IDF calling it a ‘false identification’

@Middle_East_Spectator

—❗️🇺🇸/🇮🇷/🇵🇰 BREAKING: Following Iran’s refusal to take part in negotiations, Vice President J.D. Vance will likely NOT depart for Islamabad and will remain at the White House today – CNN

J.D. Vance was supposed to leave towards Islamabad this morning, as the flight takes almost 19 hours, but that now seems increasingly unlikely.

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇺🇸/🇮🇷/🇵🇰 Bloomberg: ‘The U.S. is still in the dark on whether Iran will participate in talks in Islamabad to end the war before the ceasefire expires’

@Middle_East_Spectator

—❗️🇺🇸/🇮🇷 Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Ismael Baqaei:

‘No final decision has been made on whether to attend the Islamabad talks or not’

@Middle_East_Spectator

‘Maybe we will, maybe we won’t’

⚡IDF: This is a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement

Cry me a river pieces of shit

You blow up villages on a daily basis, but one rocket is a violation?

—❗️🇺🇸/🇮🇷 Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Ismael Baqaei:

‘U.S. diplomatic claims are inconsistent with their field behavior and aim to influence public opinion’

@Middle_East_Spectator

—❗️🇺🇸/🇮🇷/🇵🇰 NEW: ‘Iran has informed the mediators it will send a delegation to Islamabad only if the U.S. naval blockade is lifted’ – Wall Street Journal

@Middle_East_Spectator

This seems to be the case.

Iran doesn’t have a problem with negotiations, but negotiations can’t happen during an active aggression.

Naval blockade is a form of aggression, and a violation of the ceasefire.

—❗️🇮🇱/🇮🇷 Israeli National Broadcaster (KANN):

‘In Israel, preparations are underway for the resumption of fighting against Iran.

A senior security official: ‘We assess that no understandings will be reached, and are prepared for the immediate resumption of the war’

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇮🇱/🇺🇸/🇮🇷 Israeli analyst, Raz Zimmt:

‘As I understand it, there is no issue here of an Iranian attempt to stall for time. This is not a negotiation where time can be dragged out. The expiration date of the ceasefire is well known to everyone.

There is a substantive and clear position here from the leadership in Tehran, led by the Revolutionary Guards: there will be no negotiations if the Americans do not compromise (in one way or another) on the issue of the naval blockade.

This does not necessarily mean that they want to return to fighting, but it seems they are also not afraid of it.

They are also well aware of the accumulating economic damage resulting from the continuation of the naval blockade, yet they still assess that Iran has the ability to bear the economic price for at least several months, while the other side (the U.S., the global economy, Gulf states) has the ability to hold out for only a few more weeks.

The implication is that at this stage, it seems the chance of resuming talks depends to a large extent on the Americans' willingness to at least ease the naval blockade (even if not officially) in exchange for resuming the talks, which will probably require, nevertheless, an extension of the ceasefire by at least a few more days.’

@Middle_East_Spectator