President Trump says US Navy will begin blockade of Strait of Hormuz
The U.S. and Iran failed to reach a peace deal after 21 hours of negotiations.
President Donald Trump announced "major combat operations" against Iran on Feb. 28, with massive joint U.S.-Israeli strikes targeting military and government sites.
Trump set a deadline for Iran to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face broad strikes on its critical infrastructure. Hours before the deadline expired, Trump said he had agreed to suspend planned bombing for two weeks if Iran agreed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi then said that "safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be possible via coordination with Iran's Armed Forces and with due consideration of technical limitations."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he supported the ceasefire with Iran, but that Lebanon -- where intense Israeli strikes continued -- was not covered by the agreement, despite Iranian protests.
Key Headlines
- US blockade of Iranian ports to begin Monday, CENTCOM says
- Military vessels approaching Strait of Hormuz 'will be met with severe force,' IRGC says
- DOJ will 'vigorously prosecute' buyers or sellers of sanctioned Iranian oil, Blanche says
- Despite blockade announcement, Trump urges Iran to open Strait of Hormuz
- President Trump says US Navy will begin blockade of Strait of Hormuz
Iranian negotiators led by parliament speaker arrive in Islamabad for talks
The Iranian delegation set to meet with U.S. officials for negotiations this weekend has arrived in Islamabad, Pakistan, according to Iranian state broadcaster IRIB.
The delegation is headed by Speaker of the Iranian Parliament Mohammad Ghalibaf.
IRIB says that the talks will begin only "If the other side accepts Iran's preconditions for starting the negotiations."
Iran has been insisting on a ceasefire in Lebanon, and Ghalibaf earlier Friday also said Iran's frozen assets would need to be unfrozen before talks started.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is also part of the delegation, along with several other high ranking officials and "security, political, military, economic and legal committees."
-ABC News' Somayeh Malekian
IDF reviewing strike that killed 13 Lebanese security personnel
The Israel Defense Forces told ABC News that the "incident" in which Lebanese state security personnel were killed on Friday is under review.
The IDF said it was striking Hezbollah targets in the Nabatieh area.
-ABC News' Dana Savir
NSC, State Department, Defense Department officials joining Vance in Iran talks
Officials from the National Security Council, the State Department, and the Department of Defense are also traveling to Pakistan in support of the negotiations with Iran, according to a U.S. official.
"As the Vice President said this morning, he is hopeful for a positive negotiation if the Iranians are willing to work in good faith. President Trump has a proven track record of achieving good deals on behalf of the United States and the American people, and he will only accept one that puts America first," White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement.
The Trump administration has been criticized for failing to include subject matter experts during previous rounds of negotiations with Iran.
As previously announced by the White House, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner are traveling to Islamabad for the talks as well.
Nearly 2,000 killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon, Lebanese ministry says
At least 1,953 people have been killed, and 6,303 injured, in Israeli strikes on Lebanon since the war began, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health.
Of those killed, 357 were killed in the massive Israeli strikes on Wednesday alone as the death toll continues to rise. Another 1,223 were injured in Wednesday strikes.
"This toll is still not final due to continued search and rescue efforts and presence of a very large amount of human remains, which requires time to complete DNA tests and confirm the identities of the victims, before determining the final toll of the victims of April 8," the health ministry said.
-ABC News' Ghazi Balkiz