A timeline of US-Iran talkspublished at 05:31 BST
Here’s an overview of negotiations between the US and Iran so far:
28 February: Conflict breaks out after the US and Israel launch strikes on Iran, as diplomatic talks collapse
6 March: Donald Trump says there will be no deal “except unconditional surrender” of Iran.
21 March: Trump sets a deadline, threatening to target Iran’s energy infrastructure unless it agrees to open the Strait of Hormuz.
23 March: Trump postpones his deadline, citing “productive conversations” – this is followed by a series of further postponements.
7 April: Trump warns “a whole civilisation will die” if the strait is not opened before another deadline.
8 April: Pakistan, acting as mediator, announces a two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran for further talks.
11 April: Senior US and Iranian officials, including Vice-President JD Vance and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, meet in Pakistan. After 21 hours of back and forth, Washington and Tehran remain far apart on key sticking points.
12 April: Trump announces a blockade of Iranian ports.
17 April: Iran’s Araghchi says the strait will remain open for the rest of the ceasefire. Trump says the US blockade will continue.
18 April: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps says it will block the strait again. Trump says “very good conversations” are happening but the US will not be “blackmailed” over the waterway.
