WASHINGTON, United States – The United States and Iran warned they were ready for war on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, as the clock ticked down on a ceasefire.
Okay News reports that the White House said Vice President JD Vance was ready to fly back to Islamabad, Pakistan, for a second round of talks on ending the war.
Tehran‘s government declined to confirm that it would participate and accused the United States of violating the truce through its blockade of Iranian ports and seizure of a ship.
Iran’s powerful parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said, “By imposing a blockade and violating the ceasefire, Trump wants to turn this negotiating table into a surrender table or justify renewed hostilities, as he sees fit.”
United States President Donald Trump accused Tehran of violating the truce by harassing vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump told PBS News, “We agreed to be there,” and said if the ceasefire expired “then lots of bombs start going off”.
Trump told Bloomberg News it was highly unlikely he would extend the two-week truce. The shipping industry intelligence site Lloyd’s List reported on Tuesday that more than 20 Iranian shadow vessels had transited past the US blockade.
Trump insisted on his Truth Social platform that the blockade was destroying Iran and said it will not end until there is a deal regarding Iran’s contested nuclear programme. Iran’s foreign ministry said the enriched uranium stockpile was not going to be transferred anywhere and the option was never raised in talks.
A separate ceasefire agreed between Israel and Lebanon was announced on Friday, and the two countries will hold a second round of talks in Washington on Thursday. Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed at least 2,387 people since the start of the war, a Lebanese government body said in its latest toll.
