US President Donald Trump has hinted that a second round of talks with Iran could be held within the next few days.
Published April 15, 2026
US President Donald Trump said the war against Iran is “very close to being over” as Israel and Lebanon held an unprecedented face-to-face meeting in Washington, D.C., amid continued Israeli attacks in Lebanon.
Despite the U.S. naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, President Trump has signaled the possibility of a second round of talks with Iran in the coming days.
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Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund warned that further escalation could push the global economy into recession.
Here’s what we know:
in iran
Red Cross sends aid: The International Committee of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies announced that medical supplies and humanitarian aid arrived in Iran on Sunday, the first shipment since the war began. US to end Iranian oil bailout: The US Treasury says it will not renew a temporary sanctions waiver that allowed the sale of Iranian oil stranded at sea, and the move is set to expire within days. Tension in Tehran: Small explosions caused limited damage and injuries, underscoring the continued instability in the capital. Rising economic costs: Iran estimates war losses at $270 billion and plans to seek reparations. According to Reuters, International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Rafael Grossi said the length of the moratorium on uranium enrichment that Iran would be bound to under any deal with the United States is a political decision.
war diplomacy
Rare US-mediated talks: Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors meet face-to-face in Washington, with Beirut calling for a ceasefire and Israel pushing for Hezbollah’s disarmament. Possible restart of negotiations between Iran and the US: President Trump said talks with Iran could resume in Pakistan “within days”, although uranium enrichment remains a major bottleneck. The US is seeking a 20-year suspension, while Iran is reportedly proposing a five-year suspension. The conflict over the Strait of Hormuz continues. Mixed signals on progress: Vice President J.D. Vance expressed optimism about progress with Iran, but Iran analyst Hamid Reza Gholamzadeh said weathering U.S. pressure strengthened Iran’s position at the table.
in the US
Senate to vote on war powers: The Senate could vote as early as Wednesday on a Democratic-led effort to limit President Trump’s war powers, with lawmakers vowing to keep pushing the issue. US blockade increases pressure on Trump: Former US defense official David Sedney says Iran is “Trump’s bluff” and argues that the Hormuz blockade is backfiring by increasing pressure on the US as global partners face turmoil and US domestic support wanes. “The Iranian port blockade is fully implemented,” CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper said, adding that U.S. forces maintain maritime superiority in the Middle East. The US president slammed Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, one of his closest allies, saying the Italian prime minister lacked courage for not joining the US in attacking Iran. “I’m shocked for her. I thought she had courage, but I was wrong,” the president told Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the US would block Chinese tankers transporting Iranian oil in the Strait of Hormuz. “They’re not going to get oil. They’re going to get oil, but they’re not going to get Iranian oil,” Bessent told reporters in Washington, DC.
in israel
Israel proposes long-term presence in Lebanon: Israeli media have reported a proposal for a long-term presence in southern Lebanon, extending up to eight kilometers into the country until Hezbollah is disbanded. Ongoing military operations: Israel continues airstrikes across southern Lebanon, including intensive efforts to surround the symbolic and strategically important town of Bint Jubeir. Differences in priorities with the US on Iran: Former US Assistant Secretary of State Jeffrey Feltman pointed out that the rift between the US and Israel is widening regarding the war against Iran. He noted that Israel is far more concerned about Iran’s ballistic missile program than the United States, creating a rift in its strategic perspective. Implications for Italy: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has suspended the automatic renewal of a long-standing defense agreement with Israel, due to growing domestic pressure from Italian civil society. Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid blamed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar for the suspension, calling it “another embarrassing failure” to advance the interests of allies and Israel.
in lebanon
Israeli attacks continue: Lebanese civil defense teams and emergency workers have recovered four bodies following an Israeli attack in the Qadmus region of southern Lebanon, according to the National News Agency (NNA). Five people were killed in an Israeli airstrike in the southern Lebanese town of Ansariyah. Hezbollah fires rockets: Israel’s Channel 12 broadcaster reported that 20 rockets were fired from Lebanon this morning into Israel’s northern Galilee region, with some intercepted and others falling into open fields. Mixed reaction in Lebanon: Reactions to the Israel-Lebanon talks have been mixed, with some wanting peace and others refusing to negotiate with Israel after more than 2,100 people died. Hezbollah refused to negotiate. Villages in Lebanon destroyed ‘in the same way’ as in Gaza: Israeli soldiers told Haaretz newspaper that Israeli forces were destroying villages in southern Lebanon using ‘methods similar to those used in the Gaza Strip’. A blow to civilian infrastructure: The strike hit critical infrastructure, including housing, farmland, and Thevenin’s last functioning hospital, as the death toll rises and services come under severe pressure.
World economy:
IMF warns of global recession: The International Monetary Fund has warned that further escalation of the war against Iran and continued turmoil in the oil market could push the world to the brink of recession. IMF cuts regional forecast: The IMF has lowered its 2026 growth forecast for the Middle East and North Africa from 3.9% to 1.1%, citing war-related disruptions to Gulf oil and gas exports. Stocks higher, oil lower: Stock markets rose and oil prices fell on Tuesday as hopes for a deal to end the Middle East war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz reignited.
