In the end, no one went to Islamabad. The Iranians told the Pakistani diplomatic mission that the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz was a clear violation of the ceasefire and therefore there were no negotiations. After Iran withdrew from the dialogue, J.D. Vance and the Witkoff and Kushner delegation cancelled their trip to Islamabad. By 10:00 PM Italian time on April 21, it was clear that the talks would not take place.
Donald Trump first said: “Given the fact that the Iranian government is deeply divided, which is not surprising, and at the request of Field Marshal Asim Munir and Pakistani Prime Minister Sheikh Baaz Sharif, we have been asked to postpone our attack on Iran until their leaders and representatives are able to present a unified proposal. Therefore, I have ordered our armed forces to maintain the blockade and remain ready and operational, and therefore I will extend the ceasefire until their proposal is presented and the discussions are concluded, one way or another.”
CNN reported that the reason Trump extended the ceasefire, despite his previous threats not to do so, is that the United States is running out of interceptor missiles. Iran, via the Iranian news agency Tasnim: “We have not requested a ceasefire extension. Iran will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until the US blockade is lifted.” Advisor to the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Mahdi Mohammadi: “Trump’s ceasefire extension is meaningless.” “The loser cannot impose conditions, and continuing the blockade is no different from dropping bombs and requires a military response.” “Meanwhile, Trump’s ceasefire extension certainly buys time for a surprise attack. It’s time for Iran to take the initiative.”
Meanwhile, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced new updates to its list of Specially Designated Nationals (SDN). Eight individuals, four entities, and two aircraft have been added to the SDN list. The list, centered on Iran, includes several individuals and entities from Iran, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and other countries.
Donald Trump explained that the ship stopped in Hormuz was Chinese: “Yesterday, we stopped a ship carrying unsavory cargo from China. Maybe it was a gift from China, I’m not sure. I was surprised because I thought we had reached an agreement with President Xi. I have a great relationship with him, but still, it’s not a problem.”
Senator Chris Murphy: “We’re spending billions to keep our navy in the Straits, only to fail miserably in trying to open a waterway that wasn’t closed until Trump’s pointless war of choice closed it.”
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) erected a new crucifix in a village in southern Lebanon, on the site of one destroyed by an Israeli soldier. According to Israeli sources, an Israeli settler recruited by Iran reportedly received only 150 shekels (about $40) for military intelligence provided by his brother, an active-duty soldier.
Hezbollah has taken responsibility for missile and drone attacks against Israeli positions in response to ceasefire violations. Citing an official source, Lebanon will request a one-month extension of the truce during talks with Israel in Washington today, Thursday.
The United States has frozen money transfers to Iraq to pressure Iraqi authorities to disband local pro-Iranian militias, the Wall Street Journal reports, citing sources.
Ansar Allah leader Mohammed al-Houthi: “We will not remain neutral in the face of any aggression against Iran. Our position is clear and public: we will not remain neutral in the face of any Israeli-American aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran. We are in conflict with the Israeli enemy and its American ally. If the enemy returns to war, we will also go to war.”
Maersk Shipping Company: “Transit through the Strait of Hormuz is not recommended.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi: “Blocking Iranian ports is an act of war and therefore a violation of the ceasefire.” The Iranian Supreme Leader’s representative to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Abdollah Haji Sadeghi: “There are no negotiations for now… We will negotiate when the enemy accepts our conditions.” “The enemy must accept that we are in a position of victory and that he is in a position of defeat.” “Our people are perspicacious; whenever, with the guidance of the leadership, our battlefield shifts from the missile field to the field of negotiation, the people will support it.” “Our people are a people of logic and reason, and loyal to the leadership; Wherever and in whatever context it was necessary, he opposed arrogance.” Source Mehr News
And now a look at the ongoing military scenarios in the Middle East and West Asia, updated at 2:30 PM on April 22. The United States has expanded its operations against Iran beyond the Middle East, the Washington Post reports. The previous day, the US Navy intercepted the oil tanker Tifani in the Indo-Pacific region and escorted at least one other vessel off the western coast of India. The publication calls this event “the beginning of a series of similar operations.”
Another brutal act by the Israel Defense Forces against the employees of a bakery in the West Bank who were attacked while working during the night. Settlers gathered between the areas of Harmala and Abu Nujaym, south of Bethlehem.
Channel 12: An interceptor missile was launched from northern Israel toward a target in southern Lebanon. A car was attacked on a public road in Tyre, resulting in injuries.
Clashes continue between the Druze militia and the new regime’s army in As-Suwayda, Syria. According to Channel 12: Israelis infiltrated the Syrian city of Hader before being repelled by the Israeli army.
Explosions in Erbil province, northern Iraq. The attacks began after the ceasefire expired. They were caused by Iranian drone strikes against the headquarters of US-backed Kurdish opposition groups. US-backed Iranian Kurdish factions report that their headquarters have been targeted by Iranian suicide drones since the end of the original ceasefire period.
Scams targeting ships sailing in Hormuz continue. Several companies Shipping companies received fraudulent messages impersonating Iranian authorities and promising safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for cryptocurrency payments. The British Maritime Trade Centre reported this morning that an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps vessel opened fire on a container ship in the Strait of Hormuz, causing serious damage to the bridge. “A Revolutionary Guards gunboat opened fire on a vessel near the Strait of Hormuz, approximately 15 nautical miles northeast of Oman, causing serious damage to the bridge. There were no injuries.
Late in the morning of April 22, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Naval Air Command reported: “Two irregular vessels, the “MSC-FRANCESCA” and the “EPAMINODAS,” which were operating without proper authorization and interfering with navigation systems, were intercepted by the Naval Air Force and diverted to the Iranian coast.”
Iran’s National Security Forces (SNSF) confirmed the seizure of two vessels attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz and brought them to the Iranian coast. According to Reuters, a total of three vessels were attacked.
Meanwhile, the Financial Times reported: “Dozens of vessels have managed to evade the blockade since it began, despite Trump calling it a ‘huge success.'”
According to the Tasnim news agency, the Strait of Hormuz is the digital lifeblood of the Persian Gulf. “The Strait of Hormuz is not only vital for global oil and gas, but also one of the world’s most sensitive internet chokepoints. At least seven major undersea cables cross this narrow corridor, carrying a significant share of global data traffic, accounting for 97% of internet communications transmitted via undersea fiber optics. Systems such as the FALCON submarine cable system, the AAE-1 cable system, the TGN-Gulf, and the SEA-ME-WE cable network connect West Asia to Europe and Asia, supporting finance, cloud services, and everyday communications. The high concentration of digital infrastructure in such a narrow passage creates a critical vulnerability. After crossing the strait, these cables converge at coastal landing stations and regional data centers, making the area a single point of failure for much of the Persian Gulf’s digital economy.
Tehran Police: “An employee of a commercial company has been arrested for using the company’s communications equipment to contact enemy spy networks.” Iran announced the execution of Mahdi Farid accused of spying for Israel, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps positioned a Khorramshahr-4 missile in Tehran’s Enghelab Square, ready for launch as a public demonstration among the crowd, as the ceasefire expired.
Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
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