Fate of Iran peace talks uncertain as deadline approaches for end of ceasefire

By Parisa Hafezi, Jana Choukeir and Steve Holland

DUBAI/WASHINGTON, April 20 (Reuters) - Iran is considering attending peace talks with the United States in Pakistan, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Monday, following moves by Islamabad to end a U.S. blockade of Iran's ports, a significant obstacle to Tehran rejoining peace efforts as the end of a two-week ceasefire approaches.

However, the official stressed that no decision had been made ‌and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said that "continued violations of the ceasefire" by the U.S. are a major obstacle to continuing the diplomatic process.

Araqchi told his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar in a telephone call that Iran, ‌while taking all aspects of the matter into account, had yet to decide how to proceed further.

On Monday night, Iran’s top negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf accused U.S. President Donald Trump on X of increasing pressure on Tehran through the blockade and ceasefire violations, saying Iran rejects negotiations under threat.

The two-week ceasefire ​in a conflict that has killed thousands and roiled the global economy, particularly energy markets, is set to expire this week.

It had appeared to be in jeopardy after the U.S. said it had seized an Iranian cargo ship that tried to run its blockade and Tehran vowed to retaliate.

In the Islamabad talks, Trump is eager for a deal that would help avoid another surge in oil prices and plunge in stock markets. Iran hopes to leverage its control of the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial shipping channel for global energy supplies, to get an agreement that prevents a resumption of the war, and allows financial relief from long-running sanctions and some breathing room for its nuclear program.

Adding to the uncertainty, Vice President JD Vance remained in the United States on Monday, a ‌separate source told Reuters, denying reports he was already on his way to Pakistan ⁠for talks.

The unnamed senior Iranian official said Tehran was "positively reviewing" its participation, a shift from earlier statements ruling out attendance and pledging to retaliate for U.S. aggression.

The official said mediator Pakistan was making positive efforts to end the U.S. blockade and ensure Iran's participation.

Trump announced the two-week ceasefire with Iran on April 7, and has not specified when precisely it ends.

A Pakistani source involved ⁠in the talks said it would expire at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, which would be midnight GMT or 3:30 a.m. Thursday in Iran.

Trump said on social media that he believed his administration's nuclear deal with Iran would be better than a 2015 international agreement reached after years of negotiations under then-President Barack Obama, a Democrat.

Trump withdrew from that agreement - which had been vehemently opposed by congressional Republicans and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - in 2018, during his first term as president.

It was unclear what kind of agreement could be reached in ​just ​a few days of talks, but the Republican U.S. president predicted a quick result.

"I am under no pressure whatsoever, although, it will all ​happen, relatively quickly!" Trump said in a Truth Social post.

Advertisement

BLOCKADE POSES A PROBLEM

A Pakistani security source ‌said Pakistani mediator Field Marshal Asim Munir had told Trump the blockade was an obstacle to talks, and that Trump had promised to consider ending it.

The U.S. was hoping to start negotiations in Pakistan shortly before the ceasefire expires.

However, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that "unconstructive & contradictory signals from American officials carry a bitter message; they seek Iran's surrender."

"Iranians do not submit to force," he added on X.

The U.S. has maintained its blockade of Iranian ports, while Iran lifted and then reimposed its own blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which typically handles roughly one-fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas supply.

Oil prices rose around 5% as traders remained fearful that the ceasefire would collapse. Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz was at a virtual standstill with just three crossings in the space of 12 hours, according to shipping data. [O/R]

U.S. MARINES BOARD IRANIAN VESSEL

The U.S. military said it had fired on an Iranian-flagged cargo ship headed towards Iran's Bandar Abbas port on Sunday after a standoff. ‌U.S. Central Command released video showing Marines descending ropes from helicopters onto the vessel.

The vessel is likely to have been carrying what Washington ​deems dual-use items that could be used by the military, maritime security sources said on Monday.

Iran's military said the ship had been travelling from ​China and accused the U.S. of "armed piracy", according to state media. They said they were ready to confront U.S. ​forces over the "blatant aggression", but were constrained by the presence of crew members’ families on board.

China, the main buyer of Iranian crude, expressed concern over the "forced interception", and Chinese President Xi Jinping ‌called for ships to resume passage through the strait as normal and for the conflict to ​be resolved through political and diplomatic channels, state news agency ​Xinhua reported.

Trump warned on Sunday that the U.S. would destroy every bridge and power plant in Iran if it rejected his terms, continuing a recent pattern of such threats.

Iran has said that if the United States were to attack its civilian infrastructure, it would strike power stations and desalination plants in its Gulf Arab neighbours.

PREPARING FOR TALKS THAT MIGHT NOT HAPPEN

Pakistan geared up to host the talks despite uncertainty over whether they would go ahead. ​Nearly 20,000 security personnel have been deployed across Islamabad, a government official and a security ‌official said.

Thousands of people have been killed by U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran and in an Israeli invasion of Lebanon conducted in parallel since the war began on February 28. A truce in Lebanon is also ​currently in place and Washington is to host a second round of ambassador-level talks between Lebanon and Israel on Thursday as part of efforts to protect a fragile ceasefire.

(Reporting Reuters bureaus; Writing by John ​Geddie, Alexandra Hudson, Keith Weir, Patricia Zengerle and Tim Reid; Editing by Lincoln Feast, Kevin Liffey, Alison Williams and Nia Williams)

byDaniel Coleman

in

April 21, 2026

Fate of Iran peace talks uncertain as deadline approaches for end of ceasefire

By Parisa Hafezi, Jana Choukeir and Steve Holland DUBAI/WASHINGTON, April 20 (Reuters) - Iran is considering attending peace talk...

Read More

Guardians' Austin Hedges proposes to girlfriend on field after win

Austin Hedgeshad the best Sunday.

Hedges scored the first run in theCleveland Guardians'8-4win over theBaltimore Orioles, then saved his best score for the postgame, when he proposed to his girlfriend, Lexi Dickinson, on the field.

With a few friends and teammates present, a "Lexi, will you marry me?" message was displayedon the scoreboardat Cleveland's Progressive Field.

"Really hoping to win that game,"Hedges said. "I was going to do it regardless, but I really wanted to win that game to make it extra special."

Hedges, 33-year-old, 12-year major-league veteran catcher, admitted to being nervous the entire day.

Advertisement

"Lots of nerves, lots of nerves," Hedges said. "A lot of nerves about – I'm always nervous for baseball games. I mean, obviously that's a good team over there and we want to win the series. And just trying to stay present, knowing that there was some activities after. But special day, special day to be able to soak it all in."

Hedges said that he's had the engagement ring since spring training and was looking for the right moment to propose to Dickinson, who he has had been dating since November 2024. After the successful proposal, Hedges' teammates joined in an on-field celebration.

Hedges has played six of his 12 big-league seasons in Cleveland, and also spent time with theSan Diego Padres,Pittsburgh PiratesandTexas Rangers, with whom he was a member of the team's 2023 World Series winners.

USA TODAY's eNewspaper is here- your source for timely, relevant stories, updated continuously.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Austin Hedges gets engaged after Guardians' win over Orioles

byDaniel Coleman

in

April 21, 2026

Guardians' Austin Hedges proposes to girlfriend on field after win

Austin Hedgeshad the best Sunday. Hedges scored the first run in theCleveland Guardians'8-4win over theBaltimore Orioles, then...

Read More

Doc Rivers was more than ready for his split with the Bucks: 'It wasn't a hard decision'

Doc Rivers was ready for his split with the Milwaukee Bucks. The choice to leave earlier this month, he said Tuesday, was entirely his.

And it was an easy choice to make.

“It wasn’t a hard decision,” Rivers toldAndscape’s Marc J. Spears. “It’s probably on your mind the last couple of years.

“It had nothing to do with the season or anything like that. There’s times where you feel like you’ve had your run. I still love it. I still love coaching. But I don’t ever want my job to become work. I guess that is the best way of saying that. It’s more of a labor of love. So, I just felt like it was time. It was not like some lightning strike or something like that. I told ownership that a while ago.”

Rivers stepped down as the Bucks’ head coachearlier this month after a tumultuous season in which he spent nearly all of it on the hot seat. The team went 32-50, Rivers’ second full one leading the organization, and missed the playoffs for the first time in a decade. Star Giannis Antetokounmpo publicly feuded with the organization, too, and may be on his way out the door.Sources told ESPN’s Shams Charaniathe entire year “felt like a funeral” within the locker room largely due to Antetokounmpo’s situation, and that it was “as toxic of a team situation as any” in the NBA.

Advertisement

So when Rivers and the Bucks split, it didn't come as a surprise. Rivers was ready, and he’s enjoyed the time away from the game since, he said. And it sounds like he’s not in a rush to figure out what’s next.

“It’s feels strange. Usually after the season, you’re already looking [ahead],” Rivers said. “But it’s been great so far. I’m golfing. I’m in [Charlotte] to see my grandkids. So, I’m doing exactly what I said I wanted to do. In a year from now, I may need something to do. I don’t know. TV is something I want to get back into. Front office, maybe. And that is where me and the Bucks transitioned to once I told them where I wanted to go. And even with that I said, ‘Let me wait.’”

Rivers spent 27 seasons as a head coach throughout the league. He started with the Orlando Magic in 1999, and spent time with the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers before landing in Milwaukee. He won a title with the Celtics in 2008, and led them to the NBA Finals two years later. In total, Rivers holds a 1,194-866 record. He is sixth on the all-time coaching wins list and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame this year as a coach.

While he wasn’t completely firm on coaching again — he said on “The Bill Simmons Podcast” on Friday that he’d be “surprised” if he coached another game — Rivers still sounds ready to retire. He told Spears that “it’s very possible” that he’s already coached his last NBA game, which is leaving the door open just slightly.

At the very least, Rivers was more than ready for a break.

“I’m 64 with kids, grandkids. And I’m not like a lot of the other coaches,” Rivers said. “A lot of the other coaches, when they get fired, they’re off a year or two years. I’ve never had that. I’ve [coached] for basically 26 straight years. So that’s what I was thinking, ‘Man, when am I going to start enjoying things?’ I still want to be in the game and do something. I don’t even know where that goes. But I just thought it was time. This was my decision. It was 100 percent my decision.”

byDaniel Coleman

in

April 21, 2026

Doc Rivers was more than ready for his split with the Bucks: 'It wasn't a hard decision'

Doc Rivers was ready for his split with the Milwaukee Bucks. The choice to leave earlier this month, he said Tuesday, was entirely his....

Read More

Japan warns of slightly increased risk of mega-quake after a 7.7-magnitude one

TOKYO (AP) — An earthquake registering a preliminary magnitude of 7.7 off northernJapanon Monday prompted a short-lived tsunami alert and the advisory of a higher risk of a possible mega-quake for coastal areas there.

The Cabinet Office and the Japan Meteorological Agency said there was a 1% chance for a mega-quake, compared to a 0.1% chance during normal times, in the next week or so following the powerful quake near the Chishima and Japan trenches.

Officials said the advisory was not a quake prediction but urged residents in 182 towns along the northeastern coasts to raise their preparedness while continuing their daily lives.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, speaking to reporters, urged residents in the affected area to confirm their designated shelters and evacuation routes and to check emergency food and grab bags so they can run immediately when the next big one hits. “The government will do our utmost in case of an emergency,” she said.

It was the second such advisory for the region in recent months.One was issued following a 7.5-magnitude quake in Decemberbut no mega-quake occurred.

The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said one person in Aomori, north of Iwate, was injured after falling Monday.

Still, Monday's earthquake and tsunami warning were a reminder to the quake-prone area of the March 2011 disaster that ravaged large swaths of the northern coast, triggering a nuclear crisis in Fukushima.

Advertisement

The quake occurred off the coast of Sanriku at around 4:53 p.m. (0753 GMT) Monday, at a depth of about 19 kilometers (11 miles), the meteorological agency said.

Footage on NHK television showed hanging objects swaying and people squatting at a shopping center in Aomori, as authorities told people to seek higher ground and stay away from coastal areas.

Shinkansen bullet trains connecting Tokyo and northern Japan were suspended, leaving passengers in cars and on platforms waiting for service to resume.

A tsunami of about 80 centimeters (2.6 feet) was detected at the Kuji port in Iwate prefecture within an hour of the quake, and a smaller tsunami of 40 centimeters (1.3 feet) was recorded at another port in the prefecture, the meteorological agency said.

The U.S.-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center later said the tsunami threat “has now passed.”

The Nuclear Regulation Authority said nuclear power plants and related facilities in the region were intact and no abnormalities were detected.

The disaster management agency said at one point, more than 170,000 people in five northern prefectures from Hokkaido to Fukushima were advised to take shelter.

It's 15 years sincea magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunamion March 11, 2011, ravaged parts of northern Japan, causing more than 22,000 deaths and forcing nearly half a million people to flee their homes, most of them due to tsunami damage.

byDaniel Coleman

in

April 20, 2026

Japan warns of slightly increased risk of mega-quake after a 7.7-magnitude one

TOKYO (AP) — An earthquake registering a preliminary magnitude of 7.7 off northernJapanon Monday prompted a short-lived tsunami alert a...

Read More

Angels announce death of MLB legend Garret Anderson at age 53

Garret Anderson, one of the greatest and most beloved players inLos Angeles Angelshistory, has died at the age of 53, the team announced April 17.

Anderson, a three-time All-Star who helped lead the Angels to the 2002 World Series championship, played the majority of his 17-year career with the Angels. He holds franchise record for games played (2,013), hits (2,368), runs scored (1,024), RBIs (1,292), and total bases (3,743). He ranked second behind only Hall of Famer Derek Jeter for the most hits from 1997-2003.

Anderson, the 2003 All-Star Game MVP and Home Run Derby winner, had been working for the Angels as a broadcaster.

“The Angels organization is mourning the loss of one of our franchise’s most beloved icons," said Angels owner Arte Moreno in a statement.  “Garret was a cornerstone of our organization throughout his 15 seasons and his stoic presence in the outfield and our clubhouse elevated the Angels into an era of continued success...

"Garret will forever hold a special place in the hearts of Angels fans for his professionalism, class, and loyalty throughout his career and beyond. His admiration and respect for the game was immeasurable. We extend our deepest condolences to Garret’s wife Teresa, daughters Brianne and Bailey, son Garret ‘Trey’ Anderson III, and his entire family.”

Advertisement

Garret Anderson, one of the greatest players in Los Angeles Angels history, has died at the age of 53, the team announced on April 17, 2026.

A three-time All-Star and key part of the Angels’ 2002 World Series title, he holds multiple franchise records, including games played (2,013), hits (2,368), runs scored (1,024), RBI (1,292), and total bases (3,743). He ranked second behind only Hall of Famer Derek Jeter for the most hits from 1997-2003.

Revisit his baseball career, from joining the MLB in the 1990s to his induction into the Angels hall of fame and later becoming a broadcaster for the Angels.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

Remembering Angels great Garret Anderson

Garret Anderson, one of the greatest players in Los Angeles Angels history, has died at the age of 53, the team announced on April 17, 2026.A three-time All-Star and key part of the Angels’ 2002 World Series title, he holds multiple franchise records, including games played (2,013), hits (2,368), runs scored (1,024), RBI (1,292), and total bases (3,743). He ranked second behind only Hall of Famer Derek Jeter for the most hits from 1997-2003.Revisit his baseball career, from joining the MLB in the 1990s to his induction into the Angels hall of fame and later becoming a broadcaster for the Angels.

Anderson, who became only the second player in baseball history in 2000 to hit more home runs (35) than walks (24), finished fourth in the AL MVP race in 2002 when the Angels won the World Series. He hit .306 with 29 homers and 123 RBIs, while scoring a career-high 93 runs.

Anderson retired in 2011 and was inducted into the Angels’ Hall of Fame in 2016.

“It is with mixed emotions that I have decided to retire from baseball," Anderson said in his retirement statement. “I know I will miss many aspects of the game, the grind of playing every day, hitting with the game on the line, the clubhouse banter, making a good defensive play, the guys, the roar of the crowd after a win, and the friendships made throughout the years. It was truly a privilege to play this wonderful game and for that I want to thank several individuals."

Anderson grew up in Granada Hills, California, and was selected in the fourth round of the 1990 amateur draft. He spent five years in the minors before making his MLB debut July 27, 1994 against Oakland with his first hit off Ron Darling. He finished second in the AL Rookie of the Year voting in 1995 behind Marty Cordova of the Minnesota Twins.

He was one of the game’s most durable players, playing an average of 156 games per year his first eight seasons. He finished with 2,529 hits and a career .293 batting average.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Garret Anderson dies at 53: Angels legend won World Series in LA

byDaniel Coleman

in

April 20, 2026

Angels announce death of MLB legend Garret Anderson at age 53

Garret Anderson, one of the greatest and most beloved players inLos Angeles Angelshistory, has died at the age of 53, the team announce...

Read More