Iran Ceasefire on the Brink: Vance Flies to Islamabad, Hormuz Tense

The US-Iran ceasefire entered its most precarious stretch on Tuesday as Vice President JD Vance departed Washington for Islamabad talks, a day after a US Navy destroyer fired on and seized an Iran-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman.

Touska seizure escalates crisis

The USS Spruance, a guided-missile destroyer, intercepted the Iranian cargo vessel Touska on Sunday and took custody of it after firing on the ship, NPR and CNN reported. Tehran's Foreign Ministry demanded the immediate release of the Touska and accused Washington of breaching the ceasefire.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday that the United States had "violated the ceasefire from the beginning of its implementation," citing both the Touska seizure and the US naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz in place since April 13, according to Al Jazeera.

Vance, Witkoff, Kushner head to Islamabad

Vance is flying to Islamabad with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner for a second round of talks scheduled for Wednesday, April 22, CNBC and NBC News reported. President Donald Trump said on Monday that an extension of the ceasefire, which he considers set to expire Wednesday evening Washington time, is "highly unlikely" without a deal.

A previous round of Islamabad negotiations earlier in April ended without agreement after 21 hours of talks. Iran has signaled it may not send a delegation this week, citing Washington's "excessive demands, unrealistic expectations, constant shifts in stance, repeated contradictions, and the ongoing naval blockade," per France 24.

Markets jolt as Hormuz stays closed

The Strait of Hormuz remained closed to traffic as of Tuesday. Brent crude futures rose more than 5 percent to around $95 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate climbed about 6.8 percent to roughly $89.61, according to CNBC and NBC News.

Iranian parliament committee head Mohammad Rezaei-Kouchi said a bill is being drafted that would ban vessels from "hostile" countries from the Strait and impose tolls on all others, RFE/RL reported. The proposal has not been enacted. The Greek prime minister called the proposed Iranian toll "unacceptable."