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IRGC Seizes Ship With Witkoff-Kushner Team En Route To Pakistan; US Sanctions Chinese Refinery, Iran Shadow Fleet

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by Tyler Durden
Authored...

Summary

  • IRGC seizes a ship it says 'collaborated with US' in provocative move ahead of Pakistan talks; Iran FM preparing written proposal for US side.

  • President Trump is sending two envoys - Steve Witkoff and Jared Jushner - for talks with Iran in Pakistan, CNN reported, while Tehran sounded a more pessimistic tone on the prospects of further negotiations

  • US hits Iran 'shadow fleet' with new sanctions, also takes aim at Chinese 'teapot' oil refinery.

  • Third US aircraft carrier, the George HW Bush, has finally arrived in Mideast regional waters after taking the long way around Africa.

  • Hegseth in presser renews call, highlighting main issue, for Iran: "All they have to do is abandon a nuclear weapon in meaningful and verifiable ways..."; Warns Iranians over continued mine-laying.

  • Tehran again rejects as 'false' the rumors about Iran Parliament speaker being replaced with someone more hardline.

US x Iran permanent peace deal by June 30, 2026?
Yes 49% · No 52%
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IRGC Seizes Ship, US Sanctions China Refinery & Iran Shadow Fleet

Bloomberg reports just minutes after US market close: IRGC reportedly seizes the ship "EPAMINODES" which is suspected of collaborating with the US; the ship ignored warnings and numerous maritime violations, via Tasnim.

Also developing is the newly unveiled US sanctions on Iran's 'shadow fleet' just ahead of the next planned round of Pakistan talks, which will likely start just indirectly, given the Iranian side is said to be preparing a written response. According to Bloomberg:

  • The US sanctioned a Chinese oil refinery and dozens of shipping firms and vessels that transport Iranian oil.
  • The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control imposed penalties on Hengli Petrochemical (Dalian) Refinery Co., one of China's smaller so-called teapot oil refineries.
  • Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Treasury will continue to constrict the network of vessels, intermediaries, and buyers Iran relies on to move its oil to global markets.

US Sends Team to Pakistan, CNN Says, as Iran Balks at 

Confirming earlier speculation, CNN reported that President Trump is sending tdswo envoys for talks with Iran in Pakistan, even as Tehran sounded a more pessimistic tone on the prospects of further negotiations. Special envoy Steve Witkoff and the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner are set to participate in talks this weekend with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Yet according to Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported earlier, no talks are slated to take place between the two parties during the foreign minister’s trip. Vice President JD Vance, the lead negotiator for the US, isn’t currently expected to join the delegation, CNN said. According to the latest from the White House Press Secretary on Vance:

Vice President JD Vance will be on “standby” and is “willing to dispatch to Pakistan” for Iran talks if negotiations progress in a way that the White House determines is a “necessary use of his time,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt says.

Araghchi earlier said he was headed to Pakistan, but poured cold water on speculation that the US and Iran were close to a second round of negotiations to end the eight-week war, posting on social media that the purpose of his travel is to “closely coordinate with our partners on bilateral matters and consult on regional developments.”

Officials in Pakistan familiar with the matter said they expected a second round of peace talks between the US and Iran, while declining to say when the negotiations would happen or at what level.

Oil fell by as much as 3.3% to trade near $93 a barrel on the latest sign that the elusive peace talks between the US and Iran may materialize after all, even if there are no assurances of a favorable outcome. Traders had been closely tracking the movements of both delegations for signals on whether negotiations would come to pass and offer some relief as the strait remains largely shut.

The announcement came as the US increased pressure on Iran with its naval blockade, seeking to get Tehran to agree to talks, while Israel and Lebanon are set to extend a ceasefire for three weeks. Trump ordered the US Navy to shoot any boat putting mines in the Strait of Hormuz, after the military intercepted two oil supertankers that tried to evade restrictions on traffic to and from Iran’s ports. The move by Trump, who claimed Iran is laying sea mines in the strait, is part of the White House’s attempt to cut off the country’s oil exports, squeezing it economically and forcing it to make concessions that will help end the war.

“I have all the time in the World, but Iran doesn’t — The clock is ticking!” Trump said in a Truth Social post.

Meanwhile, in case talks prove futile again, Pete Hegseth, Trump’s defense secretary, on Friday said a second aircraft carrier will join the blockade in just a few days.

Iran FM Will Not Meet American Side in Pakistan; Tehran Denies Ghalibaaf Rumors

...but he will travel to Islamabad, and is expected there by Friday evening, amid what's being described as a multi-nation diplomatic tour to shore up support for Tehran, and to set the conditions for potential next round of negotiations with Washington.

"The date for the launch of the second round of US-Iranian negotiations has not yet been determined," a Pakistani source told Al Hadath. In Islamabad all that's expected is that FM Araghchi and his small team will engage with Pakistani mediators, and nothing more. There's been no comment on all of this from the White House, which says Trump has "all the time in the world" regarding the Iran war and Hormuz standoff. Meanwhile Tehran has once again vehemently rejected as false the new Friday reports that Iran Parliament Speaker Ghalibaaf has been replaced as lead negotiator. 

More Speculation on Ghalibaf Resigning Negotiations Team

Tehran on Thursday rejected widespread reports that Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf as resigned from leadership of Iran's negotiating team. But these reports have persisted into Friday, with Saudi-funded, London-based Iran International 'newly' reporting:

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, head of Iran’s negotiating team with the United States, has stepped down amid internal disagreements, Iran International has learned.

According to information obtained by Iran International, Ghalibaf was reprimanded for attempting to include the nuclear issue in talks with Washington and was forced to resign.

Hardline figure Saeed Jalili could replace him, while Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is also seeking to take over the negotiations.

And yet the fact remains that no talks are as yet scheduled, with regional media now saying Iran FM Araghchi is about to tour different countries, including Oman and even will make a stop in Russia - and that this may include Islamabad. If so, reports say it could just be part of a preparatory phase to engage Washington directly again. Latest via AJ: "No Iran-US talks to take place during FM Abbas Araghchi's visit to Pakistan, only bilateral engagement," citing senior Iranian source.

Hegseth Presser: Mine-Laying, Nuclear Sticking Point

A key line from the Pentagon chief on Friday morning: "All they have to do is abandon a nuclear weapon in meaningful and verifiable ways, or instead they can watch the regime's fragile economic state collapse under the unrelenting pressure of American power, a blockade as long as it takes, whatever President Trump decides," Hegseth said. He added that with the blockade continuing, "the clock is not on their side."

On this, Hegseth reiterated, "President Trump said it again yesterday. We have all the time in the world, and we're not anxious for a deal." And yet, he actually again made comparison to America's forever wars in the region:

Still, Hegseth opened his remarks to reporters decrying what he called the "endless wars of the past that dragged on for years and for decades," and he sought to draw distinctions between the conflicts in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. Instead, the defense secretary argued that Operation Epic Fury has delivered a "decisive military result" in weeks, with a focus on the mission of keeping Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.

The defense secretary said the mission is continuing into a new phase, and Iran now has the opportunity to make a peace deal. "Iran has an important choice, a chance to make a deal. A good deal. A wise deal," he said.

He further referenced yesterday's reports that Iran is still engaged in mine-laying activity in the Strait of Hormuz, and warned: "If Iran is putting mines in the water, or otherwise threatening American commercial shipping or American forces, we will shoot to destroy. No hesitation," he said.

Inadvertent admission of the leveling power of asymmetric warfare & geographic advantage: "Any one with a speedboat and a gun..."

'Breakthrough' on 2nd Round Pakistan Talks(?)

After signaling all day yesterday that it has not decided to engage the United States in a second round of peace talks, Friday morning has seen a flurry of headlines out of Saudi and regional media speculating that today is different. "Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi may arrive tonight accompanied by a small delegation," Pakistani government source has told Al Arabiya's correspondent.

Also Bloomberg too is reporting that Iran's FM Araghchi is expected to arrive in Islamabad tonight. Additionally sources out of Pakistan say the country may announce today the resumption of negotiations between Iran and America. Of course, we've seen many such "second round of US-Iran talks expected" headlines before which didn't materialize, and at the moment there's no signs of movement out of the US side.

via Al Jazeera

However, some of these same sources and headlines are cautioning that it is unclear if there will be Washington engagement. But if a second round of talks actually materializes, it will lend credence to the recent White House insistence that Tehran's private stance is much more compromising and conciliatory than its public stance. Latest:

IRAN'S FOREIGN MINISTER ABBAS ARAGHCHI IS EXPECTED TO REACH ISLAMABAD AT AROUND 10 PM LOCAL TIME, ACCORDING TO AN IRANIAN SOURCE.

And Al Jazeera freshly reports on a flurry of phone calls, which suggests some kind of potential "breakthrough" in getting back to the negotiating table:

Government sources have confirmed there is a “high likelihood of a breakthrough” in US-Iran talks in Islamabad, as a delegation led by Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to arrive in the Pakistani capital tonight. Earlier today, Iran’s foreign minister held a telephone conversation with Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, confirmed by both sides.

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said the two sides exchanged views on regional developments, the ceasefire, and ongoing diplomatic efforts in the context of US-Iran engagement. Dar underscored the importance of sustained dialogue, while Araghchi appreciated Pakistan’s “consistent and constructive facilitation role”, the ministry said.

Iran’s state news agency IRNA also reported that Araghchi held a separate telephone conversation with Pakistan’s Army chief Asim Munir.

Third US Carrier Finally Arrives in Region

US Central Command (CENTCOM) is flashing the big stick, as there are now three US aircraft carrier groups total in the region. Some pundits have speculated that the whole Islamabad second round talks back-and-forth has just been a delay tactic for each side to regroup, replenish missiles, and position forces in the region.

After all, Israel's defense ministry on Thursday stated bluntly it is preparing for a new round of warfare with Iran, and Iranian forces too say they are ready for anything that comes, and have continued to preview that America's Gulf allies would also face renewed attack for hosting US forces.

More Geopolitical Overnight & Latest

According to more of some of the latest from Al Jazeera:

  • US President Donald Trump says he hopes to host Israeli and Lebanese leaders “in the near future”, after announcing a three-week extension to the fragile ceasefire in Lebanon, which was due to expire on Sunday.
  • President Trump said he is under no pressure to end his war with Iran, though time is limited for Tehran. “I have all the time in the World, but Iran doesn’t – The clock is ticking!” Trump wrote on social media.
  • A third US aircraft carrier has arrived in the Middle East. The USS George HW Bush joined the USS Gerald R Ford and USS Abraham Lincoln in a massive buildup of naval firepower.
  • Trump gives orders to “shoot and kill” any Iranian boats placing sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz, as the US naval siege of Iran’s ports continues, and officials in Tehran say talks will not resume until the blockade is lifted.

And via Newsquawk: 

  • Iran Foreign Minister to Visit Islamabad Friday, Pakistan Says; Oil Dips After Pakistan Says US-Iran Peace Talks Are Expected: BBG
  • US President Trump posted that the meeting between Israel and Lebanon went well, the US is to work with Lebanon to protect itself from Hezbollah and that the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire is to be extended by three weeks: RTRS
  • Israeli media: A limited operation against Iran may be carried out to avoid a prolonged war: Al Arabiya 
  • An Iranian Ship Tried to Slip Past the Blockade. A U.S. Destroyer Chased It Down: WSJ
  • Tanker Helga arrives at Iraq’s Basra offshore terminal to load 2mln BPD of crude, sources say; Helga is the second tanker to reach Basra terminals since the Hormuz closure.
  • U.S. Soldier Charged With Using Classified Information to Bet on Maduro’s Ouster: WSJ
  • Pentagon email floats suspending Spain from NATO, other steps over Iran rift: RTRS
  • China to Curb US Investment in Tech Companies After Meta Deal: BBG
  • Intel Shares Set to Eclipse Dot-Com Peak on Sales Forecast
  • Conservative super PAC threatens to unseat Republicans over immigration bill: RTRS
  • Hedge Fund at Center of Avis Squeeze Added to Stake Before Rout: BBG
  • Citadel Sends Warning Shot to NYC After Mamdani Jabs Griffin: WSJ
  • Meta Signs Multibillion-Dollar Deal With Amazon to Use Its CPU Chips for AI: WSJ
  • Lilly’s New Obesity Pill Off to Slow Start in Race With Novo: BBG
  • Oracle’s Deluge of AI Debt Pushes Wall Street to the Limit: WSJ
  • Orban’s Son-in-Law Waits Out Hungarian Wealth Probe in New York: BBG
  • Chinese Securities Regulator said that China is to allow qualified foreign investors to trade treasury futures from April 24, 2026, for hedging purposes only.
  • US official said Russia is to be included in G20 summit invitations

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