Washington: US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he would start bombing Iran if they do not agree to a deal with the US before the end of the two-week ceasefire on Wednesday.”Well, I don’t want to do that,” Trump told CJattvibe’s ‘Squawk Box’ when asked if he would extend the ceasefire with Iran to allow time for the peace talks to reach a deal to end the war.”They have to negotiate. And, you know, the one thing I’ll say is this: Iran can get themselves on a very good footing. If they make a deal, they can make themselves into a strong nation again, a wonderful nation again,” he added.Trump said that if the cease-fire ends on Wednesday without an agreement, he is prepared to resume attacking Iran.”I expect to be bombing because I think that’s a better attitude to go in with,” he said.The President said he thinks the US is “going to end up with a great deal” with Iran to end the weeks-long war.”I think they have no choice,” Trump said when asked about his expectations from the second round of peace negotiations with Iran.”We’ve taken out their navy, we’ve taken out their air force, we’ve taken out their leaders,” the president said.”We’ve taken out their leaders, frankly, which does complicate things in one way, but these leaders are much more rational,” Trump said. “It is regime change, no matter what you want to call it, which is not something I said I was going to do, but I’ve done it indirectly.”While the first round of US-Iran talks, held on April 11 and 12, ended without an agreement, uncertainty surrounds the second round. PTIVance has not yet left for Iran talks, White House official saysApril 21, 2026 9:42 pmUS Vice President JD Vance has not yet left Washington for talks on Iran and is participating in additional policy meetings, a White House official said on Tuesday. ReutersPakistan is hopeful talks will proceedApril 21, 2026 6:06 pmIslamabad: Despite the rhetorical skirmishing between the two sides, Pakistani officials have expressed confidence that Iran will also send a delegation late on Tuesday so that the talks could resume. Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday spoke with his Egyptian counterpart, Badr Abdelatty, to discuss the latest regional developments, as part of diplomatic preparations, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry. Dar also met with the ambassador from China, which is a key trading partner with Iran, as the Foreign Ministry in Beijing said that the conflict was at a “critical stage of transition between war and peace”. “At such a moment, it is all the more necessary for all parties to show the utmost sincerity, remain committed to a political solution, maintain the momentum of the ceasefire and negotiations,” ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said. Security has been tightened across Pakistan’s capital, where authorities have deployed thousands of personnel and increased patrols along routes leading to the airport. APStrait of Hormuz control key to negotiationsApril 21, 2026 6:04 pmIslamabad: The US has instituted a blockade of Iranian ports to pressure Tehran into ending its stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping lane through which 20 per cent of the world’s natural gas and crude oil transits in peacetime. Iran’s iron grip on the strait has sent oil prices soaring, and Brent crude, the international standard, was trading at close to USD 95 per barrel on Tuesday, up more than 30 per cent from February 28, the day that Israel and the US attacked Iran to start the war. Before the war began, the Strait of Hormuz had been fully open to international shipping, and Trump has demanded that vessels again be allowed to transit unimpeded through the waterway. APUS forces board oil tanker previously sanctioned for smuggling Iranian crude oilApril 21, 2026 5:26 pmWashington: US forces boarded an oil tanker previously sanctioned for smuggling Iranian crude oil in Asia, the Department of Defence said on Tuesday. In a social media post, the Pentagon said US forces “conducted a right-of-visit maritime interdiction” and boarded the M/T Tifani “without incident”. Ship-tracking data showed the Tifani in the Indian Ocean between Sri Lanka and Indonesia. The announcement described the incident as happening overnight, adding that “international waters are not a refuge for sanctioned vessels”. APTrump offers mixed messages about path ahead for US war against IranApril 21, 2026 1:52 pmWashington: President Donald Trump offered mixed messages on Monday about the path ahead for the US war against Iran, declaring that he was in no rush to end the conflict while also expressing confidence that further negotiations with Tehran will soon take place in Pakistan. With the 14-day ceasefire to expire Wednesday, Trump whipsawed in telephone interviews and social media posts between measured optimism that a deal could soon be reached and warning that “lots of bombs” will “start going off” if there’s no agreement before the ceasefire deadline. Trump indicated that he still expects to dispatch his negotiating team, led by Vice President JD Vance, to Pakistan’s capital of Islamabad for a second round of talks, even as Iran insisted it would not take part until Trump dialed back his demands. APUS-Iran ceasefire likely to be extended, says former CENTCOM chiefApril 21, 2026 11:59 amWashington: The ceasefire between the US and Iran is expected to be extended beyond the initial two-week period, as both sides are willing to continue negotiations, former Central Command chief David H Petraeus has said. PTIVance to travel to Pakistan on Tuesday for Iran talksApril 21, 2026 8:26 amWashington: US Vice President JD Vance will travel to Pakistan on Tuesday for Iran talks, Axios reported Monday citing US sources. Reuters