Brief: Iran reiterates demands as US makes threats despite ceasefire

[0:03] Al Jazeera Podcasts. [0:05] I'm David Enders, and this is The Take. [0:10] As the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran continues, we're bringing you this update. [0:17] U.S. President Donald Trump announced a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz [0:21] after talks between Iran and the U.S. failed to produce an agreement. [0:26] Israel continued to attack Lebanon ahead of planned talks between those countries on Tuesday. [0:31] Today is Monday, April 13. [0:34] It has been 45 days since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran, [0:37] killing at least 2,000 people. [0:42] Following President Trump's announcement, [0:44] the U.S. military said it would prevent any shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz [0:48] as of 10 a.m. Washington time on Monday. [0:52] Al Jazeera's Heidi Jo Castro reported from Washington, D.C. [0:55] After U.S.-Iranian talks in Islamabad failed to produce a deal on any of Washington's demands, [1:02] the Trump administration decided to escalate the crisis once again, [1:06] announcing a U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz [1:09] first described by President Trump as targeting any and all ships trying to enter or leave the strait [1:16] and later defined by U.S. Central Command as only impacting vessels destined to or from Iranian ports. [1:24] Iran has refused to reopen Hormuz to international shipping until there is a final peace deal, [1:29] choking off 20 percent of the world's supply of crude oil. [1:32] The weekend negotiations in Pakistan were the highest-level face-to-face talks [1:37] between U.S. and Iranian leadership in nearly five decades. [1:41] Trump said the meeting went well, but that Iran refused to give up its nuclear program, [1:46] the only point that mattered, he said. [1:48] And as the U.S. delegation flew back to Washington empty-handed, [1:51] Trump returned to his threats, writing, [1:54] any Iranian who fires at us or at peaceful vessels will be blown to hell [1:59] and that U.S. forces will finish up the little that is left of Iran. [2:06] Iran's government met the threat of the strait's closure [2:08] by reiterating some of the demands it brought to the table this weekend, [2:12] including the right to charge ships passing through Hormuz and reparations for the war. [2:17] Al Jazeera's Tawheed Asadi reported from Tehran. [2:20] We just received this statement from the headquarters of the Joint Military Command, [2:26] Khatam al-Anbiya, coming out with a very strong message of warning, [2:31] which seems to be in response to the recent threats by the U.S. President Donald Trump. [2:35] And the message says, [2:37] if the security of the ports of the Islamic Republic [2:41] in the waters of Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman is threatened, [2:45] no port in Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman will remain secure. [2:49] Also, they are referring to a concept that we hear time and again from the Iranian side, [2:54] saying that the Iranian stance is on the basis of security for either everyone [3:02] or no one across the region, specifically Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman. [3:07] Also, there is this very strong statement in that regard, [3:11] saying that the imposition of restrictions by the criminal United States on maritime traffic [3:18] in international waters is an illegal act and constitutes piracy. [3:26] Israel continued to strike Lebanon on Monday, [3:29] ahead of scheduled diplomatic talks in Washington between the two countries on Tuesday. [3:34] Its soldiers were also attempting to capture the southern Lebanese town of Bint Jabail. [3:38] Al Jazeera's Heidi Pett reported from Beirut. [3:42] These talks will take place at the ambassadorial level, [3:45] that is the Lebanese and the Israeli ambassadors to the U.S. [3:48] They held a phone call on Friday night Beirut time and set up this meeting for Tuesday. [3:54] Now, shortly after that call, the Lebanese president's office put out a statement [3:57] saying that the two had agreed to discuss announcing a ceasefire. [4:02] But then shortly after that, the Israeli ambassador put out his own statement saying that no, [4:06] a ceasefire with Hezbollah had not been discussed. [4:09] And so the gulf between those two statements gives you some indication of their positions. [4:14] Israel maintaining that its war and Hezbollah will continue, [4:18] whereas it's willing to engage in direct talks with the Lebanese state, [4:21] which is not technically a party to this conflict. [4:24] Israel says that it's going after Hezbollah, [4:27] but in fact the toll on civilians here in Lebanon has been extreme. [4:32] But also we've seen direct targeting by the Israelis of Lebanese state infrastructure, [4:38] whether that is the bridges across the Latani River [4:40] that have been systematically destroyed over this last six weeks of war, [4:44] or indeed an airstrike, a direct hit on a government building in the town of Nabatea, [4:49] which killed 13 members of the state's security forces. [4:53] So the context there of, you know, engaging in these direct talks [4:57] while state security, to say nothing, of civilians are being targeted by Israel [5:01] has not been received well by all quarters here in Lebanon. [5:05] There's been protests. [5:06] Hezbollah has said that the government shouldn't be making free concessions. [5:10] They've said that they will fight to their last breath. [5:13] And that's The Take for Monday, April 13th. [5:18] Please join us again tomorrow. [5:20] This episode was produced by me, David Enders. [5:23] Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. [5:26] Alexandra Locke is The Take's executive producer.