Iran sets conditions as ceasefire extended, tensions persist

[0:00] Let's now go to Ali Hashim, who's live for us in Tehran. [0:03] That's Iran's capital. [0:04] Ali, Iran determined that it won't be going to these talks unless a precondition is met. [0:11] What can you tell us about that precondition? [0:13] But also, what are we hearing from Iran as that ceasefire deadline looms? [0:18] Well, regarding the precondition is lifting the blockade on Iranian ports. [0:27] This is the main condition the Iranians were asking for to be implemented for them to take part in the talks in Pakistan. [0:39] However, they've been accusing the United States of violating the ceasefire by attacking one of the Iranian ships. [0:48] And, of course, now, given the fact we're just a few hours away from the deadline, from the end of the ceasefire, [0:55] the anticipation of what could happen and concerns also. [1:00] And there are also defiant messages coming. [1:04] And just received now from the page of the new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mushtaba Khamenei, [1:16] they posted a video from the Air Force to the Navy, Iran's armed forces are ready to bring the enemy to its knees. [1:23] Actually, it's part of his latest statement on the 18th of April. [1:29] But they've posted this quote with a video showing planes, rockets, and Iranian armed forces in the same way [1:39] the drones of Iran's army strike the U.S. and Zionist murderers like lightning. [1:45] So this is all about a military message. [1:48] Also, in parallel, there was the commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force also saying that Iran is ready [2:00] and actually warning the Gulf countries, whom he called our southern neighbors, [2:08] that if their facilities are being used by the U.S. to attack Iran, then there'll be no oil there. [2:16] This is another message. [2:17] Now, the most, let me say, significant message is the one from Abbas Araqchi. [2:23] Let me read it from the tweet he posted earlier today. [2:30] So he actually mentions that Iran is capable of defending its own interests [2:39] and that it's capable of creating its own deterrence in a way or another. [2:45] And additional to that, let me just get to the tweet. [2:49] Sorry, it took me some time. [2:51] Blockading Iranian ports is an act of war and thus a violation of the ceasefire. [2:56] Striking a commercial vessel and taking its crew hostage is an even greater violation. [3:02] Iran knows how to neutralize restrictions, how to defend its interests, and how to resist bullying. [3:07] So, a lot of defiant messages from here, from Tehran, and, of course, what we know [3:14] and everybody knows for now is that Iran, till the moment, hasn't taken the decision to go to Islamabad. [3:24] Rather, we can say it in a different way. [3:26] Iran has decided not to go to Islamabad till its conditions are met. [3:32] And, for now, these conditions are not met, despite the ambassador of Iran to the United Nations, [3:40] Saidi Ravani, saying that there is a possibility that the blockade could be lifted. [3:45] And this is all part of what is circulating here and there. [3:52] But the real fact now is that we're just four hours, few hours from the end of the ceasefire, [3:59] and everyone is waiting to see whether this is the beginning of a new chapter, [4:06] the beginning of a new phase of hostilities, or, as Osama was saying, diplomacy could prevail. [4:14] All right, thank you very much, Ali Hashim. [4:18] Actually, Ali, can you stay here? [4:20] Because it seems we are receiving and hearing that Donald Trump has extended the ceasefire. [4:28] We'll try and get more information on that. [4:31] But, yeah, it seems that he is extending the ceasefire, not clear for how long. [4:36] What do we think the reaction is going to be from Iran with this? [4:44] Could it sway it to go to the negotiating table? [4:47] I'm just reading it now. [4:50] If you don't mind, I can read the tweet. [4:52] Please go ahead. [4:53] Or the post. [4:54] So, he says, based on the fact that the government of Iran is seriously fractured, [4:59] not unexpectedly so, and upon the request of Field Marshal Asim Mounir, [5:05] the Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif of Pakistan, [5:07] we have been asked to hold our attack on the country of Iran until such time [5:12] as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal. [5:18] I have therefore directed our military to continue the blockade [5:21] and, in all other respects, remain ready and able, [5:24] and will therefore extend the ceasefire until such time as their proposal is submitted [5:30] and discussions are concluded one way or the other. [5:33] So, it seems that, yeah, he extended the ceasefire, but without saying till when. [5:40] And this puts Iran actually in an odd position, [5:44] because it's now in a situation of no war, no peace. [5:48] There's a ceasefire. [5:49] It's not in a position that it wants to talk as far as the blockade is there, [5:57] and he says the blockade will continue. [5:59] It's really very complicated now. [6:02] All right. [6:03] Thank you very much, Ali Hashim, there. [6:06] Now, let's go to our guest. [6:09] We're going to speak to Jason Campbell, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute. [6:12] He's also a former Pentagon official, joining us live now from Washington, D.C. [6:18] So, there you have it, Jason. [6:20] We're just hearing now this statement from Donald Trump, the president. [6:25] I'm just going to read it out again, not all of it, but just some of it, [6:28] based on the fact he says that the government of Iran is seriously fractured, [6:31] not unexpectedly so. [6:32] And upon the request of Field Marshal Asim Mounir and Prime Minister Shehab Asir, [6:38] of course, of Pakistan, we have been asked to hold our attack on the country of Iran [6:42] until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal. [6:49] What's your sort of immediate reaction upon hearing that? [6:54] Well, I think the tone reflects some of the face-saving messaging [6:59] that the White House has been trying to convey for a number of weeks now. [7:04] Anytime there was going to be talks, it was the Iranians have been calling for this [7:10] or they've been begging for this. [7:12] So, the first part of the statement sends the message that the Iranian government [7:19] remains somewhat fractured, which is certainly the case, [7:22] and tries to convey that it is the Iranians now cease-fire to take control of [7:31] and the ball is back in their court in terms of posing a new set of points or an agenda [7:40] for any upcoming talks. [7:42] All right. [7:43] Jason, do stay with us just on standby there, because obviously this has just come in [7:48] and we want to go to our correspondent, our chief U.S. correspondent, Alan Fisher, [7:53] from Washington, D.C. [7:55] Alan, this extension of a cease-fire comes really just as this cease-fire is meant to end on Wednesday, [8:02] cutting it very fine there. [8:05] Well, we were looking to find out what exactly Donald Trump would do next. [8:08] He'd set roughly three different deadlines, [8:11] and we thought the last one was probably going to be midnight GMT, [8:14] about 8 p.m. here in the United States, [8:17] and waiting to find out what was going to happen next. [8:19] He had a long conversation with J.D. Vance, the vice president in the Oval Office. [8:23] Donald Trump is back there at the moment. [8:25] That's where he sent the truth social posts from. [8:28] The question, of course, now, Rai, that comes up is that [8:32] who was Donald Trump talking to on Friday? [8:34] Remember, we had a blurry, a flurry of social media posts [8:38] when he said that the Iranians agreed to no enriched uranium. [8:42] They were not going to pursue a nuclear program. [8:45] They were not going to seek money from the United States. [8:48] They were going to let American troops into Iran [8:52] to recover what Donald Trump calls nuclear dust, [8:55] which is the enriched uranium. [8:57] And Donald Trump said they were within hours of getting a deal [9:00] and it would happen very soon. [9:01] So the question is, who was he speaking to? [9:04] But, of course, this gives hope that there may still be some ground there [9:07] for a deal in the future. [9:10] How that'll look, we're not entirely sure, [9:12] because it's clear that the Iranians haven't agreed [9:14] to any of the things that Donald Trump said, [9:16] or if they have, they haven't publicly acknowledged it. [9:20] And there might still be a bit of work to do. [9:23] So for the moment, J.D. Vance, Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, [9:26] they stay here in Washington, D.C. [9:29] The good news for the people in Iran at the moment [9:31] is that the ceasefire continues. [9:34] But Donald Trump will be looking for something [9:36] that he can present as a win [9:38] and an ongoing ceasefire like this, isn't it? [9:41] All right. Thanks very much, Alan. [9:44] We're obviously just finding out about this new statement by Donald Trump. [9:49] I want to come back to Jason Campbell there, [9:53] because Jason, as Alan Fisher, our chief U.S. correspondent, [9:56] is saying, you know, who has Donald Trump been speaking to in Iran? [10:01] He mentions in this statement that the government of Iran is seriously fractured, [10:06] and he says that the military will continue the blockade. [10:10] He says that they will hold our attack on the country of Iran [10:14] until such time as their leaders and representatives [10:18] can come up with a unified proposal. [10:20] So two things here. [10:21] He's implying that the Iranians are not unified, [10:25] those that are in charge, whoever they are, [10:27] and that they don't have a unified proposal. [10:30] What do you think? [10:33] Well, publicly at least, [10:34] the Iranians have conveyed their 10-point proposal [10:37] that has been at least out now for a month. [10:41] It, not unlike the U.S. 15-point plan, [10:44] is largely just a rehashing of the, you know, [10:49] more maximalist demands that they're making. [10:53] And, you know, again, there has been some speculation [10:55] on who in Iran, given all the, you know, [10:59] changeover of leadership over the past few weeks, [11:03] is indeed calling the shots. [11:04] And it seems the White House is trying to accentuate that [11:07] and try to apply some pressure [11:09] on getting Tehran to provide, you know, [11:15] a more detailed and or maybe softer list [11:18] of negotiating points for any subsequent talks.