US-Iran talks are 'productive and ongoing', says White House — BBC News

[0:04] Hello, I'm Maryam Meshiri. This is the Iran War Today, and over the next 15 or so minutes, [0:09] we'll bring you up to date on all you need to know on day 47 of the US-Israel war with Iran. [0:16] Well, let's start with some of the day's key developments now. [0:20] The White House says a second round of peace talks with Iran is being discussed as Donald [0:24] Trump reiterates his belief that the war in Iran is very close to being over. [0:30] Hours after a historic round of talks between Israeli and Lebanese officials, [0:34] there are fresh cross-border strikes between the IDF and Hezbollah. [0:38] The Israeli Prime Minister has convened his security cabinet. [0:42] Iran threatens to block trade through the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman [0:47] if the US continues to blockade Iranian ports and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. [0:54] And in some of the strongest language from the British government so far, [0:57] the Chancellor says she's frustrated and angry the US entered the war in Iran, [1:01] in her words, without a clear exit plan. [1:04] Well, the White House says conversations with the Iranians are ongoing [1:12] and are so far productive days after talks broke down in Pakistan. [1:17] But the White House press secretary denied reports the US has requested an extension [1:21] to the two-week ceasefire that expires a week from today. [1:25] In a news briefing earlier, an Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson also confirmed [1:30] the two sides were exchanging messages and said Iran would be hosting officials from Pakistan today [1:35] to discuss in greater detail the opposing positions of the US and Iran. [1:40] Well, let's start, though, with the latest comments from the White House press secretary, [1:44] Caroline Levitt, on the prospect of a new round of talks. [1:47] I saw some reporting, again, bad reporting this morning, [1:50] that we had formally requested an extension of the ceasefire. [1:53] That is not true at this moment. [1:55] We remain very much engaged in these negotiations, in these talks. [2:00] You heard from the vice president directly and the president this week [2:02] that these conversations are productive and ongoing, and that's where we are right now. [2:07] I've also seen some reporting about the potentiality for in-person discussions. [2:11] Again, those discussions are being had, but nothing is official [2:15] until you hear it from us here at the White House. [2:17] But we feel good about the prospects of a deal. [2:19] The president mentioned that in his interview yesterday. [2:22] And it's obviously in the best interest of Iran to meet the president's demands. [2:26] I think he's made his red lines in these negotiations very clear to the other side. [2:31] And so we are continuing to see how these conversations go. [2:34] Well, let's go live now and speak to our correspondent in Washington, Simi Jalaosha. [2:39] And, Simi, what more have we learned about the potential of a new round of talks [2:43] between the US and Iran? [2:47] Yeah, so we heard from the White House press secretary there, Caroline Levitt, [2:52] who seemed a bit optimistic with regards to broader talks between the US and Iran. [2:57] She said that she feels good about the prospect of a deal, [3:01] that discussions are ongoing about a second round of talks, [3:05] and that they are likely to be in the same place in Islamabad again, [3:09] and that the Trump administration wants the talks to continue through the Pakistanis, [3:14] whom she and President Trump have been very complimentary of. [3:18] On Monday, we heard from President Trump, who said that the second round of talks are likely [3:23] to happen this week, and that the first round of talks were... [3:28] Well, they went well, he said, and that most points were agreed upon, apart from one. [3:33] He said there was one sticking issue, and that was Iran's nuclear ambitions. [3:38] In this press conference, we also heard from the Treasury Secretary, Scott Besant, [3:44] who spoke about Operation Economic Fury, who... [3:47] He said that that complements the military blockade in the Strait of Hormuz that's been orchestrated [3:54] by the US. [3:55] And he also spoke about secondary sanctions against any country doing deals with Iran, [4:02] buying oil from Iran, and also sanctions against banks that are facilitating the movement of Iranian money. [4:11] And, Simeon, new reporting in The Washington Post regarding more US troops being sent to the Middle East. [4:16] What is the Pentagon saying? [4:17] Yeah, so there's that reporting in The Washington Post that the US is sending an additional 6,000 troops [4:26] with their aircraft carrier, the USS George H.W. Bush, and that they will arrive in the coming days, [4:33] as well as 4,200 additional troops that will arrive at the end of the month. [4:38] We've reached out to the Pentagon, who simply said there's nothing to provide due to Operation Security. [4:44] But if true, they'll be joining the estimated 50,000 personnel that the Pentagon has said [4:50] is already operating in the Middle East in its military operations against Iran. [4:55] And this all comes, as I mentioned earlier, that the US attempts to exert economic pressure on Iran [5:02] into a deal and into reopening the Strait of Hormuz. [5:06] This would give the US more military options if the ceasefire doesn't hold, [5:11] and if talks between the US and Iran fail to either continue strikes against military targets in Iran [5:21] or potential ground operations in the future. [5:24] But as I mentioned earlier, the White House Press Secretary, Caroline Levitt, [5:28] seems optimistic about a second round of talks between the US and Iran. [5:33] OK, Simeon, thank you. [5:36] Well, we're into a week now into the ceasefire, actually, between the US and Iran. [5:40] But for millions of Iranians, life has by no means returned to normal. [5:45] Despite an ongoing near-total Internet shutdown, BBC Persian continues to receive messages from [5:50] people inside the country. [5:52] They've been speaking about growing inflation and increased economic pressures, [5:56] as well as fears the war could restart. [5:59] Well, the Norwegian Refugee Council is one of the very few international humanitarian organizations [6:03] currently operating inside Iran. [6:05] Their spokesperson, Marshae van Ramsdonk, told the BBC's Newsday program today [6:10] about the extent of the damage she's witnessing in Tehran. [6:14] Here in Tehran, which is a huge city with over 10 million people, [6:19] many buildings have been destroyed and some neighborhoods are unrecognizable with buildings gone. [6:26] I mean, my colleagues also are sharing horrific stories. [6:28] I mean, they live across Tehran and also in cities like Isfahan and Mashhad across the country. [6:34] I mean, they've been very close to attacks, to missiles falling, hearing those sounds with [6:41] having their roofs and windows shaken and a huge impact with only a few blocks away. [6:49] So the whole intent, the bombardment, has been very intense, very traumatizing for a complete population. [6:58] Well, Israel and Hezbollah have continued to attack each other a day after Israeli and Lebanese [7:03] officials held their first diplomatic talks in over three decades. [7:07] Reports suggest 30 rockets have been fired towards northern Israel, [7:11] while at least nine people have been reportedly killed in Lebanon. [7:14] Meanwhile, the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who has convened a cabinet meeting this evening, [7:19] saying he's instructed the IDF to continue their operations in southern Lebanon. [7:23] Our correspondent, Nick Beak, has been reporting on the day's developments [7:26] from the town of Metula in northern Israel. [7:29] He had this analysis of what he'd witnessed. [7:32] We're right in the north of Israel. [7:34] You can see Lebanon just over the border. [7:37] Beyond the fence there, some communities that are now abandoned, [7:40] people left during previous rounds of fighting. [7:43] What we've seen since we've been here today in this specific place is, [7:47] well, it's what we've heard actually mainly. [7:49] It's been the loud booms of Israeli artillery firing over the border [7:53] towards Hezbollah positions, the Israelis say, in the south of Lebanon. [7:58] A short time later, there have been pretty loud explosions [8:01] that have been reverberating through this hillside. [8:04] The Lebanese authorities saying that nine people have been killed in Israeli airstrikes today. [8:09] The Israeli authorities here saying that Hezbollah have continued to fire. [8:13] They counted more than 30 rockets being launched across the border. [8:17] And actually Hezbollah said today they were targeting 10 different places in northern Israel. [8:23] So while we're talking about this ceasefire between the United States and Iran, [8:28] precarious as it may be, that is in place. [8:31] But certainly here on this front, on this border, the conflict continues. [8:35] There was some polling that was carried out over the weekend [8:38] and it gave you an indication into the different sentiments [8:41] that people are feeling here in Israel. [8:43] In terms of the action continuing against Hezbollah, [8:46] people do seem to be supportive of that. [8:49] They talk about a threat that needs to be dealt with [8:52] so that people, particularly in the north, can live in peace. [8:55] That would be what they tell you, [8:57] what people have been telling us here in the past 24 hours. [9:00] Also, it does seem that most of the population are against a ceasefire. [9:05] And this is where it gets a bit tricky [9:07] because they say they would have liked the fighting to continue against Iran, [9:12] but they think at the same time the war aims that Prime Minister Netanyahu put forward [9:17] have not been achieved in any meaningful way. [9:20] And certainly his opponents have said that, [9:23] that really the three main aims he had, [9:25] to get rid of the ballistic missile capability, [9:29] to put an end to the ambitions or the capability that Iran may have [9:33] in terms of a nuclear programme in the future, [9:35] and also regime change. [9:36] Those three have not been realised. [9:38] Mr Netanyahu has said that huge achievements have been made [9:41] and that Israel is changing the face of the Middle East. [9:45] So that's an indication of what people are thinking and feeling here in Israel. [9:50] Well, let's turn to that fresh threat from Iran, [9:53] who vowed to blockade the Red Sea and two other crucial shipping lanes [9:56] if the American blockade of the Strait of Hormuz continues. [9:59] U.S. Central Command said it's completely halted Iran's sea trade, [10:04] but analysis from BBC Verify showed several Iran-linked vessels [10:07] transiting the Strait, [10:09] while other ships reportedly changed course [10:11] following instructions from the U.S. [10:12] Here's Ben Chu from BBC Verify. [10:15] Is the U.S. blockade of Iran working? [10:18] Well, first it's important to clarify what the blockade is. [10:20] Now, Donald Trump initially threatened a blockade [10:23] of any and all ships trying to enter or leave the Strait of Hormuz. [10:27] This was his Truth Social post on Sunday the 12th of April. [10:31] But that's not what has been implemented. [10:34] What actually came into force on Monday the 13th of April [10:37] was an attempted U.S. naval blockade [10:39] on ships entering or exiting Iranian ports. [10:43] And it's said that it would not impede other vessels [10:47] transiting the Strait of Hormuz. [10:50] Now, a version of this was posted by the U.S. Central Command. [10:55] It shows a map of the Iranian coastline. [10:58] And this red line is the blockaded area. [11:02] The Strait of Hormuz is here. [11:04] Now, some key Iranian ports are inside the Gulf, [11:08] notably Khag Island, Iran's main oil export hub. [11:11] So tankers from here would have to pass through [11:14] the Strait of Hormuz to get to the open seas. [11:17] But some Iranian ports are outside the straits, [11:20] such as Chabahar, which is here in the Gulf of Oman. [11:24] On Verify, we've been using ship tracking data [11:26] to monitor the effectiveness of the U.S. blockade. [11:31] And we've tracked two Iranian flagged vessels [11:33] leaving Chabahar since the blockade began. [11:38] And of the 15 vessels that have crossed the strait, [11:41] nine have links to Iran, [11:43] with six having previously visited an Iranian port. [11:49] Now, on Tuesday the 14th of April, [11:51] U.S. CENTCOM said that no ships [11:53] had made it past the U.S. blockade, [11:55] and that six merchant vessels [11:57] complied with direction from U.S. forces [11:59] to turn around to re-enter an Iranian port [12:02] on the Gulf of Oman. [12:04] We haven't been able to confirm this. [12:06] And part of the problem is that the U.S. military [12:08] hasn't specified the geographical extent of the blockade, [12:11] so how far it extends out to sea. [12:14] So we can't independently verify [12:15] whether any relevant vessels have gone past it. [12:18] Although ship tracking data does show [12:20] that at least one sanctioned tanker, [12:22] which is Chinese-owned, crossed the strait in an eastern direction [12:25] and then turned back. [12:27] What we can say is that we've not seen any evidence [12:30] from the available tracking data [12:31] of a fully-laden tanker carrying oil [12:34] or other petrochemical products [12:35] heading out from an Iranian port [12:37] into open sea since the blockade began. [12:40] Though a note of caution about that ship tracking data, [12:42] which is based on ships' transmitted radio signals, [12:45] the picture it gives us is not fail-safe [12:48] as vessels can simply switch off their transponders to go dark [12:51] and in some cases may broadcast false positions [12:54] to disguise their true location. [12:57] Whether you're joining us on YouTube, [12:59] on TikTok, Sounds or TV, [13:00] thank you so much for your time. 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