Here's the latest
• Ship seizure: Iran’s military warned it would retaliate after the US Navy fired on and seized an Iranian cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman.
• US-Iran talks: Vice President JD Vance and top US officials will travel to Pakistan for another round of talks on the war with Iran on Monday. Tehran has not publicly confirmed it will attend, with some state media outlets suggesting the talks may not happen. The ceasefire, which the US and Iran have accused each other of violating, expires on Wednesday.
• Complex negotiations: The talks face key sticking points, including control of Iran’s uranium stockpiles and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, where global energy supply has been choked for weeks.
Heightened security in Pakistan's capital even as US-Iran peace talks uncertain
Pakistan’s capital city of Islamabad waits with bated breath for confirmation of whether a second round of US-Iran peace talks will go ahead after the US seized an Iranian-flagged ship, prompting a furious response from Tehran.
In the city’s “Red Zone” – which houses the country’s parliament, Supreme Court, top government offices and foreign embassies – the two main hotels have been vacated of guests in anticipation of the arrival of the delegations.
The Serena, where a first – and unsuccessful – round of talks took place earlier this month, and the Marriott – where the Iranian delegation stayed during those talks – have been emptied.
Traffic is at a standstill on the main avenue leading in to the Red Zone after the city’s police announced alternate traffic plans “due to the arrival of foreign delegations in Islamabad.”
The city’s residents have been advised to use alternate routes.
All government officials operating out of the Red Zone have been asked to work from home on April 20.
What happens now to the Iran ship seized by the US Navy?
The US military on Sunday fired on and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship, the M/V Touska, that was trying to run a US blockade of Iranian ports, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said.
What happens to the ship now?
Naval experts said the Touska will be taken to an anchorage or port for inspection.
Once that is done and its cargo can be determined, they said it could eventually become property of the US government as a “prize.”
“Under the laws of naval warfare, you can seize a vessel in these circumstances (that) has tried to run a blockade,” Jennifer Parker, a nonresident fellow at the Lowy Institute and a former Royal Australian Navy officer, told CNN.
According to MarineTraffic data, the Touska had been going back and forth between the Chinese city of Zhuhai and various Iranian ports in recent years, and had been sanctioned since 2018.
MarineTraffic said the Touska is “laden,” but did not specify exactly what its cargo is.
“It can be treated as a ‘spoils of war,’” like any enemy combatant or materials seized from an enemy in the course of armed conflict, said Carl Schuster, a former US Navy captain and Hawaii-based analyst.
As for the fate of the Touska’s crew, that would depend on their nationalities, Parker said.
If the crew are Iranian, they may be detained, or possibly if members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps are aboard, they could be held as prisoners of war, Parker said.
If the Touska was carrying any weapons or armaments for Iran, the crew would likely be detained, she said.
CNN has asked CENTCOM for comment on the nationality of the crew and status of the ship.
CNN’s Teele Rebane contributed reporting.
Israeli foreign minister calls photo of soldier damaging Christ statue in Lebanon "disgraceful"
Israel’s Foreign Affairs Minister Gideon Sa’ar called the damaging of a Christian symbol by an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldier in southern Lebanon “grave and disgraceful” in a post to X Monday.
Sa’ar’s comments came after the IDF said it is investigating a photo shared on social media showing an Israeli soldier seemingly hitting the head of a Jesus Christ statue with a hammer or ax in the predominantly Christian village of Debel.
“This shameful action is completely contrary to our values,” Sa’ar said.
“Israel is a country that respects the different religions and their sacred symbols, and upholds tolerance and respect among faiths. We apologize for this incident and to every Christian whose feelings were hurt.”
Israeli military warns residents of southern Lebanon not to approach Litani River
Israel’s military issued an “urgent” warning to residents of southern Lebanon Monday, directing them not to move south of a line of villages or approach the Litani River, citing safety risks.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee also asked residents not to return to dozens of villages near the border.
Israel’s military has maintained its positions in southern Lebanon during the ceasefire.
The Litani River, just a few kilometers from Israel’s northern border, is a crucial site in the longstanding conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. Hezbollah had maintained a robust presence of fighters south of the river for decades. But under a previous ceasefire deal with Israel, Hezbollah agreed to pull back its forces north of the Litani River.
Separately, the IDF said it struck a loaded and ready-to-fire launcher in the area of Qalaouiye in southern Lebanon overnight to “prevent a direct threat to the communities of northern Israel.”
Night footage shows Marines from the USS Tripoli boarding Iranian-flagged vessel
Night video footage from US Central Command shows US Marines from the USS Tripoli approaching the Iranian-flagged Touska vessel that was seized in the Gulf of Oman on Sunday.
The video shows helicopters flying over the cargo ship and a bird’s eye view of metal containers below, with one person dropping towards them via a rope.
The Marines boarded the Touska on Sunday after the guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance disabled the vessel’s propulsion system when it “failed to comply with repeated warnings from US forces over a six-hour period,” Centcom added.
The Tripoli carried the Okinawa-based 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), a rapid-response force of 2,200 personnel, to the Middle East to join the conflict last month.
A look at the USS Spruance, which fired on an Iranian-flagged cargo ship
The USS Spruance, the US Navy warship that fired on and intercepted an Iranian cargo vessel on Sunday, is an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer.
US Central Command said the Spruance fired “several rounds” from its 5-inch gun into the engine room of the Iranian-flagged cargo ship, the M/V Touska, to disable it. US Marines then boarded the Touska and took control.
The Spruance’s 5-inch gun is designed for use against ships, aircraft and land targets, according to a Navy fact sheet.
First deployed in 1971, the Mark 45 gun has a range of 15 miles with conventional ammunition.
It’s a fully automatic weapon and can fire 16 to 20 rounds per minute from a 20-round drum, which then can be reloaded by crew below deck for further use, the Navy says.
The ship carries a range of other weaponry, including torpedoes, Tomahawk missiles for land attacks, Standard interceptors for ballistic missile defense and Sea Sparrow missiles for short-range missile and aircraft defense.
The Spruance, with a displacement of around 9,000 tons, is more than 500 feet long and carries a crew of 329. It joined the fleet in 2011, now operates as part of the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group, and is homeported in San Diego.
The Spruance is named for the Adm. Raymond Spruance, commander of US carriers at the World War II Battle of Midway, during which the US Navy sank four Japanese aircraft carriers, turning the tide of the war in the Pacific.
Korean Air fuel surcharge set to hit seven times pre-war value in May
Korean Air’s fuel surcharge is set to rise again in May, marking about a sevenfold increase from its value before the war in Iran began at the end of February, shocking the global energy market.
In May, the fuel surcharge for short haul, one-way flights on Korean Air from Seoul’s Incheon International Airport to destinations such as Dalian, China, and Fukuoka, Japan, will cost about 75,000 won ($50.85) – up from 10,500 won ($7.12), according to a notice from the airline.
The fuel surcharge for the airline’s longest routes – from Incheon to major US cities including New York, Dallas and Atlanta – will cost about 564,000 won ($382.40), a significant hike from 76,500 won ($51.87) in February.
A one-way economy ticket from Incheon to New York in May costs about 1,650,900 won ($1,119.32), according to Korean Air’s website.
Korean Air is one of Asia’s biggest airlines, carrying more than 16.5 million passengers in 2025.
Airlines have been hiking fuel surcharges, cutting flights and raising baggage fees to offset the high cost of oil due to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial shipping route, during the war with Iran.
Israeli military investigating after photo shows soldier damaging Christ statue in Lebanon
The Israeli military has opened an investigation after a photo was shared on social media showing an Israeli soldier damaging a statue of a crucified Jesus Christ in southern Lebanon.
The photo, taken in the predominantly Christian village of Debel, shows the figure of Christ leaning against the cross. The figure appears upside down, removed from the cross. The picture, posted on Sunday, shows an Israeli soldier seemingly hitting the head of the figure with a hammer or ax.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement that it views the incident with “great severity,” and the soldier’s conduct is “wholly inconsistent with the values expected of its troops.” The IDF’s Northern Command is investigating the incident. “Appropriate measures will be taken against those involved in accordance with the findings,” the IDF said.
The IDF said it is working to assist the community in restoring the statue to its place.
Debel is one of 55 Lebanese towns and villages inside a swath of southern Lebanon currently occupied by Israeli forces. It is approximately four miles west of Bint Jbeil, a town which the IDF has surrounded as it tries to root out what it says is a Hezbollah stronghold there.
Here are the sticking points in US-Iran negotiations
Several hurdles still need to be resolved in negotiations between the US and Iran.
The fate of Iran’s uranium stockpiles
President Donald Trump suggested last week that Iran agreed to ship its stockpile of highly enriched uranium to the US, a claim that was quickly rebuked by a senior Iranian official who said the demand was a “non-starter.”
Iran has about 400 kilograms of 60% enriched uranium. One proposal that has been floated involves unfreezing Iranian assets in exchange for Tehran turning over its stockpile.
Iran has asked for major sanctions relief and unfreezing of assets north of $20 billion, a source familiar with the negotiations told CNN.
Curbs on uranium enrichment
The length of any suspension to Iran’s enrichment program remains another point of contention. An Iranian official who spoke to CNN rejected Trump’s assertion that Tehran agreed to halt the program indefinitely, saying Iran “will never accept” being an “exception from international law.”
During previous talks, American negotiators proposed a 20-year pause on Iran’s enrichment of uranium, a source familiar with the discussions told CNN. Iran responded with a proposal for a five-year suspension, which the US has rejected, according to a US official.
Reopening the Strait of Hormuz
The world breathed a sigh of relief on Friday when Iran announced it would reopen the key shipping route, which has been effectively shuttered for almost two months.
But the reprieve was short-lived. Iran says it is reimposing strict limits on shipping in response to Trump saying a US blockade on Iranian ports will continue until a deal is reached. On Sunday, marine traffic data showed no tankers have crossed the strait.
CNN’s Mitchell McCluskey, Frederik Pleitgen, Alayna Treene and Kevin Liptak contributed reporting.
Trump again escalates rhetoric against Iran ahead of scheduled talks
President Donald Trump says the US is offering a “very fair and reasonable deal” but also warns he’ll “do what needs to be done” if it’s rejected. CNN’s Julia Benbrook reports.
In a recent Truth Social post, President Trump says the US is offering a “very fair and reasonable deal" but also warns he’ll “do what needs to be done” if it’s rejected. CNN's Julia Benbrook reports.
US seizure of Iranian ship casts shadow over negotiations. Here's the latest
Iran’s military has warned it will respond after US forces fired upon and seized an Iranian-flagged container ship in the Gulf of Oman on Sunday.
All eyes are on the potential repercussions, as the question now is whether this will collapse US-Iran talks expected this week. The ceasefire, which the US and Iran have accused each other of violating, expires on Wednesday.
Here are our top headlines from the past few hours:
- Cargo ship attack: The US military said its destroyer fired “several rounds” into the engine room of the vessel, which it said was attempting to violate its naval blockade. Iran’s military said the US had destroyed the ship’s navigational equipment and deployed troops on the deck.
- US-Iran negotiations: President Donald Trump said US representatives are traveling to Pakistan for talks with Iran. Tehran has not publicly confirmed it will send officials to the meetings, with some state media outlets suggesting the talks may not happen, though Iranian sources told CNN a delegation will arrive in Pakistan on Tuesday.
- Sticking points: The peace effort faces several obstacles, including control of Iran’s uranium stockpiles and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, where global energy supply has been choked for weeks.
- At a standstill: No tankers passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, ship tracking data showed, making it one of the quietest days in the channel since the conflict began.
- Oil prices rise: The cost of crude oil has jumped as the passage of most ships through the strait, a key waterway for one-fifth of the world’s crude, remains blocked.
- Looking ahead: US gas prices, which reached a national average of $4.05 a gallon on Sunday, may not return to under $3 a gallon until “next year,” Energy Secretary Chris Wright told CNN, while not ruling out the possibility that the benchmark is reached “later this year.”
CNN’s Auzinea Bacon, Isaac Tellechea, Max Saltman and, Nechirvan Mando and Sophia Saifi contributed reporting.
US gas prices might not fall below $3 a gallon until 2027, energy secretary says
Speaking on State of the Union, Energy Secretary Chris Wright told Jake Tapper prices have likely peaked, but said it could take until 2027 for gas to fall below $3 a gallon.
Gas prices may not return to under $3 a gallon until “next year,” US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said, while not ruling out the possibility the benchmark is reached “later this year.”
“But prices have likely peaked and they’ll start going down. Certainly with a resolution of this conflict … prices across the board on energy prices will go down,” Wright told CNN’s Jake Tapper on Sunday.
Gas prices have surged more than a dollar per gallon for regular unleaded since the conflict with Iran began, driven up mainly by disruptions to global oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz.
Six weeks ago, Wright told Tapper price hikes at the pump would be short lived, saying, “in the worst case, this is a weeks, this is not a months thing.”
