Israelis say they are maintaining war readiness as US-Iran talks fail, Trump imposes blockade
Trump said Iran had been unwilling to cede its nuclear ambitions
US Vice President JD Vance speaks during a news conference after meeting with representatives from Pakistan and Iran, as US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner (L) and US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff (C) watch, in Islamabad on April 12, 2026. (Jacquelyn Martin / Pool / AFP via Getty Images)
(JTA) — U.S.-Iranian peace talks ended without a deal on Saturday and President Donald Trump announced a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, leaving the future of the current ceasefire in doubt.
In Israel, which launched the war against Iran jointly with the United States, the ceasefire has brought a return to normal operations in much of the country — but army leaders say they are maintaining readiness to return to war.
Israel’s north is still being buffeted by Hezbollah rockets, as the Israeli army continues to battle the Iranian proxy in Lebanon. The status of that conflict is a point of tension between the United States and Iran, which believes Hezbollah is subject to the ceasefire agreement, but it does not appear to be the biggest sticking point.
That appears to be Iran’s nuclear ambitions, which the war was meant to curb permanently. On Sunday, President Donald Trump said he had been briefed by Vice President JD Vance, Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who had been in Islamabad, Pakistan, for the Iran talks, which stretched for 21 hours.
“I could go into great detail, and talk about much that has been gotten but, there is only one thing that matters — IRAN IS UNWILLING TO GIVE UP ITS NUCLEAR AMBITIONS!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “In many ways, the points that were agreed to are better than us continuing our Military Operations to conclusion, but all of those points don’t matter compared to allowing Nuclear Power to be in the hands of such volatile, difficult, unpredictable people.”
Meanwhile, in Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ventured into Lebanon on Sunday to meet with soldiers stationed there. His visit followed a recorded speech that he released on Saturday night making the case to Israelis that the war with Iran, which resulted in the deaths of 24 civilians, had been a success. “If we hadn’t acted in time, Iran would already have had nuclear weapons,” he said.
This is a moment of great uncertainty. Here’s what you can do about it.
We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news. All donations are still being matched by the Forward Board - up to $100,000 until April 24.
This is a moment of great uncertainty for the news media, for the Jewish people, and for our sacred democracy. It is a time of confusion and declining trust in public institutions. An era in which we need humans to report facts, conduct investigations that hold power to account, tell stories that matter and share honest discourse on all that divides us.
With no paywall or subscriptions, the Forward is entirely supported by readers like you. Every dollar you give is invested in the future of the Forward — and telling the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
The Forward doesn’t rely on funding from institutions like governments or your local Jewish federation. There are thousands of readers like you who give us $18 or $36 or $100 each month or year.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
