Iran live updates: 'Time is not my adversary,’ Trump says on securing deal

DAVID BRENNANMon, April 20, 2026 at 7:07 PM UTC

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President Donald Trump announced "major combat operations" against Iran on Feb. 28, with massive joint U.S.-Israeli strikes targeting military, government and infrastructure sites.

Following the announcement of a two-week ceasefire, initial U.S.-Iran talks in Pakistan earlier this month failed to reach a peace deal. The original ceasefire is set to expire on April 22.

Trump said on Sunday that U.S. negotiators would return to Islamabad on Monday for a new round of talks. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Vice President JD Vance would accompany special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law, to Islamabad.

But Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Monday that Tehran has "no plans" to participate.

Latest Developments

Apr 20, 3:06 PMTrump says blockade in Strait will remain until deal's reached

President Donald Trump wrote on social media that the U.S. naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz will not be lifted until the U.S. and Iran reach a deal. “(This has been, in addition to everything else, Regime Change!), and perhaps, most important of all, THE BLOCKADE, which we will not take off until there is a “DEAL,” is absolutely destroying Iran,” Trump wrote. In a separate post, the president claimed that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has “forced” other countries to come to the U.S. for oil. “The Iranian leadership has forced hundreds of Ships toward the United States, mostly Texas, Louisiana, and Alaska, to get their Oil -- Thank you very much!” he wrote. -ABC News’ Emily Chang

Apr 20, 3:05 PM415 US troops wounded in war with Iran

At least 415 U.S. troops have been wounded in the war with Iran, according to Defense Department data. Last week, the total stood at 399. The rise during the ceasefire is tied to delayed reporting of injuries, especially traumatic brain injuries, in which symptoms can emerge or be recognized days later. -ABC News’ Steven Beynon

Apr 20, 2:43 PMTrump on securing deal with Iran: 'Time is not my adversary'As the Iran conflict drags on, President Donald Trump insists that he is not facing any time constraints to secure a deal, pushing back on reports that say he is under "pressure." "I am under no pressure whatsoever, although, it will all happen, relatively quickly! Time is not my adversary," Trump wrote on social media.

Akhtar Soomro/Reuters - PHOTO: Hoardings are mounted on lamp posts, as Pakistan prepares to host the United States and Iran for a possible second phase of peace talks in Islamabad, Pakistan, April 20, 2026.

The president insisted that he is ahead of schedule militarily. “They like to say that I promised 6 weeks to defeat Iran, and actually, from the Military standpoint, it was far faster than that, but I’m not going to let them rush the United States into making a Deal that is not as good as it could have been," Trump wrote. -ABC News’ Emily Chang

Apr 20, 1:05 PMVance expected to travel to Pakistan on TuesdayVice President JD Vance is expected to leave for Pakistan on Tuesday for the next round of peace talks with Iran, according to two U.S. officials familiar with the plans. The sources cautioned that the situation is fluid and plans could change.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Office via Reuters - PHOTO: Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif shakes hands with U.S. Vice President JD Vance during their meeting, on the day delegations from the United States and Iran are to hold peace talks, in Islamabad, Pakistan, April 11, 2026.

-ABC News’ Rachel Scott

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Apr 20, 12:27 PM2nd round of Israel-Lebanon talks confirmed for ThursdayThe State Department will host a second round of talks between Israel and Lebanon on Thursday, according to a State Department spokesperson. "The United States welcomes the productive engagement that began on April 14," the spokesperson said. “We will continue to facilitate direct, good-faith discussions between the two governments."

Mahmoud Zayyat/AFP via Getty Images - PHOTO: A French contingent of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) patrols the area as displaced residents waving Hezbollah flags make their way back to their homes in the southern Lebanese area of Al-Qasmiyeh on April 18, 2026.

-ABC News’ Chris Boccia

Apr 20, 11:37 AMTrump says 'unlikely' he'll extend ceasefire if deal not reached by deadlineIn an interview with Bloomberg on Monday, President Donald Trump said that it is "highly unlikely" that he extends the ceasefire if a deal is not reached before the deadline, which the president said is Wednesday evening ET. The president also doubled down on his blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, saying, “I’m not opening it up.” “They want me to open it. The Iranians desperately want it opened. I’m not opening it until a deal is signed,” Trump said, according to Bloomberg.

Aamir Qureshi/AFP via Getty Images - PHOTO: A helicopter flies over the Red Zone area in Islamabad on April 20, 2026, amid heightened security measures ahead of anticipated US-Iran peace talks.

-ABC News’ Michelle Stoddart

Apr 20, 10:45 AMTrump says Israel 'never talked' him into war with IranPresident Donald Trump wrote on social media on Monday that Israel "never talked" him into war with Iran.

Ross D. Franklin/AP - PHOTO: President Donald Trump speaks at a Turning Point USA event on April 17, 2026, in Phoenix.

“Israel never talked me into the war with Iran, the results of Oct. 7th, added to my lifelong opinion that IRAN CAN NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON,” the president wrote. Trump also said in the post that if Iran's leadership is "smart, Iran can have a great and prosperous future!" -ABC News’ Michelle Stoddart

Apr 20, 10:43 AMUS has directed 27 ships to turn around

U.S. forces have directed 27 ships to turn around or return to an Iranian port since the start of the block against vessels entering or exiting Iranian ports and coastal areas, according to CENTCOM. -ABC News’ Luis Martinez

Apr 20, 7:11 AMUS Embassy Baghdad says Iran-aligned militias still planning attacks

The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad issued a fresh warning to American citizens of the danger posed by Iranian-aligned militias in Iraq, as the country reopened its airspace and some commercial flights resumed."Iraq's Iran-aligned terrorist militias continue planning additional attacks against U.S. citizens and U.S.-associated targets throughout Iraq, including in the Iraqi Kurdistan region," the Embassy said in a post to X. "Some entities associated with the Iraqi government continue to provide effective political, financial and operational cover to these terrorist militias.""Iraq's airspace has reopened and limited commercial flights have resumed. U.S. citizens considering air travel through Iraq should be aware of the ongoing risks of missiles, drones and projectiles in Iraqi airspace," the Embassy wrote.

Ahmad Al-rubaye/AFP via Getty Images - PHOTO: Members of Iraq's pro-Iran paramilitary group Hezbollah Brigades gather in a mourning procession for a fighter in Baghdad on April 8, 2026.

Apr 20, 6:48 AMNetanyahu 'stunned' by photo of soldier destroying Jesus statue

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted a statement to social media on Monday addressing the incident in which an Israeli soldier was photographed taking a sledgehammer to the face of a torn down statue of Jesus Christ in southern Lebanon.Netanyahu said he was "stunned and saddened to learn that an IDF soldier damaged a Catholic religious icon in southern Lebanon.""I condemn the act in the strongest terms. Military authorities are conducting a criminal probe of the matter and will take appropriately harsh disciplinary action against the offender," Netanyahu added.-ABC News' Jordana Miller and Victoria Beaule

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