Middle East war live: US, Iran warn ready for war as talks in limbo

Live Middle East Issued on: 21/04/2026 - 03:51Modified: 21/04/2026 - 03:58 By: / A man rides his motorbike past a billboard installed alongside a road as Pakistan prepares to host the US and Iran for peace talks, in Islamabad, Pakistan, April 10, 2026 © Waseem Khan, Reuters The United States and Iran on Monday each warned they were ready for war as the clock ticked on a ceasefire, with uncertainty on talks that President Donald Trump had announced would resume in Pakistan. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates. Yesterday's key developments: The US on Thursday will hold new talks between Israel and Lebanon aimed at encouraging an agreement, a US official told AFP, after the start of a shaky US-brokered ceasefire. The Israeli military confirmed a viral photo of one of its soldiers smashing a statue of Jesus with a sledgehammer in southern Lebanon is authentic and said it has launched an investigation into the incident. US President Donald Trump said the US would not lift its blockade of Iranian ports until Tehran had agreed a peace deal to end the war. Keywords for this article