It has no plans to attend peace talks with U.S.

Updated on: April 20, 2026 / 8:55 AM EDT / CBS News
What to know about the Iran war today:
Netanyahu says soldier pictured smashing statue of Jesus in Lebanon will face "harsh disciplinary action"
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that he was "stunned and saddened" by a photo of an Israeli soldier striking a statue of Jesus Christ with a sledgehammer in southern Lebanon.

"I condemn the act in the strongest terms," he wrote in a post on X , adding that military authorities would take "harsh disciplinary action against the offender."
Confirming the authenticity of the photo, which spread quickly on social media, the Israel Defense Forces said earlier Monday in a post on X that it was taking the incident with "great severity," adding that the "soldier's conduct is wholly inconsistent with the values expected of its troops."
"We express regret for the incident and for any hurt this has caused to believers in Lebanon and around the world," Netanyahu wrote in his post.

Local media reports suggest the fallen statue was in the Christian village of Debl, near the Israeli border in an area IDF forces have occupied for several weeks, forcing the evacuation of tens of thousands of residents.

In July 2025, Israel struck the only Catholic Church in Gaza , killing at least three people and wounding its priest.

The incident prompted Christian leaders from around the world — including Pope Leo XIV — to urge Israel to stop its destruction of holy sites and civilian lives in Gaza and the West Bank.

Senior Pakistani official meets separately with Iranian and U.S.

ambassadors in Islamabad
With the prospects of a second round of direct U.S.-Iran talks in Pakistan very much uncertain Monday, Pakistan's Interior Minister met separately with the ambassadors from Washington and Tehran in a bid to bridge differences.

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman said earlier that Tehran had no plans to send officials to meet with President Trump's three senior envoys, including Vice President JD Vance, who are expected in Islamabad in the coming days.

President Trump has warned that if Iran does not accept his peace deal offer, he will order strikes to destroy all of the country's power plants and bridges.

The ceasefire between Iran and the U.S.

is set to expire on Wednesday morning local time, which will be Tuesday evening in the U.S.

"Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met with Iran's Ambassador Dr.

Reza Amiri-Moghaddam" on Monday, the ministry said in a brief statement .

"They discussed arrangements for the second phase of talks in Islamabad and emphasized the need for a sustainable solution through diplomatic and negotiation channels to reduce tensions."
Earlier Naqvi visited the U.S.

Embassy in Islamabad to speak with Ambassador Natalie Baker.

"The meeting included detailed discussions on strengthening Pakistan–U.S.

relations and the latest situation in the region," the ministry said in a separate statement .

U.S.

Embassy in Iraq warns of possible attacks, accuses "elements associated with" the government of complicity
The U.S.

Embassy in Baghdad warned in a new alert on Monday that Iran-linked militias are plotting attacks against U.S.

citizens "and targets associated with the United States" across Iraq.

In the security alert , posted online, the embassy also accused "some elements associated with the Iraqi government" of actively providing "political, financial, and operational cover for these terrorist militias."
Iraqi airspace reopened after the two-week U.S.-Iran ceasefire came into effect – which is due to expire Wednesday – with limited commercial flights running.

But U.S.

citizens considering flying to, from, or over Iraq "should be aware of the ongoing risk of missiles, drones, and rockets in Iraqi airspace," the embassy warned.

The embassy also reiterated its warning to U.S.

citizens not to travel to Iraq for any reason, and to "leave now if you are there," and the alert offered guidance on various options to do so.

Iranian official says at least 3,375 people killed in the country since U.S.

and Israel launched attacks
Iran on Monday offered a new death toll for the war with Israel and the United States, with its forensic chief saying at least 3,375 people had been killed in the conflict.

The figure came from Abbas Masjedi, the head of Iran's Legal Medicine Organization.

Masjedi, quoted by the judiciary's Mizan news agency and other outlets Monday, said only four of the dead remain unidentified.

Masjedi said 383 of the dead were children 18 years old and under.

His comments did not break down casualties among civilians and security forces, instead just saying 2,875 were male and 496 were female.

The figures raised questions about whether or not security force members were included, particularly given the levels of intense bombings targeting military bases and arsenals in the country.

IRGC commander claims Iran has replenished missiles faster during ceasefire
Iran has been able to upgrade and replenish its drone and missile capabilities faster during the two-week ceasefire with the U.S.

than before the war, a senior Iranian military commander claimed Monday.

Brigadier General Majid Mousavi, commander of the Aerospace Force of Iran's powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, posted a video online Sunday showing him at what appeared to be an underground manufacturing facility, with what looked like missiles being assembled.

He said that during the ceasefire, which is due to end Wednesday, Iran has restocked its missile and drone arsenal at a faster rate than it was doing before the war.

"The enemy is unable to recreate such conditions for itself and is forced to bring ammunition from across the world in a very limited, gradual manner," Mousavi wrote in the post.

U.S.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and President Trump have for weeks identified degrading Iran's ability to build new drones and missiles as a key priority of the offensive , and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a month ago that joint U.S.-Israel strikes had already destroyed Iran's "ability to produce ballistic missiles."
U.S.

will soon have three aircraft carriers in the Mideast
The U.S.

military is poised to have in the coming days its most significant naval deployment in and around the Middle East since the U.S.

and Israel launched their joint attack on Iran seven weeks ago.

The USS Gerald R Ford aircraft carrier and associated warships returned to the U.S.

military Central Command's area of operations after a stop in the eastern Mediterranean.

The Ford transited the Suez Canal and entered the Red Sea over the weekend, along with two destroyers, the USS Mahan and the USS Winston S.

Churchill.

The Ford, at sea since June and recently deployed to the Caribbean amid the operation against Venezuela, has already broken the record for the longest carrier deployment since the Vietnam War.

It returned to the Mideast after a fire in a laundry room forced it to dock in Greece for repairs.

The Ford joins the USS Abraham Lincoln, which is operating in the north Arabian Sea.

The USS George HW Bush aircraft carrier, meanwhile, is heading around the Cape of Good Hope off southern Africa's coast and is expected to reach the Middle East sometime near the end of the month, which will make it three U.S.

aircraft carriers and their strike groups operating in the region.

Oil prices rise again, U.S.

stock futures drop amid uncertainty over U.S.-Iran standoff in Strait of Hormuz
U.S.

benchmark crude gained 5.3% to $87.88 a barrel, while Brent crude, the international standard, was up 5.3% at $95.62 a barrel on Monday.

In early European trading, benchmarks declined.

Germany's DAX lost 1.6% and the CAC 40 in Paris shed 1.2% to 8,325.67.

Britain's FTSE 100 fell 0.6% to 10,601.64.

Iran has no plans to attend talks with U.S.

in Pakistan, Foreign Ministry spokesman says
Iran isn't currently planning to attend talks with the United States, the regime said, after President Trump sent U.S.

negotiators to Pakistan to take part in renewed talks on Monday, just days before a ceasefire between Iran and the U.S.

expires.

The ongoing U.S.

blockade of Iranian ports has been a significant sticking point, an issue further complicated by an American destroyer on Sunday firing on and seizing an Iranian ship that tried to evade it.

Tehran said it would retaliate, with the state-run Tasnim news agency reporting that Iran had sent drones in the direction of U.S.

military ships after its vessel was seized.

Iran Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said in a weekly press briefing Monday that, "As of now ...

we have no plans for the next round of negotiation, and no decision has been made in this regard."
State broadcaster IRIB on Sunday cited Iranian sources as saying "there are currently no plans to participate in the next round of Iran-U.S.

talks."
The state-run IRNA news agency pointed to the blockade and Washington's "unreasonable and unrealistic demands," saying that "in these circumstances, there is no clear prospect of fruitful negotiations."
"We're offering a very fair and reasonable DEAL, and I hope they take it," Mr.

Trump warned in a social media post on Sunday, while renewing his threat to order strikes to destroy all of Iran's power plants and bridges if a deal isn't reached.

Hezbollah claims first attack on Israeli forces since Israel-Lebanon truce began
Hezbollah said it detonated explosives Sunday afternoon in an attack against Israeli forces in southern Lebanon.

The group said in a statement Monday that bombs planted by Hezbollah fighters exploded and destroyed four tanks in a convoy of eight tanks that was passing the village of Deir Siryan.

It was the first claim of an attack by Hezbollah since a 10-day ceasefire went into effect at midnight Thursday.

The Israeli military did not immediately comment.

Israeli army says image of soldier striking Jesus statue in Lebanon is authentic
The Israeli army said Monday that it had determined an image circulating on social media that shows a soldier in south Lebanon hitting a statue of Jesus Christ is authentic and shows an active service member.

The image appears to show an Israeli soldier using a sledgehammer to strike the head of a statue of a crucified Jesus that had fallen off a cross.

Arab media reports indicated the statue was in the Christian village of Debl in south Lebanon, near the border with Israel in an area that Israeli forces have occupied for weeks, forcing tens of thousands of residents to evacuate.

The Debl municipality told AFP the statue was located in the village, but couldn't confirm whether it had been damaged.

The Israel army said it viewed the incident with "great severity," adding that the "soldier's conduct is wholly inconsistent with the values expected of its troops," in a post on its official X account Monday .

"Following the completion of an initial examination regarding a photograph published earlier today of an IDF soldier harming a Christian symbol, it was determined that the photograph depicts an IDF soldier operating in southern Lebanon," it said in the post.

The incident is being investigated by the Israeli Northern Command and is currently being "addressed through the chain of command," the military added.

It said "appropriate measures will be taken against those involved" but didn't go into further detail.

The Israel army said it's working with the community to "restore the statue to its place."
The IDF said it is "operating to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure established by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, and has no intention of harming civilian infrastructure, including religious buildings or religious symbols."
Iran's military vows swift response to U.S.

seizure of Iranian-flagged tanker
The Iranian military headquarters said the attack and subsequent boarding of an Iranian vessel by U.S.

forces was a violation of the ceasefire and an act of "maritime piracy," saying that "Iran will respond soon," according to Iran's state-run broadcaster.

The United States says it fired on the ship and seized it because it had crossed the blockade line after ignoring multiple warnings.

The response came as Iran has yet to comment on President Trump's announcement of new talks in Pakistan this week.

Iranian state media, without citing anyone beyond unnamed sources, issued brief reports on Sunday suggesting the talks would not happen.

Trump says U.S.

seized Iranian ship, renews threat to civilian infrastructure in lieu of peace deal
An Iranian cargo ship that attempted to bypass the U.S.

blockade of Iranian ports and vessels is in U.S.

custody, President Trump said Sunday on Truth Social .

Mr.

Trump said the U.S.

Navy destroyer USS Spruance intercepted the Iranian-flagged ship Touska in the Gulf of Oman and gave the 900-foot-long vessel "fair warning" to stop.

"The Iranian crew refused to listen, so our Navy ship stopped them in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engine room," the president said.

"The TOUSKA is under U.S.

Treasury sanctions because of its prior history of illegal activity.

We have full custody of the ship and are seeing what's on board."
Mr.

Trump renewed his warning earlier Sunday that he would order the U.S.

military to target civilian infrastructure in Iran, including bridges and power plants, if the regime does not agree to a peace deal.

"We're offering a very fair and reasonable DEAL, and I hope they take it because, if they don't, the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran," Mr.

Trump wrote on TruthSocial .

"NO MORE MR.

NICE GUY!" Mr.

Trump said.

"If they don't take the DEAL, it will be my Honor to do what has to be done, which should have been done to Iran, by other Presidents, for the last 47 years.

IT'S TIME FOR THE IRAN KILLING MACHINE TO END!"