Sema Fonkem 22 April 2026

Petrol theft is on the rise worldwide, President Trump threatens more bombs, China pushes for the opening of the Hormuz Strait for the first time since the war began, and Tehran remains reluctant of Trump’s proposed conversations.

President Trump believes the US has a stronger negotiating position, but has threatened more lethal attacks if Tehran does not respond quickly to the ceasefire discussions scheduled today in Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital.

Iran’s government has refused to deal with the United States and Israel despite pressure and false threats. Iran’s Speaker of Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, claims the country is prepared to play fresh cards in the battlefield.

After several weeks into the war, Iran reopened Imam Khomeini and Mehrabad airports, indicating that it cannot be further threatened by the USA.

Iran is currently demanding the return of its frozen assets as well as compensation for the damage caused by US-Iranian strikes.

Iran believes it has the upper hand and is leading the conflict because Trump has desperately called for cease-fire negotiations.

US Vice President JD Vance, who is slated to lead the US delegation to Islamabad, has postponed his trip indefinitely and is nervously waiting in Washington for Tehran’s decision on whether the peace negotiations would take place today.

If Vance’s trip to Islamabad is postponed indefinitely, the ceasefire is implicitly postponed indefinitely. This means that Trump’s government will have to wait for Iran to issue a proposal to stop the war. This decision puts the United States at a disadvantage.

Although the continuous blockade of the Strait of Hormuz may weaken Iran financially, it cannot be opened at this time due to a lack of vessel security.

Members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) can be seen on the streets in Iran celebrating the ceasefire resistance.