MS NOW95%
Iran live updates: Iran rejects U.S. proposal to suspend nuclear activity for 20 years 23%
By MS NOW staff0%
4/14/2026, 5:33:53 PM
BS Summary: This article contains 34 faulty reasoning types, including Appeal to Authority, Negativity Bias, and Post Hoc (False Cause), with Ambiguity (Equivocation) as the most egregious example at 16.1% saturation with 704 hits. Analysis detected 5,149 faulty-reasoning hits from 4,361 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 36% and a BS Rank of 23% (13,065 of 16,813 articles). This article is better (less manipulative) than 77.70% of the article peer group.
What to know
Iran rejected a U.S. proposal to suspend all nuclear activity for 20 years, a senior administration official said today.
Discussions are being held about starting a second round of talks between the U.S., Israel and Iran that officials say could begin Thursday, The Associated Press reported.
Oil prices are below $100 a barrel, and prices at the pump are steady as Wall Street shows optimism about potential new peace negotiations.
President Donald Trump said on Fox News yesterday that gas and oil prices may go up ahead of the midterm elections.
The Israeli ambassador to the U.S. appeared optimistic after a rare meeting between U.S., Israeli and Lebanese officials at the State Department with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
According to Ambassador Yechiel Leiter, Lebanon “made it very clear that they will no longer be occupied by Hezbollah.”
Rubio downplayed the meeting’s expectations, saying the goal was to “create the framework” for something more permanent.
Vance appeals to young voters who oppose war in Middle East
Vance made a direct appeal to younger voters who are increasingly skeptical of U.S. involvement in conflicts in the Middle East, framing his message around restraint and a focus on domestic priorities.
“I recognize that young voters do not love the policy we have in the Middle East.
I understand,” Vance told the Turning Point USA audience at the University of Georgia.
“I’m not saying you to have to agree with me on every issue.
What I am saying is, don’t get disengaged because you disagree with the administration on one topic,” he said.
“Get more involved, make your voice heard even more.
That is how we ultimately take the country back.”
A recent Pew Research Center poll found that while 84% of Republicans approve of Trump’s handling of the war, support drops to just 49% among those ages 18 to 29.
Photo: Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
Israel, Lebanon agree to continue further talks after U.S. meeting
Lebanon and Israel have agreed to continue negotiations at a “mutually agreed” time and place following today’s trilateral meeting with the U.S., according to a readout of today’s meeting at State Department by Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott.
During the talks, U.S. officials voiced support for Israel’s security and Lebanon’s efforts to assert state control.
“The United States affirmed that any agreement to cease hostilities must be reached between the two governments, brokered by the United States, and not through any separate track,” Pigott said in a statement.
Israel expressed its support to “disarming all non-state terror groups and dismantle all terror infrastructure in Lebanon,” and pledged to work with the Lebanese government toward that goal to help ensure the security of both nations.
Lebanon emphasized the need for a ceasefire and “concert measures” for humanitarian relief.
The meeting marked the first high-level engagement between the two countries since 1993, signaling a potential step toward direct negotiations.
“The United States expressed its hope that talks can exceed the scope of the 2024 agreement and bring about a comprehensive peace deal,” the Pigott said.
Vance: U.S.-Iran talks stalled because Trump’s holding out for ‘grand bargain’
While speaking at a Turning Point USA event in Georgia, Vance said that recent U.S.-Iran talks have stalled in part because Trump is holding out for a sweeping “grand bargain” deal.
“The ceasefire is holding and what you’re seeing is the president wants to make, he doesn’t want to make, like a small deal.
He wants to make the grand bargain,” Vance said.
Despite failing to reach an agreement with Iran after 21 hours of negotiation talks in Pakistan last weekend, Vance said “a ton of progress” was made.
“The reason why the deal is not yet done is because the president, he really wants a deal where Iran doesn’t have a nuclear weapon.
Iran is not state sponsoring terrorism, but also the people of Iran can thrive and prosper and join the world economy,” Vance added.
Trump’s economic adviser downplays inflation impact of rising oil prices
National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett downplayed the impact of high oil prices on U.S. inflation during an appearance on CNBC this morning, saying the country has “a good inflation story.”
Hassett argued oil price shocks in the Middle East have not driven increases in inflation, despite the fact that the price-per-barrel of oil has risen from $60 at the start of the year to over $97 today.
Gas pump prices are up roughly 40% from the start of the war, and the consumer price index rose sharply in March compared to the prior two prewar months, according to data from the U.S.
Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“It’s just sort of a level adjust that will quickly reverse itself when the situation is resolved,” Hassett argued.
As for how the Trump administration might achieve such a resolution, Hassett didn’t elaborate, but he said he believes national inflation could hit zero “if the situation resolves itself somehow.”
U.N. chief warns international law is ‘being trampled’ in Iran war
U.N.
Secretary-General António Guterres addressed the media, raising concerns about global conflicts and calling out actions in the Iran war.
In his address, Guterres said “respect for international law is being trampled” and “civilians are exposed to intolerable harm,” adding, “Even the protections afforded to the United Nations and our personnel are violated.”
He also stressed the ceasefire must be preserved and extended.
Guterres referenced Lebanon’s distinct humanitarian crisis amid ongoing strikes, saying, “Hezbollah and Israel have always helped each other to destabilize the government of Lebanon.”
He urged Israel and Lebanon to work together so Lebanon does not continue to be victimized.
On U.S. and Iran negotiations, the U.N. chief also said, “The indication we have is that it is highly probable that these talks will restart.”
Guterres said he spoke with Pakistan’s deputy prime minister today and thanked the country for its role in efforts to promote peace in the Middle East.
Guterres also announced he will travel to The Hague later this week to reaffirm support for international law and the role of the International Court of Justice.
Photo: John Lamparski / Getty Images
Rubio calls Israel-Lebanon talks a ‘historic opportunity,’ downplays expectations
In brief remarks ahead of peace talks between Israel and Lebanon in Washington today, Rubio called the meeting a “historic opportunity” to bring about “a permanent end to 20 or 30 years of Hezbollah’s influence in this part of the world.”
Rubio said the goal is to “create the framework” for something permanent “so that the people of Lebanon can have the kind of future they deserve, and so that the people of Israel can live without fear of being struck by rocket attacks from a terrorist proxy of Iran.”
Israel has struck Hezbollah targets in Lebanon relentlessly, killing more than 2,000 people, including civilians, according to Lebanese officials.
Today’s negotiations, which Rubio is facilitating, will be the first time Lebanon and Israel have had direct, high-level talks since 1993.
The secretary of state downplayed expectations for the outcome, saying, “This is a process, not an event.”
U.S. stocks post solid gains at closing bell
U.S. stocks climbed today, with all three major indexes recording strong gains as investor sentiment improved over the hopes of easing tensions in the Middle East and falling oil prices.
The S&P 500 rose about 1.18%, while the Nasdaq jumped roughly 1.96% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained around 0.66%.
Brent crude oil was trading at roughly $95 per barrel amid volatility tied to renewed U.S.-Iran talks.
China proposes 4-point Middle East peace proposal as tensions rise
With tensions over the Strait of Hormuz growing more urgent, China is seeking to assert its role in de-escalating the conflict in the Middle East.
In a proposal posted to X today, a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs laid out Chinese President Xi Jinping’s four-point peace proposal: commitments to “peaceful co-existence” among the Gulf states, national sovereignty, the international rule of law and “a balanced approach to development and security.”
Although China has largely sought to remain neutral in the war, Xi issued what appeared to be his strongest criticism of the conflict so far, saying in a meeting with the crown prince of Abu Dhabi today that the world cannot risk reverting “to the law of the jungle.”
“Maintaining the authority of international rule of law means not using it when it suits us and abandoning it when it doesn’t,” Xi said.
President Xi Jinping made four propositions on safeguarding and promoting peace and stability in the Middle East.1️⃣ Stay committed to the principle of peaceful co-existence.
The Gulf states in the Middle East are close neighbors that cannot move away.
It’s important to support… pic.twitter.com/dBfGZCV9TF— Mao Ning 毛宁 (@SpoxCHN_MaoNing) April 14, 2026
U.S. to let authorization for sale of Iranian oil to expire on April 19
The Trump administration will allow a 30-day waiver of sanctions on Iranian oil at sea to expire on its intended date of April 19, according to an administration official.
The waiver allowed for the temporary sale of Iranian oil that was already stranded at sea.
The same administration official went on to say the Treasury Department is going “full force on Economic Fury.”
“The United States maintains a range of authorities that can be applied to institutions allowing Iranian illicit activity, including secondary sanctions,” the official continued.
“In addition, with the snapback of U.N. sanctions on Iran, and its history of trying to hide behind seemingly legitimate activity to conduct its illicit conduct, any activity with Tehran could trigger additional sanctions.”
The waiver, which was issued on March 20 by the Treasury Department, authorized the “sale, delivery, or offloading of crude oil or petroleum products of Iranian origin loaded on any vessel” from March 20 until April 19.
In a post on X last month announcing the waiver, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the waiver would quickly bring 140 million barrels of oil to global markets, expand the amount of worldwide energy and help relieve temporary pressures on supply.
In that same post, Bessent emphasized that the short-term authorization would be temporary, and it was “strictly limited to oil that is already in transit and does not allow new purchases or production.”
Reuters was the first to report this.
Israeli ambassador optimistic after Lebanon talks in D.C.
Speaking to reporters after the roughly two-hour meeting between U.S., Israeli and Lebanese officials in Washington, D.C., Israeli Ambassador to the U.S.
Yechiel Leiter appeared positive about his country’s first high-level diplomatic dialogue with Lebanon in over three decades.
“What gives me hope is the fact that the Lebanese government made it very clear that they will no longer be occupied by Hezbollah,” Leiter said, noting the historic moment.
“We discovered today that we’re on the same side of the equation,” Leiter told reporters.
“That’s the most positive thing we could have come away with.
We are both united in liberating Lebanon from an occupation power, dominated by Iran, called Hezbollah.”
Leiter said he made it clear the security of Israeli civilians is “not up for negotiations,” which is understood by the government of Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, who “bravely said no to Hezbollah” by agreeing to participate in today’s talks despite the terrorist group’s objections.
“I must say this was a victory for sanity, for responsibility and for peace,” Leiter said.
“This is the beginning of a very strong and fortified, consistent battle against Hezbollah.”
Leiter added it’s imperative that there’s a “de-linkage” between Lebanon and Iran, adding Israel and Lebanon are working on an agreement on both the security front and civil front.
“The moment we have the security issue solved, we can take the peace treaty and embark on a harmonious relationship, like we have with the other Abraham Accord countries,” the ambassador said.
He did not provide a timeline for when the Israeli military will stop its strikes in southern Lebanon, which have killed over 2,000 Lebanese, according to the country’s health ministry, or give details on a potential second meeting between the two nations.
Photo: Andrew Harnik / Getty Images
U.S. says no ships bypassed blockade despite data showing otherwise
U.S.
Central Command said today that “no ships made it past the U.S. blockade” of the Strait of Hormuz in the 24 hours after it was implemented, even as shipping data from MarineTraffic shows at least two vessels bypassed the blockade.
The Panama-flagged Peace Gulf and the Madagascar-flagged Murlikishan, both sanctioned by the U.S.
Treasury Department, entered the Persian Gulf overnight, according to MarineTraffic’s data.
Six merchant vessels were also directed by U.S. forces to turn around and re-enter an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman, U.S.
Central Command said.
“The blockade is being enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman,” it added.
White House starts preparing the public for persistently high gas prices
When it comes to energy policy and prices at gas stations, Republicans have found solace in the calendar.
Yes, consumers are frustrated now, but Election Day 2026 is still 29 weeks away, and there’s plenty of time to end the war with Iran, reopen shipping lanes and see the broader elements stabilize in the coming months.
The truth is more complex.
Dozens of energy sites throughout the Middle East have been struck as part of the war; wells have to be reopened; and some infrastructure will have to be rebuilt.
It will take time.
What’s more, Donald Trump responded to his administration’s latest failed diplomatic talks with Iran by imposing a new blockade, which doesn’t appear to be working well and has had the predictable effect of pushing oil prices higher.
Read the full story.
Trump says negotiations could happen ‘over the next two days.’
White House official says nothing scheduled yet.
Trump told the New York Post in a phone interview today that more discussions between the U.S. and Iran “could be happening over the next two days” in Islamabad.
A White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity given the sensitivity of the negotiations, told MS NOW that future talks are under discussion but nothing has been scheduled.
The first round of talks in Pakistan’s capital ended Sunday without an agreement.
Two Pakistani officials, who spoke with The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, said the first talks were part of an ongoing process, rather than a one-off discussion.
Two U.S. officials also told the AP yesterday that details of another round of talks had not been hashed out, but that they could happen as soon as Thursday.
International Monetary Fund: ‘Major energy crisis’ possible if war continues
The International Monetary Fund warned today that the world could suffer a “major energy crisis” if the war between the U.S., Israel and Iran leads to a longer, more widespread conflict.
In a press briefing on the IMF’s World Economic Outlook this morning, the organization’s chief economic councilor, Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, expressed extreme concern for the global economic outlook.
“The closing of the Strait of Hormuz and serious damage to critical energy facilities in the Middle East raise the prospect of a major energy crisis should a durable solution not be found soon,” he said.
According to the report, if the squeeze on the world’s energy supply continues into next year, he said, inflation could jump above 6% and growth decline to 2 percent this year and next.
Gourinchas said that in spite of the temporary ceasefire between the U.S., Israel and Iran, some damage is already done.
“A short-lived conflict and a moderate 19 percent increase in energy commodities prices in 2026, still puts global growth at only 3.1 percent this year and headline inflation at 4.4 percent,” the report said.
The IMF is a global organization that promotes international financial stability.
The IMF said countries as risk of being hit hardest are commodity-importing emerging market and developing economies, with some countries in the Middle East and Central Asia set to face the biggest impact of the war.
Gourinchas warned that central banks might not be able to avoid a global recession as they were able to do in the 2022 commodity price surge, when the Russia-Ukraine war disrupted global supply chains.
“Can we expect the same outcome now?”
he said.
“There are reasons to doubt it.”
Iran rejects U.S. proposal to suspend nuclear activity for 20 years
A senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive negotiations, confirmed that Iran rejected a U.S. proposal to suspend all nuclear activity for 20 years.
Iran instead countered with a proposal for a three-year suspension, similar to what its negotiators offered in Geneva in February before the U.S. and Israel decided to go to war with Iran, the official said.
It’s unclear what Iran’s nuclear capabilities are at the moment.
After the U.S. struck nuclear targets in Iran last summer, Trump declared that its key nuclear enrichment facilities were “completely and totally obliterated,” though that has since appeared to be false.
And despite having declared victory over Iran since the first round of strikes in late February, Trump has continued to criticize the Iranian regime’s chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz.
Red Cross makes rare humanitarian delivery to Iran
The International Committee of the Red Cross delivered 171 metric tons of emergency relief supplies to the Iranian Red Crescent Society, its first shipment to Iran in six weeks.
The ICRC said 14 trucks delivered aid from Jordan, including blankets, hygiene kits and solar lamps, enough for nearly 25,000 people.
The operation marked “one of the first cross-border humanitarian deliveries” to Iran in six weeks, the Red Cross added.
📍Iran | We have successfully delivered the first batch of emergency relief to the Iranian Red Crescent Society, totaling 171 metric tonnes of essential supplies.This marks the first ICRC shipment to Iran since the latest escalation of hostilities and one of the first… pic.twitter.com/Z0ICFQxIFZ— ICRC (@ICRC) April 14, 2026
France’s Macron urges peace talks to resume and Lebanon to be included in ceasefire
French President Emmanuel Macron called on the U.S. and Iran to engage in another round of negotiations after the first round failed to yield an agreement last weekend.
He also called for the ceasefire to include Lebanon ahead of the Israel-Lebanon negotiations scheduled for today in Washington.
“Yesterday, I spoke with Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian, as well as with U.S.
President Donald Trump.
I urged the resumption of the negotiations suspended in Islamabad, the clearing up of misunderstandings, and the avoidance of any further escalation,” Macron wrote in a post on X.
“It is essential, in particular, that the ceasefire be strictly respected by all parties and that it include Lebanon,” Macron said.
He added that the Strait of Hormuz should be reopened “without restrictions or tolls, as soon as possible.”
Macron said France and the U.K. will host a conference in Paris on Friday, “bringing together by videoconference non-belligerent countries ready to contribute, alongside us, to a multilateral and purely defensive mission aimed at restoring freedom of navigation in the strait when security conditions allow.”
Photo: Ludovic Marin / POOL / AFP via Getty Images
India’s Modi says he discussed Strait of Hormuz security with Trump
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a post on X that he received a phone call from Trump and that the two leaders “reviewed substantial progress in our bilateral cooperation in various sectors.”
Modi said they also discussed the “situation” in the Middle East and “stressed the importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open and secure.”
Israeli strikes in Lebanon push Middle East death toll above 5,900
More than 5,900 people have died in the Middle East, nearly one-third of them in Lebanon, since the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran in late February.
In Beirut and elsewhere, last week’s strikes, which Israel called its most intense of the war, killed more than 350 people in Lebanon, the Lebanese branch of the World Health Organization said.
Those attacks came despite a ceasefire between the U.S., Israel and Iran that Iran, Pakistan and others said was supposed to have included Lebanon.
The Israeli strikes brought Lebanon’s total death toll to 2,089 as of yesterday, according to the country’s health ministry, which also reported 166 children have been killed and over 6,750 people injured.
The nonprofit Human Rights Activists News Agency has not reported any deaths in Iran since the U.S., Israel and Iran agreed to the ceasefire.
As of early last week, HRANA said more than 3,600 Iranians have died in the war, including more than 1,700 civilians and at least 254 children.
Roughly 3.2 million Iranians and 1.1 million Lebanese have been displaced by the fighting, according to WHO.
About 100 people have been killed in Iraq, and at least 35 have died in Israel.
Among NATO member nations, 13 U.S. service members, one French military officer, one Turkish soldier and two Turkish defense contractors have died in the war.
Three Indonesian U.N. peacekeepers were killed in southern Lebanon last month, which the U.N. is investigating.
Four Red Crescent volunteers have been killed in Iran since the start of the war.
Photo: Houssam Shbaro / Anadolu via Getty Images
International Energy Agency predicts global oil demand will shrink drastically
The International Energy Agency said it expects oil demand to decline by 80,000 barrels per day this year because of the fast-moving developments in the Iran war.
The organization forecasted oil demand will by dip 1.5 million barrels per day in the second quarter of the year, the sharpest decline since the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Initially, the deepest cuts in oil use have come in the Middle East and Asia Pacific,” the IEA said in its April report released today, adding that “demand destruction will spread” as supply dips and prices soar.
“Resuming flows through the Strait of Hormuz remains the single most important variable in easing the pressure on energy supplies, prices and the global economy,” the IEA said.
Ships bypass U.S. blockade, casting doubt on who controls the Strait of Hormuz
At least two vessels have navigated the Strait of Hormuz and cleared the U.S. blockade, according to shipping data from MarineTraffic, as Iran continues to export oil from its major ports.
The Panama-flagged Peace Gulf and the Madagascar-flagged Murlikishan, the latter of which is sanctioned by the U.S.
Treasury Department, entered the Persian Gulf overnight, bypassing the blockade, the data showed.
The Murlikishan appeared to have turned off its transponder as it navigated into the mouth of the strait, a tactic often used by ships in Iran’s “shadow fleet,” which fly suspicious flags of origin.
Trump told reporters Sunday that “Iran will not be able to sell oil” after the Gulf of Oman is closed by the U.S.
That block began yesterday morning.
Throughout the war, Iran has continued to export millions of barrels of oil through its Persian Gulf ports, an economic lifeline for the nation.
Iran’s major ports line the country’s southwestern coast and populate many of its gulf islands.
Some of them, such as Kharg Island, Bushehr and Lavan Island, were targeted by U.S. strikes before the ceasefire agreement.
Although Iran operates three major ports outside the Persian Gulf, two on the Caspian Sea and one on the Arabian Sea, the bulk of its shipping capacity was set to be cut off by U.S. naval forces, according to logistics firm DP World.
Map: Carson Elm-Picard / MS NOW; Source: SeaRates via DP World
Rubio to lead ceasefire talks between Israel, Lebanon in Washington
Secretary of State Marco Rubio will lead ceasefire talks between Israel and Lebanon at the State Department today, according to his public schedule.
U.S.
Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa, Israeli Ambassador to the U.S.
Yechiel Leiter and Lebanese Ambassador to the U.S.
Nada Hamadeh will participate in the discussions, set to begin at 11 a.m.
Israel has continued to pound Hezbollah targets in Lebanon in attacks that have killed more than 2,000 people, according to Lebanese officials.
Today’s meeting will be the first direct, high-level diplomatic talks talks between Lebanon and Israel since 1993.
Oil prices slip, gas prices largely unchanged
U.S. gas prices remained largely unchanged, falling by just less than 1 cent to $4.12 a gallon, according to AAA.
Prices remain almost 40% higher than before the Iran war started.
Oil prices are currently below $100 a barrel after President Donald Trump signaled that the U.S. and Iran are considering future talks that could lead to an extension of the two-week ceasefire that began on April 7.
Meanwhile, several ships in the Persian Gulf are testing the administration’s blockade of Iranian ports.
Note: Data as of Apr 14 Chart: Carson Elm-Picard / MS NOW; Source: Investing.com
U.S. officials say second round of peace talks could happen Thursday
The standoff between the United States and Iran deepened today as the U.S. declared it had blockaded Iran’s ports, Tehran threatened to strike targets across the region and Pakistan said it was racing to bring the sides together for more talks.
Although last week’s ceasefire appeared to hold, the showdown over the Strait of Hormuz risked reigniting hostilities and deepening the region-wide war’s economic fallout.
Talks aimed at permanently ending the conflict — which began on Feb. 28 with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran — failed to produce an agreement last weekend, though Pakistan has proposed hosting a second round in the coming days.
Two Pakistani officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the matter with the media, said that the first talks were part of an ongoing diplomatic process rather than a one-off effort.
Two U.S. officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive diplomatic negotiations, said yesterday that discussions were still underway about a new round of talks.
They said that the venue, timing and composition of the delegations hadn’t been decided, but that talks could happen Thursday.
Read the full story here.
Analysis
Hover over highlighted words in the article to view the associated bias or fallacy analysis.