It's more than 24 hours since President Trump announced an extended ceasefire on the US-Israel war in Iran.

Since then:

• Three cargo ships were attacked by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) while attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz - two of them belong to the world’s biggest shipping company, MSC
• The crews of MSC Francesca and MSC Epaminondas have been detained by Iran - Trump's press secretary Karoline Leavitt said this does not violate the ceasefire
• A second French peacekeeper serving with the UN mission in southern Lebanon, Unifil, has died after being seriously wounded by Hezbollah fighters
• Iran's chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said it is "not possible to reopen the Strait of Hormuz considering all the blatant violations of the ceasefire"
• The additional US blockade, as well as threats and breach of commitments are main obstacles to talks, said Iran's president Masoud Pezeshkian
• Trump's press secretary also said Trump is "satisfied" with the US blockade and denied reports that the extended ceasefire has a deadline of three to five days

We're pausing our live coverage - thanks for joining.

You can read more on today's top story here: Iran says Strait of Hormuz cannot be opened due to ceasefire breaches

The US defence department has announced that the Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan is leaving the Trump administration.

Phelan's departure is "effective immediately", a statement from the department's spokesperson Sean Parnell says.

The navy secretary oversees nearly one million US service members including in the US Navy and Marine Corps, as well as civilian employees.

His departure comes as the US enforces a naval blockade against Iran on the Strait of Hormuz.

Phelan is the second high ranking US military official to leave his role this month.

Earlier in April, US defence secretary Pete Hegseth asked Army Chief of Staff Randy George to step down from his post.

• Read more of our coverage on Randy George's departure here.

BBC Verify finds a number of Iranian-linked vessels have crossed US blockadepublished at 22:48 BST 22 April

22:48 BST 22 April

By Ben Chu

The US military has claimed its naval blockade is working and that its navy has directed 28 vessels to turn around or return to port since it began on 13 April.

But BBC Verify has used ship tracking data and other sources to establish that a number of Iranian linked vessels have actually crossed the US's blockade line in one direction or another since it was imposed.

Ghoncheh Habibiazad
Senior reporter, BBC Persian

Image source, Telegram/Tasnim News Agency

Iran Army’s long-range drone named "Arash" was on display in one of Tehran’s main squares tonight during a pro-government rally, while Iranian drones were also displayed at rallies in the nearby city of Karaj and the southern city of Bandar Abbas, according to Iranian outlets.

A video published by the hardline Tasnim News Agency of a rally in Tehran tonight shows a group chanting "I will fight for you, motherland", while waving the flags of the Islamic Republic and Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah.

Last night, missiles were displayed in several cities across Iran, including the capital, during these rallies, with one video showing a crowd chanting "Death to America" in Tehran.

These pro-government rallies have been held every day in main squares across Iran since the start of the war on 28 February, with Iranian officials and state TV urging people to participate.

Usually held at night, these rallies not only project an image of public support for the government with people waving the Islamic Republic’s flag but can also make it more difficult for opponents to gather in main squares after dark.

Donald Trump has said that eight Iranian women protesters who were allegedly going to be "executed tonight in Iran will no longer be killed" after his request to Iranian leaders - but Iran said they were never set to be executed.

The US president posted on his Truth Social platform that four of the women will be released immediately, while the remaining four will serve one month in prison. Trump said he appreciated Iran and its leaders for respecting his request.

Trump first appealed to the Iranian government about the women on Tuesday, writing in a post that releasing them "would be a great start to our negotiations!!!"

Iran's judiciary-run Mizan News Agency said Trump had been misled by "fake news" spread by "hostile" opposition media, saying that several of the women have already been released, while others faced charges not carrying the death penalty.

As we reported earlier, Iran has executed more than a dozen people since the start of the war, including some accused of spying for Israel and others for their involvement in anti-government protests earlier this year.

The US military's Central Command, or Centcom, says its forces have intercepted 29 vessels since its blockade on the Strait of Hormuz while claiming media reports that several commercial ships have evaded the blockade are "inaccurate".

In a post on X, Centcom says Hero II and Hedy, two Iranian-flagged tankers it says were mentioned in media coverage, did not sail past the blockade as part of a flotilla, and are instead anchored in Chah Bahar in Iran after being intercepted.

Another ship, Dorena, has been escorted by a US Navy destroyer in the Indian Ocean after trying to "violate" the blockade, Centcom says, adding the US military has "global reach".

"American forces are operating and enforcing the blockade across the Middle East and beyond," it says.

A few minutes before she spoke to reporters outside the White House, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt appeared on Fox News to discuss Iran's seizure of two cargo ships in the Strait of Hormuz earlier today.

She was asked if that action by Iran constitutes a violation of the ceasefire.

"No," she says. "These were not US ships, these were not Israeli ships."

For context: BBC Verify understands the first ship targeted by the IRGC on Wednesday morning was a Greek-owned vessel called the Epaminondas. IRGC Naval Command said both it and the Panama-flagged MSC-Francesca had been seized after endangering maritime security "by operating without the necessary permits and tampering with navigation systems".

The Iranians are "acting like a bunch of pirates", Leavitt says, touting US blows to Iran's navy and the success of its naval blockade on Iranian ports.

Asked whether the US could consider striking the boats, Leavitt says the US "could", and that the president has "many options" on the table. But she says the seizures were only carried out by two small boats and Iran's navy is otherwise "obliterated".

With no timeline, Trump gets flexibilitypublished at 20:47 BST 22 April

20:47 BST 22 April

Bernd Debusmann Jr
White House reporter

We've just wrapped up a brief and repetitive gaggle at the White House with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who came out to speak to reporters just outside the West Wing.

Multiple reporters tried, in multiple ways, to ask about President Trump's plans for the ceasefire and when any negotiations might, in fact, take place.

Leavitt's answers were short on details, but she clearly sought to make one thing clear: as far as the administration goes, at least publicly, there is no timeline.

She also pushed back on reporting from some US outlets earlier today that the ceasefire could expire in days, or that a second round of negotiations is around the corner.

The lack of a timeline is likely strategic. As we've been reporting, this gives the Trump administration significant flexibility to let the blockade and the economic stranglehold on Iran bite, in the hopes that what Leavitt termed "pragmatists" in Iran can come up with a proposal without pushback from hardliners.

At the same time, it allows Trump to avoid a return to full-scale military action that many Americans are weary of, and that could upset already nervous global markets.

Image source, Getty Images

Asked how long Americans should expect the war to go on, Leavitt says Trump will ultimately dictate the timeline, "and he will do so when he feels it's in the best interests of the United States and the American people".

Leavitt has now finished speaking. Our White House reporter is about to share his analysis of what we just heard, so stick with us.

Image source, Getty Images

Leavitt is asked if the White House knows who in Iran will have the "final sign off" on a deal.

"The White House and our intelligence community certainly has a good understanding," she says.

But she emphasises "we want to see a unified response".

There has been a lot of different messaging coming from Iranian leaders, she says, describing it as "public nonsense" that is not the same tone they are striking privately.

Leavitt says reports of a three to five day deadline for the extended ceasefire are "not true".

The White House press secretary says Trump has not set a deadline, is "satisfied" with the naval blockade, and "understands Iran is in a very weak position".

"The cards are in President Trump's hands right now," she tells reporters.

Image source, Reuters

Karoline Leavitt begins her comments by referencing Trump's extension of the ceasefire yesterday, saying the US is waiting for a unified proposal from Iranian leaders.

She says there's a lot of "internal division" among Iran's leaders in a battle "between the pragmatists and hardliners".

The US's economic attacks against Iran continue during the ceasefire, she adds, including the US naval blockade that has stopped Iranian oil exports.

The ceasefire has no firm deadline, she confirms.

Image source, Reuters

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt is now speaking with media outside the White House. There was a delay to her appearance while she appeared on Fox News.

You can watch live above.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is scheduled to speak with reporters outside the White House shortly.

We'll bring you any information from her on Iran, and you can watch live at the top of this page.

Image source, Getty Images

Plans for peace talks between Iran and the US remain uncertain as Iran accuses the US and Israel of "blatant violations" of the ceasefire agreement.

Here are the key points from the last few hours:

US-Iran

• Iran's chief negotiator with the US, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said it was "not possible" to re-open the Strait of Hormuz due ceasefire "violations"
• Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the US blockade, threats and a "breach of commitments" are the obstacles to negotiations
• It follows an Iranian attack on three cargo ships in the strait earlier on Wednesday - two of which were seized for "inspection" by the IRGC Navy
• US President Trump was quoted earlier in US media saying it's "possible" that talks with Iran could resume by Friday

Israel-Lebanon

• In Lebanon, President Joseph Aoun said talks were under way with Israel to "extend the ceasefire deadline"
• Aoun also condemned the death of a second French peacekeeper following an attack that hit a UN patrol on Saturday. French President Macron blamed Hezbollah, who have denied responsibility

• Lebanese state media reported two people were killed in an attack on a car in southern Lebanon, with the IDF confirming it struck a vehicle it says "posed a threat" to Israeli troops

Israel says it struck a vehicle in southern Lebanon after it approached Israeli troops in a "manner that posed an immediate threat to their safety".

It follows an earlier report from Lebanese state media that two people had been killed following an Israeli attack on a car in the village of al-Tir.

In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) says it identified two vehicles that had "departed from a military structure used by Hezbollah".

It says it determined that those in the vehicle had violated the ceasefire and posted an "imminent threat" after crossing Israel's "forward defence line", before one vehicle, and the building the vehicles had departed from, was struck.

The IDF says it has since received reports that two journalists were injured in the strikes, adding it is "not preventing rescue teams from reaching the area".

It says that it "does not target journalists" and that the details of the incident are under review.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian says the US blockade of Iranian ports, threats and what he describes as a "breach of commitments" are the main obstacles to "genuine negotiations" with the US.

He says Iran has "welcomed dialogue and agreement and continues to do so", in a post on X.

He adds that the "world sees your endless hypocritical rhetoric and contradiction between claims and actions".

His comments come after US President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he would extend the ceasefire, but the US blockade of Iranian ports would continue.

Jonathan Josephs
Business reporter

The head of the UN’s International Maritime Organisation has called for “innocent seafarers to be released immediately”.

While he hasn’t mentioned them by name, it seems quite clear he’s talking about the crews of the MSC Francesca and MSC Epaminondas, which have been detained by Iran.

Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez also made an unusually pointed criticism in saying “I cannot understand why companies would take risks and endanger seafarers’ lives".

These two cargo ships had been stuck in the Gulf since the start of this conflict. They seem to be part of a convoy that made a break for it over the weekend after the Strait of Hormuz briefly appeared to reopen.

There’s still no word from Switzerland-based MSC which normally tries to keep a low profile. Some of its rival shipping companies have made clear that the safety of their crews and vessels is their top priority.

Nearly 20,000 seafarers remain stranded in the Gulf and Dominguez pointed out it's uncertain when they will be able to return home, which means “there is much more work to be done”.

Ultimately only an end to the hostilities can make the Strait of Hormuz safe for the ships that the global economy depends upon.

Image source, COPERNICUS SENTINEL-2/Reuters

Bernd Debusmann Jr
White House reporter

Image source, EPA

It's been an extremely - and abnormally - quiet day at the White House today.

Even with the world's eyes fixed firmly on Iran and whether - or not - talks will resume anytime soon, there has been silence from the White House, and very little from Donald Trump other than his recent post claiming that eight executions in Iran have been halted.

The only other "news" at the White House today has, so far, been a very brief and so far unexplained security alert which prompted the evacuation of journalists outside on the lawn. It is unclear what that was about.

Reporters here have been busy inundating the White House press office with questions on the administration's next steps on Iran, or busy calling officials to try get any insight.

The subsequent stories in the US media have been thin on details, anonymously sourced and often contradictory.

Unless something changes, we have no expectation of seeing Trump on-camera today. His public schedule is entirely comprised of closed-door policy meetings for the rest of the day.

Iran's chief negotiator in talks with the US, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, has just said it is "not possible to reopen the Strait of Hormuz considering all the blatant violations of the ceasefire".

Those "violations" include the US naval blockade of Iranian ports - which he says amounts to taking the global economy "hostage" - and "warmongering" by Israel "on all fronts".

Seemingly referring to the US and Israel, Ghalibaf posts on X that "they did not achieve their goals through military aggression, nor will they through bullying.

"The only way forward is to recognise the rights of the Iranian people."

It was thought Gahlibaf would hold talks with US Vice-President JD Vance in Pakistan this week - but they are yet to begin.

Donald Trump last night announced an extension to the US-Iran ceasefire that was due to expire today. This morning, Iran said it had "seized" two cargo ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

Image source, EPA