The Times of Israel is liveblogging Wednesday’s events as they happen.

Vance stresses Trump wants ‘grand bargain’ with Iran, not ‘a small deal’

Addressing a Turning Point USA event in Georgia, US Vice President JD Vance discusses the 20-plus hours of negotiations with Iran in which he lead the US delegation. He says Trump “doesn’t want to make, like, a small deal. He wants to make the grand bargain.”

“That’s the trade that he’s offering,” Vance says of Trump, who is telling Iran that “if you guys commit to not having a nuclear weapon, we are going to make Iran thrive.”

“We’re going to make it economically prosperous, and we’re going to invite the Iranian people into the world economy in a way they haven’t been in my entire life,” the vice president says.

Teasing interview, Fox News host says Trump told her the Iran war is over

Fox News host Maria Bartiromo says US President Donald Trump told her the US-Israel war with Iran is over.

She says Trump expressed the stance during an interview that will air on Wednesday.

The comments would appear to undermine Trump’s threats to resume the war if Iran doesn’t agree to his terms for a permanent ceasefire.

Join me tomorrow for my #exclusive ⁦@MorningsMaria⁩ @foxbusiness w @POTUS @WHITEHOUSE 6-9am et pic.twitter.com/y8d6AR1qfi — Maria Bartiromo (@MariaBartiromo) April 14, 2026

Join me tomorrow for my #exclusive ⁦@MorningsMaria⁩ @foxbusiness w @POTUS @WHITEHOUSE 6-9am et pic.twitter.com/y8d6AR1qfi

— Maria Bartiromo (@MariaBartiromo) April 14, 2026

Pakistani finance chief says his country will ‘not give up’ on US-Iran negotiations

Pakistan Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb says in an interview with the Associated Press that “our leadership is not giving up” on its efforts to help the US and Iran negotiate. He notes the talks marked the first direct discussion between the two in nearly 50 years.

“We would very much like to see if we can continue to pursue the dialogue,” he adds, speaking on the sidelines of the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. “We’ll keep at it, and our leadership is at it.”

Aurangzeb says he also this week met with US officials including Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to discuss trade and finance concerns. He plans to meet Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Friday.

Ukraine asks Israel to detain Russian ship carrying stolen grain that docked in Haifa

Israel allowed a Russian ship carrying stolen Ukrainian grain to dock in Haifa, Ukraine alleges.

The Russian vessel ABINSK was loaded by boats sailing from ports in Russian-occupied Ukraine, according to Ukrainian journalist Kateryna Yaresko of the Myrotvorets Center’s SeaKrime project.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called his Israeli counterpart Gideon Sa’ar to discuss the cargo.

According to Kyiv, Sybiha “drew attention to a Russian vessel carrying grain stolen from Ukraine that was allowed to dock in one of Israel’s ports.”

He stressed “that the illegal export of stolen Ukrainian agricultural products is part of Russia’s broader war effort. Such illegal trade with stolen goods must not be allowed.”

Ukrainian Ambassador Yevgen Korniychuk met with senior Foreign Ministry officials on March 27 and asked them to prevent the ship from docking, Axios reports.

Ukraine’s attorney general met Israel’s Ambassador to Kyiv Michael Brodsky on Tuesady to ask Israel to stop the ship from leaving the port, according to the report.

Settlers destroy lone road linking two Palestinian villages in central West Bank — activists

Settlers have destroyed the only road linking two Palestinian villages in the central West Bank, left-wing activists say.

Footage from Tuesday evening posted by the Herd of Justice activist group shows the road between Marajam and Duma completely dug up and covered with boulders to prevent vehicles from passing.

Activists say the destruction was among a host of steps taken by settlers — with varying levels of support from Israeli authorities — aimed at making life miserable enough for Palestinians so they’ll agree to pick up and leave.

The strategy worked in nearby Auja, where a new nature reserve for settlers was recently opened after repeated violent attacks on several Palestinian hamlets that had been there for decades convinced residents to flee.

@saritm0 reports from the ground: pic.twitter.com/7o60N9tfHv — Herd of Justice (@JustHerds) April 14, 2026

@saritm0 reports from the ground: pic.twitter.com/7o60N9tfHv

— Herd of Justice (@JustHerds) April 14, 2026

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