WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced a second round of talks between the United States and Iran will begin tomorrow evening in Islamabad, days before a two-week cease-fire brokered by Pakistan is set to expire. Vice President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will lead the U.S. delegation, according to White House officials.

The short-term truce in the war between the U.S. and Iran is holding for now, though traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains at a near standstill. The waterway provides passage for about 20 percent of the world's oil and energy supplies.

Iran closed the strait to ships and fired at vessels attempting passage. Forces from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fired at an oil tanker and a cargo vessel attempting to cross the waterway. A video posted online appears to show Iran's military ordering an Indian ship to abort its passage of the strait.

Iran briefly reopened the strait following a cease-fire deal in Lebanon, which is holding. Iran then reversed that decision when the U.S. announced it would continue blockading Iranian ports. An analysis found that the Iranian blockade has resulted in $50 billion worth of oil lost from the global market since fighting began.

Trump addressed Iran's actions in the waterway and issued a warning tied to the negotiations. "They wanted to close up the strait again, as they have been doing for years. They can't blackmail us," he said. Trump threatened to knock out every single power plant and every single bridge in Iran unless it agrees to a deal with the U.S.

In a statement read on state television, Mojtaba Khamenei called on forces to make their enemies taste the bitterness of new defeats. The statement was read on state television as the two sides prepare to resume negotiations in Islamabad.