• The Trump administration has announced 'Operation Economic Fury,' implementing a comprehensive blockade against Iran as part of an expanded sanctions campaign.
• The initiative represents a significant escalation in economic pressure against Iran, marking a shift in US foreign policy toward more aggressive measures.
• This action comes amid broader geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and follows months of diplomatic tension between the US and Iran.
Tehran’s UN envoy says ‘full respect’ of Iran’s rights also key for lasting regional stabilityUS is being ‘humiliated’ by Iran’s leadership, says Friedrich MerzWe are restarting our live coverage of the US-Israeli war on Iran.Iran needs “credible guarantees” against more US-Israeli attacks before it can ensure security in the Gulf, Tehran’s envoy to the UN has said, while on a Russian visit Iran’s foreign minister blamed Washington for the failure of peace talks.Donald Trump is unhappy with an Iranian proposal on the war because it does not address Iran’s nuclear program, Reuters cited a US official as saying on Monday, after Trump discussed the proposal with his top national security aides. Iran had offered to end its closure of the strait of Hormuz if the US lifted its blockade and ended the war in a proposal that would postpone discussions on Iran’s nuclear program, the Associated Press reported earlier, citing two unnamed regional officials. Later reporting quoted White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt as saying the proposal was “being discussed”.Lebanese president Joseph Aoun said direct talks with Israel sought to end the war on Lebanon and that those who dragged Lebanon into it were the ones committing “treason” – a jab at the Iran-backed militia Hezbollah, which claimed several attacks on Israeli targets in south Lebanon on Monday.Iraq’s newly elected president nominated businessman Ali al-Zaidi as the country’s prime minister-designate on Monday, after the country’s leaders yielded to US pressure not to support the bid of a former premier close to Iran.The Coordination Framework – an alliance of Shia factions with varying links to Iran – had initially backed powerbroker Nouri al-Maliki to become the country’s next premier, but Trump’s ultimatum left Iraqi leaders looking elsewhere.The US and Iran clashed at the UN on Monday over Tehran’s nuclear program and its selection to be one of dozens of vice-presidents at a month-long conference to review the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. US official Christopher Yeaw said Iran’s selection was an “affront” to the treaty. Tehran’s envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Reza Najafi, rejected the US statement as “baseless and politically motivated”. Continue reading...
• Russia's Mikhail Ulyanov stated in Vienna that US tactics of strength, blackmail, ultimatums, and deadlines fail against Iran and undermine talks.
• Hours before Araghchi's Moscow meeting with Putin, Ulyanov criticized Washington's approach amid broader Eurasian conflicts involving Ukraine and Iran.
• The remarks align with Iran's regional tour, including Pakistan and Russia, as Tehran coordinates with allies against US pressure.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a bombshell speech from the Kremlin warning against Western military intervention in Iran, marking a significant strategic pivot and directly challenging Trump administration foreign policy.
• The address has dramatically escalated geopolitical tensions and prompted immediate reactions from global capitals assessing implications for international security and the balance of power in the Middle East.
• Putin's declaration signals Russia's strategic commitment to the region amid the ongoing US-Iran crisis and fragile ceasefire negotiations.
• Iranian military officials have alleged that an American C-130 aircraft was struck by Iranian forces during a claimed US infiltration attempt in southern Isfahan, though the claim remains unverified.
• Brigadier General Mohammad Akraminia reiterated Tehran's "no survivors" doctrine against any foreign troops entering Iranian territory, signaling extreme hostility toward potential ground operations.
• Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has indicated conditional support for Iran, raising the possibility of external involvement if a ground conflict escalates and widening regional security implications.
Resolution needed two more votes to pass, but Democrats now appear solidified in oppositionSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe US House of Representatives on Thursday narrowly rejected a war powers resolution that would have prevented further military action against Iran, as Democrats united against continued US involvement in the conflict amid peace talks that have yet to make a breakthrough.The resolution introduced by Greg Meeks, the top Democrat on the House foreign affairs committee, failed by a vote of 213-214, with one Republican member voting present. It required at least two more votes to pass, as tied votes fail in the House. Continue reading...
Alarm among military observers after president says ‘whole civilization will die tonight’ if Iran ignores demandsUS politics live – latest updatesSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailDonald Trump’s Tuesday morning comments threatening that “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again” in Iran have raised alarms among military observers and retired officers, who called them “likely war crimes”.“I have to hope that this is bluster, and a negotiating tactic on his part,” said retired admiral Michael Smith, who commanded a carrier strike group in the US navy. “He must understand that those types of threats themselves are likely war crimes.” Continue reading...
Trump claims Iranians welcome US strikes and lower court judges challenge Trump’s ‘war on rule of law’ – key US politics stories from Monday 6 April at a glanceDonald Trump was asked at a press conference Monday if his war on Iran was winding down or ramping up. His response: “I can’t tell you.”The US president’s comments came as diplomatic negotiations aimed at halting the war in the Middle East appeared to be faltering. Continue reading...
The Trump administration takes pleasure in deploying dysphemism to describe the killing of IraniansOn 23 March, Donald Trump said that if things didn’t go to his liking in Iran, “we just keep bombing our little hearts out”. A week later the US president told journalists on Air Force One: “You never know with Iran because we negotiate with them and then we always have to blow them up.”On 4 March, Pete Hegseth squirmed in pleasure as he described “death and destruction from the sky all day long”. Whatever happened to the subtle art of political euphemism? Continue reading...
Some European countries have blocked Israeli and US planes from moving weapons through their airspace. Plus, a rocket heads to the moon on Wednesday for the first time since 1972Good morning.Donald Trump has launched a tirade against European countries that refused to join the Israel-US war against Iran, calling out the UK and France, as transatlantic relations continue their downward spiral and the war wreaks havoc on the global economy.What pushback has there been from Europe? France has blocked Israeli planes from flying weapons through its airspace, while Italy refused last-minute permission for US bombers to land in Sicily. Spain has already denied the US use of its bases and airspace. The UK, however, has allowed the US to use its bases for a war that its government says is illegal.For the latest updates, follow our live blog. Continue reading...
