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पीट हेगसेथ ने तर्क दिया कि तीन सप्ताह से अधिक पहले ईरान के साथ हुए युद्धविराम समझौते का अर्थ है कि '60 दिन की घड़ी रुक जाती है, या बंद हो जाती है' ब्रेकिंग न्यूज यूएस ईमेल के लिए साइन अप करें ताकि आपके इनबॉक्स में न्यूज़लेटर अलर्ट प्राप्त हो सकें नमस्कार और दिन की हमारी लाइव कवरेज में आपका स्वागत है। आज वह दिन है जब ट्रंप प्रशासन ने कांग्रेस को सूचित किया था कि वह ईरान पर हमले कर रहा है, उसे 60 दिन हो गए हैं – जिसका अर्थ है कि 1973 के युद्ध शक्ति अधिनियम के तहत, आज डोनाल्ड ट्रंप के लिए या तो ईरान युद्ध समाप्त करने या इसे बढ़ाने के लिए कांग्रेस की मंजूरी लेने की समय सीमा है। वाशिंगटन डीसी की शीर्ष संघीय अभियोजक जीनिन पिरो ने व्हाइट हाउस संवाददाता रात्रिभोज में हुई घटना का संपादित सुरक्षा-कैमरा वीडियो जारी किया, जब इस बात को लेकर सवाल उठ रहे थे कि संदिग्ध बंदूकधारी कोल एलन ने वश में किए जाने से पहले अपना हथियार चलाया था या नहीं। जबकि वीडियो में एजेंट की बंदूक से चार मज़ल फ्लैश दिखाई देते हैं जब उसने एलन पर गोली चलाई, यह तुरंत स्पष्ट नहीं हो पाया कि यह दिखाता है कि एलन ने एजेंट पर निशाना साधने के बाद अपना हथियार चलाया था। अमेरिकी सीक्रेट सर्विस के निदेशक शॉन कुरेन ने फॉक्स न्यूज को बताया कि एलन को सीक्रेट सर्विस की गोलीबारी से नहीं, बल्कि एक धातु डिटेक्टर के परिवहन के लिए इस्तेमाल किए जाने वाले बॉक्स से रोका गया, जिससे वह ठोकर खा गया। कांग्रेस ने विदेशी खुफिया निगरानी अधिनियम की धारा 702 का 45-दिन का विस्तार पारित कर दिया है, एक ऐसा कानून जो अमेरिकी खुफिया एजेंसियों को बिना वारंट जासूसी की शक्तियां प्रदान करता है। ट्रंप ने स्पेन और इटली से सेना हटाने की धमकी दी है, दो ऐसे देश जो मध्य पूर्व में उसके युद्ध की मुखर आलोचना कर रहे हैं। यह उस समय आया है जब ट्रंप ने जर्मनी में अमेरिकी सैन्य उपस्थिति की समीक्षा का सुझाव दिया था, जब देश के चांसलर ने कहा था कि अमेरिका ईरान द्वारा "अपमानित" किया जा रहा है। पढ़ना जारी रखें...

• कल प्रतिनिधि सभा (House) में तीखे सत्र के बाद, सीनेट की सशस्त्र सेवा समिति के सांसदों द्वारा रक्षा सचिव से पूछताछ की जाएगी। नमस्कार और हमारे अमेरिकी राजनीति के कवरेज में आपका स्वागत है। पेट हेगसेथ को कैपिटल हिल पर डेमोक्रेट्स की ओर से दूसरे दिन की तीखी पूछताछ का सामना करना पड़ रहा है, जहां सीनेटरों को ईरान युद्ध के प्रबंधन को लेकर पेंटागन प्रमुख का सामना करने या उनकी प्रशंसा करने का पहला अवसर मिल रहा है। • रक्षा सचिव ने कल प्रतिनिधि सभा की सशस्त्र सेवा समिति की लगभग छह घंटे की सुनवाई के दौरान डेमोक्रेट्स - और कुछ रिपब्लिकन - के साथ मुकाबला किया, जहां उन्हें युद्ध की डॉलर और जान-माल में लागत और महत्वपूर्ण हथियारों के घटते भंडार पर सवालों का सामना करना पड़ा। • सरकारी खर्च में उछाल के कारण पहली तिमाही में अमेरिकी आर्थिक विकास में तेजी आने की संभावना है। सकल घरेलू उत्पाद (GDP) में पिछले तिमाही की अनुमानित वृद्धि और आर्टिफिशियल इंटेलिजेंस (AI) खर्च में तेजी तथा तकनीक के आधारभूत डेटा केंद्रों के निर्माण से प्रेरित व्यापार निवेश में मजबूत वृद्धि को भी दर्शाएगी। आंकड़े सुबह 8.30 बजे ET पर जारी होंगे।

US president का बयान German chancellor की उन टिप्पणियों के बाद आया है जिनमें कहा गया था कि इस संघर्ष में US को ‘अपमानित’ किया जा रहा था US president Donald Trump ने कल रात Germany में तैनात सैनिकों की संख्या कम करने की धमकी दी, जब chancellor Friedrich Merz ने इस सप्ताह कहा था कि US को Iran द्वारा “अपमानित” किया जा रहा है। Trump ने कहा कि US “Germany में सैनिकों की संभावित कटौती का अध्ययन और समीक्षा कर रहा है, जिसका निर्णय आने वाले कुछ समय में लिया जाएगा।” “Germany के Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, को लगता है कि Iran के पास Nuclear Weapon होना ठीक है। वह नहीं जानते कि वह क्या कह रहे हैं! अगर Iran के पास Nuclear Weapon होता, तो पूरी दुनिया को बंधक बना लिया जाता। मैं अभी Iran के साथ कुछ ऐसा कर रहा हूँ, जो अन्य Nations, या Presidents, को बहुत पहले कर लेना चाहिए था। कोई आश्चर्य नहीं कि Germany आर्थिक और अन्य रूप से इतना खराब प्रदर्शन कर रहा है! President DONALD J. TRUMP” Continue reading...

• US राष्ट्रपति ने कहा कि UK के सम्राट इस बात से सहमत थे कि Tehran को परमाणु हथियार रखने की अनुमति नहीं दी जानी चाहिए • यहाँ Oscar Wilde का एक उल्लेख, वहाँ Henry Kissinger का संकेत, यहाँ Charles Dickens की झलक, वहाँ Abraham Lincoln और Theodore Roosevelt का थोड़ा ज़िक्र। काम हो गया! • ब्रिटिश सम्राट ने मंगलवार को US Congress के सामने एक 'चार्म ऑफेंसिव' के तहत Donald Trump की परवाह न करते हुए मृत श्वेत पुरुषों की एक विशिष्ट टोली के संदर्भों का सहारा लिया, जिसमें हास्य और सूक्ष्म राजनीति का पुट शामिल था। अंत में मिली तालियों और मिनटों लंबे अभिवादन को देखते हुए, 'सॉफ्ट पावर' का यह प्रदर्शन सफल रहा और 'स्पेशल रिलेशनशिप' अगले दौर के लिए सुरक्षित है।

• Ursula von der Leyen बाद में नए Hungarian नेता से मिलने वाली हैं जो सुधारों के बदले EU फंड अनलॉक करने की कोशिश कर रहे हैं • Von der Leyen कहती हैं कि “प्रत्येक सदस्य देश का energy mix अलग है,” इसलिए कोई व्यापक EU समाधान काम नहीं करेगा। • लेकिन वह न केवल common procurement पर, बल्कि ईंधन भंडार, “विशेष रूप से jet fuel और diesel, जहां बाजार तंग हो रहे हैं,” पर भी अधिक समन्वय का आह्वान करती हैं।

• तेहरान के UN दूत का कहना है कि क्षेत्रीय स्थिरता के लिए ईरान के अधिकारों का 'पूर्ण सम्मान' भी महत्वपूर्ण है • फ्रेडरिक मरज़ ने कहा कि ईरान के नेतृत्व द्वारा अमेरिका को 'अपमानित' किया जा रहा है • हम ईरान पर अमेरिका-इजरायल युद्ध के अपने लाइव कवरेज को फिर से शुरू कर रहे हैं।

• अमेरिकी राष्ट्रपति ने कहा है कि तेहरान से 'मिलने का कोई कारण नहीं है' जब तक कि वे कभी परमाणु हथियार न रखने के लिए सहमत नहीं होते। • डोनाल्ड ट्रम्प ने कहा कि यदि ईरान युद्ध को समाप्त करने के लिए बातचीत करना चाहता है तो वह फोन कर सकता है, और उसे इस बात पर सहमत होना होगा कि उसके पास कभी परमाणु हथियार नहीं होंगे, जबकि पाकिस्तान के नेताओं ने वाशिंगटन और तेहरान के बीच रुकी हुई शांति वार्ता को पुनर्जीवित करने का प्रयास किया है। • न्यूज़ साइट Axios के अनुसार, ईरान ने अमेरिका को जलडमरूमध्य (strait) को फिर से खोलने और युद्ध समाप्त करने पर एक नया प्रस्ताव दिया है, जिसमें परमाणु वार्ता को बाद के चरण के लिए स्थगित कर दिया गया है। अमेरिकी विदेश विभाग और व्हाइट हाउस ने रविवार की इस रिपोर्ट पर तुरंत कोई टिप्पणी नहीं की, जिसमें एक अनाम अमेरिकी अधिकारी और दो स्रोतों का हवाला दिया गया था।

Iranian foreign minister has landed in Islamabad but his ministry says there will be no direct negotiations with the US envoyThe Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it launched strikes in three areas in southern Lebanon against what it claimed were Hezbollah rocket launchers.The strikes hit the villages of Deir al-Zahrani, Kfar Reman and al-Sama’iya, which are north of where IDF forces are located in southern Lebanon. Continue reading...

White House says Tehran in ‘very weak position’; Iran says two seized ships transferred to its coast; US navy secretary exiting post ‘effective immediately’, says Pentagon‘Impossible’ to reopen strait of Hormuz amid ‘flagrant’ ceasefire breaches, Iran saysWelcome to our live coverage of events in the Middle East.Iran has seized two ships in the strait of Hormuz a day after Donald Trump announced he was indefinitely calling off US attacks, while there is no sign of peace talks restarting.Trump was “satisfied” with the US naval blockade and “understands Iran is in a very weak position”, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said. The US president had not set a deadline on Iran submitting a peace proposal, she said, after Trump on Tuesday said he was indefinitely extending the ceasefire at the request of mediator Pakistan until Tehran responded to the US’s negotiating positions or until talks were concluded “one way or the other”.The Pentagon announced that the US secretary of the navy, John Phelan, would depart the office “effective immediately”, without providing an explanation for his sudden exit. The US army’s top officer, Gen Randy George, and two other senior officers were removed earlier this month amid the continuing war with Iran.The US-Israeli war against Iran is “starting to weaken Europe”, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has told his German counterpart. Erdoğan said: “If we do not address this situation with an approach that prioritises peace, the damage caused by the conflict will be far greater.”Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon killed a Lebanese journalist, Amal Khalil, and wounded a photographer accompanying her, a senior Lebanese military official and Khalil’s employer said. The death of Khalil, 43, brought the death toll to five people on Wednesday – the deadliest day since a 10-day truce between Israel and Hezbollah was announced on 16 April. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on Khalil’s death.Khalil and freelance photographer Zeinab Faraj were covering developments near the town of al-Tayri when an Israeli strike hit the vehicle in front of them, Reuters reported. They ran into a nearby house that was then also targeted by an Israeli strike, said Lebanon’s health ministry. Lebanese prime minister Nawaf Salam said Israeli targeting of journalists and obstructing relief effort constituted war crimes.Oil prices leapt 4% on Thursday after Iran vowed not to reopen the Hormuz strait amid the US naval blockade despite the truce extension. Around 0025 GMT, the benchmark US oil contract West Texas Intermediate (WTI) rose 4.06% to $96.73 a barrel, while the international oil benchmark Brent North Sea crude climbed 3.62% to $105.63. Both eased back minutes after.Two Palestinians, including a 14-year-old schoolboy, were killed in the occupied West Bank after Israeli settlers opened fire near a school amid mounting assaults on education in the territory, witnesses and local officials have said.United Airlines implemented broad-based rises of 15-20% on fares as it sought to offset the surge in petrol prices while protecting profits, executives said. The big US carrier has also cut its 2026 flying capacity by 5%. Continue reading...

US Treasury secretary Scott Bessent says Iran’s Kharg Island storage facilities will be full and their ‘fragile’ oil wells shut in mere days because of the blockade; oil prices rise amid ongoing uncertaintyTrump announces extension of Iran ceasefire until ‘discussion concluded’Shares have been mixed in early trading across Asia, while oil prices have eased on hopes the US and Iran may resume talks to end their war.The price of Brent crude edged 0.2% lower but was still above $98 a barrel. US benchmark crude fell 0.4% to $89.29 a barrel. Continue reading...

Iranian official stresses no decision made on taking part, as US vice-president JD Vance is set to travel to Islamabad for negotiations JD Vance to lead US delegation in Pakistan if Iran agrees to talksOn Tuesday morning, Islamabad sat poised and ready to host a second round of talks – even as uncertainty reigned over whether both sides would even turn up.Pakistani officials remained optimistic that the second round of negotiations would happen, even as Iranian ministers said they would refuse to come to the table under the threat of “force” and it remained unclear exactly when US vice-president JD Vance planned to depart Washington for Islamabad. Continue reading...

Head of UN’s humanitarian agency frustrated $2bn a week cost of conflict comes amid dramtic cuts to aid budgetThe $2bn (£1.5bn) a week that Donald Trump was spending on his reckless war in Iran could have funded saving more than 87 million lives, the head of the UN’s humanitarian agency, Tom Fletcher, said on Monday.He also warned the normalisation of violent language, such as threatening to bomb Iran back to the stone ages, was very dangerous since it encourages every wannabe autocrat to use similar threats and tactics, including the destruction of civilians and civilian infrastructure. Continue reading...

A documentary about Peter Sichel – the ‘Jewish James Bond’ who died in 2025 – includes striking mea culpas about the cost and efficacy of US involvement in the Middle EastIn New York social circles, he was known as the “Jewish James Bond”: a refugee from Nazi Germany whose gratitude to his American hosts was such that he volunteered to join the US army and became the CIA’s first station chief in Berlin as a mere twentysomething, filing early warnings about Soviet activity that have been credited with ringing in the cold war.Like 007, Peter Sichel also appreciated a fine tipple, and after leaving the US foreign intelligence service it was he who briefly turned a sweet German white, Blue Nun, into one of the best-selling wines in the world. Continue reading...

Donald Trump said on Sunday that US marines had taken custody of a vessel that tried to get past the American blockade on Iranian portsTehran has ‘no plans to participate’ in new talks, state media reports, as it accuses US of violating ceasefireJust to recap the latest peace talks news, and whether or not Iran will attend negotiations in Pakistan.State broadcaster IRIB on Sunday cited Iranian sources as saying “there are currently no plans to participate in the next round of Iran-US talks”.Iran has reportedly rejected participation in a second round of peace talks with the US in Pakistan, citing “Washington’s excessive demands, unrealistic expectations, constant shifts in stance, repeated contradictions, and the ongoing naval blockade, which it considers a breach of the ceasefire”, according to the official IRNA news agency.Hours before Iran’s statement, Trump said his negotiators would arrive in Islamabad on Monday evening. A White House official said the delegation would be led by vice-president JD Vance and include Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.Donald Trump said in a post on Sunday that the US marines have taken custody of a vessel that tried to get past the American blockade on Iranian ports, adding that US forces stopped the ship by blowing a hole in its engine room.The US military confirmed that the US destroyer fired “several rounds” towards an Iranian-flagged ship that was attempting to pass through its naval blockade. In a statement released on Sunday, US Central Command said the USS Spruance intercepted the Iranian-flagged Touska ship as it travelled towards an Iranian port “in violation of the US blockade.”The US blockade of Iran’s ports is a violation of the ceasefire agreement and is “both unlawful and criminal”, Esmaeil Baqaei, a spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry, said on Sunday.Oil prices jumped, the US dollar rose and stock futures fell on Monday as investors dealt with conflicting messages about the Iran war and news that the strait of Hormuz was closed again. In early Asian trading Brent crude futures jumped about 7% to $96.85 a barrel and S+P 500 futures fell about 0.9%. The euro was down 0.3% at $1.1735 and the yen eased about 0.2% to 158.95 per dollar. Continue reading...

Iran’s top negotiator says both sides remain far apart after Tehran again closed strait of Hormuz after US said it would not end its blockadeFull report: Iran closes strait of Hormuz again ‘until US lifts blockade’Welcome to our live coverage of events in the Middle East.Iran’s top negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said on Saturday that the recent talks with the US had made progress but gaps remained over nuclear issues and the strait of Hormuz. “We have had progress but there is still a big distance between us,” he told state media, referring to talks last weekend. “We made progress in the negotiations, but there are many gaps and some fundamental points remain.”After the initial talks between the US and Iran last weekend in Pakistan, the Iranian deputy foreign minister, Saeed Khatibzadeh, said a second date cannot be set until both sides “have agreed on the framework”.Iran’s supreme national security council, the country’s highest decision-making body under the supreme leader, said it is reviewing “new proposals” put forward by the US, according to Iranian media.Hezbollah has denied it was involved in the deadly attack against UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon, which killed a French soldier. A UN peacekeeper was killed and three others were injured after a patrol came under attack from “non-state actors”, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon said.Israeli forces on Saturday began demolishing homes in the southern Lebanese town of Bint Jbeil and other border towns where Israeli troops are present, Lebanese state media reported.The Israeli military killed two Unicef-contracted truck drivers at a water point in the northern Gaza Strip, forcing the UN agency to suspend its operations in the area, Unicef said.Pope Leo XIV said that it is “not in my interest at all” to debate Trump about the Iran war, but that he would continue preaching the Gospel message of peace.Trump left the White House Saturday afternoon to play golf, despite Iran’s re-closure of the strait of Hormuz in response to the US blockade of Iranian ports. Continue reading...

Iranian parliamentary speaker also says passage through waterway will depend on Iranian authorisation and accuses Donald Trump of multiple falsehoodsIran says strait of Hormuz ‘completely open’ to commercial vessels as oil prices fallBritain will make “a wide-ranging military contribution” to an international mission to protect shipping in the strait of Hormuz trade waterway, the UK ambassador to the US has said.Christian Turner’s commitment comes amid long-running concerns over the state of Britain’s armed forces and warnings of under-funding. Continue reading...

• 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.

Peter Kyle did not dispute Times’ report that under a ‘reasonable worst-case scenario’ supermarkets might start running out of some itemsGood morning. ‘We don’t comment on leaks,’ is the usual government response to an unsanctioned lobby scoop. But this morning Peter Kyle, the business secretary, took a different response. Asked about a Times splash saying the government is making plans to deal with possible food shortages in the summer, caused by the Iran war, he told Sky News:It is difficult for me, because, of course, these leaks are very unhelpful. But when people do read it, they need to be reassured that we are doing this kind of planning, and we are doing this kind of scenario planning.Britain could face shortages of chicken, pork and other supermarket goods this summer if the war in Iran continues, a secret government analysis has found.Officials have drawn up contingency plans for a “reasonable worst-case scenario” amid fears that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz will lead to shortages of carbon dioxide (CO2) which is critical to the food industry …I can tell you, because I’m in these meetings, the prime minister has been there since the very start, and he is going through personally and driving deep dives into lots of areas of resilience throughout our economy.People should be reassured that we are doing this kind of action behind the scenes to keep resilience in our economy, so that when the full extent of what may or may not emerge, because this situation is still unfolding in the Middle East, you have a government that is acting with creativity and boldness.If any of these things change, I will be up front with the public about it in advance so that we can prepare. But right now, people should go on as they are, enjoying beer, enjoying their meats, enjoying all the salads.But also there are critical uses for CO2 – MRI scanning, for example, water purification; it’s involved in our nuclear industry, our civil nuclear power industry, some defensive uses for it as well. Continue reading...

New meeting to come after rare direct talks between the countries mediated by US; Netanyahu earlier says Israel about to ‘overwhelm’ part of southern LebanonUS and Iran in indirect talks to extend two-week ceasefireHello and welcome to our live coverage of events in the Middle East.Donald Trump says the leaders of Israel and Lebanon will hold talks on Thursday, after the countries’ first face-to-face diplomatic negotiations in decades.Pakistan’s army chief met with Iran’s foreign minister in Tehran on Wednesday in the latest diplomatic move to ease Middle East tensions and arrange a second round of US-Iran negotiations. Trump said earlier that the war was “very close to over”.Leavitt said a second round of US-Iran talks would “very likely” take place in Islamabad again and that Pakistan was “the only mediator” in the discussions.Major Wall Street stock indices extended an upward climb on optimism about a US-Iran agreement.Israel’s security cabinet met to discuss a ceasefire after the Israel-Lebanon talks mediated by the US in Washington on Tuesday. But the Israeli military continues to strike the country, with Netanyahu saying Israel was about to “overwhelm” the southern Lebanese town of Bint Jbeil, calling it a Hezbollah stronghold.Four Lebanese rescue workers were killed in consecutive Israeli strikes in the southern Lebanon village of Mayfadoun on Wednesday, paramedic groups said. Six others were wounded.The US military’s Middle East command Centcom said it stopped 10 vessels from sailing out of Iranian ports during the first 48 hours of the US naval blockade. But ship tracking data indicated at least three ships sailing from Iranian ports crossed the strait of Hormuz, though some vessels taking the route later turned back.The finance ministers of 11 countries including the UK and Japan called for “coordinated emergency support” from the IMF and World Bank to help countries hit by disruptions from the Middle East war. Continue reading...

US military boasts blockade of the strait of Hormuz will incapacitate Iran’s economy; Trump says negotiations could return to PakistanUS-Iran peace talks could resume in next two days, Trump saysWelcome to the Guardian’s continuing coverage of the crisis in the Middle East.The US military has said American forces have completely halted economic trade going in and out of Iran by sea through a blockade.An estimated 90% of Iran’s economy is fueled by international trade by sea. In less than 36 hours since the blockade was implemented, U.S. forces have completely halted economic trade going into and out of Iran by sea.”Donald Trump has said that talks with Iran could resume in Pakistan over the next two days, according to an interview with the New York Post. “Something could be happening over the next two days, and we’re more inclined to go there,” Trump was quoted as saying.US secretary of state Marco Rubio said Israel-Lebanon talks in Washington on Tuesday were a “historic opportunity”. He said that while every complexity would not be resolved immediately, he hoped the parties would begin to move forward.Lebanon’s president expressed hope that direct talks would lead to an end to his country’s “suffering” after war erupted again between Israel and Hezbollah last month. “I hope that the meeting in Washington... will mark the beginning of the end of the suffering of the Lebanese people in general, and those in the south in particular,” president Joseph Aoun said in a statement, adding that “stability will not return to the south if Israel continues to occupy its lands”.Lebanon’s top envoy to the US said the high-level diplomatic engagement between her country and Israel was “constructive,” but urged an end to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants that has displaced thousands of Lebanese. After participating in Tuesday’s talks with Rubio and Israel’s ambassador to the US, Nada Hamadeh Moawad said she had “underscored the need to preserve our territorial integrity and state sovereignty”.The US will not renew a 30-day waiver of sanctions on Iranian oil at sea that expires this week officials told Reuters, as the US imposes a blockade on shipments from Iranian ports.UK prime minister Keir Starmer and French president Emmanuel Macron will co-host a summit in Paris on Friday focused on efforts to reopen the strait of Hormuz, Downing Street said. A spokesperson said: “The summit will advance work towards a coordinated, independent, multinational plan to safeguard international shipping once the conflict ends.”Trump criticised Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni, a political ally, in an interview published on Tuesday for her unwillingness to help in the Iran war. “I’m shocked at her. I thought she had courage, but I was wrong,” he told Italian daily Corriere della Sera.Foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt will meet Turkey’s top diplomat this week for talks on regional matters, a ministry source told AFP on Tuesday. “This is the third meeting of the four countries to discuss regional affairs, not specifically Hormuz,” said the source, who wished to remain anonymous.Hezbollah said it targeted 13 northern Israeli towns with rockets shortly after the start of Lebanese-Israeli talks in Washington. In a statement, the group said it targeted Kiryat Shmona, Metula and 11 other towns “with simultaneous rocket salvos” at 6.15pm.US treasury secretary Scott Bessent has said the underlying US economy remains strong and that growth could still exceed 3% or 3.5% this year despite the impact of the US-Israel war on Iran. Earlier on Tuesday, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) cut its growth forecasts for 2026 based on the impact of the war and said any further escalation in the conflict could trigger a global recession. Bessent however cast cuts in global growth forecasts and higher inflation projections by the IMF and World Bank as an overreaction. Continue reading...

Centcom says blockade of Iranian ports to begin at 10am ET; Iran’s negotiator says ‘we will not bow to threats’; oil prices rise. Follow the latest newsFull report: Trump says US will blockade strait of Hormuz after Iran peace talks failPlaneloads of negotiators and too little time: US and Iran’s 21 hours of talksWelcome to the Guardian’s continuing coverage of the US-Israel war on Iran and its consequences for the wider region, the world and the global economy.Here are the main developments:Trump said the US Navy would start blockading the Hormuz strait and would also interdict every vessel in international waters that had paid a toll to Iran. In a lengthy post on his Truth Social platform, the president said the US was going to start “BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz”.In another post Trump also claimed Iran had “knowingly failed” to make good on its promise to open the strait, causing “anxiety” and “pain” for many countries around the world.US Central Command (Centcom) announced it would begin its blockade of the strait beginning Monday morning. “Centcom forces will begin implementing a blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports on April 13 at 10am ET [1400 GMT], in accordance with the president’s proclamation.”Iran’s Revolutionary Guard warned that “approaching military vessels to the strait of Hormuz is considered a violation of the ceasefire”.Oil prices rose in early market trading after Trump’s blockade announcement. The price of US crude oil rose 8% to $104.24 a barrel and Brent crude oil – the international standard – rose 7% to $102.29. Australia’s share market dropped sharply on Monday morning.Donald Trump and his advisers are looking at resuming limited military strikes in Iran in addition to the US blockade of the strait of Hormuz, the Wall Street Journal is reporting, citing officials and people familiar with the situation.Trump launched a scathing attack on Pope Leo XIV, saying he was “weak on crime and terrible for foreign policy” and was hurting the Catholic church. “Leo should get his act together as Pope,” the president said on Truth Social. The attack came after Leo denounced the “delusion of omnipotence” as fuelling the US-Israel war in Iran and demanded political leaders stop and negotiate peace.Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese said his government had not been asked to participate in any US blockade of the strait of Hormuz and that he wanted to see negotiations between the US and Iran continue.Trump reiterated his threat to destroy Iran’s power plants and other civilian energy infrastructure if no deal was reached to end the war, which he started with Israel in what is widely seen as an illegal and unprovoked attack. “I could take out Iran in one day,” he told Fox News on Sunday.Trump also said the US didn’t need the strait. “We don’t get our oil from there. We have so much oil,” he told Fox. “We have boats pouring up to the United States … We don’t need the strait.”Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who led the Tehran side in the US talks, said Trump’s new threats would have no effect on the Iranian nation. “If you fight, we will fight, and if you come forward with logic, we will deal with logic. We will not bow to any threats.” He later taunted Trump on X, posting: “Enjoy the current pump figures. With the so-called ‘blockade’, Soon you’ll be nostalgic for $4–$5 gas.” Continue reading...

Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf says ‘if you fight, we will fight’, reports state media, as US president also threatens to bomb Iran’s water treatment facilitiesJD Vance and US delegation leave Pakistan after failing to reach deal with IranPlaneloads of negotiators and too little time: US and Iran’s 21 hours of talksA post about an hour ago on the Israel Defense Forces Telegram channel claimed that overnight, the IDF “identified a rocket launcher positioned and ready to launch toward the State of Israel in the area of Jouaiyya in southern Lebanon”.Shortly after the identification, the launcher was struck and dismantled in a rapid closure cycle, thwarting the launch before it could be carried out. Continue reading...

US and Iranian media report peace talks have begun in Islamabad, while Netanyahu says Israel remains committed to fighting IranUS and Iran hold talks in Islamabad as Pakistan seeks to broker peace dealUS officials claim Iran unable to find mines it laid in strait of HormuzThe UK will host a strait of Hormuz meeting next week, bringing together multiple countries aiming to restore free movement of ships through the strait, which has been blockaded by Iran since the beginning of the war and inflicted heavy damage on the global economy.A British official told AP that the meeting will oppose the idea of tolls being charged for passage through the waterway, as proposed by Iran as part of ceasefire negotiations. Continue reading...

Israel and Hezbollah continue to trade strikes as Trump tells US media he has asked Netanyahu to be more ‘low-key’ in Lebanon. Follow live newsNetanyahu says there is no ceasefire in Lebanon as Israel launches fresh strikesJapan plans to release 20 days’ worth of oil reserves from May, prime minister Sanae Takaichi told a cabinet meeting on Friday, to ensure stable domestic supply as conflict in the region continues disrupts global supply.Japan is dependent on the Middle East for around 95% of its oil. It began releasing reserves on March 16 unilaterally and in coordination with other nations under a plan to make available enough oil to last 50 days. The new release of 20 days worth is additional. Continue reading...

Secretary general says Trump ‘clearly disappointed’ with alliance as US media report White House is considering a plan to ‘punish’ some membersThe US president, Donald Trump, has once again lashed out against Nato after a tense and lengthy meeting with the alliance’s secretary general, Mark Rutte, who admitted Trump was “clearly disappointed” with allies over their refusal to get involved in Iran.In another angry ALL CAPS post on social media overnight, Trump said:“NATO WASN’T THERE WHEN WE NEEDED THEM, AND THEY WON’T BE THERE IF WE NEED THEM AGAIN. REMEMBER GREENLAND, THAT BIG, POORLY RUN, PIECE OF ICE!!!” Continue reading...

As Keir Starmer continues his Gulf visit, foreign secretary says laws of the sea prevent Tehran from charging for passage of ‘international transit route’Good morning. Keir Starmer is still in the Gulf, and Yvette Cooper, the foreign secretary, has been doing a round of interviews this morning, ahead of delivering a speech on foreign policy this evening.As Jamie Grierson reports, Cooper has been arguing forcefully that Lebanon must be included in the US-Iran ceasefire.The starting point here is this is an international transit route. It’s international shipping that uses this. This is part of the international law of the sea. This is a a route between the high seas; it is a trading route.As part of the international maritime law, this is a transit route between the high seas.And whether you talk about Dover or Gibraltar or other straits around the world, there may be territorial waters there, but there’s also an international shipping route and an international transit route, which means that freedom of navigation principles apply and that countries cannot simply hijack those kinds of international transit routes and unilaterally apply tolls. They cannot do that as part of the laws of the sea and the United Nations conventions. Continue reading...

PM to meet partners in region to discuss effort to ‘support and sustain ceasefire’ and reopening the strait of HormuzSarah Jones, the policing minister, has been giving interviews. She has been talking about Keir Starmer’s visit to the Gulf, but hasn’t said anything that really adds to the (rather limited) information about the visit put out by Downing Street.Jones told Times Radio:[Starmer] is going to the Gulf for a number of reasons. Firstly you will have seen last week with the foreign secretary, and this week with our officials, where we have played a real leading role bringing together about 40 countries looking at the challenge that we have in the strait [of Hormuz] and how we can make sure that opens up as quickly as possible to bring some normality back to that system. so there will be that aspect.He wants to see the work of our brave personnel who are there in the region, of course, with our three very key principles of protecting British interests and protecting British citizens and our allies. He will want to see the work of that. Continue reading...

Pakistan’s PM had said the ceasefire would cover Lebanon; Iran says passage through the strait of Hormuz will be allowed for the next 2 weeks. Follow the latest newsUS and Iran agree to provisional ceasefire with Tehran saying it will reopen strait of HormuzIran war ceasefire announcement – what we know so farIsrael supports Donald Trump’s decision to suspend strikes against Iran for two weeks, but said the ceasefire does not include Lebanon, prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Wednesday.The office said Israel backed the US move, provided Tehran immediately opens the strait of Hormuz and stops attacks against the United States, Israel and countries in the region.Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said it had conditionally accepted a two-week ceasefire if attacks agains Iran are halted.Iran’s foreign minister said passage through the strait of Hormuz will be allowed for the next 2 weeks under Iranian military management.Iranian state media said negotiations with the US would be held in Islamabad to finalise details of an agreement, with the aim of “confirming Iran’s battlefield achievements”. Talks will begin on Friday 10 April and may be extended, state media reported. State media also reported that talks with the US do not amount to the end of the war.Pakistani prime minister Shebaz Sharif announced that Iran, the US and their allies agreed to an immediate ceasefire everywhere, including Lebanon. Sharif has been a key figure in attempting to reach a diplomatic solution between the two warring parties. In his statement, Sharif invited delegations to Islamabad on “Friday, 10th April 2026, to further negotiate for a conclusive agreement to settle all disputes”.Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli welcomed the ceasefire but said fighting Hezbollah in Lebanon was not part of it.Trump said Iran had proposed a “workable” 10-point peace plan. According to Iranian state media, the ten-point proposal includes a number of conditions that the US has in the past rejected. Among them are controlled transit through strait of Hormuz coordinated with Iranian armed forces and withdrawal of all US forces from regional bases. The plan would also require the lifting of all primary and secondary sanctions, payment of full compensation to Iran and release of all frozen Iranian assets.Iranian state media also said the 10-point plan for securing an end to the war would require Washington to accept its uranium enrichment program, a previous red line for the Trump administration.Even as the ceasefire was proposed, missile alerts continued in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Israel. Continue reading...

The US president has threatened to bomb power plants and bridges unless Iran reopens the strait of Hormuz. Plus, the US origins of Mexico’s toxic waste problemGood morning.Israel has told Iranians their lives will be at risk if they use the country’s railways on Tuesday, after Donald Trump’s threats to destroy Iran’s bridges and power plants unless a deal is reached by Tuesday evening.How are negotiations to end the war going? They appeared to be faltering. Iran, which has submitted its own 10-point peace plan, said it wanted a permanent end to the war, not a ceasefire.What is the latest on oil prices? Oil traded at more than $110 a barrel on Tuesday.This is a developing story. Follow our liveblog for updates. Continue reading...