Two gunboats from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard opened fire on a tanker transiting the Strait of Hormuz, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said. It reported the tanker and crew as safe, without identifying the vessel or its destination. TankerTrackers.com reported vessels were forced to turn around in the strait, including an Indian-flagged super tanker, after they were fired on by Iran.

British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said on Saturday the Strait of Hormuz had yet to return to normal operations despite a ceasefire in the Iran war, and urged Tehran to allow global shipping to resume fully.

"We are at a critical diplomatic moment with a ceasefire now in place ... but we don't yet have normal passage through the strait", Cooper told Reuters on the sidelines of a diplomacy forum in Antalya.

She said the truce needed to develop into a lasting peace, adding that restoring shipping through the waterway was urgent for the global economy.

(Reuters)

Iran's central military command announced on Saturday it would resume "strict management" of the Strait of Hormuz, reversing a decision to unblock the strategic channel as part of negotiations with Washington.

In a statement shared on state television, the headquarters said Washington had broken a promise by continuing its naval blockade of ships sailing to and from Iran's ports.

Until the United States restores freedom of movement for all vessels visiting Iran, "the situation in the Strait of Hormuz will remain strictly controlled," the statement said.

(AFP)

Iran partially reopened its airspace on Saturday to international flights crossing the eastern part of its territory, the country's Civil Aviation Authority said.

"Air routes in the eastern section of the country's airspace are open for international flights transiting through Iran," it said, adding that some airports had also reopened at 7:00 am (0330 GMT).

More than three hours later, however, flight tracker websites still showed no international flights crossing Iran, and several avoiding its airspace by making long detours.

(AFP)

A convoy of tankers was seen departing the Gulf and transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, vessel-tracking data showed.

The group comprised four liquefied petroleum gas carriers and several oil product and chemical tankers, with more tankers following from the Gulf, according to MarineTraffic data.

(Reuters)

Pakistan's prime minister concluded his trip to Turkey on Saturday, he said in a social media post, ending a three-country diplomatic blitz as Islamabad pushes for an end to the US-Israeli war on Iran.

"I leave Antalya, with fond memories and a renewed commitment to further strengthening the enduring fraternal bonds between our two nations, and to continuing our close cooperation to advance dialogue and diplomacy for lasting peace and stability in the region," Shehbaz Sharif said.

(AFP)

US President Donald Trump said on Friday there had been some "pretty good news" regarding Iran but he declined to elaborate.

"We had some pretty good news 20 minutes ago, but it seems to be going very well in the Middle East with Iran," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.

(Reuters)

Hezbollah has said that it was keeping its "finger on the trigger" in case of any Israeli violations of the ceasefire.

In a statement, the Iran-backed group said it had carried out "2,184 military operations" against Israel and its troops inside Lebanon, adding: "The fighters will keep their finger on the trigger because they are wary of the enemy's treachery."

The USS George HW Bush -- America's super-powerful Nimitz-class supercarrier-- is taking a long detour around Africa to avoid Houthi-threatened Red Sea waters amid a tense US naval build-up near the Hormuz Strait. The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier was spotted off the coast of Namibia earlier this week as it prepared to sail around the southern tip of Africa, where it will cross from the Atlantic into the Indian Ocean at the Cape of Good Hope.

The aircraft carrier is believed to be en route to the Middle East, where it will join the USS Abraham Lincoln, operating in the region since February. The normal route from the US Navy's East Coast carriers to the Middle East is through the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean Sea, then through the Suez Canal into the Red Sea.

French President Emmanuel Macron has said he was concerned that a ceasefire between militant group Hezbollah and Israel "may already be undermined by ongoing military operations."

"I call for the safety of civilians on both sides of the border between Lebanon and Israel," he said on X.

"Hezbollah must lay down its arms. Israel must respect Lebanese sovereignty and end the war," he added.

Pakistan has started preparing to host the second round of high-stakes talks between the US and Iran, the news agency PTI reported, citing officials.

Donald Trump has claimed that Iran is ready to hand over its "nuclear dust" to the United States. "Nuclear dust" has been Trump's phrase for Iran's highly enriched uranium that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) believed is buried deep underneath the ground following US strikes on three key Iranian nuclear facilities in June last year.

Iran's state media has mocked Trump's claim that the United States was close to making a deal with Iran that would give America "free oil and free Strait of Hormuz".

Sharing a clip from Trump's media interaction on its official X account, Iran's state-owned broadcaster Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) claimed the US leader was "building castles in the air".

IRIB also shared a Persian proverb, "The camel dreams of cottonseed, sometimes gulping it down, sometimes eating it grain by grain," it said.

Donald Trump said the US war with Iran was a "little diversion" during his second term in power.

"We had the best economy in the history of our country in my first term. And we're blowing it out now...And despite our little diversion to the lovely country of Iran, lovely place," Trump told the crowd of supporters at an event in Las Vegas, Nevada.

"But we had to do that, because otherwise, bad things could happen, the really bad thing," he continued, referencing Iran's apparent nuclear potential.

Lebanon's army reported "acts of aggression" by Israel that it said violated the ceasefire.

Lebanon's army in an X post early on Friday called on residents in the south to exercise caution "in light of a number of violations" of the ceasefire agreement by "several Israeli acts of aggression."

A 10-Day Israel-Lebanon Ceasefire Takes Effect: Israel and Lebanon have mutually agreed on a 10-day ceasefire following mediation by the Trump administration in Washington. Trump announced that the ceasefire has come into effect between the two countries.

Iran Welcomes Ceasefire: Iran's foreign ministry welcomed the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, calling it part of an understanding between Iran and the United States.

Trump Urges Hezbollah To "Act Nicely": US President Donald Trump said he hopes militant group Hezbollah "acts nicely and well" during the 10-day ceasefire reached just hours earlier between Lebanon and Israel.

Trump Considers Visiting Pakistan: President Trump said he may visit Pakistan for a second round of talks with Iran, as the current ceasefire deadline is set to expire next week on April 21.

Ceasefire Violation Alleged: The Lebanese army has accused Israel of violating the ceasefire hours after it went into effect.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron are set to host a virtual meeting of world leaders to discuss efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and secure vital shipping routes, CNN reported.

Leaders from around 40 countries are expected to participate in the summit, focusing on supporting the fragile ceasefire involving Iran and ensuring safe passage through the key maritime corridor, as reported by CNN.

Iran's foreign ministry welcomed on Thursday the truce agreed between Israel and Lebanon, calling it part of the earlier two-week ceasefire deal struck between the Islamic republic and the United States to pause the Middle East war, state media reported.

Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei "welcomed the announcement of the ceasefire in Lebanon and noted that the cessation of the war in Lebanon was part of the ceasefire understanding between Iran and the United States, mediated by Pakistan", state news agency IRNA posted on Telegram.

Gunfire erupted in Beirut's southern suburbs as a ceasefire with Israel came into effect at midnight on Friday (2100 GMT Thursday), according to AFP journalists and AFPTV footage. 

State media also reported "heavy gunfire" accompanying the start of the 10-day truce, announced earlier by US President Donald Trump.

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that if a deal with Iran to conclude the war is reached and signed in Islamabad, he might go, and that Iran has agreed to almost everything.

A 10-day ceasefire announced by US President Donald Trump and agreed on by Lebanon and Israel started at midnight Thursday local time.

The two neighboring countries held their first direct diplomatic talks in decades on Tuesday in Washington after more than a month of war between Israel and the Iran-backed, Lebanon-based Hezbollah militant group.

Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry on Thursday welcomed US President Donald Trump's announcement of a ceasefire in Lebanon, where Israel has been fighting militant group Hezbollah since last month.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed the Kingdom's welcome of the announcement by... Trump of a ceasefire in brotherly Lebanon. It also commended the significant positive role played by President Joseph Aoun of the Lebanese Republic, the Lebanese government headed by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri," state news agency SPA reported.

US President Donald Trump said a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon starting 

Thursday would include Iran-backed Hezbollah.

The US State Department said that the ceasefire reached between Israel and Lebanon on Thursday entails a commitment by Beirut to prevent any Hezbollah attacks.

US President Trump expects the leaders of Israel and Lebanon to be at the White House in 'four or five days'.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that the ten-day ceasefire with Lebanon offered an opportunity for a "historic peace agreement" with Beirut, but insisted that the disarmament of militant group Hezbollah remained a precondition. 

"We have an opportunity to make a historic peace agreement with Lebanon," Netanyahu said in a televised speech, adding that Israel will maintain a 10-kilometre (6.2-mile) "security zone" along the border in southern Lebanon. 

Israel, Lebanon To Begin 10-Day Ceasefire In Less Than Six Hours: Trump

In Huge Claim, Trump Says Iran Has Agreed To Hand Over Its Enriched Uranium

An Israeli strike on the southern Lebanese town of Ghazieh has killed at least seven people and wounded 33, the health ministry said Thursday, hours before a 10-day ceasefire between the two countries is scheduled to take effect.

Lebanese state media reported a "massacre against civilians" in the town, noting that rubble removal operations are ongoing, while the health ministry said its toll is "preliminary and not final".

Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a 10-day ceasefire starting later Thursday, President Donald Trump said.

The truce is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. Eastern, Trump said.

The president announced the pause in fighting on social media, saying it followed “excellent” conversations with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Lebanon and Israel held their first direct diplomatic talks in decades on Tuesday in Washington after more than a month of war between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group.

US to blockade Iran ports 'as long as it takes': Pentagon chief

An Israeli strike Thursday targeting a car on the road linking the Lebanese capital Beirut to the Syrian capital Damascus killed one person, the state-run National News Agency reported. 

The attack happened in the Dahr al-Baidar area in the mountains east of Beirut, the NNA said.

An Israeli strike Thursday targeting a car on the road linking the Lebanese capital Beirut to the Syrian capital Damascus killed one person, the state-run National News Agency reported. 

The attack happened in the Dahr al-Baidar area in the mountains east of Beirut, the NNA said.

Pakistan's powerful army chief met Iran's parliament speaker on Thursday, Iranian state television said, after Pakistani mediators travelled to Iran to press efforts to end the war with the United States and Israel.

"Field Marshal Asim Munir, Commander of the Pakistan Army, who travelled to our country yesterday, met and held talks with Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf ... this Thursday morning, March 27," the report said.  

(AFP)

MANPADs - not the most fearsome name for a weapon that can shoot down advanced American fighter jets, but they'll do for an Iranian military that has held its own against the US so far, even inflicting first combat losses in over two decades. Read more

Lebanon is "not aware" of any upcoming contact with Israel, an official source told AFP, after US President Donald Trump said the leaders of the two countries would speak on Thursday.

"We are not aware of any planned contact with the Israeli side, and we have not been informed of any through official channels," the source said.

Trump wrote on his Truth Social network earlier that Washington was "trying to get a little breathing room between Israel and Lebanon. It has been a long time since the two leaders have spoken, like 34 years. It will happen tomorrow."

Hezbollah has claimed two separate attacks on Israeli soldiers near the city of Nahariya, in northern Israel.

In a statement published on Telegram, the armed group said it struck "a logistics base of the 146th Division of the Israeli" army with a squadron of attack drones.

In another attack, the group said it hit an Israeli settlement near Liman barracks, north of Nahariya, also with drones.

The US and Iran are considering a two-week ceasefire extension to allow more time to negotiate a peace deal, according to a person familiar with the matter, reducing the risk of renewed fighting despite an intensifying standoff over the Strait of Hormuz. Read here

Donald Trump's bid to block Iran from using the Strait of Hormuz chokes a key Chinese energy supply and risks a showdown with Xi Jinping a month before the two leaders are set to meet in Beijing.

Xi broke his near seven-week silence over the Iran war on Tuesday, warning the world order is "crumbling into disarray," while pledging to play a "constructive role" in the Middle East. Ramping up its own rhetoric, the Foreign Ministry in Beijing blasted the US president's naval blockade imposed this week as "dangerous and irresponsible."

The stronger language out of Beijing underscores how Trump's war in the Middle East is testing a fragile detente between the world's biggest economies. US threats to intercept, divert or capture ships violating its blockade risk a confrontation between Chinese aligned vessels and American Navy ships, potentially putting Beijing in a difficult spot even if it wants to avoid directly challenging the blockade.

The United States has announced a formal blockade of Iranian ports and coastal areas, an action Iran has described as illegal. All vessels have been advised to return immediately to port or to continue any planned transit to Iran as their next destination.

US Central Command has released audio recordings of its naval forces enforcing the blockade. 

"Do not attempt to breach the blockade. Vessels will be boarded for interdiction and seizure transiting to or from an Iranian port. Turn around and prepare to be boarded. If you do not comply with this blockade, we will use force. The whole of the United States Navy is ready to force compliance. Out," the CENTCOM audio said.

Yesterday, an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel tried to evade the U.S. blockade after leaving Bandar Abbas, exiting the Strait of Hormuz, and transiting along the Iranian coastline. The guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) successfully redirected the vessel, which is… pic.twitter.com/EUnwhwYiDv

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) April 15, 2026

The first round of Iran-Pakistan discussions in Tehran began with talks between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and the commander of the Pakistan Army, Tasnim news agency reported.

📹 اولین جلسه گفت‌وگوهای ایران و پاکستان در تهران با دیدار عراقچی و فرمانده ارتش پاکستان برگزار شد
روز پنجشنبه، ایران و میانجیِ پاکستانی به صورت تفصیلی درباره پیام‌هایی که از روز یکشنبه تا کنون بین ایران و آمریکا رد و بدل شده است در تهران گفت‌گو می‌کنند pic.twitter.com/pJ2v8W8wHq

— خبرگزاری تسنیم (@Tasnimnews_Fa) April 15, 2026

The United States announced Wednesday it is tightening sanctions against Iran's oil industry as Tehran keeps up its closure of the Strait of Hormuz as part of the Mideast war.

 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israel and the US are fully aligned in their objective to contain Iran.

"Our American friends keep us constantly updated on their contacts with Iran. The objectives of the United States and our own are identical," he said in a televised speech.

"We want to see enriched material removed from Iran; we want to see the elimination of enrichment capability within Iran; and, of course, we want to see the (Hormuz) strait reopened," he added.

Pakistan's army chief met Wednesday in Tehran with Iran's foreign minister in the latest diplomatic move to ease tensions in the Middle East and arrange a second round of negotiations between the United States and Iran after almost seven weeks of war.

The White House said any further talks would likely take place in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad, though no decision had been made on whether to resume negotiations.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Jeddah on Wednesday (local time) on an official visit to Saudi Arabia, accompanied by a high-level delegation, according to Pakistan's Prime Minister's Office (PMO).

Sharif's arrival comes amid escalating tensions in West Asia and ongoing diplomatic efforts to revive US-Iran peace talks.

Conflict between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon reignited after US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28 triggered a wider conflict in the Middle East.

President Donald Trump would "welcome" an end to the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, but such an agreement is not part of peace talks with Iran, a senior US administration official said Wednesday.

"The president would welcome the end of hostilities in Lebanon as part of a peace agreement between Israel and Lebanon," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

 White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday (local time) clarified that reports suggesting the United States had formally sought an extension of the ongoing ceasefire were incorrect, even as high-level diplomatic engagements with Iran remain active and "productive and ongoing."
Leavitt said there was no formal request to extend the fragile ceasefire, while stressing that negotiations continue between the two sides.
"Bad reporting this morning that we had formally requested an extension of the ceasefire. That is not true at this moment," Leavitt said during a press briefing.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday at the start of a four-day tour before a possible second round of US-Iran peace talks, his office said in a statement.

Sharif will also visit Qatar and Turkey on his trip, which comes after Washington and Tehran held their highest-level talks in decades in Islamabad last weekend.

The Pakistani leader will discuss the "regional situation" with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi de facto ruler, his office said.

(AFP)

With the current two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran scheduled to expire on April 22, the new troops will join the estimated 50,000 personnel that the Pentagon has said are involved in operations countering Iran.

Iran says to welcome Pakistani delegation led by army chief Munir: state TV

US denies agreeing to extend Iran ceasefire: senior official

US President Donald Trump said in an interview aired on Fox Business on Wednesday that he asked China's leader Xi Jinping not to supply weapons to Iran, and that Xi replied saying he was not doing so.

"I had heard that China's giving weapons to, I mean -- you're seeing it all over the place -- to Iran," Trump said in an interview with Maria Bartiromo on Fox Business.

"And I wrote him a letter asking him not to do that, and he wrote me a letter saying that essentially he's not doing that."

Trump's comments come ahead of his planned trip to China on May 14-15 for a summit with Xi that was pushed back from late March by Washington because of the war against Iran.

(AFP)

Iran's military has also threatened to block trade through the Red Sea, along with the Gulf and Sea of Oman, if the US naval blockade continues.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif set off on a four-day diplomatic blitz to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey on Wednesday, his office said, in a feverish round of diplomacy before a possible second round of US-Iran peace talks.

"Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif will undertake official visits to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the State of Qatar and the Republic of Turkiye from 15-18 April 2026," Pakistan's foreign ministry said in a statement, using Turkey's official name.

The visits to Saudi Arabia and Qatar will be conducted "in the bilateral context", while Sharif will participate in the Antalya Diplomacy Forum while in Turkey.

He will also hold bilateral meetings with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other leaders on the sidelines of the Antalya forum, the statement said.

(AFP)

Watch #TheWorldReport with @NewshoundArjun: US-Iran Talks: What Are Major Sticking Points? pic.twitter.com/QzJuSE0rjy

— NDTV (@ndtv) April 15, 2026

Israel's army said Hezbollah militants fired around 30 rockets into northern Israel early on Wednesday, just hours after Washington hosted the first direct talks between Israel and Lebanon in decades. 

The military detected "approximately 30 launches" towards Israel since the early hours, a spokesman told AFP. 

(AFP)

The head of the UN's nuclear watchdog said Wednesday that "very detailed" measures to verify Iran's nuclear activities must be included in a potential US-Iran agreement to end their war in the Middle East.

International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi stressed the need for the thorough verification regime for Iran's nuclear program, as US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that a second round of talks with Iran could happen over the next two days.

The Trump administration has said that preventing Iran from gaining a nuclear weapon is a key war aim. Iran has previously said it isn't developing such weapons but rejected limits on its nuclear programme.

(AP)

Unlike Hormuz, which is central to global oil shipments, the Strait of Malacca serves as a broader commercial lifeline, facilitating the movement of energy supplies as well as manufactured goods, electronics and industrial components. It is significant because of the sheer volume of trade it handles, including a major share of global oil flows.

US Eyes Strait Of Malacca After Hormuz pic.twitter.com/ZlUaEyKqnI

— NDTV (@ndtv) April 15, 2026

🔴#BREAKING | US President Donald Trump hits out at Pope Leo, NATO amid escalating war
NDTV's @AdityaRajKaul joins @ParmeshwarBawa with more details pic.twitter.com/Tm8FS43ZSA

— NDTV (@ndtv) April 15, 2026

Iran secretly used a Chinese spy satellite that gave the Islamic Republic a new capability to target US military bases across the Middle East during the recent war, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday.

(Reuters)

US President Donald Trump reiterated his criticisms of Pope Leo on Tuesday and said it is "unacceptable" for Iran to have a nuclear bomb.

"Will someone please tell Pope Leo that Iran has killed at least 42,000 innocent, completely unarmed, protesters in the last two months, and that for Iran to have a Nuclear Bomb is absolutely unacceptable," Trump said on Truth Social.

(Reuters)

Gold prices inched lower on Wednesday after hitting a one-month high earlier in the session, as the dollar regained some ground and prospects of another round of peace talks between the United States and Iran lifted risk appetite.

Spot gold was down 0.3% at $4,828.07 per ounce, as of 0249 GMT, after hitting its highest since March 18 earlier. US gold futures for June delivery were steady at $4,851.30.

The US dollar rebounded from its lowest level in more than a month, making the greenback-denominated commodities, such as bullion, more expensive for holders of other currencies. 

(Reuters)

More than 20 commercial ships have recently transited the Strait of Hormuz, signaling improved traffic through the key maritime chokepoint, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. 

At the same time, US Central Command said no vessels departing Iranian ports crossed the US blockade during its first 24 hours. A US official said eight oil tankers turned back after receiving instructions from US forces. No interdictions have been reported, and enforcement is not expected in the Persian Gulf.

A US destroyer interdicted two oil tankers attempting to leave Iran on Tuesday, a day after US President Donald Trump's blockade went into effect, and instructed them to turn around, a US official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The Iranian delegation reportedly faced urgent security threats while en route to Tehran after ceasefire talks with the United States failed in Islamabad, Pakistan. 

Iranian political analyst Mohammad Marandi told the Lebanese news outlet Al-Mayadeen that amid heightened caution, the group, including Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, switched their flight midway and took an alternative route to reach Tehran by bus and train. 

More than 10,000 U.S. Sailors, Marines, and Airmen along with over a dozen warships and dozens of aircraft are executing the mission to blockade ships entering and departing Iranian ports. During the first 24 hours, no ships made it past the U.S. blockade and 6 merchant vessels… pic.twitter.com/dpWAAknzQp

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) April 14, 2026

🔴#BREAKING | "Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon," says US Vice President JD Vance
NDTV's @VishalV054 joins @reetksahni with more details pic.twitter.com/aOxy8aUJCN

— NDTV (@ndtv) April 15, 2026

🔴#BREAKING | Israel, Lebanon Agree To Direct Negotiations After "Productive" Talks: US
NDTV's @VishalV054 joins @reetksahni with more details pic.twitter.com/hH7ogZU3bg

— NDTV (@ndtv) April 15, 2026

In an interview to Fox news, US President Donald Trump on the Iran war said, "I think it's close to over, yeah. I mean, I view it as very close to over."

He added, "If I pulled up stakes right now, it would take them 20 years to rebuild that country. And we're not finished. We'll see what happens. I think they want to make a deal very badly."

🔴#BREAKING | "War with Iran close to over" : Trump
NDTV's @VishalV054 joins @reetksahni with more details pic.twitter.com/SlXlmdx74M

— NDTV (@ndtv) April 15, 2026