US President Donald Trump said negotiations with Iran are progressing behind closed doors and insisted that only a small circle inside his administration knows the true status of the talks.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday (local time), Trump said, "Nobody knows what the talks are, except myself and a couple of other people."

The president acknowledged uncertainty surrounding Iran's leadership structure, adding, "We have a problem because nobody knows for sure who the leaders are. It's a little bit of a problem."

President Donald Trump was facing a midnight deadline Thursday to secure congressional authorization for the war against Iran, though the looming cutoff is not expected to rein in his military plans.

The 60-day clock, triggered when Trump notified Congress of strikes in early March, requires the administration to begin winding down hostilities unless lawmakers authorize the use of force. 

With no such approval in place, the deadline sets up a direct constitutional clash between the White House and Congress.

Democrats say the president is already on shaky legal ground -- and will be in clear violation once the threshold passes. 

Speaking during an executive order signing event in the Oval Office, Trump said Iran had carried out mass killings amid internal unrest.

Air defences were heard in the Iranian capital Tehran on Thursday night but the cause was unknown, Iranian media reported.

"The sound of air defence activation has been heard in some parts of Tehran. It is not yet clear whether this sound is related to a defence test or to counter possible 'reconnaissance drones' in the sky over Tehran," the Tasnim and Fars news agencies reported.

US President Donald Trump said he was "OK" with Iran playing their World Cup games in the United States, after FIFA chief Gianni Infantino reiterated that the team would do so despite the Middle East war.

"Well, if Gianni said it, I'm okay," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when asked about the comments by Infantino, with whom the US leader has close ties. "I think let 'em play."

Israel's defence minister on Thursday said his country may soon have to "act again" against Iran, to ensure the Islamic republic "does not once again become a threat to Israel".

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday accused Iran of wanting "to harm British Jews", in the wake of the latest attack targeting the country's Jewish community.

"We need stronger powers to tackle the malign threat posed by states like Iran, because we know for a fact that they want to harm British Jews," he said in a statement delivered from Downing Street.

It came the day after two Jewish men were stabbed in the street in north London and following repeated warnings by Starmer and other officials that hostile states were intent on using proxies to conduct attacks in the UK.

(AFP)

The nickname was coined by Bloomberg columnist Javier Blas, who said that the nickname shows how frustrated the public is about the on-and-off blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, which has disrupted oil flow and caused the gas prices to spike.

Trump floats new plan aimed at creating maritime alliance to reopen Strait of Hormuz as Iran war shows no end in sight

(AP)

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said in a written message on Thursday that the United States had been defeated in its war with the Islamic republic, as the Iranian leadership defied President Donald Trump's warnings of a prolonged blockade.

"Today, two months after the largest military deployment and aggression by the world's bullies in the region, and the United States' disgraceful defeat in its plans, a new chapter is unfolding for the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz," said Khamenei in the message read on state television.

The message by Khamenei, who has yet to appear in public since his appointment on March 9 as Iran's new supreme leader, came on the annual national celebration of "Persian Gulf" day in Iran. 

Weeks of conflict have aggravated Iran's dire economic problems, risking calamity after the war, but the Islamic Republic looks able to survive a standoff in the Gulf for now, despite a US blockade that has cut off energy exports. 

With major fighting paused by an April 8 truce, Iran is locked in a stalemate with the US and Israel, with talks for a lasting ceasefire stalled while Tehran keeps the Strait of Hormuz shut and Washington blockades Iranian Gulf ports. 

Despite bad damage to infrastructure and industries and an oil-export squeeze, Iran has plentiful internal supplies, steady trade with neighbours and only limited signs of immediate stress from state-revenue losses caused by the blockade. 

If US President Donald Trump expects Iran to blink first in their game of economic chicken, with global inflation rising and midterm elections approaching, he may be waiting a while. 

Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, in a vitriolic criticism of Americans, said that the only place they belong to in the Persian Gulf is "at the bottom of its waters".

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian has said the US naval blockade of Iranian ports would deepen disruptions in the Gulf and fail to achieve its objectives.

"Any attempt to impose a maritime blockade or restrictions is contrary to international law... and is doomed to fail," Pezeshkian said in a statement. 

He added that such measures would "not only fail to enhance regional security, but are in fact a source of tension and a disruption to lasting stability in the Persian Gulf".

Oil prices have soared more than seven per cent to a fresh four-year high while stocks fell after Donald Trump warned the US blockade of Iranian ports could last months and a report said he would be briefed on potential fresh military strikes.

The Pentagon's top financial officer told lawmakers around $25 billion has been spent over roughly eight weeks in battling sanctions-hit Iran to a stalemate, risking a wider regional war that could devastate the global economy, and triggering the worst global energy crisis on record. But media reports suggest that figure isn't wholly accurate.

At least three people familiar with the topic told CNN it does not include billions that must be spent on repairing and restoring military bases and equipment struck by missiles and drones. The real estimate, one source told CNN, could be a staggering $40-50 billion and involve repairs to at least nine US military bases across Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, the UAE, and Qatar, as well as potential compensation to civilian and energy infrastructure in those countries.

The US military has announced that its forces have intercepted 42 vessels as part of its blockade to prevent maritime commerce from entering or exiting Iranian ports.

"Today, US forces achieved a significant milestone after successfully redirecting the 42nd commercial vessel attempting to violate the blockade," US Central Commander Brad Cooper said on X.

He highlighted that the 41 tankers currently stranded as a result of the blockade hold an estimated 69 million barrels of oil, which is over 6 billion US dollars in potential revenue.

"The blockade is highly effective, and US forces remain fully committed to total enforcement," Cooper said.

Donald Trump will receive a briefing on new plans for potential military action against Iran on Thursday from the leader of the US Central Command, Brad Cooper, Axios has reported.

CENTCOM has prepared a plan for a "short and powerful" wave of strikes on Iran, likely including infrastructure targets, Axios reported, citing sources.

Washington would hope to make Iran more flexible on the negotiating table on the nuclear issues, the report added.

Another plan expected to be shared with Trump is focused on taking over part of the Strait of Hormuz to reopen it to commercial shipping, the report added, saying such an operation may involve ground forces.

Another option that might come up in the briefing is a special forces operation to secure Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium, Axios said.

Iran has threatened to use a new weapon in the war against the US and Israeli forces, one of which the enemy forces are "deeply afraid of" and could give them a "heart attack". The warning came after Donald Trump rejected Iran's proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for a lift of the US blockade.

Iran's Navy Commander Rear Admiral Shahram Irani said the Islamic Republic will "very soon" confront the enemy forces with a weapon "it is deeply afraid of", according to state-run Press TV. 

"And it is right next to them [too]... I hope they won't have a heart attack," he noted in reference to the weapon in question.

Donald Trump has shared a new map on his Truth Social account showing the Strait of Hormuz named after him.

Iran has executed at least 21 people since the start of the war with the United States and Israel two months ago and has arrested more than 4,000 on national security-related charges, UN human rights chief Volker Turk said on Wednesday.

Members of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps "have no place" in Canada, Ottawa said Wednesday, after top Iranian officials left the country before a FIFA Congress, citing the conduct of immigration officers. 

Iranian outlets reported that the nation's football federation's president, secretary general and deputy secretary general left Canada after being mistreated at Toronto's airport on route to the FIFA meeting in Vancouver. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned his US counterpart against "damaging consequences" of a new military action in Iran, Kremlin aide told reporters Wednesday after the two leaders spoke by phone.

Putin "highlighted the inevitable and extremely damaging consequences not only for Iran and its neighbours, but also for the entire international community, should the US and Israel resort to military action once again," said Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov.

Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone with US counterpart Donald Trump, Putin's diplomatic advisor Yuri Ushakov told reporters Wednesday, adding that the two leaders focused primarily on the Middle East war.

"The presidents paid particular attention to the situation regarding Iran and in the Persian Gulf," Ushakov said.

"Vladimir Putin considers Donald Trump's decision to extend the ceasefire with Iran to be the right one, as this should give negotiations a chance and, overall, help to stabilise the situation."

(AFP)

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday dialled his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar and discussed various aspects of the Middle East crisis.

The phone conversation came two days after Araghchi held wide-ranging discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

"Received a phone call from Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi of Iran this evening," Jaishankar said on social media.

"Had a detailed conversation about various aspects of the current situation. We agreed to remain in close touch," he said.

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said congressional Democrats are "the biggest adversary we face" as he parried questioning from lawmakers Wednesday for the first time since U.S. President Donald Trump launched the war against Iran. And the Pentagon's chief financial officer released a detail Democrats have been demanding, saying the war has cost an estimated $25 billion and counting.

Hegseth told the House Armed Services Committee that boosting next year's Pentagon budget to an unprecedented $1.5 trillion will "maintain the world's most powerful and capable military".

Meanwhile, talks on ending the war have stalled. Trump posted an image on social media showing himself carrying a weapon in a war zone, saying "NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!"

(AP)

Iran's national rial currency hit a record low Wednesday of 1.8 million to the dollar as a shaky ceasefire with the US and Israel holds.

The rial had remained stable in the early weeks of the war that began Feb. 28, in part because there was little trading or imports.

The rial began to slide two days ago. Experts warn that its fall is likely to further fuel inflation in a country where many imported goods, from food and medicine to electronics and raw materials, are affected by the dollar rate.

US President Donald Trump warned Tehran on Wednesday that it should "get smart soon" and capitulate to Washington's demands for tight controls on its nuclear programme, as a US naval blockade turned the screws on Iran's economy.

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth was due to testify before Congress later in the day, but US press reports suggested Trump has already decided to reject Iran's latest proposed deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

According to the Wall Street Journal, he intends to pursue the blockade of Iranian ports until Tehran is forced to dismantle its nuclear programme.

(AFP)

Iran has executed at least 21 people and arrested more than 4,000 since the beginning of the Middle East war, the United Nations said on Wednesday.

Since the US-Israeli strikes sparked the war in late February, "at least nine people have been executed in connection with the January 2026 protests, ten for alleged membership in opposition groups, and two on espionage charges," the UN's rights office said.

"Since 28 February, more than 4,000 individuals are estimated to have been arrested on national security related charges in Iran," the agency added in a statement.

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday warned Iran to "better get smart soon" as efforts by Washington and Tehran to end hostilities appeared at a standstill.

"Iran can't get their act together. They don't know how to sign a nonnuclear deal. They better get smart soon!" the US leader posted on his Truth Social platform, alongside an illustration of Trump holding an assault rifle, with the caption "NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!"

US President Donald Trump has instructed aides to prepare for an extended blockade of Iran, The Wall Street Journal reported, quoting US officials. The blockade will target the regime's coffers in a high-risk bid to compel a nuclear capitulation Tehran has long refused.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will face tough questions from lawmakers about the Iran war on Wednesday during his first testimony to Congress since the start of the conflict.

Hegseth's appearance before the House Armed Services Committee will be for a hearing on President Donald Trump's $1.5 trillion defense budget request.

Lawmakers from both parties have previously expressed dissatisfaction with the information provided in classified briefings on the war, setting up a potentially fiery public hearing in which top US military officer General Dan Caine is also set to testify.

The US has warned banks they are at risk of secondary sanctions if they support Chinese private refiners that buy Iranian oil, cranking up pressure on Tehran even at the cost of further irking Beijing just weeks ahead of a leaders' meeting.

Washington has been ratcheting up its efforts to cut off Iranian oil shipments, a vital financial lifeline. Late last week, the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned Hengli Petrochemical (Dalian) Refinery Co., one of China's largest private oil refiners - targeting a large and well-connected player in the country's vast crude-processing industry.

On Tuesday, the Treasury underscored the message by warning all banks supporting the Iranian trade would also be at risk.

"Financial institutions should be on notice that the department is leveraging the full range of available tools and authorities and is prepared to deploy secondary sanctions against foreign financial institutions that continue to support Iran's activities," the Treasury Department said in a statement.

It added banks should implement risk-based controls, conduct enhanced due diligence in dealings with refineries particularly in the northern province of Shandong, and warn correspondent banks of sanctions compliance expectations.

(Bloomberg)

Oil prices rose on Wednesday, extending a multi-day rally, on reports the US will extend its blockade of Iranian ports, likely prolonging supply disruptions from the key Middle East producing region.
Brent crude futures for June rose 52 cents, or 0.47%, to $111.78 a barrel at 0154 GMT, climbing for an eighth day. The June contract expires on Thursday and the more active July contract was at $104.84, up 0.4%.

US President Donald Trump told Britain's King Charles III and other guests at a state dinner Tuesday that Iran has been "militarily defeated," in his first public comments on the sensitive topic during the ongoing royal visit.

"We have militarily defeated that particular opponent," Trump said at the White House dinner, adding: "Charles agrees with me even more than I do -- we're never going to let that opponent have a nuclear weapon."

The Lebanese health ministry said Israeli strikes Tuesday killed eight people, including civil defence rescuers, and wounded two soldiers in the country's south, despite an ongoing ceasefire.

Israel has been fighting Hezbollah since early March, sending troops into south Lebanon to battle the Iran-backed militant group, with the violence ongoing despite a shaky April 17 ceasefire.

Efforts to end the Middle East war appeared at a standstill on Tuesday, with the United States considering Tehran's latest offer to unblock the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran saying Washington could no longer dictate terms.

Iran has blockaded the waterway -- a vital conduit for oil and gas shipments -- since the start of the US-Israeli offensive two months ago, sending shockwaves through the global economy.

US officials did not dispute accounts by CNN and The Wall Street Journal that Trump was sceptical of the proposal.

In a major escalation of its "Economic Fury" campaign, the US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Tuesday designated 35 entities and individuals central to Iran's clandestine shadow banking network.

The move aims to choke off a financial lifeline that has moved tens of billions of dollars to fund the Iranian regime's armed forces, missile programs, and regional terrorist proxies.

Iranian banks, largely severed from the formal international financial system, utilise private management firms known as "rahbars." These entities oversee thousands of overseas shell companies that bypass sanctions to execute payments for Iranian oil and sensitive military imports.

The Israeli military on Tuesday said it found and destroyed a large Hezbollah tunnel network used by elite fighters, as it ordered a wave of new evacuations from Lebanon's battle-scarred south.

Israel has been fighting Hezbollah since early March, sending troops into south Lebanon to battle the Iran-backed militant group, with the violence ongoing despite a shaky April 17 ceasefire.

In Qantara, troops found "two Hezbollah terror tunnels, constructed over approximately a decade" that stretched two kilometres (1.2 miles), using "over 450 tonnes of explosives" to demolish them, an army statement said. 

Lebanese state media said an Israeli detonation had left a "large crater" in Qantara, after earlier reporting a "major demolition operation" in the town.

The US military has boarded another commercial vessel during blockade of Iran's ports, but unlike in previous cases, the ship was ultimately allowed to carry on its way.

US Central Command said on social media that Marines boarded the Blue Star III on Tuesday but "released the vessel after conducting a search and confirming its voyage would not include an Iranian port call." An accompanying video showed American forces fast-roping from a helicopter onto the vessel.
The Blue Star is at least the fourth merchant ship to be boarded since the Trump administration began the blockade of Iranian shipping more than two weeks ago, but it is the first to not be taken into U.S. custody. The US blockade aims to squeeze Iran amid a ceasefire in the war as Tehran's cutoff of the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway for energy shipments, ripples across the global economy.

Noting that people of Iran are united, Deputy Representative of Iran's Supreme Leader in India Dr Mohammad Hossein Ziyaeenia has said that reports and suggestions about internal tensions in Iran are made by those who are unaware of the government system in his country and those "trying to hide the truth from the audience".

In an exclusive interview with ANI, Mohammad Hossein Ziyaeenia said that the Iranian government system is not dependent on a single person because it is a Republic.

"This question has been raised by the Western media. There are two reasons for this question. Number one is not being aware of the government system in Iran. Number two, trying to hide the truth from the audience. The Iranian government system is not dependent on a single person because this is a republic... So it's not that there is a single figure in command in Iran and the country would collapse without him. There is a hierarchy there," he said.

(ANI)

A superyacht owned by Russian billionaire Alexey Mordashov was able to transit the blockaded Strait of Hormuz after undergoing maintenance in Dubai because neither Iran nor the United States objected, a source close to Mordashov said on Tuesday. 

It has been unclear how the multi-deck pleasure vessel, worth over $500 million, gained permission to sail on Saturday through the commercially important waterway at the heart of the U.S.-Iran conflict, where traffic has been severely restricted since February.

Sailing under a Russian flag, the yacht, called Nord, crossed the strait on an approved route in compliance with international maritime law, the source said. 

A Bahrain court sentenced five people to life in prison on Tuesday for plotting "terrorist and hostile acts" with Iran, which bombarded the tiny Gulf kingdom during the Middle East war.

Another 25 people were jailed for up to 10 years for sharing images of Iranian attacks and expressing support for them, the public prosecution said.

Bahrain, which has a large Shia population and houses a major US military base, was heavily targeted in Iran's strikes on the Gulf, launched in response to US and Israeli attacks on the Islamic republic.

The United Arab Emirates on Tuesday announced that it will exit the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and OPEC+ with effect from May 1. The move comes at a time when the Iran war has triggered a historic energy shock and unsettled the global economy.

The White House said it was examining Iran's latest proposal to unblock the Strait of Hormuz, as Tehran insisted on Tuesday that Washington was no longer in a position to "dictate" policy to others.

Iran has blockaded the waterway -- a vital conduit for oil and gas shipments -- since the start of the US-Israeli offensive two months ago, sending shockwaves through the global economy.

While a ceasefire has halted the fighting between the longtime foes, talks to permanently end the war and reopen the strait have proven inconclusive.

The head of Israel's Mossad has praised the spy agency's "groundbreaking" operations in the war against Iran and Hezbollah, saying it acquired intelligence "from the heart of the enemy's secrets".

"In the campaigns against Iran and Hezbollah, we worked shoulder-to-shoulder with the IDF, on both defence and offence," David Barnea said, referring to the Israeli military.

"We acquired strategic and tactical intelligence from the heart of the enemy's secrets," Barnea said, adding that Mossad had "proved new, groundbreaking operational capabilities in target countries".

The US military on Tuesday seized a sanctioned oil tanker in the Indian Ocean. The vessel, identified as the M/T Tifani, was carrying Iranian crude when it was intercepted, according to a statement from the Pentagon. The action comes amid heightened tensions after the US and Israel unilaterally declared a war on Iran.

"We will pursue global maritime enforcement efforts to disrupt illicit networks and interdict sanctioned vessels providing material support to Iran - anywhere they operate," the Defense Department said, while releasing footage that appeared to show Navy SEALs descending onto the tanker from a helicopter.

US officials said the ship was transporting around 1.9 million barrels of oil at the time of the seizure. The operation has effectively extended the confrontation with Iran far beyond the Persian Gulf, into Indo-Pacific waters.

The Iranian Ministry of Education said it has no plans to resume in-person education despite some schools announcing that internal exams will be held in person.

According to the semi-official Tasnim news agency, the ministry said such decisions depend entirely on the issuance of necessary permits from the relevant authorities.

As direct military engagements between the United States, Israel and Iran continue into their third month, a new front has emerged far from any battlefield: social media.

The latest salvo came from an unlikely source. The Official Account of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Accra, which is also accredited to Togo and Liberia, published a satirical video that has since gone viral across multiple platforms. The clip depicts President Trump asleep, with White House officials attempting to rouse him.

He must be dreaming that he defeated Iran. Leave him sleeping. pic.twitter.com/glLAwJxenv

— Iran in Ghana (@IRAN_GHANA) April 27, 2026

US President Donald Trump is reportedly not happy with Iran's new proposal to reopen the strategically crucial Strait of Hormuz and end the war. Over the weekend, Iran offered the US a deal in which Washington would lift its blockade on the country and its ports and end the war in the Middle East while offering that discussions on Tehran's nuclear programme would come in a later phase of the diplomatic process.

Tehran's proposal said Iran would reopen Hormuz if:

Iran revised the deaths from a strike on an Iranian school on the first day of the Middle East war, state media reported.

Seventy-three boys and 47 girls were killed in the February 28 strike on an Iranian elementary school in Minab, state broadcaster IRIB and local media reported.

Twenty-six teachers, seven parents, a school bus driver, and a pharmacy technician at the clinic next to the school were also killed, IRIB said in a Telegram post. This puts the death toll at 155 instead of more than 175 reported earlier.

US President Donald Trump is unhappy with the latest Iranian proposal on resolving the two-month war, a US official said, dampening hopes for a resolution to the conflict that has disrupted energy supplies, fuelled inflation, and killed thousands.

Iran's latest proposal would set aside discussion of Iran's nuclear program until the war is ended and disputes over shipping from the Gulf are resolved. 

That is unlikely to satisfy the US, which says nuclear issues must be dealt with from the outset.

Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov held talks in Kyrgyzstan on Monday with Iran's Deputy Defence Minister Reza Talaei-Nik, state-run TASS news agency reported.

Belousov reiterated Russia's longstanding position that the Iran war should be resolved exclusively through diplomatic means and said he was confident Moscow and Tehran would continue to support one another.

Talaei-Nik also traveled to Belarus, one of Russia's closest allies, where Belarus' Defence Ministry said he discussed the Middle East situation with Defence Minister Viktor Khrenin.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Islamabad on Tuesday after concluding his engagements in Russia, as part of an ongoing diplomatic outreach aimed at ending the conflict with the United States.

As per Press TV, this marks his third visit to Pakistan in the past 48 hours.

Araghchi's latest stop follows a series of high-level engagements across multiple countries, including Russia and Oman.

Iran needs guarantees against another US-Israeli attack before it can ensure security in the oil-rich Gulf, Tehran's envoy to the United Nations said Monday.

"Lasting stability and security in the Persian Gulf and the wider region can only be achieved through a durable and permanent cessation of aggression against Iran supplemented by credible guarantees of non-recurrence and full respect for the legitimate sovereign rights and interests of Iran," Amir Saeid Iravani told a Security Council session.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday (local time) strongly criticised attempts by Iran to regulate or monetise the passage of vessels through the strategic Strait of Hormuz, warning that such actions would not be accepted by Washington and amount to an illegitimate claim over an international waterway.

In an interview with Fox News, Rubio said the United States would reject any effort to "normalise" a system in which Iran dictates access to one of the world's most critical maritime chokepoints.

"If what they mean by opening the Straits is 'Yes, the straits are open as long as you coordinate with Iran. Get our permission, or we'll blow you up and pay us.' That's not opening the Strait. That is an international waterway," Rubio said.

The White House on Sunday confirmed that a fresh proposal from Iran aimed at ending the ongoing conflict and reopening the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz is being discussed by US President Donald Trump and his national security team.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that the proposal has been taken up at the highest level. "I can confirm the president has met with his national security team this morning - the meeting may be ongoing, maybe not... The proposal was being discussed... I wouldn't say they are considering it. I would just say that there was a discussion this morning that I don't want to get ahead of and you'll hear directly from the president, I am sure, on this topic very soon," she said.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Monday Iran's leadership was humiliating the United States and getting US officials to travel to Pakistan and then leave without results, in an unusually abrupt rebuke over the conflict.

France's top diplomat said Monday that Iran must be ready to make "major concessions" in talks to end a crisis triggered by the attack by the United States and Israel.

"There can be no lasting solution to this crisis unless the Iranian regime agrees to major concessions and a radical shift in its stance," Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told the UN Security Council.

Barrot said that Iran must show a way "to peaceful coexistence within its region and for the Iranian people to be able to build freely their own future," months after the cleric-run state ruthlessly repressed mass protests.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that the world witnessed Iran's strength in countering the US during the recent war, and that the Islamic Republic is a "stable and powerful establishment." "With their courage, the Iranian people succeeded in resisting the US aggression and will be able to endure it," he said.

During his talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin mentioned a message from Tehran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, Russian state media RT reported.

"The US approaches caused the previous round of negotiations, despite progress, to fail to reach its goals because of the excessive demands," Araghchi said Monday.

After calling off his emissaries' trip, Trump told Fox News that if Iran wanted talks, "they can come to us, or they can call us", though he has said the cancellation does not signal a return to hostilities.

Russian President Vladimir Putin told Iran's top diplomat that Moscow would do everything it could to help secure peace in the Middle East, during a meeting in Saint Petersburg on Monday.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, speaking on arrival in Russia, had blamed Washington for the failure of talks on brokering a deal to end the fighting, with a ceasefire between the sides still holding.

"For our part, we will do everything that serves your interests, the interests of all the people of the region, so that peace can be achieved as soon as possible," Russian state media quoted Putin as telling Araghchi.

The Iranian coast guard fired shots towards a Togo-flagged chemical tanker, MT Siron, which was boarded by individuals, including Indian sailors, at the Shinas Outer Port limits in Oman on April 25, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways revealed on Monday.

The vessel was near other ships when the Iranian Coast Guard intervened and fired warning shots, Mandeep Singh Randhawa, Director at the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, stated during an inter-ministerial briefing on the recent developments in West Asia.

He mentioned that the ministry is coordinating closely with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Indian missions, and maritime stakeholders to ensure the safety of seafarers and continuity of operations in the region.

According to Randhawa, the DG Shipping control room has so far handled 7,780 calls and 16,650 emails, maintaining communication with 2,770 Indian ships, with 12 reporting updates.

"The situation is under close watch, with no cause for concern at present," he noted. (IANS)

As Tehran and Washington struggle to find common ground to end the war in the Middle East, an Iranian lawmaker has cast doubt over Pakistan's role as a mediator and raised concerns over its neutrality in the negotiation process.

پاکستان دوست و همسایه خوب ماست اما واسطه مناسبی جهت مذاکرات نیست و اعتبار لازم را برای واسطه‌گری ندارد. آنها همیشه مصلحت ترامپ را در نظر می‌گیرند و برخلاف میل آمریکایی‌ها حرفی نمی‌زنند بطور مثال حاضر نیستند به دنیا بگویند که آمریکا ابتدا پیشنهاد پاکستان را پذیرفت اما بعد زیر حرفش…

— ابراهیم رضایی (@EbrahimRezaei14) April 26, 2026

At least seven ships - mainly dry bulk vessels - have crossed the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours, in line with muted activity in recent days, shipping data showed on Monday, while talks between Iran and the United States have stalled.

The vessels included ships leaving from Iraqi ports and one dry bulk vessel from an Iranian port, according to ship tracking data from Kpler and separate satellite analysis from data analytics specialists SynMax. (Reuters)

Iran has warned neighbouring Gulf nations against backing Washington amid uncertainty over the second round of peace talks with the US. Iran's vice president, Esmail Saghab Esfahani, said that Tehran's response will be fourfold if its infrastructure is targeted, including oil wells, amid the ongoing blockade at the Strait of Hormuz.

"We will respond to any act of war. If any of our infrastructure, including oil wells, becomes damaged as a result of the blockade, we ensure that quadruple of the same would happen to countries provide support to the aggressor," Esfahani said in a post on X.

"We have a different way of doing math. One oil well equals four oil wells," he added, underscoring the scale of damage Tehran intends to inflict on the US supporters.

US President Donald Trump will hold talks on the Iran war on Monday with his top security advisors, US media reported, as negotiations between the rival parties seemed to reach an impasse.

Tehran's top diplomat blamed Washington on Monday for the failure of talks in Pakistan this month -- the first and only round of negotiations in a bid to strike a deal to end the conflict that has engulfed the Middle East and strangled the global economy.

Barak Ravid, global affairs correspondent for US media outlet Axios, reported that Trump was expected to hold a meeting with his top national security and foreign policy team on Monday to discuss the next steps.

ABC News quoted two unidentified US officials as saying that Trump would meet with his key security advisors on Iran, adding that a new deal proposed by Tehran to resolve the conflict fell short of Washington's red lines.

Iran has offered to end its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for the US lifting its blockade on the country and an end to the war, while proposing that discussions on the larger question of its nuclear program would come in a later phase, two regional officials said Monday.

US President Donald Trump seems unlikely to accept the offer, which was passed to the Americans by Pakistan and would leave unresolved the disagreements that led the US and Israel to go to war on February 28. (Reuters)

New children's textbooks in Iran feature controversial imagery of US President Donald Trump and repeatedly refer to the United States as the "Great Satan", according to a report.

The material, part of a series titled "We Defend Our Iran," is being circulated among students across elementary, middle and high school levels, The New York Post reported.

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem on Monday rejected Lebanon's planned direct talks with Israel, calling them a "grave sin" that will destabilise Lebanon.

"We categorically reject direct negotiations with Israel, and those in power should know that their actions will not benefit Lebanon or themselves," Qassem said in a statement, calling on authorities to "back down from their grave sin that is putting Lebanon in a spiral of instability".

"These direct negotiations and their outcomes are as if they do not exist for us, and they do not concern us in the slightest," he added, saying "we will continue our defensive resistance for Lebanon and its people".

"No matter how much the enemy threatens, we will not back down, we will not bow down, and we will not be defeated."

(AFP)

Iran offered to end its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz without addressing its nuclear program, officials with knowledge of the proposal said Monday.

Iran also wants the United States to ends its blockade of the country as part of its proposal, according to the two regional officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door negotiations.

(AP)

The conflict in the Middle East has disrupted supplies of crucial raw materials and pushed up prices of the printed circuit boards (PCB) used in almost all electronic devices, from smartphones and computers to AI servers, industry sources and executives said.

The disruption is a fresh blow to electronics manufacturers which are already grappling with soaring memory chip costs and highlights the broadening impact of the Iran war that has wreaked havoc on supply chains, plastics, and oil supplies.

Iran struck Saudi Arabia's Jubail petrochemical complex in early April, forcing a halt in production of high-purity polyphenylene ether (PPE) resin - a critical base material used to manufacture PCB laminates.

SABIC, which accounts for approximately 70% of the world's high-purity PPE supply and operates in the Jubail complex on the Gulf coast, has been unable to resume output, severely tightening the availability of the material worldwide, according to one source. Shipping in and out of the Gulf has also been severely disrupted by the war.

PCB prices have been climbing since late last year, driven by a growing appetite for AI servers. Demand has been accelerating sharply since March as manufacturers scramble to secure raw material supplies and soften the impact of skyrocketing costs, three industry sources told Reuters.

(Reuters)

Iran has proposed a three-stage formula for negotiations should the United States want to return to the table for peace talks, local media reported, as both sides walked away from the second round of such discussions in Pakistan. 

Stage 1: Complete end of the war and guarantees to prevent its resumption against Iran and Lebanon.

Stage 2: If demands of first stage are agreed upon, the second stage would see the parties discuss the management and administration of the critical marine chokepoint Strait of Hormuz.

Stage 3: Only after the above two stages are crossed will Iran discuss the nuclear issue. This is a key point as the US has continued to demand that Tehran stops uranium enrichment for a long time and moves its stockpile out of the country.

Iran's foreign minister arrived in Russia on Monday as peace efforts between Tehran and Washington hung in the balance, following a flurry of regional diplomacy and the collapse of planned talks in Pakistan.

Abbas Araghchi arrived in Saint Petersburg, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said on Telegram, where he is expected to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

It comes after Araghchi visited Oman between trips to Pakistani capital Islamabad, as mediators push to keep peace talks between Tehran and Washington alive.

On Saturday, US President Donald Trump scrapped a planned trip to Islamabad by his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

(AFP)

Oil prices rose Monday while stocks were mixed with the United States and Iran no closer to ending their eight-week-old war after Donald Trump cancelled his envoys' trip for peace talks at the weekend.

Hopes that the two sides could make progress during negotiations in Pakistan were dashed Saturday by the US president, who said there was no point "sitting around talking about nothing".

He said on Fox News that he told his team: "We have all the cards. They can call us anytime they want, but you're not going to be making any more 18-hour flights to sit around talking about nothing."

However, he told reporters a revised proposal from Iran had followed within minutes of his decision.

(AFP)

#BREAKING | Pakistan is not a suitable intermediary: Iranian MP@nazir_masoodi reports pic.twitter.com/uSjwxXCvPl

— NDTV (@ndtv) April 27, 2026

Iran proposes 3-stage peace plan
NDTV's @nazir_masoodi brings you more details pic.twitter.com/ZhbHuop4Am

— NDTV (@ndtv) April 27, 2026

#BREAKING | US turns back 38 ships as blockade continues
NDTV's @nazir_masoodi reports pic.twitter.com/JqiBWq2Yf7

— NDTV (@ndtv) April 27, 2026

Oil prices rose on Monday as peace talks between the U.S. and Iran stalled while shipments through the Strait of Hormuz remained limited, keeping global oil supplies tight.

Brent crude futures rose $2.22, or 2.11%, to $107.55 a barrel by 2202 GMT and US West Texas Intermediate was at $96.42 a barrel, up $2.02, or 2.14%.

(Reuters)

A U.S. Sailor watches a commercial ship as U.S. forces continue to enforce a blockade against Iranian ports, preventing ships from entering or exiting. American forces have directed 38 ships to turn around, or return to port. pic.twitter.com/Trtc41NZyp

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) April 27, 2026

#BREAKING | Iran's Speaker of the Parliament Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf warns US has burned its oil options
NDTV's @nazir_masoodi reports pic.twitter.com/WCkC6oUP6f

— NDTV (@ndtv) April 27, 2026

#BREAKING | Oil prices rise after US-Iran talks stall: Report
NDTV's @nazir_masoodi brings you the details pic.twitter.com/eLxK5u5Ksj

— NDTV (@ndtv) April 27, 2026

#BREAKING | Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi heads to Moscow after Pakistan visit for high-level talks
NDTV's @nazir_masoodi reports pic.twitter.com/pLRdDDGhZC

— NDTV (@ndtv) April 27, 2026

Iran's foreign minister headed to Russia on Sunday as peace efforts between Tehran and Washington hung in the balance, following a flurry of regional diplomacy and the collapse of planned talks in Pakistan.

Abbas Araghchi visited Oman between trips to Pakistani capital Islamabad and is expected to meet President Vladimir Putin on Monday, according to the Iranian ambassador.

On Saturday, US President Donald Trump scrapped a planned trip to Islamabad by his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

In a sign that efforts were ongoing, the Fars news agency said Iran had sent "written messages" to the Americans via mediator Pakistan outlining red lines, including nuclear issues and the Strait of Hormuz.

Fars said the messages were not part of formal negotiations, however.

A ceasefire in the US-Israeli war with Iran has so far held, but its economic shockwaves continued to reverberate globally.

(AFP)