Pakistan is confident it can bring Iran to talks with the United States, a senior official said, citing “positive signals” from Tehran, as JD Vance is reportedly set to visit Islamabad on Tuesday for peace talks, according to Axios.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance has not yet departed Washington for talks on Iran and is participating in additional policy meetings, a White House official said on Tuesday.
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday France will help Lebanese authorities prepare negotiations with Israel even if Paris was not directly part of the discussions.
Speaking at a news conference alongside Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, Macron said it was "secondary" for France to be sitting at the table of negotiations as it was in Lebanon's interest that everyone helps it in the negotiations.
France, which has deep historical ties with Lebanon, has sought to play a role in the talks, but has met resistance from both Israel and the United States.
The United States imposed new Iran-related sanctions on Tuesday, according to the Treasury Department website, including on individuals and companies linked to trading and air travel.
The Israeli military said that Hezbollah had fired several rockets toward its troops operating in southern Lebanon, in what it described as a "blatant violation" of the ceasefire agreement.
It added that sirens in northern Israeli communities were likely triggered by the interception of a drone launched from Lebanon before it crossed into Israeli territory, correcting an earlier report of a possible misidentification.
There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah.
Iran has not yet made a decision on whether to attend talks with the United States in Pakistan, foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei told Iranian state TV on Tuesday.
He said that U.S. moves against two Iranian vessels amounted to "piracy at sea and state terrorism" and questioned Washington's seriousness in negotiating.
EU countries have agreed to widen sanctions against Iran to include those responsible for blocking the Strait of Hormuz, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Tuesday.
Kallas also said she had asked foreign affairs ministers at their meeting in Luxembourg to bolster the EU's naval mission in the Middle East, which is currently protecting ships from attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebel group in the Red Sea.
U.S. Central Command said Tuesday that 28 vessels have been ordered to turn back or return to port amid restrictions on traffic to and from Iranian ports.
The comments came as Washington has maintained a naval blockade since last week, a move Tehran described as a violation of a ceasefire.
Pakistan is still awaiting a formal response from Iran about confirmation of delegation to attend a second round of peace talks with the U.S. in Islamabad, the country's Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said in a post on X.
"Decision from Iran to attend the talks before the end of two weeks ceasefire is critical," Tarar said, adding that Pakistan has made sincere efforts to convince the Iranian leadership to participate in the second round of talks.
Pakistan has urged both the United States and Iran to extend their two-week ceasefire, Pakistan's foreign ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.
In a meeting with the U.S. Chargé d’Affaires in Pakistan, Natalie A. Baker, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar stressed the need for engagement between the U.S. and Iran. He also said Pakistan urged both sides to consider extending the ceasefire, according to a Foreign Ministry statement.
China is willing to work with African countries to address the spillover effects of the Middle East conflict, President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday while meeting with Mozambique's President in Beijing, state media reported.
"The spillover effects of the Middle East conflict are affecting African countries, and China is willing to work with local (countries) to respond together, promote peace together, and pursue development together," Xi said.
He urged China and Africa to jointly call for a ceasefire to end the hostilities and encourage the international community to "practice genuine multilateralism," CCTV reported.
Iran condemned on Tuesday the United Arab Emirates for detaining people under what Tehran described as false pretexts, Iranian state media reported, citing the foreign ministry.
The UAE said on Monday it had dismantled a terrorist cell linked to Iran and arrested its members over a plot to undermine stability.
"Making baseless claims and creating an anti-Iranian atmosphere cannot distract people from the direct responsibility of the supporters of the U.S. and Israeli aggressors," Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei was quoted by state media as saying.
An Iranian oil tanker entered the country’s territorial waters overnight despite what Iran’s army described as “multiple warnings and threats” from the U.S. Navy. State broadcaster IRIB said the tanker, Sili City, crossed the Arabian Sea under the protection of Iran’s naval forces and is now docked at a southern Iranian port, where it has remained for several hours, Anadolu reports.
The move comes amid escalating maritime tensions after U.S. Central Command said American forces seized an Iranian‑flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman and ordered dozens of vessels to turn back under a naval blockade imposed on Iranian ports earlier this month.
Iran has condemned the seizures as unlawful, while uncertainty surrounds diplomatic efforts ahead of the expiry of a ceasefire brokered by Pakistan, as U.S. President Donald Trump has signalled reluctance to extend it.
Israel’s Mossad chief, David Barnea, has confirmed that a senior Mossad operative involved in operations against Iran was killed outside Israel, Israeli media reported.
According to The Jerusalem Post, Barnea made the announcement during a ceremony at Mossad headquarters in Tel Aviv commemorating members of the organisation who have died in service.
In his remarks, Barnea said the agent, identified only by the codename “M,” was killed while on an operational mission beyond Israel’s borders. He described the operative as having played an influential role in Mossad activities targeting Iran.
Barnea did not disclose the location or timing of the killing, offering no additional operational details.
Israeli media reported that the Mossad agent was killed during the ongoing war that began with U.S.‑Israeli strikes against Iran.
European stock markets ended lower on 20 April (Monday) as attacks on commercial shipping near the Gulf of Oman raised fears that the fragile U.S.–Iran ceasefire could collapse, threatening energy supplies and regional stability. The pan‑European Stoxx 600 fell 0.82%, with major indices also declining.
Germany’s DAX lost 1.15%, France’s CAC 40 dropped 1.12%, and Britain’s FTSE 100 slipped 0.55%. Sentiment weakened after U.S. President Donald Trump said an American warship had disabled and seized an Iranian‑flagged cargo vessel, escalating tensions after reports of Iranian fire on shipping near the Strait of Hormuz.
Markets were further unsettled by warnings from Trump that U.S. strikes on Iranian infrastructure remained possible if Tehran rejected American terms, as the ceasefire nears expiry. Travel and leisure stocks fell sharply, while oil and gas shares rose as crude prices jumped more than 5% on supply fears. Gains in energy stocks, including BP, Shell, and Equinor, partly offset broader losses across European markets.
The coming summer will be difficult for Europe due to fuel shortages caused by the war in Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, even in the best case scenario, European Union Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen said on Tuesday.
The European Union is preparing measures to curb the impact the war is having on jet fuel supply, Jorgensen told reporters in the Spanish capital Madrid.
"If needed we may redistribute and share jet fuel resources we have," he said.
European airlines have warned of jet fuel shortages within weeks as a result of the Iran war, which has blocked the main supply route through the Strait of Hormuz. About 75% of Europe's jet fuel supply comes from the Middle East.
Israel's actions in Lebanon are "totally unacceptable," Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot said on Tuesday ahead of a meeting with European Union foreign ministers in Luxembourg.
"Israel's conduct is completely unacceptable. Of course, we must firmly condemn Hezbollah's initial attacks, which, in seeking to show solidarity with Iran, dragged Lebanon into a war it did not want, as well as Israel's disproportionate and indiscriminate response."
He added that Belgium was calling for at least a partial suspension of the EU's Association's Agreement with Israel, adding that Belgium was "aware that a full suspension is probably out of reach given the positions of the various European countries."
No Iranian delegation has yet left for Pakistan to attend peace talks with the U.S., Iranian state TV reported on Tuesday, denying international news reports announcing the travel of representatives from Tehran to Islamabad and scheduled times for U.S.-Iran talks.
While Pakistan has said it is confident Iran will join the negotiations and JD Vance is reportedly set to visit Islamabad, Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned on X on Tuesday that Tehran will not negotiate “under the shadow of threats” from the U.S.
Iran is ready to deliver an “immediate and decisive response” to any renewed hostile action, a senior commander said, according to Tasnim News Agency.
The warning comes as a two-week ceasefire with the United States is due to expire on Wednesday, with both sides accusing each other of breaches.
Ali Abdollahi said Tehran would not allow the U.S. president to “create false narratives” and insisted Iran retained the upper hand, including over the Strait of Hormuz.
Disruption to global oil suppleis caused by the Iran war have added more than $100 to the price of long-haul flights from Europe, a study by European clean energy campaign group Transport & Environment has found.
The rise in jet fuel prices has increased the average fuel cost by €88 ($104) for each passenger on long-haul flights leaving Europe and €29 ($34) on flights within Europe, the group said.
Its analysis compared prices as of 16 April, with those just before the U.S. and Israeli war with Iran began on 28 February.
In a post published on Truth Social, Donald Trump criticises CNN and other outlets, accusing them of misrepresenting last year’s U.S. bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities.
“Operation Midnight Hammer was a complete and total obliteration of the Nuclear Dust sites in Iran. Therefore, digging it out will be a long and difficult process,” Trump wrote.
“Fake News CNN, and other corrupt Media Networks and Platforms, fail to give our great aviators the credit they deserve – Always trying to demean and belittle – LOSERS!!!”
“The enemy is confused, because they get these same Media ‘reports’,” he wrote. “The Anti-America Fake News Media is rooting for Iran to win, but it’s not going to happen, because I’m in charge!”
Iran said the U.S. attacked an Iranian commercial vessel and called for the release of its crew, according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry.
Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said Iran will not negotiate with the U.S. under threats, accusing President Donald Trump of trying to turn talks into a “table of surrender” in a post on X.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance will travel to Pakistan on Tuesday for talks focused on Iran, according to a report by Axios citing U.S. sources.
Iran has raised fresh concerns over the durability of ongoing diplomatic efforts, citing what it describes as repeated U.S. breaches of a ceasefire agreement.
In a phone call with Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that the United States’ “continued violations of the ceasefire” are creating serious obstacles to sustaining the diplomatic process, according to a statement from Iranian Foreign Ministry.
The U.S. military is redirecting at least three Iranian-flagged tankers after intercepting them in Asian w...
Central Asian leaders have warned that worsening water shortages now pose a direct threat to regional stability, urging coordinated action and stro...
Russia has confirmed the suspension of Kazakh oil shipments to Germany via the Druzhba pipeline, citing technical reasons, in a move that could dis...
Georgia has assumed the rotating chairmanship of the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation (FSC), formally taking over on 22 April in Vienna and pla...
An Israeli airstrike killed five Palestinians, including three children, near a mosque in Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip on Wednesday (22 F...
The U.S. military is redirecting at least three Iranian-flagged tankers after intercepting them in Asian waters near India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, shipping and security sources said on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Tehran said U.S. breaches, blockades and threats are undermining “genuine negotiations.”
Central Asian leaders have warned that worsening water shortages now pose a direct threat to regional stability, urging coordinated action and stronger international engagement.
Russia has confirmed the suspension of Kazakh oil shipments to Germany via the Druzhba pipeline, citing technical reasons, in a move that could disrupt refinery supplies in eastern Germany.
Georgia has assumed the rotating chairmanship of the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation (FSC), formally taking over on 22 April in Vienna and placing it at the centre of key security discussions at a time of rising geopolitical tension and declining trust between states.
Pakistan is confident it can bring Iran to talks with the United States, a senior official said, citing “positive signals” from Tehran, as JD Vance is reportedly set to visit Islamabad on Tuesday for peace talks, according to Axios.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards targeted three vessels, seizing two of them for alleged maritime violations and transferring them to Iranian shores, as U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington is extending its ceasefire with Iran until Tehran submits a proposal.
A gunman who killed seven people in a mass shooting in Kyiv on Saturday (18 April) had quarrelled with his neighbour before he opened fire on passersby, public broadcaster Suspilne cited Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko as saying on Tuesday.
Two local trains collided head-on north of Copenhagen on Thursday (23 April), injuring 17 people, five of them critically, according to emergency services.
The U.S. military has intercepted at least three Iranian-flagged tankers in Asian waters and is redirecting them away from their positions near India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, shipping and security sources said on Wednesday, exclusively to Reuters.
The current standoff between the U.S. and Iran is likely to continue in the near term, with both sides seeking to outlast the other rather than escalate into a wider conflict, according to political analyst Orkhan Nabiyev.
Iran’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York strongly protested against U.S. and Israel targeting multiple civilian infrastructure related to communications and space centre facilities, and also urged regional countries to prevent their territory being used for "military aggression".
The status of a two-week-old ceasefire, due to expire earlier this week, remained unclear. In a sharp turn around hours after threatening renewed violence, President Donald Trump made what appeared to be a unilateral announcement on Tuesday that the U.S. would extend the Iran war ceasefire
The U.S. military has intercepted at least three Iranian-flagged tankers in Asian waters and is redirecting them away from their positions near India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, shipping and security sources said on Wednesday, exclusively to Reuters.
The U.S. military is redirecting at least three Iranian-flagged tankers after intercepting them in Asian waters near India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, shipping and security sources said on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Tehran said U.S. breaches, blockades and threats are undermining “genuine negotiations.”
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