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.”
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that a deal with Iran would only be reached when it is “appropriate and good” for the United States, signalling continued caution in ongoing negotiations.
Air defence systems were heard engaging what were described as “hostile targets” in parts of Tehran on Thursday, according to Iran’s Mehr News Agency, following earlier reports that air defence batteries had been activated across sections of the capital.
Iran’s Nour News also confirmed the activation of air defences but did not provide details on the cause or report any confirmed incidents.
The Israeli military said on Thursday that it killed two armed individuals in the Aainata area of southern Lebanon after identifying them approaching troops and posing what it described as an “immediate threat.”
The army said the individuals were targeted during ongoing operations in the south, where Israeli forces remain deployed despite a fragile ceasefire.
It was not immediately clear whether the incident was linked to other strikes reported in nearby areas earlier in the day.
The german shipping giant Hapag-Lloyd said the war in Iran is adding around $50 million in weekly costs, driven largely by higher bunker fuel prices, CEO Rolf Habben Jansen said on Thursday.
The company has also faced rising insurance, storage and transport expenses as the conflict disrupts key shipping routes.
Lebanon will not compromise on its rights during U.S.-hosted negotiations with Israel, Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Bechara Boutros al-Rahi said Thursday.
Al-Rahi met Lebanese President Joseph Aoun ahead of a second round of talks Thursday in Washington between Lebanon and Israel, the presidency said in a statement.
Al-Rahi said Aoun rejects any negotiations that would undermine Lebanon’s rights, stressing that the president “represents all Lebanese and does not speak from a sectarian standpoint.”
Sweden has said the impact of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East is expected to be significantly worse for the country’s economy than previously assessed.
The warning was issued at a press conference attended by Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Finance Minister Elisabeth Svantesson, although no new policy measures were announced, the broadcaster SVT reported on Thursday.
"It is a messy and dangerous world in many ways," Kristersson said.
The head of the Norwegian Refugee Council Jan Egeland has warned that the Iran war is driving a worsening global humanitarian crisis, with rising energy prices sharply increasing the cost of aid operations.
Egeland said on Thursday that higher fuel costs are making it significantly more expensive to run vehicles, power facilities, and deliver food assistance to displaced populations worldwide.
He noted that the NRC’s operations are already being scaled back as needs grow, while donor funding is increasingly diverted toward defence spending. Egeland stated that fewer people will receive assistance this year despite “exploding” humanitarian demand.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the United States has “total control” over the Strait of Hormuz, claiming the key shipping route is “sealed up tight” until Iran agrees to a deal.
Italy has said it is ready to deploy up to four naval vessels, including two minesweepers, to join a potential international mission aimed at securing the Strait of Hormuz. Navy Chief of Staff Giuseppe Berutti Bergotto said the contingency plan also includes an escort ship and a logistics vessel, with deployment dependent on parliamentary approval.
European allies have been discussing a multinational effort in Paris to ensure safe passage through the key shipping route, which carries around a fifth of global oil and LNG supplies and was heavily disrupted during the U.S.-Israel war against Iran.
Italy would join several other nations, including Britain, France, Belgium and the Netherlands, in providing mine-clearing capabilities.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday he had ordered the U.S. Navy to “shoot and kill any boat” laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, adding that U.S. minesweepers are operating at a “tripled” level to clear the waters.
France will send nearly 10 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Lebanon on Thursday, a foreign ministry spokesperson said, as assistance efforts ramp up amid the ongoing conflict.
Deputy spokesperson Glenn Salic said the shipment will include tents, cooking kits, lamps and other essential supplies to support displaced civilians, describing it as a direct response to urgent needs on the ground.
UN peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix said on Thursday that some form of United Nations presence could remain in Lebanon after the mandate of UNIFIL ends later this year.
Speaking in Geneva, he said consultations are under way with all parties, with recommendations to be presented to the UN Security Council by June. Lacroix noted Lebanon supports maintaining a UN role, likely smaller than the current mission of more than 7,000 peacekeepers.
His remarks come amid ongoing tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, continued incidents in southern Lebanon, and mounting financial pressures on UN peacekeeping operations globally.
British defence minister John Healey and his French counterpart Catherine Vautrin said they were confident real progress could be made on securing the Strait of Hormuz, as Britain and France hosted a meeting with military planners on the issue.
In a joint statement, they said turning diplomatic momentum into action would require coordinated planning and firm commitments from allied and partner nations.
The two ministers also welcomed early indications of support from countries willing to contribute. They expressed confidence that efforts to restore maritime security and freedom of navigation could advance despite ongoing disruptions caused by the Iran conflict.
The German government on Thursday (23 April) urged Iran to seize the opportunity to continue peace talks with the United States and called for the Strait of Hormuz to remain permanently open.
In a statement, Berlin welcomed the extension of the U.S.-Iran ceasefire, saying it offers a key chance to resume negotiations in Islamabad and prevent further escalation.
The appeal comes as Iran showcased its control over the strait with footage of commandos boarding a cargo ship following the collapse of earlier talks.
Iran government is seizing property and confiscating assets of Iranians inside the country and abroad along with possible revocation of citizenship.
The German government has urged Iran to seize the opportunity to continue peace talks with the United States, adding that the Strait of Hormuz should be kept open permanently.
Iran showed off its tightened grip over the strait with video of its commandos storming a huge cargo ship, after the collapse of peace talks that Washington had hoped would open the world's most important shipping corridor.
"The Federal Government welcomes the extension of the ceasefire between the United States and Iran. This presents an important opportunity to resume diplomatic negotiations in Islamabad with the aim of making peace and averting further escalation of the war. Tehran should seize this opportunity," a statement said.
More than 30 million people will be pushed back into poverty by the impacts of the Iran war including disruptions to fuel and fertiliser supplies just as farmers are planting crops, Alexander De Croo, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme said on Thursday.
The U.S. will host a second meeting between Lebanese and Israeli envoys on Thursday, with Beirut seeking the extension of a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, a day after Israeli strikes killed at least five people including a journalist.
Vital cargo is going through the Panama Canal because of the Strait of Hormuz being restricted. According to an official report, one vessel carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG) paid $4 million to skip the line and avoid a wait that can take up to five days.
Iran's parliament and Supreme National Security Council are jointly reviewing a proposed plan to assert sovereign control over the Strait of Hormuz, says Fadahossein Maleki, a member of the Iranian parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission.
Final decision making authority has not been determined yet.
Iran has had only 2% internet output since the start of the conflict with only officials having whitelisted accounts, according to internet observatory site NetBlocks.
🗓️ The internet blackout in #Iran is now on its 55th consecutive day as connectivity flatlines at 2% of ordinary levels after 1296 hours.
Restrictions on global network access continue to hinder online commerce, payment systems and digitally dependent sectors of the economy. pic.twitter.com/bbdkKH3QZh — NetBlocks (@netblocks) April 23, 2026
Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is "strongly opposed to any extension of negotiations under the current conditions,” said Ali Khazarian, a member of parliament’s national security and foreign policy committee.
Iran has executed a man convicted of ties to the exiled opposition group Mujahideen-e-Khalq (MEK) and Israel’s intelligence services, according to the judiciary’s news outlet Mizan.
The report identified the man as Soltanali Shirzadi Fakhr, describing him as a long-time MEK member found guilty of cooperating with Israeli intelligence. His death sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court and carried out after legal procedures were completed, Mizan said.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told a South Korean envoy on Thursday that “aggressors” - the U.S. and Israel - bear responsibility for the consequences of the war, according to Tehran.
Iran is “fully prepared” to take part in the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup, government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani told Al Jazeera, despite ongoing conflict and security concerns.
The team's involvement was called into question after the U.S and Israel began air attacks on Iran at the end of February.
The World Cup will be co-hosted by the U.S., Mexico and Canada, but all of Iran's group-stage games are scheduled to be in the United States.
The White House said Donald Trump has not set a deadline for the Iran ceasefire extension, stressing that negotiations remain ongoing despite uncertainty over next steps.
A top envoy to President Trump has asked FIFA to replace Iran with Italy in event, The Financial Times reported on Wednesday.
"I confirm I have suggested to Trump and (FIFA president Gianni) Infantino that Italy replace Iran at the World Cup. I'm an Italian native and it would be a dream to see the Azzurri at a U.S.-hosted tournament. With four titles, they have the pedigree to justify inclusion," U.S. special envoy Paolo Zampolli told the FT.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Iran must surrender its enriched uranium to the U.S. as part of negotiations to end the war, outlining a key U.S. condition.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Wednesday that U.S. breach of commitments, blocking Iranian ports, and issuing threats are blocking “genuine negotiations.”
"[The] world sees your endless hypocritical rhetoric and contradiction between claims and actions," he said, one day after U.S. President Donald Trump's ceasefire extension.
Reuters
The U.S. military has intercepted at least three Iranian-flagged oil tankers in Asian waters, redirecting them from areas near India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, according to shipping and security sources who told Reuters exclusively.
Meanwhile, Iran said it had captured two container ships seeking to exit the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday after firing on them and another vessel, its first seizures since the war began.
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Iran says no U.S. meeting is planned in Islamabad, despite Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arriving in the Pakistani capital. He is also set to vis...
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Militants have staged coordinated attacks in Mali’s capital, Bamako, and several locations across the country, the army said on Saturday (...
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in Azerbaijan for talks with President Ilham Aliyev, holding meetings in G...
More than 1,000 firefighters are battling to contain two major wildfires in northern Japan for a fourth consecutive day, as flames advance towards residential areas and force thousands to flee.
Iran says no U.S. meeting is planned in Islamabad, despite Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arriving in the Pakistani capital. He is also set to visit Muscat and Moscow for regional consultations.
Residents in central Gaza are preparing to vote in municipal elections on Saturday (25 April), marking the first ballot in the Strip since 2006. The vote in Deir al-Balah is being watched closely as a rare indication of public sentiment, including towards Hamas.
Militants have staged coordinated attacks in Mali’s capital, Bamako, and several locations across the country, the army said on Saturday (25 April), in an assault apparently involving jihadist and Tuareg-led groups.
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.”
Diplomatic efforts to end the Iran war are intensifying, with the White House confirming that U.S. President Donald Trump will send special envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner to Islamabad for talks with Iran under Pakistani mediation.
Argentina has reiterated its interest in resuming talks with the United Kingdom over the Falkland Islands, a disputed archipelago in the South Atlantic, after reports that an internal Pentagon email suggested reviewing Washington’s support for the UK’s claim amid tensions over the Iran war.
Russian emergency services have contained a major fire at the Tuapse oil refinery on the Black Sea coast, local officials said on Thursday, ending a four-day effort after a Ukrainian drone strike.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in Azerbaijan for talks with President Ilham Aliyev, holding meetings in Gabala on Saturday (25 April) during a working visit to the country.
Iran says no U.S. meeting is planned in Islamabad, despite Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arriving in the Pakistani capital. He is also set to visit Muscat and Moscow for regional consultations.
Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and senior adviser Jared Kushner will travel to Islamabad on Saturday for Pakistan-mediated talks with Iran, the White House said.
Iran is pursuing a dual-track strategy in the Strait of Hormuz, balancing cooperation with South Korea while increasing military pressure, as tensions disrupt shipping and raise concerns over regional stability.
Iran’s leadership has presented a united front, rejecting claims of internal divisions amid continued tensions with the U.S. and Israel following a fragile ceasefire and stalled Iran–U.S. talks.
The Middle East conflict is pushing up energy prices and feeding into UK food costs, with businesses warning the impact is reaching consumers through everyday grocery bills.
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