President Donald Trump said on Sunday Iran could telephone if it wants to negotiate an end to their two-month war. Tehran said the U.S. should remove obstacles to a deal, including its blockade of Iran's ports. Meanwhile Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrives in St Petersburg for talks.
We are closing this live page. Here are the top stories that made the headlines -
U.S. President Donald Trump discussed a new Iranian proposal on resolving the war with Tehran with his top national security aides on Monday, as the conflict remains in a stalemate with energy supplies from the region reduced.
Iranian sources earlier on Monday disclosed Tehran's latest proposal, which 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 Washington, which says nuclear issues must be dealt with from the outset.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he thought Iran was trying to buy more time. "We can't let them get away with it," he said in an interview with Fox News.
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.
The ministry statement said the meeting "confirmed the mutual interest of Minsk and Tehran for a further deepening of their joint interaction"
Iran’s Foreign Ministry has responded to the U.S. seizure of two Iran-linked oil tankers, the Majestic X and the Tifani.
“This is the outright legalisation of piracy and armed robbery on the high seas,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei, posting on X.
Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref said that Iran has strengthened its global standing by demonstrating resilience in the face of years of sanctions.
“They once refused to sell fuel to our aeroplanes to cripple the Iranian nation. Today, those same countries have come to the negotiating table with Iran to sustain their own energy lifelines,” Aref said on X.
Pakistan’s ambassador to the UN has cautioned that disruptions to global maritime routes, especially any closure of the Strait of Hormuz could seriously threaten international peace, economic stability.
Addressing the UN Security Council on maritime security, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad stressed that protecting sea lanes is vital not only for global trade but also for wider development and security objectives.
“Global maritime spaces are a key geostrategic arena where the challenges of the 21st century intersect. They are the lifeline of global commerce, bellwether of Earth’s environment,” he said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin praised the Iranian people for battling to stay independent in the face of U.S. and Israeli pressure and said Moscow would do all it could to help Tehran.
Russia has offered to mediate to try to help restore calm to the Middle East following U.S. and Israeli strikes, which Moscow has strongly condemned.
It has also repeatedly offered to store Iran's enriched uranium as a way of defusing tensions, a proposal spurned by the United States.
"We see how courageously and heroically the Iranian people are fighting for their independence and sovereignty," Putin told Araghchi, saying he hoped they could get through what he called a "difficult period" and that peace would prevail.
Bahrain has revoked the citizenship of 69 people over what it described as sympathy with Iran's hostile acts and collaboration with foreign entities, the kingdom's interior ministry said in a statement.
"The Bahraini nationality has been revoked from those individuals for glorifying or sympathising with the hostile Iranian acts, or engaging in contacts with external parties," the ministry said.
The interior ministry said the competent authorities were "continuing to study and review" who deserves Bahraini citizenship.
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that he would speak with Iranian authorities after his two-day visit to Andorra and would press for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Speaking to reporters, Macron said an international coalition had been formed to help ensure security and stability. He added that he hoped key stakeholders could be persuaded in the coming days.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Monday that Tehran is reviewing U.S. President Donald Trump’s request for negotiations, according to a post on the minister’s Telegram account.
Speaking to reporters in Russia, Araghchi said Trump was seeking talks because the United States had not achieved its objectives in the conflict.
A superyacht linked to sanctioned Russian billionaire Alexey Mordashov sailed through the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, according to shipping data, making it one of the few vessels to transit the heavily restricted route during the U.S.-Iran conflict.
The 142-metre yacht Nord, valued at more than $500 million, departed Dubai on Friday, crossed the strait on Saturday and arrived in Muscat early Sunday, according to MarineTraffic data.
It remains unclear how the vessel received permission to use the lane, which has faced severe traffic limits since February.
Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in St. Petersburg on Monday, saying he hoped the Iranian people would endure what he called a difficult period and that peace would soon prevail.
Putin said Russia would do everything possible to serve Iran’s interests and help restore stability in the region. Moscow has condemned U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and offered to mediate the conflict, while also renewing proposals to store Iran’s enriched uranium as part of de-escalation efforts.
Araghchi said ties between Russia and Iran would continue to strengthen and thanked Moscow for its support.
The Israeli military said on Monday it had begun carrying out strikes in eastern Lebanon, expanding its bombing campaign during a ceasefire that has failed to fully halt hostilities with Hezbollah.
A military spokesperson said the strikes targeted Hezbollah infrastructure in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley as well as areas in the south.
Security sources told the press that strikes hit near the town of Nabi Chit, close to Lebanon’s eastern border with Syria.
At least seven ships, mainly dry bulk vessels, crossed the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours, according to shipping data on Monday, reflecting continued subdued traffic amid stalled Iran-U.S. talks.
The vessels included departures from Iraqi ports and one dry bulk ship from Iran, based on tracking data from Kpler and satellite analysis by SynMax.
Overall maritime activity through the key waterway remains sharply reduced compared with pre-war levels, when an average of around 140 vessels passed daily.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Monday that he does not see a clear U.S. exit strategy from the Iran war, warning of growing risks as the conflict continues.
Speaking to students in Marsberg, he said an entire nation is being “humiliated” by Iran’s leadership, particularly the Revolutionary Guards, while also acknowledging that Iranian negotiators appear “skillful” and stronger than expected.
Merz urged a swift end to the conflict, citing its direct economic impact on Germany and wider global stability.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday that it is too early to consider lifting sanctions on Iran, arguing that any easing would require a fundamental change in Tehran’s policies.
Speaking in Berlin at a meeting of Germany’s CDU and CSU parties, she said the sanctions remain in place due to Iran’s domestic repression and stressed that tangible political change must come before any rollback is discussed.
Keir Starmer will host representatives from the Bank of England on Tuesday at a meeting of the government’s emergency COBRA committee to discuss the impact of the Iran war.
Starmer said the session will focus on mitigating economic fallout from the conflict, including pressures on energy prices and households, adding that the government would work to support working people through the crisis.
He made the remarks during a speech to trade union members on Monday.
Oil prices rose by nearly 2% Monday as stalled U.S.-Iran talks and limited flows through the Strait of Hormuz tightened supply.
Brent climbed $2.16, or 2.05%, to $107.49 a barrel, while WTI rose up 1.88% to $96.17 a barrel, up $1.77.
Gains follow last week’s sharp rally, with markets supported by rising geopolitical tensions and restricted tanker traffic.
Goldman Sachs lifted its forecasts, raising it to $90 a barrel for Brent crude and $83 for WTI, citing ongoing supply risks.
Tech firms are facing rising costs as supplies of crucial raw materials for printed circuit boards (eg. motherboards) as a result of global trade distruption, industry sources and executives said.
Supply chains, plastics and oil supplies have already caused difficulties for the companies as the cost of memory chips has soared since February.
A mural has been unveiled in Iran with pictures of those killed in the U.S.-Israel led conflict, with a picture of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.
Iranian authorities have not commented on the mural nor the health or condition of Khamenei since he took over on 8 March. He has not been seen or heard in public and statements purporting to be from him have only been posted on social media.
🔸️A newly unveiled mural in Iran’s city of Mashhad has triggered fresh speculation over the wellbeing of Mojtaba Khamenei, who has supposedly taken over leadership after the death of his father and former supreme leader Ali Khamenei.
The mural, revealed during a public event… pic.twitter.com/3WxxqsvxLU — BoS News | Global Events (@BoSNews) April 26, 2026
Read more: Who is Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran's next Supreme Leader?
Iran has submitted a new peace proposal to the United States via mediators Pakistan, according to a U.S. official and two sources cited in Axios.
The proposal is said to have included a plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and nuclear weapon negotiations to be put on hold.
Lebanon's health ministry says a strike from Israel on Sunday killed more than a dozen people in the Israel-designated "buffer zone". Israel issued evacuation warnings to seven villages on 26 April.
Israel says one soldier was killed.
Iran's Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, is in Russia for discussions with President Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg. It's after he travelled between Pakistan and Oman at the weekend for further talks.
The meeting with Putin will be a good opportunity to discuss war developments according to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).
He said Iran and Oman, as coastal states of the Strait of Hormuz, had agreed to continue expert-level consultations to ensure safe transit and protect shared interests in the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. Central Command says American forces have directed 38 ships to turn around or return to port since the start of the naval blockade against Iran. That's according to a post on Iran International on social media platform X.
US Central Command says American forces have directed 38 ships to turn around or return to port since the start of the naval blockade against Iran. — Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) April 27, 2026
Ukraine is monitoring “unusual activity” along its border with Belarus, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video statement release...
President Trump has issued a warning to the international community, claiming a nuclear-armed Iran would strike Israel "very quickly&quo...
Baku will host the 13th World Urban Forum (WUF13) from 17 to 22 May, bringing together around 25,000 participants from 176 countries to address the...
Hundreds of young people in South Korea have gathered in Seoul to take part in a city-backed “power nap contest”, aimed at drawing atte...
Türkiye’s Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz is set to visit Armenia in early May to take part in the 8th European Political Community Summit...
Tensions between Washington and Tehran remain elevated after renewed warnings from U.S. President Donald Trump that military action against Iran has not been ruled out, alongside claims that Iranian leadership is eager to reach a deal.
The Iranian leaders have commemorated the National Day of Persian Gulf stressing Tehran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz amid the U.S. maritime blockade of Iran’s southern ports, a fragile ceasefire, and stalled negotiations.
Profits for worldwide energy company TotalEnergies have risen 41% in three months, as global energy supplies are disrupted after two months of war and oil prices have increased by 3%.
Iran’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Amir-Saeid Iravani, has asserted Tehran’s right to respond after accusing the U.S. of “state-sponsored piracy” following the seizure of two oil tankers.
Minval Politika has released further footage it says shows former International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo discussing alleged funding behind campaigns linked to Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei warned “foreigners who commit evil” have no place in the Gulf, outlining a “new phase” for the Strait of Hormuz, while a senior adviser said U.S. blockade efforts would fail and could trigger confrontation.
U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters he was "not satisfied" with Iran's latest peace proposal, which was delivered to Washington via Pakistani mediators on Friday (1 May).
Dubai chef Shaw Lash at Mexican restaurant Lila Molino flies in her avocados and tomatillos, small, tart green fruits native to Central America that are a staple of Mexican cuisine and key for her colourful and spicy dishes.
President Trump has issued a warning to the international community, claiming a nuclear-armed Iran would strike Israel "very quickly" before targeting Europe and the United States.
U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters he was "not satisfied" with Iran's latest peace proposal, which was delivered to Washington via Pakistani mediators on Friday (1 May).
U.S. President Donald Trump declared that a ceasefire had "terminated" hostilities against Iran, as he sought to bolster his argument that he does not need lawmakers' permission to continue the conflict.
Tensions between Washington and Tehran remain elevated after renewed warnings from U.S. President Donald Trump that military action against Iran has not been ruled out, alongside claims that Iranian leadership is eager to reach a deal.
The Iranian leaders have commemorated the National Day of Persian Gulf stressing Tehran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz amid the U.S. maritime blockade of Iran’s southern ports, a fragile ceasefire, and stalled negotiations.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei warned “foreigners who commit evil” have no place in the Gulf, outlining a “new phase” for the Strait of Hormuz, while a senior adviser said U.S. blockade efforts would fail and could trigger confrontation.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment