U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that there was a "good chance" of a peace deal between Lebanon and Israel happening soon, after he announced a 10-day ceasefire between the two countries.
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Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said that the U.S. attempt to impose a naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz is "illegal," adding, "such actions clearly fall under the category of crime and aggression."
Speaking at her weekly press conference in Moscow on Thursday, Zakharova said that according to the United Nations Charter, a blockade can only be implemented by the UN Security Council.
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António Costa, President of the European Council, has welcomed the 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon in a post on social media.
Costa urged leaders of both countries to engage in "meaningful negotiations" in order to reach a long-term peace deal.
He added that disarming Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah was essential for Lebanon's future stability.
Israeli troops will remain in Lebanon during the 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon announced by U.S. President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benajmin Netanyahu said in a video statement on Thursday.
Netanyahu said any peace deal with Lebanon must involve the dismanting of Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
Netanyahu added that Trump assured him of his determination to continue the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and to dismantle Iran's nuclear capabilities.
Earlier, Hezbollah said Leabnon has a "right to resist" if Israeli troops remain on its territory during the ceasefire.
Speaking at the White House on Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters that Iran has agreed not to have a nuclear weapon.
"It’s very important Iran doesn’t have a nuclear weapon and they’ve agreed to that they’ve agreed to give us back the nuclear dust, we have a lot of agreement with Iran, something is going to happen fast," Trump said.
Trump said there was a "good chance" that there was going to be a peace deal between the U.S. and Iran and between Israel and Lebanon soon, adding that he was willing to extend the ceasefire with Iran if a deal wasn't reached before.
He said that the leaders of Lebanon and Israel were likely to meet at the White House in the coming week to discuss a peace deal.
"We have a very good relationship with Iran right now it’s a combination of four weeks of bombing and a very powerful blockade," he added.
He said that Iran's new leaders appeared to be "very reasonable."
Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has said that the continued presence of Israeli soldiers on Lebanese territory grants the country and its people the "right to resist," in response to a 10-day cessation of hostilities between Israel and Lebanon announced by U.S. President Donald Trump.
In a written statement, Hezbollah ally and Speaker of Lebanon's Parliament Nabih Berri urged Lebanese people to "postpone their return to their towns and villages until the situation becomes clearer, in accordance with the ceasefire agreement."
Gulf and European officials say the United States could need around six months to reach a deal with Iran, according to Bloomberg News.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomes the announcement of a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, mediated by President Trump, calling it an important step toward de-escalation in the region.
She emphasised that the European Union will continue to support the Lebanese people through substantial humanitarian aid.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he had held what he described as “excellent conversations” with Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and that both leaders had agreed to begin a 10-day ceasefire at 5 p.m. EST. Trump said the two countries met for the first time in 34 years on Tuesday. He said the ceasefire was intended to help the two countries move towards peace.
Trump said Lebanon and Israel had met in Washington, D.C., earlier this week “for the first time in 34 years”, alongside U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. He added that he had directed Vice President JD Vance, Secretary Rubio, and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Dan “Razin’” Caine, to work with both sides “to achieve a lasting peace”, and said: “It has been my honour to solve 9 wars across the world, and this will be my 10th, so let’s, get it done!”
Germany is ready to join any mission to safeguard the Strait of Hormuz, offering expertise in mine clearance and maritime surveillance, the Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported on Thursday.
The paper said Chancellor Friedrich Merz is expected to raise the proposal on Friday at a meeting in Paris with his French, British and Italian counterparts.
Hopes of an end to the Iran war rose on Thursday after a Pakistani mediator was said to have made progress on “sticky issues”, although Iran warned that the future of its nuclear programme had not been settled.
Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, arrived in Tehran on Wednesday, and Pakistan said both sides were willing to resume talks, with no date yet set. The U.S. said its forces were ready to restart combat operations if no agreement is reached.
The U.S. and Pakistan have said any deal would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which carries about one-fifth of global oil and gas flows, after disruption helped trigger an oil price shock and an IMF warning about recession risks.
The nuclear file remains the main divide, with the U.S. pushing a 20-year suspension and the removal of highly enriched uranium, and Iran seeking a shorter pause and sanctions relief. The U.S. has also widened its blockade on Iranian shipping and said suspect vessels could face boarding, with officials saying 13 ships have turned around so far.
The expanded blockade is expected to further strain Iran’s economy, particularly its energy sector.
While the U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said Iran’s energy industry has not been destroyed “yet,” he noted that the blockade is already disrupting exports.
“For as long as it takes, we will maintain the blockade,” he said.
The measures mark a significant escalation in U.S. strategy, shifting from targeted military deterrence to broader economic containment, with global shipping and energy markets likely to feel the impact.
U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth dismissed Iranian claims of control over the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical shipping routes.
“Iran likes to say it controls the Strait of Hormuz, but it has no navy,” Hegseth said.
“Threatening to shoot at commercial ships is not control, it’s piracy.”
He added that U.S. naval forces now effectively oversee maritime traffic through the strait, reinforcing Washington’s dominance in the waterway.
Speaking at a press conference, U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth struck a hard line, warning Iran against further provocation.
“Forces are postured to restart combat operations if Iran chooses poorly and doesn’t agree to a deal,” he said.
Hegseth also claimed the U.S. is closely tracking Iranian military movements.
“We know what military assets you are moving,” he said, adding that Iran was attempting to recover damaged launch systems. “They are digging out bombed-out launchers.”
He said the U.S. had already rearmed in the region with greater firepower than before.
The United States has expanded its naval blockade on Iran, authorising forces to stop, search and seize vessels suspected of carrying a broad range of “contraband” cargo, as tensions in the Gulf escalate.
In a press conference, the U.S. Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine addressed the press and Caine warned vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, saying, "If you do not comply with this blockade, we will use force."
In an updated advisory, the U.S. said ships believed to be transporting prohibited goods to Iran would be subject to the “belligerent right to visit and search,” regardless of their location.
“These vessels… are subject to visit, board, search, and seizure,” the advisory stated.
The expanded list of contraband now goes beyond weapons and military equipment to include oil, refined petroleum products, and industrial materials such as iron, steel and aluminium, a move that could significantly tighten economic pressure on Tehran.
Ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained active over the past 24 hours as of 0900 GMT, with at least 11 tracked passages in both directions, although one sanctioned tanker, Rich Starry, appeared on westbound and eastbound tracks, suggesting it may have turned back before reaching the U.S. blockade line, according to shipping data compiled by Anadolu.
The U.S. blockade runs along a line between Gwadar Bay and Oman’s Ras al Hadd, and the U.S. Central Command said no vessels have broken through since it began on Monday, adding that 10 ships have been turned around, including an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel redirected by USS Spruance back towards Iran.
Israeli airstrikes destroyed a major bridge linking southern Lebanon to the rest of the country on Thursday, Lebanese media reported. The state-run National News Agency said warplanes carried out two consecutive strikes on the Qasmiyeh Bridge, the last remaining crossing connecting the Tyre area with the city of Sidon, leaving it completely demolished. It added that the area near the bridge had been hit earlier by a drone strike.
The Qasmiyeh Bridge is considered one of southern Lebanon’s most strategic crossings, connecting western, central, and eastern sectors and serving as a key route for people, vehicles, and goods.
Israel has continued strikes across Lebanon since a Hezbollah cross-border attack on March 2, despite a ceasefire reached in November 2024. Lebanese health authorities say the escalation since March has killed more than 2,160 people, injured over 7,000, and displaced well over one million.
Iran has halted all petrochemical exports to prioritise domestic supply and prevent shortages of raw materials, the economic daily Donya-e Eqtesad reported on Thursday, after Israeli strikes on several petrochemical hubs disrupted production.
The order, issued on April 13 by a senior National Petrochemical Company official responsible for downstream industries, instructed petrochemical producers to suspend exports until further notice. The move is intended to steady local markets and keep feedstock flowing to domestic industries following damage linked to the recent attacks.
Despite a rise in global prices, domestic prices for petrochemicals and related products have been kept at pre-conflict levels, with officials saying the controls will remain in place to support local industry and consumers. In recent weeks, key production centres in Asaluyeh and Mahshahr have been targeted, including strikes on utilities that supply feedstock to petrochemical plants, disrupting output.
Meanwhile, the U.S. military began blocking shipping traffic in and out of Iran’s ports this week, a step aimed at cutting Iran’s export revenues and increasing pressure on Tehran as Iranian and U.S. diplomats weigh a second round of peace talks. Fars News reports that Iran exports about 29 million tonnes of petrochemical products annually, valued at roughly U.S.$13 billion.
The U.A.E. has summoned Iraq’s chargé d’affaires to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after attacks launched from Iraqi territory targeted the country.
In a written statement, the ministry said Omar Abdul Majid Hamid al Obaidi, the chargé d’affaires of the Iraqi Embassy in Abu Dhabi, was called in and handed a protest note over drone attacks that it said originated in Iraq and struck the U.A.E., as well as some Gulf Cooperation Council member states.
The ministry said Iran-backed armed groups operating in Iraq had targeted vital facilities in G.C.C. states despite the ceasefire, describing the strikes as violations of the affected countries’ sovereignty and airspace, and as breaches of international law and the United Nations Charter.
It added that the attacks risk undermining regional stability and weakening international efforts to bolster security in the region.
The statement said the U.A.E. has demanded that the Iraqi government immediately and unconditionally halt any attacks originating from its territory, and take the necessary steps to prevent a repeat.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will speak with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Gila Gamliel, a member of Israel's security cabinet, told Israel's Army Radio on Thursday.
A Lebanese official told Reuters that the Lebanese government had "no information" about any upcoming contact with Israel's leadership.
China's export economy surged before the Iran war caused energy costs to rise sharply.
First-quarter GDP growth beat forecasts of 4.8% but trade data for March, released earlier this week, said exports grew just 2.5% last month, slowing sharply from 21.8% in January–February.
The 5.0% year-on-year pace in the first quarter sits at the top of China's full-year target range of 4.5%-5.0%, highlighting a resilience that sets it apart from much of Asia, helped by ample strategic oil reserves and a diversified energy mix.
Qatar Airways operated 310 flights yesterday (Wednesday 15 April), more than half of it's pre-war flight schedule - according to flight tracking site Flightradar 24.
An Iranian supertanker, subject to U.S. sanctions crossed Hormuz and headed towards Imam Khomeini port in Iran on Wednesday, according to Fars news agency.
Read more: U.S.-sanctioned supertankers enter Gulf despite blockade
Morning traffic in the Strait of Hormuz is a mix of cargo vessels (green), tankers (red) and tugs/special craft (light blue), according to open data from MarineTraffic, as the U.S. blockade on Iran's ports continues. Many tankers are anchored around the Strait, data shows.
An Iranian-flagged ship travelled along Iran's coastline after leaving the Strait of Hormuz and was intercepted by the U.S. military, U.S. Central Command have said on X. USS Spruance redirected the ship back to Iran, it added.
According to figures by CENTCOM, 10 vessels have been blocked from leaving Iranian ports and no ships have broken the blockade introduced on Monday.
Mohammad Eslami, Vice President for Nuclear Affairs and head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, told Reuters that U.S. talks have to recognise Iran's "rights and interests" and "diginity is respected". He warns against talks succeeding that are built "on deception, lack of commitment and failure to adhere to agreements"
Iran's atomic energy chief Mohammad Eslami said US talks depend on recognition of Iran's rights and interests, warning negotiations built on deception cannot succeed pic.twitter.com/4oXwp8BGNw — Reuters (@Reuters) April 15, 2026
Democrat lawmakers in the U.S. Senate have blocked two resolutions that would have stopped the sale of some $450 million in bombs and bulldozers to Israel, as President Donald Trump's fellow Republicans rallied behind his support for the Jewish state.
A decades-long tradition of strong bipartisan support for Israel in the U.S. Congress means resolutions to stop weapons sales are unlikely to pass, but backers hope raising the issue will encourage Israel's government and U.S. administrations to do more to protect civilians.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said on his social media platform Truth Social, Israel and Lebanon will resume peace talks later today. Trump posted this Wednesday evening in America.
Iran could continue producing oil for up to two months before having to stop because of storage issues, according to reports. It comes despite a U.S. blockade on ships entering and exiting Iran's ports.
"With its exports blocked, Iran faces having to divert crude into onshore storage tanks. Once those tanks are filled, Tehran would be required to curb upstream output," media reports said.
"Consultancy FGE NextantECA estimates Iran has about 90 million barrels of available onshore crude storage capacity, out of total capacity of roughly 122 million barrels," reports added.
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Iran said on Thursday it would respond with “long and painful strikes” against U.S. positions if Washington resumed attacks, while also reasserting its claim over the Strait of Hormuz, complicating U.S. plans to form a coalition to reopen the waterway.
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.
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Bulgaria has won the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time, taking victory in a final overshadowed by a boycott over Israel’s participation and the war in Gaza.
At least eight people were injured after a driver rammed a car into pedestrians in the northern Italian city of Modena, authorities said on Saturday. Four of the victims were reported to be in serious condition.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington could destroy Iran’s infrastructure “in two days,” while Tehran warned the U.S. would face growing economic costs from the conflict. The remarks came as Hezbollah reported new attacks on Israeli forces despite an extended Lebanon ceasefire.
At least eight people have died and 32 others were injured after a freight train collided with a public bus at a railway crossing in Bangkok on Saturday (16 May), triggering a fire that quickly spread through the vehicle.
U.S. President Donald Trump says China's Xi Jinping agreed Iran must reopen the Strait of Hormuz, as Tehran prepares a new shipping mechanism. Tensions over the U.S. blockade and stalled nuclear talks continue to disrupt global oil supplies.
A drone strike caused a fire at the Barakah nuclear power plant in the UAE, officials said on Sunday, with no injuries or radiation leaks reported. Saudi Arabia also said it had intercepted three drones. Meanwhile President Donald Trump urged Iran to act "fast" as diplomatic efforts stall.
U.S. President Donald Trump says China's Xi Jinping agreed Iran must reopen the Strait of Hormuz, as Tehran prepares a new shipping mechanism. Tensions over the U.S. blockade and stalled nuclear talks continue to disrupt global oil supplies.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington could destroy Iran’s infrastructure “in two days,” while Tehran warned the U.S. would face growing economic costs from the conflict. The remarks came as Hezbollah reported new attacks on Israeli forces despite an extended Lebanon ceasefire.
Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a 45-day extension of a ceasefire that has reduced fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. The agreement came as two days of Washington-facilitated talks concluded with a decision to hold further meetings in the coming weeks.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran has “no trust” in the United States and will only consider negotiations if Washington shows seriousness. His remarks came as talks on Iran’s nuclear programme continued, with Trump and Xi also opposing Iran acquiring nuclear weapons.
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