live Iran reopens Hormuz Strait, demands end to U.S. naval blockade- Saturday 18 April
Iran temporarily reopened the Strait of Hormuz on Friday (17 April) following a ceasefire agreement in Lebanon, ra...
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told parliamentarians that ordinary Iranians are paying a heavy price for the conflict that began on Saturday 28 February, renewing his call for urgent de-escalation and offering Türkiye as a potential mediator.
After two missiles landed on Turkish soil earlier this week, Erdoğan issued a stark warning to the countries involved in the fighting.
“Regardless of who they may be, we do not seek the sovereignty of any country,” he said. “However, if anyone sets their sights on our lands or seeks adventure, we will not hesitate to say: ‘Bring it on!’”
Erdoğan said that “regrettably, we see an entire people - who bear no responsibility for these events - forced to pay a heavy price, with no distinction made between women, children, the elderly and civilians.”
He continued: “Despite the opportunity to resolve these issues at the negotiating table, our region is once again shrouded in the scent of blood and gunpowder due to miscalculations, poor assessments, and the provocations of a bloodthirsty network.”
He has repeatedly asked for de-escalation and said Türkiye can play a mediating role. Reiterating this to Parliament, he said “we do not seek adventure, nor do we stoke tensions. We support peace and stability in every corner of our region.”
The past 24 hours of the Russia-Ukraine war have seen a drastic escalation in both aerial bombardment and frontline losses.
Iran reopened the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping on Friday (17 April) for the first time since the U.S. and Israel killed Iran's ex-Supreme Leader in air strikes, triggering the Middle East conflict, at the end of February. A U.S. blockade on Iranian ports, however, remains in force.
Russia published addresses of manufacturers allegedly producing drones or components for Ukraine on Wednesday (15 April), warning European countries against plans to step up UAV supplies to Kyiv.
Netflix shares fell sharply on Friday after the streaming group issued a weaker-than-expected outlook and said chairman and co-founder Reed Hastings will step down from the board.
U.S. President Donald Trump says Israeli and Lebanese leaders have agreed to a 10-day ceasefire that includes Hezbollah, raising cautious hopes of a pause in hostilities after weeks of escalating tensions.
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has said his country could provide a “safe corridor” and “alternative route” for regional energy shipments, as supply disruptions continue to affect the wider Middle East.
An average of at least 47 women and girls were killed each day during the war in Gaza, according to new figures released by UN Women.
China is seeking to strengthen and upgrade its cooperation with Turkmenistan, focusing on what officials describe as “high-quality development” across a range of sectors.
Kazakhstan plans to boost trade with Afghanistan from $500 million to $3 billion, backed by infrastructure and transit projects designed to strengthen regional connectivity and improve access to global markets.
A low-profile diplomatic visit to Tbilisi may prove more consequential than it first appears, as representatives of France, Germany and Poland meet figures across Georgia’s political spectrum, signalling that Brussels is watching closely ahead of a key EU foreign ministers’ meeting.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment