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...
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has criticised the European Union’s “destructive” stance in the Israel–U.S. war against Iran, calling for a more constructive approach, official sources in Tehran reported.
He made the remarks during a phone call with European Council President António Costa, urging European countries to align their policies with international law and pursue constructive engagement rather than what he described as a destructive approach towards Iran.
According to the President’s Office website, Pezeshkian also said the U.S. “does not believe in diplomacy”, citing two alleged attacks on Iran during negotiations last June and in February this year.
Pezeshkian said Iran has the “necessary will” to end the ongoing war but stressed that guarantees are needed to prevent a “repeat of the aggression”.
As the conflict entered its 33rd day, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held phone calls with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to discuss the latest developments.
In his conversation with Bayramov, Araghchi urged all countries, particularly those bordering the Caspian Sea, to take a clear and decisive stance on recent attacks targeting Iran’s coastal areas, according to the state-run IRNA news agency.
During his call with Fidan, Araghchi said Iran had not launched any missiles at Türkiye and warned of repeated “false flag” operations.
“Iran is committed to observing the principle of good neighbourliness and respecting Türkiye’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he said, adding that Tehran is ready for a joint technical investigation into the incident.
In a separate development, Araghchi said contacts are ongoing with U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, but not in the form of formal talks.
“Iran receives messages from Witkoff directly, as before, but this does not mean Tehran and Washington are in negotiations,” he said in an interview with Doha-based Al Jazeera TV.
He also revealed that “there are communications between security agencies” of the warring parties, without providing further details.
“We have no faith that negotiations with the U.S. will yield results. The level of trust is zero. We do not see honesty,” he said, as the war entered its fifth week with no end in sight.
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.
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