US Navy begins blockade of Iranian ports after failed peace talks
A US naval blockade of all ships entering and leaving Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz has begun.
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Newest first · UTC+11:00The UAE's continuity is based not on avoiding risk but managing it | The National
The ceasefire involving Iran has prompted a familiar wave of quick conclusions. As tensions eased, some observers framed the episode in binary terms – either as a test the region passed or as a warning sign of deeper fragility. Yet such interpretations miss the more important question: not whether disruption occurre…
· Ebtesam Al Ketbi
Pakistan eyes narrow window to resuscitate US-Iran talks after breakdown
Islamabad, Pakistan – More than 12 hours of face-to-face negotiations between the United States and Iran ended without agreement in Islamabad on Sunday, leaving a fragile two-week ceasefire as the only barrier between diplomacy and a return to war.
· Abid Hussain
Middle East War: Iran threatens Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman
Iran's military has warned that no ports in the Persian Gulf or Gulf of Oman will be safe if its own ports are threatened. According to Iranian state media, the army said, ‘security in the Persian Gulf and the sea of Oman is either for everyone or for no one’.
· AfricaNews
The gap of how Iranians view Israel and the regime - opinion
For decades, the Islamic Republic of Iran has portrayed itself as one of the fiercest opponents of Israel. The regime invests billions in allies, such as Hezbollah and Hamas, and justifies this with rhetoric about the destruction of the Jewish state. Anyone who looks only at this official line quickly gets the impre…
· FARID ALAMDAR
Perfectly timed Polymarket bets on US-Iran ceasefire draw calls for investigation
The White House warned its staff against using their insider knowledge to place well-timed bets on sites such as Polymarket in a March 24 staff-wide email, the Wall Street Journal reported last week.
· ESTHER DAVIS
Ukraine downed Iranian drones in Middle East during Iran war, Zelensky claims
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that Ukraine had assisted in downing drones in the Middle East during the Iran War in an X/Twitter post on Friday.
· LEO FEIERBERG BETTER
NATO allies refuse to join Trump's Strait of Hormuz blockade
The United States' NATO allies said on Monday they would not get involved in US President Donald Trump's plan to blockade the Strait of Hormuz, further ratcheting up tensions within the increasingly fragile alliance.
· REUTERS
Goldman Stock Slides After FICC Unexpectedly Misses Despite Highest Overall Profit In 5 Years
Goldman Sachs reported its highest quarterly profit in five years, as the bank's equities traders beat their own previous all-time quarterly high revenue by more than $1 billion thanks to a surge in market volatility due to the war in Iran; however this stellar performance in equities was offset by an unexpected dro…
· Tyler Durden
U.S. begins blockade of Strait of Hormuz
The U.S. on Monday has begun blocking ships from entering or exiting the Strait of Hormuz, attempting to ratchet up pressure on Iran to reopen the key oil route after peace negotiations collapsed.
· Kevin Breuninger
FM Lavrov Plans 2-Day China Visit This Week
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will visit China this week to boost cooperation between the two countries and discuss the wars in Ukraine and Iran, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said Monday.
· The Moscow Times
Pope Leo XIV pushes back as Donald Trump criticism escalates
US-born Pope Leo XIV pushed back Monday on President Donald Trump’s broadside against him over the US-Israel war in Iran, telling reporters that the Vatican’s appeals for peace and reconciliation are rooted in the Gospel, and that he doesn’t fear the Trump administration.
· AfricaNews
Tehran’s greatest blunder - opinion
There is a profound irony at the core of the escalation strategy pursued by the Islamic Republic of Iran. The architects of terror in Tehran have somehow failed to recognize it or have simply chosen to ignore reality entirely. In a relentless drive to establish absolute dominance over the Middle East, the Iranian re…
· AMINE AYOUB
Iran is asking to be destroyed - opinion
The claim now echoing around television studios – that the war against Iran has gone off the rails – does not withstand scrutiny. The clear objective of this war from the outset has been to remove three threats: Iran’s nuclear program, its ballistic missile arsenal, and its network of proxy armies across the Middle …
· HANAN SHAI
French cement maker Lafarge found guilty of financing jihadists in Syria
A Paris court on Monday found cement maker Holcim's Lafarge unit guilty of charges that its Syrian subsidiary financed terrorism and breached European sanctions to keep a plant operating in northern Syria during the country's civil war.
· REUTERS
President Sheikh Mohamed discusses Iran war with King of Bahrain | The National
Live updates: Follow the latest news on Iran war
· The National
Netanyahu Says Iran Ceasefire Could End At Any Moment, Backs Trump's Blockade - Tehran Blasts 'Piracy'
Iran's military says the planned US blockade on Gulf ports will be an "illegal" act tantamount to "piracy" as Trump is also weighing limited strikes on Iran.
· Tyler Durden
Futures Slide But Off Session Lows As Oil Spikes Above $100 Ahead Of Trump's 10am Hormuz Blockade
Stock futures are lower, but off their worst levels of the session, as Brent crude surged 7% to over $102 after Trump ordered a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz to take place at 10am ET. The moves look relatively contained given the breakdown of US-Iran talks, with strategists saying this is a moment to buy the dip.…
· Tyler Durden
What Pakistani jets in Saudi Arabia mean for Gulf security in Iran war
Analysts say the Pakistani air force’s presence ‘will complicate Iran’s targeting calculus’ and force it to reconsider its attack strategy
· Tom Hussain
What Pakistani jets in Saudi Arabia mean for Gulf security in Iran war
Analysts say the Pakistani air force’s presence ‘will complicate Iran’s targeting calculus’ and force it to reconsider its attack strategy
· Tom Hussain
A third of Holocaust survivors in Israel living in poverty, study finds
Over a third of Holocaust survivors in Israel are living in poverty and are facing intensified economic and security fears amid the US-Israeli war on Iran, a new study has found.
· Middleeasteye
China says open Strait of Hormuz crucial for global interests as Trump threatens blockade
Beijing’s foreign ministry denies that China plans to provide weapons and military tech to Iran
· Phoebe Zhang
China says open Iran strait key to global interests as Trump threatens blockade
Beijing’s foreign ministry denies that China plans to provide weapons and military tech to Iran
· Phoebe Zhang
Trump's framing of war as Iran's barbarism vs civilised West is a huge lie
Two conceptual fallacies lie at the heart of the illegal American-Israeli assault on Iran.
· Middleeasteye
live Trump expects gas prices to be much lower before the midterm elections
Follow the latest news on the Trump administration, national politics and the war with Iran Wednesday as President Trump’s interview with FOX Business anchor Maria Bartiromo aired.
· Steven Nelson, Josh Christenson, Emily Goodin, Marisa Schultz, Samuel Chamberlain, Carly Ortiz-Lytle, Victor Nava
Nigel Farage defends Richard Tice over allegations his firm broke law by failing to pay tax – UK politics live
During the Q&A Nigel Farage was again asked about Richard Tice and his tax affairs by a reporter who asked why he did not know exactly how much Tice had paid in tax to settle this liability, and whether Tice should give that figure on the record.
· Andrewsparrow
EU plans emergency state aid rule change to address soaring energy costs
BRUSSELS — The European Union will this month release a proposal to ease state aid rules as part of a suite of measures to help member countries deal with the energy crisis caused by the Iran war, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Monday.
· Ben Munster
Spain reopens embassy in Tehran 'with commitment to support peace' | The National
The Spanish embassy in Tehran has reopened with a commitment to “support peace” in the region, prompting sharp criticism from Israel.
· Sunniva Rose
Defiant Iran accuses US of ‘piracy’ in Strait of Hormuz, taunts Trump over gas prices
A defiant Iran on Monday accused the US of “piracy” following President Trump’s vow to block the Strait of Hormuz — as the regime taunted that the looming blockade would soon make Americans “nostalgic” for $4 gas.
· Emily Crane
Pope Leo says he will continue to 'speak out loudly' against war after Trump's attacks | The National
Pope Leo has said he will continue to speak out against war after facing a torrent of criticism from US President Donald Trump, who described him as "weak on crime" and "terrible for foreign policy" for his rebukes of the Iran conflict.
· The National
Netanyahu says US Vice President briefed him on Iran talks
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he received a call from JD Vance following the collapse of weekend talks with Iran.
· Middleeasteye
Trump's framing of war as Iran's barbarism vs civilised West is a huge lie
Two conceptual fallacies lie at the heart of the illegal American-Israeli assault on Iran.
· Middleeasteye
How the US-Iran talks in Islamabad unfolded
Islamabad, Pakistan – The capital woke up on Saturday to lockdown: Roads were sealed, checkpoints appeared, and more than 10,000 security personnel were deployed ahead of ceasefire talks between the United States and Iran.
· Osama Bin Javaid
Lafarge found guilty of financing terrorism in Syria and breaching sanctions | The National
French cement company Lafarge was found guilty of paying ISIS and other armed groups protection money to keep open its cement plant during the civil war in Syria.
· Lemma Shehadi
Iran’s army says US plan to blockade Hormuz ‘amounts to piracy’
The Iranian military says an announced naval blockade on vessels by the United States in international waters would be illegal and amount to piracy, warning that no Gulf ports would be safe if its own were threatened.
· Al Jazeera Staff
Pope Leo says he does not fear Trump, citing Gospel as he pushes back in feud over Iran war
WASHINGTON (AP) — US-born Pope Leo XIV pushed back Monday on President Donald Trump’s broadside against him over the US-Israel war in Iran, telling reporters that the Vatican’s appeals for peace and reconciliation are rooted in the Gospel, and that he doesn’t fear the Trump administration.
· AP
Inside US-Iran talks venue in Islamabad, where remnants of tense diplomacy linger | The National
Live updates: Follow the latest news on Iran war
· Sulaiman Hakemy
Is Trump’s new naval blockade 3D chess or grasping at straws?
US President Donald Trump has decided to impose a blockade related to the Strait of Hormuz. On April 13, he confirmed that the US would target ships “entering or exiting Iranian ports.” This appeared slightly different from his April 12 pledge to block all vessels entering or leaving the Strait of Hormuz itself. It …
· SETH J. FRANTZMAN
Spain reopens embassy in Tehran following US-Iran ceasefire
Spain reopened its embassy in Tehran on Monday, the Embassy of Spain in Iran announced just days after the United States and Iran reached a temporary ceasefire agreement and failed to make progress in further negotiations.
· GOLDIE KATZ
Calls grow for Eric Swalwell to resign from House amid sexual assault allegations – US politics live
The California Democrat suspended his campaign for governor amid sexual assault and misconduct allegations by a former staff member and at least three other women
· Aneesa Ahmed
Trump mulls fresh strikes on Iran after peace talks collapse
President Donald Trump is considering fresh strikes on Iran after high-stakes peace talks with the regime failed — and as the US prepares Monday to block the Strait of Hormuz, according to a report.
· Patrick Reilly
UAE flag appears on Google homepage as nation rallies after Iran attacks | The National
Live updates: Follow the latest news on the Iran war
· David Tusing
Pope Leo says Trump won’t silence him as US-Vatican feud erupts over Iran
Pope Leo said Monday that he was not scared of the White House, after U.S. President Donald Trump launched a stinging attack on the Catholic church leader.
· Ali Walker
Up to 70% of global companies expect export growth despite Iran war | The National
Live updates: Follow the latest news on US-Iran war
· Shweta Jain
Merz’s coalition agrees on joint measures to tackle Iran war fallout
BERLIN — The leaders of Germany’s centrist coalition on Monday announced a range of measures to tackle the fallout of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.
· Nette Nöstlinger
Israel could act against Syria after Iran war, Turkish foreign minister says
Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that he believes Israel will act against Syria when the time is right, adding that Damascus has taken the right diplomatic track by engaging with both the US and the Israeli government to protect itself.
· Middleeasteye
UK 'not supporting' U.S. Iran blockade as France's Macron confirms 'multinational' talks on the Strait of Hormuz
The U.K. is "not supporting" the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday, insisting that the country would not get "dragged in" to the Iran war.
· Holly Ellyatt
US blockade of Iran would worsen global energy crisis, analysts say
United States President Donald Trump’s planned naval blockade of Iran would further cripple international shipping, exacerbating the energy crisis roiling the global economy, analysts warn.
· Erin Hale
Britain won’t support Trump’s Iran blockade, says Starmer
LONDON — Britain is not supporting Donald Trump’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, Keir Starmer said Monday.
· Mason Boycott-Owen