Iran vowed it would not reopen the Strait of Hormuz as long as the United States continues to blockade its ports, in a tense standoff on Thursday that has dominated the ceasefire in the Middle East war. While strikes around the region have mostly ceased since the truce began,
The latest developments in the Middle East war: - US Central Command turns back 31 vessels - US Central Command (CENTCOM) said late Wednesday that it had also "directed 31 vessels to turn around or return to port" as part of its own "blockade against Iran". It said on X "the
WASHINGTON/DUBAI/ISLAMABAD, April 23 (Reuters) - Iran seized two ships in the Strait of Hormuz as it tightened its grip on the strategic waterway after U.S. President Donald Trump announced he was indefinitely calling off attacks, with no sign of peace talks restarting.
Trump's pause may ease immediate pressure, but deep divisions within Iran's leadership – and its belief it can outlast U.S. pressure – could still derail any diplomatic progress
Asian stocks fell and oil prices rose Thursday as the United States and Iran appeared no closer to holding fresh peace talks and Tehran continued to refuse to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Hopes that the two would meet for a second round of negotiations in Pakistan have
April 23 (Reuters) - Ukraine could face increased risks in securing U.S. anti-missile defences if the war in Iran goes on for an extended period of time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Wednesday. Zelenskiy, interviewed by CNN, said Ukraine received limited
Israeli strikes killed five people, including a journalist, and wounded another in Lebanon on Wednesday, despite an ongoing ceasefire that Beirut will request an extension for in upcoming talks with Israel in Washington. Ahead of the talks on Thursday, Israel called on the
Secretary of the Navy John Phelan is leaving his position “effective immediately” the Pentagon announced on Wednesday.“On behalf of the Secretary of War and Deputy Secretary of War, we are grateful to Secretary Phelan for his service to the Department and the United States
By extending a ceasefire indefinitely with Iran, President Donald Trump appears to be searching for a way out of a costly war, but Tehran may be unwilling to give him a win. Trump has insisted on maintaining a naval blockade, which Iran is demanding must end before it can
WASHINGTON, April 22 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Iran had agreed not to execute eight women protesters in a sign of respect for him, while officials in Tehran denied the executions had been planned and accused the U.S. president of spreading
LONDON/NEW DELHI, April 22 (Reuters) - The U.S. military has intercepted at least three Iranian-flagged tankers in Asian waters and is redirecting them away from their positions near India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, shipping and security sources said on Wednesday.
The US military has intercepted at least three Iranian-flagged tankers in Asian waters and is redirecting them away from their positions near India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, shipping and security sources said on Wednesday.Washington has imposed a blockade on Iran’s trade by sea
President Donald Trump wants to see a “unified” response from Iran’s leadership to US proposals to end hostilities, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday.Leavitt told reporters that Trump had not set a deadline for an end to the ceasefire extension he
A senior Lebanese army official said that an Israeli drone dropped a grenade on rescue forces attempting to extract one of the journalists trapped under rubble, and that Beirut asked Israel, through U.S. mediation, to allow emergency teams to reach the wounded
By Maya Gebeily BEIRUT, April 22 (Reuters) - Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon wounded one journalist and left another trapped under rubble on Wednesday with rescuers temporarily blocked from reaching her by ongoing Israeli fire, Lebanon's health ministry, a senior military
ANKARA, April 22 (Reuters) - Turkey is making efforts to revive negotiations between Russia and Ukraine and bring together the leaders of the warring sides, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in a meeting in Ankara, the Turkish presidency
April 22 (Reuters) - The U.S. breach of commitments and its blockade of Iranian ports and threats are the main obstacles to "genuine negotiations", Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Wednesday. "[The] world sees your endless hypocritical rhetoric and contradiction
Palestinian mourners said Wednesday that Israeli settlers descended from a nearby hill and attacked a school in the occupied West Bank, killing two people, including a teenage student. Aws Hamdi al-Naasan, 14, and Jihad Marzouq Abu Naim, 32, were killed by gunfire on Tuesday in
According to the report by The Washington Post, members of the House Armed Services Committee were told that Iran may have placed 20 or more mines in and around the strait, including some reportedly deployed remotely using GPS technology and others laid by small boats
Two other candidates have emerged as alternatives to Coordination Framework nominee and former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who is openly opposed by the Trump administration.
Iranian officials have kept a united front in the Middle East war and there appears for now to be no major split within the leadership, even though factional disagreements exist and the complete absence from public view of key decision makers creates confusion, analysts said.
Backlash erupts after dancers perform to Missy Elliott’s “Work It,” exposing the tightrope between Sharaa’s outreach to the West and pressure from his Islamist base.
Backlash erupts after dancers perform to Missy Elliott’s “Work It,” exposing the tightrope between Sharaa’s outreach to the West and pressure from his Islamist base.
Iran’s parliamentary speaker said on Wednesday that Tehran would not reopen the Strait of Hormuz as long as a US naval blockade remained in place, calling it a “blatant violation of the ceasefire.”“A complete ceasefire only has meaning if it is not violated through a naval
By David Brunnstrom and Olivia Le Poidevin April 22 (Reuters) - Former Costa Rican vice president Rebeca Grynspan, a candidate to head the United Nations, vowed on Wednesday that peacemaking would be her first priority if chosen, while warning that trust is waning in the world
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Wednesday defended the Trump administration's recent about-face to temporarily extend a sanctions waiver that allowed the sale of Russian oil already at sea. The month-long relief announced last Friday was meant to cool soaring energy
The United States has vowed to blockade Iran's ships until the country makes a deal to end their war. But is the blockade working? Analysts and ship-tracking data paint a complicated picture. Shifting objectives and shadowy activity by vessels making the success of the US
A longtime Revolutionary Guard insider with strong ties to Iran’s security apparatus and proxy network, Ahmad Vahidi has taken over the IRGC at a moment of crisis, with some reports suggesting he is playing an outsized role in the country’s decision-making.
Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon wounded one journalist and killed another after being trapped under rubble on Wednesday with rescuers temporarily blocked from reaching her by ongoing Israeli fire, Lebanon’s health ministry, a senior military official and press advocates
The four were protesting the reinstatement of two reservists accused of abusing a Gazan detainee at the facility in 2024. When the reservists were detained two years ago at the same site, a right-wing mob, including several lawmakers, breached the base
Saudi Arabia has welcomed its first W Hotel, with the global hospitality brand opening a new property in Riyadh’s King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD).In a statement, KAFD said the launch marks a significant step in strengthening the district’s hospitality offering,
A White House official said the cease-fire extension is expected to last only three to five days and is 'not going to be an open-ended cease-fire.' Trump said Iran will be given a limited time to submit a 'unified proposal,"' warning military options remain if talks fail
A second round of US-Iran talks could take place within the next three days, the New York Post reported Wednesday, citing unnamed Pakistani sources and President Donald Trump.“It’s possible!” Trump reportedly told the Post by text message, when asked about sources in Pakistan –
Lebanese town official Sharif Badreddine begged his youngest son not to leave to fight for Hezbollah against Israel in the country's south, but as the tearful father buried his child he could not hide a sense of pride. In the face of a government push to disarm the movement,
At least 19 Iran-linked tankers have passed through the US blockade on the strait to exit the Gulf while at least 15 have entered, according to the cargo-tracking group Vortexa.
Israeli attacks on Lebanon during its latest war with Hezbollah damaged or destroyed more than 62,000 housing units in the country, a government estimate found on Wednesday. "Within about 45 days (of the war), we had 21,700 destroyed housing units and 40,500 damaged housing
Israeli attacks on Lebanon during its latest war with Hezbollah damaged or destroyed more than 50,000 housing units in the country, a government estimate found on Wednesday. "Within about 45 days (of the war), we had 17,756 destroyed housing units and 32,668 damaged housing
NATO chief Mark Rutte said on Wednesday the alliance would do “what’s necessary to defend” its members including Turkey after intercepting four missiles fired from Iran and head into Turkish air space over the past weeks.A member of the US-led defense alliance, Turkey, which
A second French soldier died on Wednesday from wounds suffered in a weekend ambush against UN peacekeepers in Lebanon blamed on Hezbollah, President Emmanuel Macron said.A first soldier, staff sergeant Florian Montorio, was shot dead in the Saturday ambush, for which Hezbollah
The IRGC Navy’s seizure of two cargo vessels follows US Navy interdictions of two Iran-linked crude oil tankers in the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean earlier this week.
On Global News Today on Al Arabiya English, Tom Burges Watson brings urgent updates on the Iran war as diplomacy hangs in the balance.Donald Trump says he “expects to be bombing” if progress is not made in talks with Iran, warning he may not extend the ceasefire, putting
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Iran’s ambassador to Islamabad on Wednesday, a day after the US-Iran ceasefire was extended and a planned second round of talks failed to take place.Sharif and Reza Amiri Moghadam discussed “the ongoing regional situation and peace
On this episode of W News Extra, Leigh-Ann Gerrans discusses the latest developments in ceasefire talks between the United States and Iran, mediated by Pakistan. She is joined by Columnist and Correspondent Gemma White and Managing Director of This Is Dubai Michael
"No more Mr Nice Guy."Donald Trump has reverted to his tried and tested playbook, talking tough on the eve of crucial talks. But will it work this time? The region is holding its breath ahead of a second round of US-Iran ceasefire negotiations. As the war enters its eighth
As Iran and the US appear to be in a standoff over traveling to peace talks in Pakistan, W News speaks to Former National Intelligence Manager for Iran Norman Roule about this critical stage of the ceasefire.
By Jessica Donati DAKAR, April 22 (Reuters) - The Trump administration is in talks with the Democratic Republic of Congo to resettle 1,100 Afghans who have been stranded in Qatar awaiting U.S. visas, according to an advocacy organisation that works on their behalf. The
By Ahmed Rasheed, Maha El Dahan and Timour Azhari BAGHDAD/DUBAI April 21 (Reuters) - The United States has halted a shipment of about $500 million in cash bound for Iraq and suspended parts of its security cooperation with Baghdad, in a move aimed at pressuring the Iraqi
By Nidal al-Mughrabi, Ali Sawafta and Haseeb Elwazeer GAZA, April 22 (Reuters) - Palestinians in one of the only Gaza cities not overrun by Israeli ground forces during the war will vote this weekend in municipal elections that will feature some pro-Hamas candidates, offering a