Russia ready to help with removal of enriched uranium from Iran The head of Russia's state atomic energy company, Rosatom, Alexei Likhachev, said on Saturday that Rosatom is ready to help with the removal of enriched uranium from Iran. Likhachev added that the company was closely following the progress of US-Iran talks. Trump on Friday also claimed that Washington would work with Tehran to bring enriched uranium to the US.
Egypt minister: Hopes for Iran-US peace deal 'in the coming days' Egypt and Pakistan are working "very hard" as mediators to bring about "a final agreement between the United States and Iran", Egypt's foreign minister said Saturday as he attended an Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Turkey. "We hope to do so (reach an agreement) in the coming days," Badr Abdelatty said, noting that "not only us in the region, but the whole world is suffering from the continuation of this war". "We are pushing very hard in order to move forward," he said.
Egypt working with Pakistan on lasting US-Iran peace plan, minister says Egypt is working closely with Pakistan on a framework aimed at securing a lasting peace between the US and Iran, Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said on Saturday. He said Egypt, Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia were coordinating a broader regional effort focused on preventing renewed escalation and laying the groundwork for a post-war security arrangement, stressing the importance of protecting Gulf states and stabilising energy markets, supply chains and food security.
Canada stands in ‘full solidarity’ with Gulf partners, PM says Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada stands in “full solidarity” with Gulf partners and welcomed a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, as well as the announcement that Iran will be reopening the Strait of Hormuz. “Canada stands in full solidarity with Gulf partners who have faced recent retaliatory attacks and economic pressure,” Carney said in a post on X. His statement followed a call with Emmanuel Macron and Keir Starmer, and said Canada “welcomes France and the UK’s efforts to advance coordinated diplomatic and planning initiatives to restore safe and reliable passage through this essential corridor”.
Iran says its enriched uranium ‘not going to be transferred anywhere’ Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told state TV on Friday that the country’s stockpile of enriched uranium would not be transferred “anywhere”, denying an earlier claim by US President Donald Trump that the Islamic Republic had agreed to hand it over. Earlier on Friday, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, “The USA will get all Nuclear’ Dust,’ created by our great B2 Bombers,” referring to nuclear material buried as a result of US airstrikes last year. “As important and sacred as Iranian soil is to us, this issue is also important to us.
Erdogan urges dialogue as Turkey convenes regional talks Turkey hosted a diplomatic forum bringing together regional leaders as efforts to end the Middle East war intensified, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan saying “the shortest cut to peace is constructive dialogue and diplomacy”. Speaking at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Antalya, Erdogan said, “I believe the window of opportunity opened by the ceasefire should be used in the most effective way to establish lasting peace,” adding, “No matter how deep the disagreements may be, we must not allow words to be replaced again by weapons. ” Foreign ministers from Turkey, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt held talks on the sidelines of the forum hours after Iran said the Strait of Hormuz was open to commercial shipping.
Trump says ‘things going very well’ as Iran rejects uranium transfer US President Donald Trump said “things seem to be going very well with Iran” after receiving what he described as “pretty good news twenty minutes ago,” adding he “maybe won’t extend the ceasefire if no deal by Wednesday, but will keep the US blockade of Iranian ports. ” Trump also said Chinese President Xi Jinping is “very happy that the Strait of Hormuz is open and/or rapidly opening,” and said his upcoming meeting with Xi would be “a special one and, potentially, Historic”. While Trump has claimed that Iran has agreed to hand over its enriched uranium, Ebrahim Rezaei said Tehran will not accept enriched uranium being transferred out of Iran and denied that any commitments to do so had been made, rejecting US claims to the contrary.
Iran says it did not agree to halt uranium enrichment indefinitely A senior Iranian official said Iran did not agree to halt uranium enrichment indefinitely and “will not accept being an exception to international law,” CNN reported. “The issue of enrichment remains one of the most prominent points of contention with Washington,” the official said, adding that “Trump's boastful statements could derail the ongoing negotiations” with the United States. “We may conclude that while Iran is committed to diplomacy to achieve results, Washington is using diplomacy to exhaust it and planning a new aggression, to which we are prepared to respond forcefully,” the official said.
Ghalibaf says Trump’s 'false' claims won’t help in negotiations Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said all recent claims by US President Donald Trump were “false,” adding that “they did not win the war with these lies, and they will certainly not get anywhere in negotiations either. ” Writing on X, Ghalibaf listed several of Trump’s statements from the past hour and dismissed them. “With the continuation of the blockade, the Strait of Hormuz will not remain open,” Ghalibaf said, adding that passage would be conducted based on a “designated route” and with “Iranian authorisation.
Trump says US negotiations with Iran to continue 'over weekend' US President Donald Trump told reporters that ceasefire talks with Iran will continue "over the weekend" and said that "a lot of good things are happening that includes Lebanon too. " "I don't think there's too many significant differences," he said regarding negotiations between the United States and Iran.
Saudi Arabia and US discuss keeping Strait of Hormuz open, Saudi state news agency Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, during a phone call, discussed efforts to ensure the continued opening of the Strait of Hormuz and consolidate the ceasefire in Lebanon, the Saudi state news agency SPA reported on Friday.
Iran says its enriched uranium 'not going to be transferred' Iran's foreign ministry on Friday said the country's stockpile of enriched uranium would not be transferred "anywhere", denying an earlier claim by US President Donald Trump that the Islamic Republic had agreed to hand it over. "Iran's enriched uranium is not going to be transferred anywhere," Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told state TV. Trump posted on his Truth Social platform earlier Friday that "The USA will get all Nuclear 'Dust,' created by our great B2 Bombers," referring to nuclear material buried by US strikes last year.
Palestine Football Association president denied entry to Canada for Fifa event: Report Submitted by MEE staff on Fri, 04/17/2026 - 18:16 Two other Palestinian officials had their visas denied for the Fifa Congress on 30 April An aerial view of the retractable roof of the BC Place Stadium, as seen on 21 March 2026, where matches for the 2026 World Cup will be held in Vancouver, Canada, later this year (Elizabeth Ruiz Ruiz/Getty Images via AFP) Off The president of the Palestine Football Association (PFA), as well as two other officials from the organisation, have been denied visas to Canada for the annual Fifa Congress, which is being held in Vancouver on 30 April, The Guardian revealed on Friday. Canada is one of the hosts of this year's World Cup, alongside the US and Mexico. The PFA has now urged Fifa - football's governing body - to intervene on its behalf.
Significant differences remain between Iran-US, including on nuclear issues, senior Iranian official says Significant differences between Iran and the United States remain to reach a deal aimed at ending the war, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Friday, adding that keeping the Strait of Hormuz open is "conditional on US adherence to the terms of ceasefire". The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said "no agreement has been reached on the details of the nuclear issues," and serious negotiations are required to overcome differences. He said Tehran hoped a preliminary agreement could be reached in the coming days with Pakistan’s mediation efforts, with the possibility of extending the ceasefire to "create space for more talks on lifting sanctions on Iran and securing compensation for war damages".
Trump says 'no sticking points' remain in Iran talks US President Donald Trump told AFP on Friday there were "no sticking points" left for a peace deal with Iran, which he said was "very close" as Tehran declared the Strait of Hormuz open to commercial shipping. The positive signals from Washington came as a ceasefire went into effect in Lebanon, raising hopes that two of the main obstacles to a US-Iran agreement could have been cleared. "We're very close.
Lebanese prime minister vows full control of Beirut, restricting arms to state forces Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has said his government will take full control of the Beirut Governorate, which includes the capital, and restrict arms to "the legitimate forces alone". In a post on X, Salam said the move was intended to “safeguard the safety, security, and property of citizens”. He said the decision is “irrevocable and will be strictly enforced”.
US to recover uranium from Iran at a 'leisurely pace', Trump tells Reuters US President Donald Trump told Reuters on Friday that the US will work with Iran to recover its enriched uranium and bring it back to the United States. "We're going to get it together. We're going to go in with Iran, at a nice leisurely pace, and go down and start excavating with big machinery...
Green Party strategist reveals plan for local elections and slams 'sectarian' claims Submitted by Imran Mulla on Fri, 04/17/2026 - 16:00 Faaiz Hasan, an elections coordinator for the party, speaks to MEE about next month's polls The Green Party's local elections campaign launch earlier this month (Supplied) Off At the UK 's upcoming local elections to take place on 7 May, more than 5,000 seats in 136 councils are up for grabs. The Green Party is presenting an enormous challenge from the left to the Labour government, in what is shaping up to be the most crucial electoral contest since Keir Starmer became prime minister in July 2024. Led by Zack Polanski since last summer, the Greens have surged in the polls and in February defeated Labour and Reform in a historic by-election win in Greater Manchester's Gorton and Denton.
US envoy Barrack plays down idea Turkey could be 'next Iran' for Israel Submitted by Ragip Soylu on Fri, 04/17/2026 - 11:34 Trump's special envoy says Turkey not a country to be 'messed with' at forum in Antalya US Special Envoy for Syria and US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack speaks during the 5th edition of the three-day Antalya Diplomacy Forum on 17 April 2026 (Handout / Antalya Diplomacy Forum / AFP) Off US Envoy Tom Barrack has downplayed escalating tensions between Turkey and Israel as just "rhetoric" and pushed for regional cooperation between the two countries in security and energy projects. Speaking during a panel at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, Barrack pushed back against comments from some officials in both countries that suggested they could come into conflict in the near future. "I think Turkey is just not a country to be messed with," Barrack said.
Lebanese President Aoun calls for negotiations following ceasefire Lebanese President Joseph Aoun described the recent ceasefire with Israel as “the gateway to advancing the negotiations,” adding that the opportunity “must not be squandered,” according to reports from Al Jazeera. In his address to parliament members, he announced that the Lebanese army would play a “fundamental role” in the Israeli military’s withdrawal, adding that there are “no armed forces other than the army and the legitimate security forces.
