Tehran [Iran], April 18 (ANI): A cruise successfully transited the Strait of Hormuz for the first time since the outbreak of the West Asia conflict, according to data from MarineTraffic. The vessel, identified as the Malta-flagged Celestyal Discovery, sailed through the critical waterway on Friday (local time). MarineTraffic indicated the liner was operating without passengers during the journey.
US says it will pursue Iran-linked ships in Indo-Pacific region US forces will pursue ships linked to Iran well beyond the Middle East, including in the Indo-Pacific, CNN reported, quoting the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. General Dan Caine said the effort includes “maritime interdiction actions” in the Pacific area of responsibility, targeting vessels that left before the blockade began. “We are also conducting similar maritime interdiction actions and activities in the Pacific AOR against those ships that left that area before we began the blockade,” he added.
Washington DC [US], April 18 (ANI): With the claim of US President Donald Trump that he played a key role in resolving multiple global conflicts, Trump, on his social media platform Truth Social, shared a post by the 'Trump War Room' of a digital poster featuringTrump to be 'The Peace President. ' In a post on Truth Social on Friday, the 'Trump War Room' handle said, 'Trust Trump. Not Panicans.
Israeli forces kill person in Negohot settlement, army says The Israeli military said a person carrying a knife was killed in the settlement of Negohot in the occupied West Bank. The military said alarms were activated following reports that the settlement had been infiltrated. The army said the person was killed and that there were no reports of other casualties.
Trump says Iran ceasefire may end if no deal by Wednesday US President Donald Trump said he may not extend a temporary ceasefire with Iran if negotiations do not produce an agreement by Wednesday. Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump said, “Maybe I won’t extend it,” when asked about the truce. “So you have a blockade, and unfortunately, we have to start dropping bombs again,” he said, referring to the US stance if talks fail.
New Delhi [India], April 18 (ANI): Global stock markets saw oil prices drop, and stock indices soar on Saturday as investors relaxed post US-Iran ceasefire, easing immediate concerns over energy supply stability. Market data indicated a sharp correction in the commodities sector alongside a robust rally across major equity benchmarks. Brent Crude recorded a significant decline of 7.
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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”.
Washington DC [US], April 18 (ANI): US President Donald Trump on Friday (local time) indicated that he may not extend the ongoing ceasefire with Iran, raising the prospect of renewed military action in the region if a deal is not reached with the Islamic Republic in order to achieve a complete halt to the hostilities in West Asia.
Washington DC [US], April 18 (ANI): Senior Democratic lawmakers in the US Senate on Friday (local time) sharply criticised the Trump administration for extending a waiver that allows the continued sale of sanctioned Russian oil, calling the move a 'shameful' policy reversal.
New DelhI [India], April 18 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair a Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) at 11:30 am on Saturday in the national capital to review measures taken by various ministries and departments. He will also address the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) and the cabinet meeting at Parliament.
Washington DC [US], April 18 (ANI): The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) on Saturday said that 21 vessels have been compelled to turn back toward Iran since the United States initiated a naval blockade targeting access to Iranian ports amid diplomatic engagements in order to achieve a complete solution to the hostilities in the region.
Israeli leadership was reportedly caught off guard when the US president demanded an end to airstrikes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his advisers were caught off guard and "stunned" when President Donald Trump said he would not allow Israel to carry out further strikes in Lebanon, Axios reported, citing two people familiar with the matter.
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.
First cruise ship transits Strait of Hormuz since war began A cruise liner has sailed through the Strait of Hormuz, becoming the first passenger vessel to make the crossing since the war began, ship tracking site MarineTraffic said. The Malta-flagged Celestyal Discovery had been docked in Dubai for nearly 47 days after arriving in early March and was reported to be sailing without passengers. MarineTraffic said the ship crossed the strait on Friday and is heading towards Muscat, with an estimated arrival later in the day.
Separate from the regular Iranian Navy, with boats that often go more than 115 miles per hour, it’s what a retired U. S. official calls a “disruptive force.
Tehran [Iran], April 18 (ANI): Iran has said that it will not impose 'traditional fees' on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, but is considering a new framework tied to security coordination, according to Al Jazeera.
Washington DC [US], April 18 (ANI): US President Donald Trump on Friday (local time) said that his Chinese counterpart, President Xi Jinping, is 'very happy' about the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, despite Iran stating that the maritime movement through the strategic waterway will be strictly controlled by Tehran.
Washington DC [US], April 18 (ANI): The US Treasury Department has issued a fresh temporary waiver permitting the sale and transport of sanctioned Russian oil stranded at sea, in a move aimed at stabilising global energy markets shaken by the ongoing West Asia conflict.
