Iran tells ships on radio that Strait of Hormuz 'is shut again' Some merchant vessels have received a radio message from Iran's navy that the Strait of Hormuz is shut again and no ships are allowed to pass through, shipping sources told Reuters on Saturday.
UK agency says IRGC-linked gunboats fired on tanker near Oman The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said on Saturday it had received a report of a tanker being fired upon by what it said were "two gunboats linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC)" 20 nautical miles north-east of Oman. The captain of the tanker said the two gunboats opened fire without issuing a radio challenge, UKMTO said in its advisory note, adding that the vessel and its crew were reported safe.
Iran signals re-closure of Hormuz as it rejects uranium transfer abroad Submitted by MEE staff on Sat, 04/18/2026 - 10:52 Tehran denies Trump claim that 'nuclear dust' would be retrieved, as ships cross waterway before Iran threatens to close it over US naval blockade People walk near an anti-US billboard on a building in Tehran, Iran, on 16 April 2026 (Reuters/Thaier Al-Sudani) Off Iran has denied US claims that it agreed to transfer its enriched uranium abroad and threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz again if Washington’s naval blockade is not lifted, as a handful of vessels began transiting the strategic waterway on Saturday. On Friday, President Donald Trump said the US would maintain a naval blockade on Iranian ports, imposed earlier this week, until a final agreement between the two countries is reached. The blockade was imposed in response to Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which Tehran ended on Thursday following a US-brokered 10-day ceasefire to halt Israel’s war in Lebanon.
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.
Amid Israel's 'forever wars', Palestinians must not abandon the one-state solution Submitted by Awad Abdelfattah on Sun, 04/12/2026 - 13:59 Among its goals, the US-Israel war on Iran aims to bury Palestinian self-determination. Now more than ever, a one-state framework is the only defence against surrender A Palestinian flag hangs from a building destroyed by Israeli bombardment in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, 2 December 2025 (Bashar Taleb/AFP) Off Since the declaration of the so-called ceasefire between Hamas and Israel in October 2025 - violated more than 2,000 times - and more dramatically since the US and Israel launched their war on Iran on 28 February, Palestine has been actively displaced from the centre of global attention. When the US and Iran announced a two-week truce on 8 April, Israel simultaneously launched its largest wave of strikes on Lebanon , killing at least 303 people.
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.
Iran command says Hormuz closed again over US blockade Iran's central military command announced on Saturday it would resume "strict management" of the Strait of Hormuz, reversing a decision to unblock the strategic channel as part of negotiations with Washington. In a statement shared on state television, the headquarters said Washington had broken a promise by continuing its naval blockade of ships sailing to and from Iran's ports. Until the United States restores freedom of movement for all vessels visiting Iran, "the situation in the Strait of Hormuz will remain strictly controlled," the statement said.
How US-Israeli war on Iran has eclipsed the crisis in Sudan Submitted by Osama Abuzaid on Wed, 04/15/2026 - 18:47 With global attention now squarely fixed on the Gulf, Sudanese warring parties may double down on the conflict economy A Sudanese soldier carries anti-tank rockets seized from a base that had been used by the rival Rapid Support Forces, in the Salha area of Omdurman, on 26 May 2025 (Ebrahim Hamid/AFP) On After six weeks of escalating violence in the US - Israeli war on Iran , a fragile two-week ceasefire was brokered by Pakistan in early April, with peace talks taking place this past weekend in Islamabad. But with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying Tel Aviv has its “ finger on the trigger ” to resume war at any moment, and US President Donald Trump warning of devastating consequences if negotiations fail, the region remains on a knife’s edge. There’s no defined script for this conflict, which is playing out in real-time as an unpredictable confrontation with strategic reverberations across Southwest Asia and North Africa - including Sudan , where an ongoing civil war has already ravaged state institutions, displaced millions, and shattered fragile hopes for internal peace.
Gas carriers, chemical tankers among vessel convoy crossing Hormuz A convoy of tankers was seen departing the Gulf and transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, according to vessel-tracking data. The group included four liquefied petroleum gas carriers along with several oil product and chemical tankers, data from MarineTraffic showed. Additional tankers were reported to be following from the Arabian Gulf area, as movement of commercial vessels continued through the key shipping route.
Tehran sees large turnout at pro-government women’s rally Thousands of women and young girls attended the “Sacrificed Girls” rally in Tehran on Friday, according to state media reports. Iranian women rode in vehicles in Tehran as they took part in the rally to pay tribute to women killed in the US-Israeli strikes in the war on Iran. Participants gathered in central parts of the city in a pro-government demonstration that included expressions of support for the country’s leadership.
US extends waiver for sanctioned Russian oil purchase as global prices fall The US Department of the Treasury issued a waiver allowing the delivery and sale of sanctioned Russian crude as the administration seeks to ease prices during the war involving Iran, CNN reported. The licence applies to Russian crude and petroleum products loaded on vessels as of 17 April and authorises shipments through 16 May, after a previous waiver expired on 11 April. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had earlier said the administration would not renew the licence.
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.
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.
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.
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.
US sends third aircraft carrier toward Middle East, officials say The world’s largest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald Ford, has entered Middle East waters again, Associated Press reported, quoting two defence officials. The carrier transited the Suez Canal with the destroyers USS Mahan and USS Winston Churchill and is now operating in the Red Sea, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive operations. The Ford had been in the eastern Mediterranean and returned to port for repairs after a fire in a laundry space.
Asian markets fall as conflicting US-Iran messages creates uncertainty Asian stock markets opened lower in early trading a day after a record rally on Wall Street, as uncertainty grew over the Strait of Hormuz. Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 1. 75%, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index dropped 0.
