US forces turn 23 vessels back to Iran since blockade began, says military Since the US imposed a blockade on Iranian ports and coastal areas earlier this week, 23 ships have complied with US forces orders to turn back toward Iran, the US military said on Saturday.
Macron: French soldier was killed in Lebanon A French soldier who was part of international forces stationed in southern Lebanon was killed, President Emmanuel Macron said on Saturday. Macron said that evidence suggested Hezbollah was responsible for the attack. Three other soldiers were wounded and have been evacuated, Macron said in a post on X, urging the Lebanese government to act against the alleged perpetrators.
Statement from supreme leader says Iran's navy 'stands ready' to defeat US A statement said to have been issued by Iran's supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, warned that the Islamic Republic's navy is ready to defeat US forces, as the two countries sparred over the Strait of Hormuz. In a statement carried on his Telegram channel, Khamenei, who has not been seen in public since before the start of the war, said Iran's "brave navy stands ready to make the enemies taste the bitterness of new defeats".
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
US military says 21 ships complied with blockade of Iranian ports The US Central Command (Centcom) said 21 ships attempting to enter or leave Iranian ports have complied with directions from US forces to turn around and return to Iran. Posting on X, Centcom said the vessels changed course under a blockade that began on 13 April and targets ships of any nationality near Iranian ports and coastal areas, adding that no ships have breached the maritime cordon in the four days since it was imposed. Guided-missile destroyer USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115) directs a merchant vessel to return to an Iranian port as it enforces the U.
Global oil market hit by 500 million barrel loss amid Iran war The war on Iran has removed about 500 million barrels of crude from the global market, the largest energy supply disruption in modern history, according to data from analytics firm Kpler. The figures refer to losses linked to the conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel. Reuters reported the disruption was equivalent to “nearly a month of oil demand in the United States, or more than a month of oil for all of Europe”.
US Navy denies reports of food shortages on warships The US Navy denied reports of food shortages aboard its ships, saying claims involving the aircraft carriers USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Tripoli were “incorrect”. The Navy’s chief of operations said reports alleging shortages on the vessels were not accurate. “The US Navy has unparalleled logistical capabilities to support naval operations, and routine menu adjustments are simply a way to improve our endurance in order to keep our warships at the heart of the confrontation,” the official said.
Hormuz open only under ceasefire conditions, Iran says A spokesperson for Iran’s Defence Ministry said the Strait of Hormuz is “only open under ceasefire conditions and conditionally,” according to Fars News Agency. “Military vessels and those affiliated with hostile forces do not have the right to pass through the Strait of Hormuz," Fars quoted Brigadier General Reza Talaei-Nik as saying. The spokesperson said the current situation in the strait is “temporary” and that the waterway could be closed again if conditions change in Lebanon, according to Fars.
At least 10 vessels reverse course near Hormuz, report says Several ships approaching the Strait of Hormuz from the Arabian Gulf later turned back, The New York Times reported, quoting shipping experts. At least 10 vessels were reported to have reversed course near the key shipping route. It was not immediately clear whether the ships were instructed to turn back or what prompted the change in course.
No sirens reported in Israel for over 24 hours after ceasefire It has been more than 24 hours since air raid sirens sounded in any part of Israel, with the last alert early Friday in a small community near the border with Lebanon later determined to be a mistaken identification, Associated Press reported. In major cities, including Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, as well as in southern desert communities and northern hill towns, sirens and alerts regularly sent residents to bomb shelters and safe rooms. The strikes have killed 23 people and wounded about 600 others, according to Israel’s emergency services.
Israeli troops blow up homes in southern Lebanon despite ceasefire Explosions were reported in southern Lebanon as Israeli troops blew up homes in border towns they continue to control, despite a ceasefire in place, local media said. The reports said the demolitions targeted residential areas in towns near the frontier, with blasts heard across multiple locations. Israeli officials have said they aim to destroy parts of Lebanese border towns to prevent residents from returning.
