US military claims maritime superiority after Iran blockade enforcement The US Central Command said it has achieved “maritime superiority” in the Middle East, adding that its blockade of Iranian ports was “fully implemented” within 36 hours of its launch, according to a statement late Monday. The command quoted its chief, Adm. Brad Cooper, as saying US forces had halted all sea trade going in and out of Iran.
Lavrov offers Russia energy to China amid US blockade Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow could help offset energy shortages in China as the US blockade on Iranian ports disrupts supply. Speaking after meeting President Xi Jinping, Lavrov said Russia could “make up for the resource deficit” for China and other countries willing to cooperate “in a fair and mutually beneficial manner”. Lavrov said ties between Russia and China “remain unshakeable in the face of all storms”, adding that relations between President Vladimir Putin and Xi contribute to stability despite global disruptions.
Trump clashes with Pope Leo again, says Iran must not get nuclear bomb US President Donald Trump said Iran must not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon, addressing Pope Leo in a social media post as their public dispute intensified. “Will someone please tell Pope Leo that Iran has killed at least 42,000 innocent, completely unarmed, protesters in the last two months, and that for Iran to have a Nuclear Bomb is absolutely unacceptable,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding, “AMERICA IS BACK!!! ” The remarks come days after Trump criticised the pontiff as “weak on crime” and “terrible on foreign policy” following the pope’s condemnation of the US and Israeli war on Iran.
Iran enrichment limits subject to political decision, IAEA says International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi said the length of any moratorium on Iran’s uranium enrichment would be determined through political negotiations, according to Reuters. Speaking to reporters in Seoul, Grossi said decisions on how long Iran should be bound by such limits under a potential agreement with the US were not technical but political in nature. His remarks come as talks between Washington and Tehran continue, with reports that the US has proposed a 20-year moratorium on enrichment, while Iran has countered with a five-year limit.
Israel strikes 76 areas in Lebanon, 21 killed Israeli air and artillery attacks struck 76 cities, towns and areas across Lebanon on Tuesday, killing 21 people and injuring 29, the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health said. The strikes began at dawn and affected multiple regions of the country, officials said. The death toll in Lebanon has crossed 2,089 since the escalation began on 2 March 2026, as the new developments add to growing concerns about the impact of the Israeli war on civilians in Lebanon.
US Navy forces eight Iran-linked tankers to turn back US naval forces have forced eight oil tankers linked to Iran to turn back since Monday, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal citing officials. The report said that the US ships contacted vessel crews via radio and instructed them to reverse course as part of efforts to restrict maritime traffic connected to Iranian ports. All of the tankers complied with the orders and no boardings were required, the report said.
Seoul bans stockpiling of medical and petrochemical supplies South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok has called for a “strict crackdown on hoarding” after the government introduced new bans on stockpiling key medical supplies and petrochemical materials. “I ask relevant ministries to strictly crack down on hoarding behaviour that disrupts the market order,” Kim said, according to Yonhap News Agency. The measures cover items including syringes and needles, as well as raw materials such as ethylene, propylene and butadiene.
China rejects US criticism, urges 'end to military operations' in Middle East China has pushed back against criticism from US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, with a spokesperson at the Chinese embassy blaming global fuel shortages on instability in the Middle East. Liu Pengyu, speaking to Reuters, said “the tense situation in the Middle East” was driving disruptions and called for an immediate halt to military operations. “The pressing task is to put an end to military operations at once and prevent the turmoil in the Middle East from further impacting the global economy,” Liu said.
US Centcom says blockade enforced on ships of all nations US Central Command (Centcom) said a US-led blockade on Iranian ports is being enforced “impartially” against vessels of all nations entering or leaving coastal areas of Iran. Centcom said US Navy guided-missile destroyers are among the assets carrying out the operation. “A typical destroyer has a crew of more than 300 Sailors that are highly trained in conducting offensive and defensive maritime operations,” Centcom said in a statement.
UK, Canada, others call for 'urgent end to hostilities' in Lebanon Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and several other countries have called for an “urgent end to hostilities in Lebanon”, warning of a worsening humanitarian and displacement crisis. In a joint statement, the countries said civilians and infrastructure must be protected and welcomed a ceasefire involving the US, Israel and Iran, while stressing that violence in Lebanon must also stop. “Civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected from the effects of hostilities.
US president says war on Iran 'very close to over' US President Donald Trump said the war on Iran could be nearing its end, telling Fox News that he sees the conflict as “very close to over”. “I think it’s close to over, yeah,” Trump said in a clip aired by the broadcaster. “We’ll see what happens.
US navy blocks Iranian oil tankers leaving port, officials say A US Navy destroyer has intercepted two oil tankers attempting to leave Iran, ordering them to turn around as part of a newly enforced maritime blockade, according to a US official cited by Reuters. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the incident occurred on Tuesday after the vessels departed from Chabahar Port and were contacted via radio by the warship. The official added that the two tankers were among six merchant vessels referenced earlier by US Central Command, which said ships had complied with orders to “turn around to re-enter an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman”.
US threatens action on Chinese vessels carrying Iran oil US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the United States will prevent China from accessing Iranian oil, warning that Chinese tankers carrying such shipments could be blocked in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz. “They’re not going to be able to get their oil. They can get oil.
Vance says Trump seeking ‘grand bargain’ with Iran US Vice President JD Vance said President Donald Trump is seeking to make a “grand bargain” that would reset ties if Tehran changes course. Speaking at a conference hosted by Turning Point USA in Georgia, Vance said Washington had offered to normalise economic relations with Iran if it was “willing to act like a normal country,” while emphasising that Trump’s core policy remains preventing Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. “We have this ceasefire that’s in place, I think it’s six or seven days old, this ceasefire is holding,” Vance said.
JD Vance: US-Iran mistrust cannot be solved overnight US Vice President JD Vance said there was a lot of mistrust between the United States and Iran which cannot be resolved overnight, but added that Tehran's negotiators were keen to make a deal. Vance said that he feels “very good about where we are” and that the “ceasefire is holding” in comments made on Tuesday. The US and Iran met on Saturday in Pakistan for the highest-level peace talks since the US-allied Shah, intalled by a CIA-backed coup, was overthrown in the Iranian Revolution half a century ago.
Labour MPs vote through draconian law giving police powers to ban recurring protests Labour MPs voted on Tuesday to pass a law that would significantly restrict the right to protest, granting the UK police sweeping powers to criminalise sustained strike action. Recurring protests which might have no connection to each other could now be banned by police on the basis of “cumulative disruption” caused by past or future planned protests in the same “area”. More than 45 civil society groups, including the Trade Union Congress and Greenpeace, joined together to oppose the draconian crackdown on fundamental freedoms of protest and assembly.
Ceasefire not included: Lebanon begins historic 'exploratory' talks with Israel The Trump administration on Tuesday hosted Lebanon and Israel's top diplomats in Washington for the first direct talks between the two sides in more than three decades. But a ceasefire was not on the agenda, and the main subject of concern, Hezbollah, had no representation, leaving Lebanese officials with little to no authority coming into the meeting. "I know some of you were shouting questions about a ceasefire," US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters.
Hezbollah says it launched drones at Israeli military in occupied Golan Heights Hezbollah said that it launched a drone attack on Israeli military sites in the occupied Golan Heights late on Tuesday. The group said it targeted an artillery position in Za-oura and battalion command headquarters in Odem, using a “squadron of drones”, according to a statement they released. This comes as Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors to the US agreed their first direct talks held in Washington on Tuesday were “productive” and indicated that more discussions would follow.
Ceasefire not included: Lebanon begins historic 'exploratory' talks with Israel Submitted by Yasmine El-Sabawi on Tue, 04/14/2026 - 17:14 This comes as the Lebanese government shows little to no leverage over Hezbollah, which was not represented Left to right: US State Department Counsellor Michael Needham; US ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz; US Secretary of State Marco Rubio; US ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa; Lebanese ambassador to the US Nada Hamadeh Moawad; and Israeli ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter meet at the State Department in Washington, DC, on 14 April 2026 (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters) Off The Trump administration on Tuesday hosted Lebanon and Israel's top diplomats in Washington for the first direct talks between the two sides in more than three decades. But a ceasefire was not on the agenda, and the main subject of concern, Hezbollah, had no representation, leaving Lebanese officials with little to no authority coming into the meeting. "I know some of you were shouting questions about a ceasefire," US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters.
IMF chief: Rapid economic recovery possible if war ends soon The global economy can still recover rapidly from the Iran war shock if the conflict ends in the next few weeks, but the situation will worsen if it continues through the summer, International Monetary Fund managing director Kristalina Georgieva said on Tuesday. Georgieva affirmed that the IMF, World Bank and International Energy Agency are aiming to hold regular calls every two weeks to assess the disruption to global energy markets caused by the US-Israeli war on Iran. She also reported that emergency financing is robust and reliable, with precautionary instruments in a “good place”.
