Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a extend a fraught ceasefire for another 45 days after talks in Washington concluded on Friday.
“The 16 April cessation of hostilities will be extended by 45 days to enable further progress,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said on X, adding that the talks aimed at settling decades of conflict between the two countries were “highly productive.”
Meanwhile, Donald Trump has suggested that he threw away Iran’s peace proposal after reading the “unacceptable” first sentence as diplomatic efforts to end the war reached a stalemate.
Speaking onboard Air Force One on his journey back to the US from China, the US president said he had “looked at” Tehran’s response to a peace plan drawn up by Washington but “if I don’t like the first sentence I just throw it away”.
Pressed on the content of the document, he told reporters it was “an unacceptable sentence”, adding: “If they have nuclear in any form, I don’t read the rest.”
His comments came after Iran’s foreign minister declared he has “no trust” in the Trump administration to help bring about a peace deal, but that the US were seeking fresh negotiations.
Read MoreDonald Trump indicates military destruction of Iran ‘to be continued’
Jimmy Fallon mercilessly mocks Donald Trump’s negotiating skills with Iran jab
Why Trump’s Pentagon wants to rebrand the Iran war
India condemns sinking of vessel as ‘unacceptable’ as Strait of Hormuz crisis continues
Key Points
- Iranian military calls on Tehran to impose fees on undersea cables
- US is seeking continued talks, says Tehran
- Trump says he and Xi agree to keep Iran from having nuclear arms
- Iran sets out five demands for new talks with US
- Oil prices rise after attacks and seizures of ships crossing Hormuz
- Trump says he won't be patient with Iran for much longer
Trump doubles down on comments about American's financial situation
23:33 , Maira ButtPresident Donald Trump has doubled down on comments about not being concerned about the financial plight of Americans as a result of the Iran war.
Asked about the continuing pocketbook pressures faced by everyday consumers as a result of the war he started more than two months ago, Trump told reporters on Tuesday: “I don't think about American financial situation — I don't think about anybody. I think about one thing: We cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon.”
When questioned about the comments on Friday, the US leader said: “It's a perfect statement. I'll make it again. Everybody agrees.”
Watch: Jimmy Fallon skewers Trump's China visit with dig over Iran war parallels
23:00 , Alex CroftAt least six killed, including paramedics, in Israeli strike on civil defense center in southern Lebanon
22:55 , Maira ButtAt least six people were killed, including three paramedics, and 22 were wounded in an Israeli strike on a civil defense center in southern Lebanon, the Lebanese state news agency said on Friday.
It comes as a ceasefire was reportedly extended for another 45 days.
What makes undersea cables in the Strait of Hormuz so important?
22:01 , Alex CroftSubsea cables are fibre-optic or electrical cables laid on the sea floor to transmit data and power.
They carry around 99 per cent of the world's internet traffic, according to the ITU, the United Nations specialized agency for digital technologies.
They also carry telecommunications and electricity between countries, and are essential for cloud services and online communications.
"Damaged cables mean the internet slowing down or outages, e-commerce disruptions, delayed financial transactions ... and economic fallout from all of these disruptions," said geopolitical and energy analyst Masha Kotkin.
Gulf countries, particularly the UAE and Saudi Arabia, have been investing billions of dollars in artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure to diversify their economies away from oil.
Both nations have established national AI companies serving customers across the region - all reliant on undersea cables to move data at lightning speed.
Israel and Lebanon extend ceasefire by 45 days as Washington talks conclude
21:19 , Maira ButtIsrael and Lebanon agreed to a 45-day extension of a ceasefire that has tamped down the conflict between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, as two days of talks facilitated by Washington concluded on Friday with an agreement to hold further meetings in the coming weeks.
“The April 16 cessation of hostilities will be extended by 45 days to enable further progress,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said on X, adding that the talks aimed at settling decades of conflict between the two countries were “highly productive.” The ceasefire was set to expire on Sunday.
Iran war left in limbo after Trump and Xi fail to agree path to ending conflict at crucial summit
21:02 , Alex CroftDonald Trump and Xi Jinping failed to agree on a concrete path to end the war in Iran during the US president’s highly anticipated Beijing visit, dashing hopes for an end to a conflict that has devastated the Middle East for over two months.
The President’s first visit to China was met with significant fanfare, with hopes that Beijing - Tehran’s most powerful ally - could help broker a peace agreement during 48 hours of bilateral meetings.
After the talks, Trump said the pair had agreed that Iran must not have nuclear weapons and claimed they "want the Strait of Hormuz open". He also declared they had “settled a lot of different problems that other people wouldn’t have been able to solve”.
But in the absence of agreement between the US, which sparked the war with its attacks alongside Israel on 28 February, and China on a concrete blueprint for peace will mean the Middle East remains in limbo with diplomatic efforts stalling.
Read our full report:
Iran war in limbo after Trump and Xi fail to agree path to peace at Beijing summit
Oil prices rise 3% to $109 a barrel as peace appears distant
20:01 , Alex CroftOil prices rose around 3 per cent to near $109 a barrel on concerns over a lack of progress in resolving the conflict.
It follows the failure of landmark talks between Donald Trump and Chinese president Xi Jinping to agree on any meaningful path towards peace in Iran.
Fresh Lebanon talks aim to extend ceasefire
19:00 , Alex CroftA fragile ceasefire in Lebanon due to expire on Sunday, abd discussions between Lebanese and Israeli officials were set to continue on Friday after what a senior State Department official said were productive talks on Thursday.
Hezbollah opposes the talks, in which Israel is insisting on the group's disarmament.
Thousands have been killed in Israel’s ongoing attacks in Lebanon, which began after Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel in early March in response to the US-Israeli attacks on Iran.
UAE rejects Iranian allegations and says it reserves 'full sovereign' rights to respond to threat
18:09 , Maira ButtThe United Arab Emirates has said it reserves the full sovereign, legal, diplomatic and military rights to respond to any Iranian threat or hostile act, in a new statement released on Friday.
It said it categorically rejects Iran’s allegations and attempts to justify Iranian attacks that targeted the UAE during the BRICS meeting on Friday.
The UAE had been accused of working with the US and Israel to attack Iran.
18:01 , Alex Croft
Trump lambasts reporter inches from his face on flight from China and calls him ‘treasonous’ over Iran question
17:48 , Maira ButtPresident Donald Trump labeled a reporter “treasonous” and “fake” for his coverage of the ongoing Iran war during a tense exchange aboard Air Force One.
While en route to Washington after a three-day summit in Beijing, Trump was pressed about the situation in Iran — where the conflict is currently paused under a fragile ceasefire — after he indicated the military campaign could soon continue.
“What would be the use in repeating the bombing?” New York Times White House and National Security Correspondent David Sanger asked, standing just a few feet from the GOP president. “You did it for 38 days and you did not get the political changes in Iran.”
Read the full story below
Trump lambasts reporter on flight from China and calls him ‘treasonous’ over question
Beijing: Iran war has no reason to continue
17:27 , Alex CroftChinese president Xi Jinping did not comment on his discussions with Donald Trump about Iran, despite claims by the US president that the pair agreed on several issues.
Beijing’s foreign ministry did, however, issue a blunt statement outlining Beijing's frustration with the Iran war.
"This conflict, which should never have happened, has no reason to continue," it said.
Merz and Trump hold call over Iran
16:53 , Alex CroftWe’re hearing from German chancellor Friedrich Merz, who has said he had a good phone call with US president Donald Trump following his trip to China.
The leaders agreed that Tehran must return to the negotiating table, open the Strait of Hormuz, and not be allowed to have nuclear weapons, Mr Merz said on X.
He added that they discussed reaching a peaceful solution in Ukraine and “coordinated their positions ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara”.
Watch: Rubio warns Trump won’t be pressured into ‘bad deal’ as Israel and Lebanon trade blows
16:21 , Alex CroftGerman economic growth to take significant hit because of Iran war
15:50 , Alex CroftEconomic growth in Germany will likely take a significant hit from the effects of the Iran war in the second quarter, the federal economy ministry warned on Friday.
Growth was just 0.3 per cent in the first quarter.
"Rising prices, supply chain issues and uncertainty are weighing on sentiment among businesses and households," the ministry said in its monthly report.
Iran says ships entering Hormuz must cooperate - ICYMI
15:18 , Alex CroftIranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi has said that ships entering the Strait of Hormuz must cooperate with the Iranian navy after reports emerged of a ship being seized outside a UAE port.
Araghchi said: “In our view, the Strait of Hormuz is open to all commercial ships, but they must cooperate with our naval forces."Araghchi is in India for the Brics summit.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said it received reports that the ship seized yesterday was taken by unauthorised personnel while anchored 38 nautical miles northeast of the UAE port of Fujairah.
Indian authorities said that an Indian-flagged cargo ship sank off the coast of Oman after an attack sparked a fire aboard the vessel while it was en route from Somalia to Sharjah, another UAE port. They did not say who attacked the ship.
India’s foreign ministry called the incident “unacceptable” and condemned continued attacks on commercial shipping and civilian mariners.
Military not investigating reports of US bombing schools and hospitals in Iran, military chief says
14:46 , Alex CroftThe Department of Defense is not investigating US bombings that reportedly destroyed 22 Iranian schools and 17 healthcare facilities, according to the commander leading US forces in Iran.
US Central Command Admiral Brad Cooper told members of Congress that there is “no way” and “no indication” that the military can corroborate reports in The New York Times that detailed the alleged destruction using satellite imagery and verified video and social media footage.
“There is no indication that we have that has been corroborated,” Cooper told Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand during Thursday’s Senate Armed Forces Committee hearing. “There is no way we can corroborate that. No indication of that whatsoever, senator.”
His admission comes two months after a preliminary internal investigation linked American forces to a lethal strike on an Iranian girls' school that killed 150 children, according to Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations.
Military investigators believe American forces were likely responsible for a strike that analysts and human rights officials believe is the deadliest incident for civilian casualties since President Donald Trump’s administration and Israeli forces began attacking the country in February.
Spanish PM praises Lamine Yamal for waving Palestinian flag after Israel's criticism
14:14 , Alex CroftIsraeli defence minister Israel Katz has criticised Barcelona’s teenage star Lamine Yamal for waving a Palestinian flag during celebrations of the Spanish league title win.
Yamal, 18, waved a large Palestinian flag from an open-top bus during a victory parade, which drew about 750,000 people.
“Lamine Yamal chose to incite hate against Israel while our soldiers combat the terrorist organization Hamas, an organization that massacred, raped and burned Jewish children, women and the elderly on October 7 [2023],” Israel Katz wrote on X.
Dismissing Katz's claims, Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez said Yamal made Spain “proud” for waving a Palestinian flag at a victory parade.
“Those who think that waving the flag of a state is ‘inciting hatred’, they have either lost their minds or they have been blinded by their own disgrace,” Sanchez wrote on X.
“Lamine just expressed the solidarity with Palestine that millions of Spaniards feel. Yet another reason to be proud of him".
Recap: UAE denies Netanyahu secretly visited the country during the Iran war
13:46 , Alex CroftIsraeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu quietly visited the United Arab Emirates during the Israeli-US war with Iran, his office said this week. The UAE later denied any secret visit had occurred.
Netanyahu met with UAE president Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in a gathering that “resulted in a historic breakthrough in relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates,” according to the Israeli statement. The Gulf nation normalized relations with Israel in 2020.
The UAE’s official WAM news agency later posted an article denying “reports circulating” about a Netanyahu visit. According to WAM, the country’s relations with Israel “are public and conducted within the framework of the well-known and officially declared Abraham Accords, and are not based on non-transparent or unofficial arrangements.”
The Emirati report also denied any Israeli military delegation was received in the UAE.
War worsens Lebanon's economic crisis with job losses, price gouging and slow business
13:16 , Alex CroftAyman al-Zain watched on a recent afternoon as a bulldozer cleared the rubble of what used to be his sports clothing store, which was one of dozens of buildings destroyed in Israeli strikes against the Hezbollah militant group.
With a nominal truce in place that has reduced but not halted the fighting, Al-Zain tried to assess whether to rebuild the shop in Beirut’s southern suburbs that he once hoped to pass down to his kids. But it's unlikely he will be able to do so anytime soon, and not only because of the fear of more airstrikes.
“Everything is expensive,” he told The Associated Press. “If I want to open a new store and get mannequins, hangers and some accessories, the prices are very different than before.”
Read more here:
War worsens Lebanon's economic crisis with job losses, price gouging and slow business
Watch: Jimmy Fallon skewers Trump's China visit with dig over Iran war parallels
12:44 , Alex CroftMalaysian vessel passes through Strait of Hormuz, shipping data shows
12:16 , Alex CroftA support vessel owned by Malaysian firm Vantris Energy, formerly known as Sapura Energy, passed through the Strait of Hormuz, shipping data showed on Friday.
It becomes the fourth ship linked to the country to transit the waterway since the outbreak of the US-Iran war.
The Sapura 1200 was among seven ships that the Malaysian government had sought permission from Iran to clear the strait, which has been mostly closed off since the conflict broke out in late February disrupting global energy supplies, two sources told Reuters news agency.
The ship made its way through the strait, hewing close to the Iranian coastline, before heading for Oman, entering the Muscat port, LSEG data showed.
Malaysia's prime minister Anwar Ibrahim said in March Iran would allow Malaysian vessels to pass through the strait after holding talks with Iranian officials.
US is seeking continued talks, says Tehran
12:00 , Alex CroftWe’re hearing more now from Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi.
He claims that Tehran has received messages from the US saying they are seeking continued talks.
Araghchi adds that Iran is prepare to go back to fighting with the US but is also ready to engage in a diplomatic solution.
He calls on China to help address the situation, adding that Pakistan’s mediation process is in “difficulty”.
Tehran has 'no trust' in US, says foreign minister
11:45 , Alex CroftTehran has "no trust" in the US and is interested in negotiating with Washington only if it is serious, Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said on Friday.
Iran is trying to keep the ceasefire to give diplomacy a chance, he told reporters in New Delhi during a visit to attend the BRICS foreign ministers' meeting.
Spanish PM praises Lamine Yamal for waving Palestinian flag after Israel's criticism
11:14 , Alex CroftIsraeli defence minister Israel Katz has criticised Barcelona’s teenage star Lamine Yamal for waving a Palestinian flag during celebrations of the Spanish league title win.
Yamal, 18, waved a large Palestinian flag from an open-top bus during a victory parade, which drew about 750,000 people.
“Lamine Yamal chose to incite hate against Israel while our soldiers combat the terrorist organization Hamas, an organization that massacred, raped and burned Jewish children, women and the elderly on October 7 [2023],” Israel Katz wrote on X.
Dismissing Katz's claims, Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez said Yamal made Spain “proud” for waving a Palestinian flag at a victory parade.
“Those who think that waving the flag of a state is ‘inciting hatred’, they have either lost their minds or they have been blinded by their own disgrace,” Sanchez wrote on X.
“Lamine just expressed the solidarity with Palestine that millions of Spaniards feel. Yet another reason to be proud of him".
Two drones target HQ of Iranian Kurdish opposition - report
10:51 , Alex CroftWe’re just receiving reports from Reuters that two drones targeted the headquarters of the Iranian Kurdish opposition group on Friday, citing security sources.
The strikes were carried out north of Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan.
We’ll bring you more when we get it.
Why Trump’s Pentagon wants to rebrand the Iran war
10:29 , Alex CroftThe Pentagon is considering renaming the U.S.’s war with Iran to “Operation Sledgehammer” if hostilities resume, according to a report.
The war began on February 28 under the name “Operation Epic Fury”, but efforts to bring an end to the conflict with a peace deal have stalled as neither side can agree on terms.
Trump is said to be considering further military action if Iran does not agree to a deal and reopen the key shipping route, the Strait of Hormuz.
Owen Scott reports:
Why Trump’s Pentagon wants to rebrand the Iran war
Watch: US military is not investigating reports they bombed schools and hospitals in Iran
10:06 , Alex CroftWhat makes undersea cables so important?
09:44 , Alex CroftSubsea cables are fibre-optic or electrical cables laid on the sea floor to transmit data and power.
They carry around 99 per cent of the world's internet traffic, according to the ITU, the United Nations specialized agency for digital technologies.
They also carry telecommunications and electricity between countries, and are essential for cloud services and online communications.
"Damaged cables mean the internet slowing down or outages, e-commerce disruptions, delayed financial transactions ... and economic fallout from all of these disruptions," said geopolitical and energy analyst Masha Kotkin.
Gulf countries, particularly the UAE and Saudi Arabia, have been investing billions of dollars in artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure to diversify their economies away from oil.
Both nations have established national AI companies serving customers across the region - all reliant on undersea cables to move data at lightning speed.
Donald Trump indicates military destruction of Iran ‘to be continued’
09:22 , Alex CroftDonald Trump has stated the military destruction of Iran is “to be continued”.
The US president made the comment in an early morning Truth Social post on the final day of his visit to China.
It comes amid stalled talks with Iran after Mr Trump said the already fragile ceasefire was “on life support” and dismissed Tehran’s peace proposal as “garbage”.
He listed the military offensive in the Middle East, which has led to a stand-off over the strategic Strait of Hormuz waterway, as one of his achievements “during the 16 spectacular months of the Trump Administration”.
In the post, the president insisted that Chinese leader Xi Jinping was not talking about him when he “very elegantly referred to the United States as perhaps being a declining nation”.
He said: “President Xi was not referring to the incredible rise that the United States has displayed to the world during the 16 spectacular months of the Trump Administration.”
This included “…military victory and thriving relationship in Venezuela, the military decimation of Iran (to be continued!) — Strongest military on earth by far, economic powerhouse again…”
Iranian military calls on Tehran to impose fees on undersea cables
09:03 , Alex CroftIranian military-linked media is calling on Tehran to impose fees on use of the undersea cables running through the Strait of Hormuz.
The move would provide the Iranian regime fresh leverage over the West as it looks to drive its asymmetric war capabilities against Iran.
The move would secure Iran’s control over the waterway and could generate billions of dollars, while giving Tehran fresh leverage over the West, Tasnim news agency said.
Transit fees would be charged to the international groups which own and operate the cables, that include Google, Meta, Microsoft and Amazon.
UAE accelerates oil pipeline project to bypass Strait of Hormuz
08:34 , Alex CroftThe UAE is set to boost the construction of a new oil pipeline which will allow it to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.
The project would mean Abu Dhabi’s oil exports are no longer at the mercy of Iranian blockade, with Tehran claiming it retains full control over the strait.
The project will allow it to double its export capacity through Fujairah, the government's Abu Dhabi media office said on Friday.
Watch: Rubio warns Trump won’t be pressured into ‘bad deal’ as Israel and Lebanon trade blows
08:15 , Alex CroftTrump says he and XI agree Iran must not have nuclear weapon
07:59 , Alex CroftWe heard from Donald Trump on Friday, who was speaking during his final meeting with Chinese president Xi Jinping.
The US president said discussed Iran with Xi and that they do not want Iran to have nuclear weapons and "want the straits open".
The two leaders met at the walled-off Zhongnanhai complex in Beijing as Trump wraps up his state visit to China.
"We’ve settled a lot of different problems that other people wouldn’t have been able to solve," Trump said.
German economic growth to take significant hit because of Iran war
07:41 , Alex CroftEconomic growth in Germany will likely take a significant hit from the effects of the Iran war in the second quarter, the federal economy ministry warned on Friday.
Growth was just 0.3 per cent in the first quarter.
"Rising prices, supply chain issues and uncertainty are weighing on sentiment among businesses and households," the ministry said in its monthly report.
Ex- CIA boss says Iran has ‘gun to our head’ over Strait of Hormuz
07:15 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarFormer CIA director Leon Panetta has said that Iran has “a gun to our head” because of its stranglehold over the Strait of Hormuz and warned that President Donald Trump has bitten off more than he can chew.
Panetta was speaking Thursday as Trump and Chinese Premier Xi Jinping agreed at their summit in Beijing that the Strait must be reopened for the free flow of energy.
“My sense is that it’s very likely this war, which was supposed to end after six to eight weeks, is probably going to continue for a number of months,” the ex-official told The Times.
More here.
Iran regime has ‘gun to our head’ over Strait of Hormuz, says former CIA boss
Spanish PM praises Lamine Yamal for waving Palestinian flag after Israel's criticism
07:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarIsraeli defence minister Israel Katz has criticised Barcelona’s teenage star Lamine Yamal for waving a Palestinian flag during celebrations of the Spanish league title win.
Yamal, 18, waved a large Palestinian flag from an open-top bus during a victory parade, which drew about 750,000 people.
“Lamine Yamal chose to incite hate against Israel while our soldiers combat the terrorist organization Hamas, an organization that massacred, raped and burned Jewish children, women and the elderly on October 7 [2023],” Israel Katz wrote on X.
Dismissing Katz's claims, Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez said Yamal made Spain “proud” for waving a Palestinian flag at a victory parade.
“Those who think that waving the flag of a state is ‘inciting hatred’, they have either lost their minds or they have been blinded by their own disgrace,” Sanchez wrote on X.
“Lamine just expressed the solidarity with Palestine that millions of Spaniards feel. Yet another reason to be proud of him".
Recap: UAE denies Netanyahu secretly visited the country during the Iran war
06:45 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarIsraeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu quietly visited the United Arab Emirates during the Israeli-US war with Iran, his office said this week. The UAE later denied any secret visit had occurred.
Netanyahu met with UAE president Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in a gathering that “resulted in a historic breakthrough in relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates,” according to the Israeli statement. The Gulf nation normalized relations with Israel in 2020.
The UAE’s official WAM news agency later posted an article denying “reports circulating” about a Netanyahu visit. According to WAM, the country’s relations with Israel “are public and conducted within the framework of the well-known and officially declared Abraham Accords, and are not based on non-transparent or unofficial arrangements.”
The Emirati report also denied any Israeli military delegation was received in the UAE.
Breaking: Trump says he and Xi agree to keep Iran from having nuclear arms
06:28 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarUS president Donald Trump said this morning that he discussed Iran with Chinese president Xi Jinping and that they do not want Iran to have nuclear weapons and "want the straits open".
The two leaders met at the walled-off Zhongnanhai complex in Beijing as Trump wraps up his state visit to China.
"We've settled a lot of different problems that other people wouldn't have been able to solve," Trump said.
War worsens Lebanon's economic crisis
06:16 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarAyman al-Zain watched on a recent afternoon as a bulldozer cleared the rubble of what used to be his sports clothing store, which was one of dozens of buildings destroyed in Israeli strikes against the Hezbollah militant group.
With a nominal truce in place that has reduced but not halted the fighting, Al-Zain tried to assess whether to rebuild the shop in Beirut’s southern suburbs that he once hoped to pass down to his kids. But it's unlikely he will be able to do so anytime soon, and not only because of the fear of more airstrikes.
“Everything is expensive,” he told The Associated Press. “If I want to open a new store and get mannequins, hangers and some accessories, the prices are very different than before.”
More here.
War worsens Lebanon's economic crisis with job losses, price gouging and slow business
White House says Trump and Xi agreed on reopening of Hormuz
05:45 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarThe White House last night said Donald Trump and Xi Jinping agreed during talks in Beijing on the need to keep the Strait of Hormuz shipping lane open.
Xi made it clear that China's opposition to the militarisation of the strait and any effort to charge a toll for its use, White House added.
Trump said Xi also promised not to send Iran military equipment. "He said he’s not going to give military equipment, that’s a big statement," Trump said.
Iran effectively shut the waterway in response to US-Israeli attacks, which began on 28 February, causing an unprecedented disruption to global energy supplies. China is close to Iran and the main buyer of its oil.
The US paused its attacks on Iran last month but began a blockade of the country's ports.
Iran sets out five demands for new talks with US
05:27 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarIran said it will not enter more talks with the US unless five conditions are met, including paying reparations for the war and accepting Iran’s sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.
The White House is unlikely to accept those demands, which would essentially formalise Iran’s control over a waterway that was open to international traffic before the war.
Iran’s senior vice president, Mohammadreza Aref, yesterday said the strait belongs to Iran and that Tehran would not give it up “at any price,” state TV reported. “It has always been our property,” Aref said.
Iran says ships entering Hormuz must cooperate
05:01 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarIranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi has said that ships entering the Strait of Hormuz must cooperate with the Iranian navy after reports emerged of a ship being seized outside a UAE port.
Araghchi said: “In our view, the Strait of Hormuz is open to all commercial ships, but they must cooperate with our naval forces."Araghchi is in India for the Brics summit.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said it received reports that the ship seized yesterday was taken by unauthorised personnel while anchored 38 nautical miles northeast of the UAE port of Fujairah.
Indian authorities said that an Indian-flagged cargo ship sank off the coast of Oman after an attack sparked a fire aboard the vessel while it was en route from Somalia to Sharjah, another UAE port. They did not say who attacked the ship.
India’s foreign ministry called the incident “unacceptable” and condemned continued attacks on commercial shipping and civilian mariners.
India hikes petrol and diesel prices
04:39 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarIndia has raised petrol and diesel prices for the first time in four years by about Rs3 ($0.03) per litre, according to retailers in Delhi, as the country aims to recoup some of the losses incurred due to higher global oil prices.
India is among the last major economies to raise retail fuel prices. A litre of diesel in Delhi will cost Rs90.67 ($0.95) and petrol Rs97.77 ($1.02).
While multiple countries in South Asia had hiked their fuel prices shortly after the onset of the US and Israel war in Iran, India waited until after key state elections were over.
Rubio warns president Trump won’t be pressured into ‘bad deal
04:28 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarSecretary of State Marco Rubio has said that the US will not allow Iran to use America’s economic situation as “leverage” to pressure President Donald Trump into making a “bad deal”.
“What [President Trump] is making clear is if the Iranians think that they are going to use our domestic politics to pressure him into a bad deal, that's not going to happen,” he told NBC News.
Trump says he won't be patient with Iran for much longer
04:27 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarPresident Donald Trump said was running out of patience with Iran, as he urged Tehran to reach a deal with Washington.
"I am not going to be much more patient," Trump said in an interview aired last night on Fox News.
"They should make a deal."Trump has previously dismissed Iran's proposal as "garbage".
Oil prices rise after attacks and seizures of ships crossing Hormuz
04:17 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarOil prices rose this morning as market concerns persisted over ship attacks and seizures despite Iran saying about 30 vessels had passed through the Strait of Hormuz, while the US and Chinese presidents were set for a second day of talks in Beijing.
Brent crude oil futures rose 60 cents, or 0.57 per cent, to $106.32 a barrel by 0100 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate futures were up 54 cents, or 0.53 per cent, to $101.71.
Yang An, analyst at Haitong Futures, said the main driver of oil prices was still tight supply.
"Oil prices swung several times yesterday but still closed near the day's high," he said. "Ships passing through the strait eased some market concerns, but not enough to change the strong trend driven by tight supply."
Iran war briefing:
04:16 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar- President Donald Trump says he won't be 'much more patient' with Iran as he urged Tehran to reach a deal with Washington
- US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer has claimed that Chinese officials made clear at the US-China summit that it wants to see the Strait of Hormuz reopen without restrictions or tolls and that Beijing will act pragmatically to limit military support for Iran
- Secretary of state Marco Rubio has defended the war on Iran, claiming Tehran was building a massive missile and drone arsenal to eventually protect a nuclear weapons programme
- Oil prices rose today as market concerns persisted over ship attacks and seizures despite Iran saying about 30 vessels had passed through the Strait of Hormuz