Donald Trump has announced that the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire has been extended by three weeks, as he said he has "all the time in the world" to reach a peace deal with Iran.
“We had a great meeting with very high officials of Lebanon and very high officials of Israel”, the US president said from the Oval Office on Thursday.
“They’ve agreed to an additional three weeks of no firing”.He claimed that he could continue with the war in the Middle East, but Iran was running out of time. “I have all the time in the World, but Iran doesn’t — The clock is ticking,” he added.
Trump said Tehran might have loaded up their weaponry "a little bit" during its ceasefire with Washington, but that the US military could knock that out in about one day.
Also on Thursday, Trump dismissed the idea that he could use a nuclear weapon against Iran, branding the question “stupid”. “We've totally, in a very conventional way, decimated them without it. “No, I wouldn't use it. A nuclear weapon should never be allowed to be used by anybody”.
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US sailor heading for the Strait of Hormuz evacuated after monkey attack
Key Points
- Donald Trump announces Israel-Lebanon ceasefire extension
- Iran's supreme leader awaiting prosthetic leg after attack - report
- Trump rules out use of nuclear weapons on Iran - watch
- Israeli official questions fragile ceasefire: 'It's not 100 per cent'
- Italy dismisses Trump's suggestion of replacing Iran at World Cup
- Trump threatens to end war by force
US sailor heading for the Strait of Hormuz evacuated after monkey attack
08:15 , Alex CroftA U.S. sailor on the way to counter mines in the Strait of Hormuz was medically evacuated after getting scratched by a monkey during a stop in Phuket, Thailand, according to officials.
“The sailor received medical care and was transferred back to Japan for further care,” a spokesperson for the U.S. 7th Fleet told Axios, which first reported the incident. “There were no operational impacts.”
“Weird stuff happens,” an unnamed military official added in an interview with the outlet. “This was definitely an unknown unknown.”
The Independent has contacted the 7th Fleet for further details.
US sailor heading for the Strait of Hormuz evacuated after monkey attack
Watch: Iran’s exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi hit with red liquid while walking down street
08:09 , Alex CroftHow did Israel and Lebanon respond to ceasefire agreement?
07:50 , Alex CroftAs we’ve been reporting, officials from Israel and Lebanon have agreed to extend their ceasefire by three weeks.
The truce has not wholly succeeded. While it has yielded a significant reduction in violence, attacks have continued in southern Lebanon, where Israeli troops have seized a self-declared buffer zone.
But following yesterday’s agreement, Israel’s ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter and Lebanese ambassador Nada Moawad hailed what they described as important progress.
Ambassador Moawad, who went into the meeting seeking an extension of the ceasefire, thanked Trump for hosting the talks. "I think with your help, with your support, we can make Lebanon great again," she said.
Israeli ambassador Leiter said during the meeting that the talks must focus on rooting out Hezbollah rather than on Israel withdrawing its forces.
"If Hezbollah and IRGC operatives continue to be treated with kid gloves, a real process of achieving our mutual goal will remain unachievable," Leiter said, according to remarks shared by the Israeli embassy in Washington.
Iran grants 'friendly' Russia Hormuz transit fee exemption
07:30 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarIran has granted Russia a fee exemption to transit the Strait of Hormuz, according to RIA Novosti.
“We have provided exceptions for some countries. I don’t know what will happen in the future,” the Iranian ambassador to Moscow, Kazem Jalali, told the state media outlet.
“At the moment, our foreign ministry is trying to use the exceptions provided for friendly countries, for example, Russia,” he said.
Frustration grows among Pakistanis with capital under lockdown for stalled US-Iran talks
07:15 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarNo date has been set for the second round of US-Iran peace talks, but Islamabad has been turned into a fortress with sweeping security restrictions, forcing locals to grapple with frustration and uncertainty, Maroosha Muzaffar reports.
Frustration grows as Islamabad under indefinite lockdown for stalled US-Iran talks
Oil prices reach $105 as Iran and US tighten grip on Strait of Hormuz
07:15 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarOil prices held above $105 a barrel on Friday as the Strait of Hormuz remained closed, with both the US and Iran seizing ships.
Brent crude climbed 0.63 per cent to $105.73 a barrel, and US West Texas Intermediate advanced 0.32 per cent to $96.17, as the naval standoff keeping the waterway shut showed no sign of resolution.
More here.
Oil prices reach $105 as Iran and US tighten grip on Strait of Hormuz
Iran's supreme leader awaiting prosthetic leg after attack - report
07:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarIran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is reported to be expected to undergo facial reconstructive surgery and be fitted with a prosthetic leg after surviving a bomb attack.
The New York Times reported that Khamenei is still capable of comprehending communications and making decisions, but he’s already been subject to a surgery on his hand and has severe facial burns.
The report comes a month after US defence secretary Pete Hegseth claimed that the leader was “wounded” and likely “disfigured" following the attack.
The report added that Khamenei has had very little contact with Iranian generals amid negotiations to end the war.
The youngest son of former supreme leader Ali Khamenei was chosen as Iran’s top leader following the killing of his father in US-Israeli strikes.
Pentagon email floats suspending Spain from Nato over Iran row
06:50 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarAn internal Pentagon email reportedly outlines options for the US to punish Nato allies it believes failed to support US operations in the war with Iran, including suspending Spain from the alliance.
The mail also called for a review of the US position on Britain's claim to the Falkland Islands, a US official told Reuters.
The policy options are detailed in a note expressing frustration at some allies' perceived reluctance or refusal to grant the US access, basing and overflight rights - known as ABO - for the Iran war, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the email.
The email stated that ABO is "just the absolute baseline for Nato," according to the official, who added that the options were circulating at high levels in the Pentagon.
One option in the email envisions suspending "difficult" countries from important or prestigious positions at Nato, the official said
President Donald Trump has harshly criticised Nato allies for not sending their navies to help open the Strait of Hormuz, which was closed to global shipping following the start of the air war on 28 February.
Hezbollah lawmaker says ceasefire to continue on basis on Israel's compliance
06:45 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarHezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah said the Iran-backed group wanted the ceasefire to continue but "on the basis of full compliance by the Israeli enemy".
At a televised press conference, he reiterated Hezbollah's objections to face-to-face talks between Lebanon and Israel. and urged the government to cancel all forms of direct contact.
Hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel reignited on 2 March, when the group opened fire in support of Iran in the regional war.
The ceasefire in Lebanon emerged separately from Washington’s efforts to resolve its conflict with Tehran, though Iran had called for Lebanon to be included in any broader truce.
Trump orders US Navy to ‘shoot and kill’ Iranian mine boats in Hormuz
06:40 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarDonald Trump has ordered the US Navy to “shoot to kill” Iranian boats laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz as Iran continues to tighten its grip on the channel with the capture of commercial vessels.
The president posted on Truth Social that the military had been told to shoot “any boat, small boats though they may be ... that is putting mines in the waters of the Strait of Hormuz”, as the military said it had boarded another tanker, Majestic X, in the Indian Ocean.
He said he had ordered US minesweepers to continue de-mining the area “at a tripled up level”, but made no mention of the other means Iran has used to disrupt shipping along the route, with speedboats, missiles and drones.
More here.
Trump tells US Navy to ‘shoot to kill’ Iranian boats in the Strait of Hormuz
US envoy compares Hezbollah to a kid throwing rocks
06:20 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarMike Huckabee, the US envoy to Israel, who was on hand for the White House talks, said the "people of Lebanon, the people of Israel are neighbours and they want to get along".
"They can get along,” he said.
“But it’s like neighbours who have a rough little kid living in the neighbourhood who keeps throwing rocks at everybody’s window.
"And if the kid will quit throwing rocks, the neighbours can get along and start actually working together."
Aftermath of an israeli airstrike where 30 people died in Tyre, Lebanon
06:07 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
US puts $10m bounty on Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada leader
06:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarThe US has placed a $10m bounty on the leader of an Iranian-backed Shia militia in Iraq.
The US state department’s Rewards for Justice program issued a notice it sought the leader of Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada.
It said Hashim Finyan Rahim al-Saraji led the group, whose members “killed Iraqi civilians and attacked US diplomatic facilities in Iraq".
It also said Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada attacked US military bases and personnel in Iraq and Syria.
Guyana says tanker seized by US ‘fraudulently flying Guyana flag’
05:40 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarThe South American nation of Guyana said on Thursday that a tanker seized by the US in Asia for allegedly carrying sanctioned Iranian crude oil was “fraudulently flying the Guyana flag.”Guyana’s Maritime Administration Department made the announcement in a statement to journalists.
It noted the vessel had previously been named Phonix, which the US treasury noted when it previously sanctioned the vessel.
“This ship is not registered in Guyana; thus, the registration is false and fraudulent,” its statement said.“
While the name of the vessel has changed, the (International Maritime Organization) number remains recorded in the international database as PHONIX. There is no record of this vessel or name in Guyana’s registry.”
Oil prices near $110 a barrel
05:33 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarOil prices rose this morning over fears of renewed military escalation in the Middle East after Iran released footage of commandos boarding a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz.
Brent crude futures rose $1.23, or 1.17 per cent, to $106.3 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate futures were up $1.07, or 1.12 per cent, at $96.92.
Both benchmark contracts settled up more than 3 per cent yesterday and jumped $5 a barrel after reports that air defences were engaging targets over Tehran and of a power struggle between Iran's hardliners and moderates.
Trump says Iran needs to stop financing Hezbollah
05:20 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarDonald Trump has reiterated that the US continues to demand that Iran stop its backing of proxy groups in the Middle East, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, as part of any deal between Washington and Tehran to end the US war on Iran.
“Yeah, they’ll have to cut that,” Trump said to a reporter’s question about aiding the militant group. “That’s a must.”Lebanon and Israel extended their ceasefire for three weeks after a high-level meeting at the White House, Trump said last night.
Italy dismisses Trump's suggestion of replacing Iran at World Cup
05:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarItaly has dismissed Donald Trump's suggestion of replacing Iran at the upcoming World Cup.
Paolo Zampolli, the US special envoy for global partnerships, had suggested the swap to President Donald Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino, according to the Financial Times.
Italian sports minister Andrea Abodi said it would not be appropriate for the "Azzurri" to replace the Iranian team.
He said, "first of all, it’s not possible. Secondly, it’s not a good idea".
Italy’s finance minister Giancarlo Giorgetti called the suggested swap “shameful".
Iran has not withdrawn from the World Cup, and the team is preparing to play in the US despite the war in the Middle East.
Lebanon thanks Trump for hosting ceasefire talks
04:45 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarLebanon and Israel extended their ceasefire for three weeks after a high-level meeting at the White House, Trump said last night.
Lebanese ambassador to the US Nada Moawa, who went into the meeting seeking an extension of the ceasefire, thanked Donald Trump for hosting the talks.
"I think with your help, with your support, we can make Lebanon great again," she said.
"The Meeting went very well! The United States is going to work with Lebanon in order to help it protect itself from Hezbollah," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Hezbollah, the Iran-aligned armed group that is fighting Israel, was not present at the talks. It says it has "the right to resist" occupying forces.
US burns through weapons stockpile in Iran war: report
04:30 , Rachel DobkinThe US has burned through its weapons stockpile during its war against Iran, according to a new report.
Around 1,100 long-range stealth cruise missiles, 1,000 Tomahawk cruise missiles, 1,200 Patriot interceptor missiles and 1,000 Precision Strike and ATACMS ground-based missiles have been used in the war, The New York Times reported, citing internal US Defense Department estimates and congressional officials.
Iran War-weary Trump rambles on about sending his ‘pool guy’ to redo historic Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool
04:15 , Andrew FeinbergDonald Trump on Thursday shifted focus amid an Oval Office full of White House officials and pharmaceutical executives — and with the US war in Iran entering its eighth week — for an extended ramble about hiring his hotel company’s preferred swimming pool builder to renovate the historic reflecting pool on the National Mall.
The US president had been listening to executives from Regeneron — the company behind the Covid-19 treatment that saved his life when he contracted the virus in October 2020 — when he segued from talk about returning semiconductor manufacturing to the US to the renovations he ordered up at the White House and around Washington.
“The other thing that we're doing that's taking place right now is, the Lincoln Memorial has a beautiful reflecting pond, or lake. He called it a pool, lake and pond. Everything is different, but the word reflecting is a good term”, Trump said.
Read on...
Trump rambles on about his pool guy redoing historic Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool
Watch: Trump rules out use of nuclear weapons on Iran
04:00 , Rachel DobkinIsrael says it hit Hezollah missile launcher in Lebanon
03:30 , Rachel DobkinThe Israeli military has said it hit a Hezbollah missile launcher in Lebanon after it was used in an attack against Israel, the Associated Press reported.
Hezbollah, the Lebanese Iran-backed militant group, said it fired rockets toward Israel in retaliation for a previous Israeli strike in Lebanon.
Israel’s announcement came shortly after US President Donald Trump said the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire would be extended by three weeks. The truce is formally between Israel and the government of Lebanon, not Hezbollah.
Marco Rubio says he's 'optimistic' of 'permanent peace' between Israel and Lebanon
03:00 , Rachel DobkinUS Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said he's “optimistic” of there being “permanent peace” between Israel and Lebanon.
“I’m very optimistic that in a few weeks we’ll be even closer to the kind of permanent peace that the people of Israel and Lebanon deserve”, he said from the Oval Office Thursday.
Clearing all Strait of Hormuz mines could take six months, Pentagon warns
02:30 , Jane DaltonIt may take up to six months to completely clear the Strait of Hormuz of Iranian mines, according to a new report.
A US Defense Department official relayed the estimate to lawmakers during a closed-door congressional briefing on Tuesday, three sources familiar with the matter told The Washington Post.
The assessment points to potentially long-lasting economic consequences, as the strait — now subject to dueling U.S. and Iranian blockades — is a critical trade artery that carried 20 percent of the world’s oil before the war.
Read more from Brendan Rascius:
It could take 6 months to clear all the mines from the Strait of Hormuz: report
Israeli official questions fragile ceasefire: 'It's not 100 per cent'
02:00 , Rachel DobkinDanny Danon, Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, has questioned his country’s fragile ceasefire with Lebanon.
The ceasefire, which has been extended for three more weeks, is formally between Israel and Lebanon. But it's the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah that has been exchanging fire with Israel, not the Lebanese government.
“The Lebanese government have no control of Hezbollah and Hezbollah is sending rockets trying to sabotage the ceasefire”, Danon told CNN. “And Israel, we have to retaliate. Every time we see a threat, we take action”.
The ambassador said the extended truce is “a significantly better situation. It’s not 100%. I hope …to see that the Lebanese military are actually able to implement and to enforce this ceasefire”.
Trump boasts about 'historic' meeting with Israeli and Lebanese officials
01:30 , Rachel DobkinDonald Trump has boasted about his meeting with Israeli and Lebanese officials in Washington, D.C., Thursday, hinting at a possible visit from the countries’ leaders.
Trump, along with Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other US officials, met with “high ranking representatives” from Israel and Lebanon at the White House, the US president wrote on Truth Social.
“The Meeting went very well! The United States is going to work with Lebanon in order to help it protect itself from Hezbollah”, Trump said, referring to the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group.
Trump mentioned the three-week extension of the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire, adding, “I look forward in the near future to hosting the Prime Minister of Israel, Bibi Netanyahu, and the President of Lebanon, Joseph Aoun”.
“It was a Great Honor to be a participant at this very Historic Meeting!” he said.
Watch: Trump and Hegseth go on firing spree of US generals
01:00 , Jane Dalton
Trump and Hegseth go on firing spree of US generals in push to reshape military
Watch: Trump announces extension to Israel-Lebanon ceasefire after ruling out using nuclear weapon on Tehran
Friday 24 April 2026 00:31 , Rachel DobkinOpinion: Trump has locked himself in a forever war and thrown away the key
Friday 24 April 2026 00:02 , Jane Dalton
Trump has locked himself in a forever war and thrown away the key
Vance calls Israel-Lebanon ceasefire extension 'historic moment'
Thursday 23 April 2026 23:30 , Rachel DobkinUS Vice President JD Vance has called the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire extension a “historic moment”.
“I think this is a major, historic moment”, he said from the Oval Office Thursday. “We're going to extend the ceasefire for three weeks, that’s already in place between Israel and Lebanon. Of course, it would have happened without the President’s direct engagement”.
Trump announces Israel-Lebanon ceasefire extension
Thursday 23 April 2026 23:12 , Rachel DobkinDonald Trump has announced that the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire has been extended.
“We had a great meeting with very high officials of Lebanon and very high officials of Israel”, the US president said from the Oval Office on Thursday. “They’ve agreed to an additional three weeks of no firing”.
It’s unclear whether the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah would honor the ceasefire extension.
Watch: US military boards ship carrying Iranian oil in Indian ocean
Thursday 23 April 2026 23:00 , Jane DaltonTrump orders US Navy to ‘shoot and kill’ Iranian mine boats in Hormuz - full report
Thursday 23 April 2026 22:30 , Jane Dalton Trump tells US Navy to ‘shoot to kill’ Iranian boats in the Strait of Hormuz
Italy dismisses replacing Iran at World Cup
Thursday 23 April 2026 22:00 , Jane Dalton
Italy dismisses replacing Iran at the World Cup after suggestion by Trump official
Trump rules out using nuclear weapon on Iran
Thursday 23 April 2026 21:21 , Jane DaltonPresident Donald Trump has dismissed the idea that he would use a nuclear weapon on Iran.
Asked by reporters whether he would, he said: “No. Why do I need it? Why would a stupid question like that be asked? Why would I? Why would I use a nuclear weapon?
“We've totally, in a very conventional way, decimated them without it.
“No, I wouldn't use it. A nuclear weapon should never be allowed to be used by anybody.”
Trump threatens to end war by force
Thursday 23 April 2026 21:14 , Jane DaltonUS president Donald Trump has said if Iran does not want to make a deal, he will finish the war by force.
“If they don't want to make a deal, then I'll finish it up militarily with the other 25% of the targets,” he said in the White House.
“We've had 78% of the targets that we've wanted to hit. We've knocked out their manufacturing, we've knocked out their missile production, we've knocked out their drone production.
“We've knocked out everything. In some cases, when I say knock it out, 70, 80, 90% - it's amazing what we've done.”
Iran may have loaded up their weaponry "a little bit" during the two-week ceasefire, he said, but added that the US military can knock that out in about one day.
Watch: Iran demonstrates apparent ballistic missile at Tehran rally
Thursday 23 April 2026 21:10 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Iran shows off what appears to be a ballistic missile at Tehran rally
Dozens of countries plan how to keep Hormuz open after war
Thursday 23 April 2026 20:54 , Jane DaltonMilitary planners from countries seeking to join a UK and France-led mission to keep the Strait of Hormuz open once the Iran war ends have held “constructive” talks in London.
More than 40 nations sent planners to the two-day conference at the UK’s Permanent Joint Headquarters in Northwood, northwest London.
They had aimed to build on talks held by Sir Keir Starmer and French president Emmanuel Macron in Paris last week, and agree a defensive plan that would restore confidence for commercial shipping.
Defence secretary John Healey told attendees that “millions of people” were relying on them to succeed because of the importance of the strait.
Drug prices rise by up to 30 per cent due to Iran war, pharmacists warn
Thursday 23 April 2026 20:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainThe cost of essential medicines in England has risen by up to 30 per cent because of the war in Iran, pharmacists have warned.
Oil and gas prices continue to climb in what the International Energy Agency has dubbed the worst energy crisis in history due to disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, where the US have implemented a blockade and Iran is attacking vessels.
In turn this has led to increased manufacturing and transport costs for suppliers, who are now paying 40 to 50 per cent for stock, the National Pharmacy Association told The Guardian.
Drug prices rise by up to 30 per cent due to Iran war, pharmacists warn
All the alternative routes for Middle East oil and gas to bypass the Strait of Hormuz
Thursday 23 April 2026 19:30 , Maryam Zakir-HussainThe U.S.-Israeli war with Iran has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, with only three vessels passing the waterway in the past 24 hours, shipping data showed.
The Strait is considered the world's most important oil chokepoint and had been handling roughly one-fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas supply before the U.S. and Israel's war on Iran began on February 28.
More than a dozen tankers passed through the Strait after Iran briefly declared it open on Friday. But a ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran appeared in jeopardy on Tuesday as Iran vowed to retaliate for the U.S. seizure of one of its vessels and refused to join new peace talks.
Read more here:
All the alternative routes for Middle East oil and gas to bypass the Strait of Hormuz
Pope urges US and Iran to return to peace talks
Thursday 23 April 2026 19:15 , Jane DaltonThe Pope has urged the US and Iran to return to peace talks.
He also firmly condemned the killing of protesters in Iran, after US president Donald Trump criticised him last week for not doing so while speaking out against the US-Israel war with Iran.
Leo also decried the deaths of "so many" civilians in the war and lamented the collapse of n peace talks.
"I condemn all actions that are unjust. I condemn the taking of people's lives," the Pope said when asked about reports that Iran had killed thousands of protesters.
Leo was attacked by Trump on social media as "terrible" on 12 April, after the Pope emerged as an outspoken critic of the war and the president's hardline anti-immigration policies.
Lebanese journalist killed by Israeli strike was left under rubble for hours with no medical care, say officials
Thursday 23 April 2026 19:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainA journalist has been killed in an Israeli air strike while seeking shelter and then left under the rubble for hours without medical care, officials have told The Independent.
Amal Khalil, who worked for Lebanese newspaper Al Akhbar, was killed in the village of al-Tayri while covering Israel’s bombing of southern Lebanon on Wednesday.
Two strikes are reported to have struck the town in the Bint Jbeil district, killing two people and injuring one.
Maira Butt and Bel Trew report:
Journalist killed by Israeli air strike was left under rubble for hours
Thursday 23 April 2026 18:30 , Maryam Zakir-HussainThe US was due to host a second round of talks between Israel and Lebanon on Thursday, with Lebanon seeking an extension of a ceasefire reached last week in a war that has run in parallel to the Iran war.
Israeli strikes killed five people including a journalist in Lebanon on Wednesday, the deadliest day there since the US-brokered truce took effect.
Iran says maintaining the Lebanon ceasefire is a pre-condition for talks on the wider war.
Pakistan's junior interior minister told Reuters security plans for talks still in place
Thursday 23 April 2026 18:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainPakistan, which hosted talks this month and had been preparing for a second round before it was called off on Tuesday, was still in touch with both sides, a Pakistani government source said.
Iranian officials were still declining to commit to attend over the U.S. blockade, the source added.
Talal Chaudhry, a junior interior minister, told Reuters security plans for talks were still in place and Pakistan was "fully prepared to host an event of this scale with confidence".
Trump claims US blocking all Strait of Hormuz as well as ports
Thursday 23 April 2026 17:45 , Jane DaltonDonald Trump has claimed the US has total control over the Strait of Hormuz – contradicting US Central Command, which has previously said only vessels going to Iranian ports would be blocked, while other traffic would be allowed through.
Iran also claims to be controlling access to the strait.
The US leader wrote on social media: “No ship can enter or leave without the approval of the United States Navy. It is “Sealed up Tight,” until such time as Iran is able to make a DEAL!!!”
He also wrote: “Iran is having a very hard time figuring out who their leader is! They just don’t know! The infighting is between the “Hardliners,” who have been losing BADLY on the battlefield, and the “Moderates,” who are not very moderate at all (but gaining respect!), is CRAZY!”
'Neither peace nor war'
Thursday 23 April 2026 17:30 , Maryam Zakir-HussainTehran says it will not consider opening the strait, normally the route for a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas, until the U.S. lifts its blockade of Iran's shipping, which Washington imposed during the ceasefire and Tehran calls a violation of that truce.
Trump cancelled threats to restart attacks on Iran in the ceasefire's final hours on Tuesday, but refuses to lift the blockade. There has been no formal extension of the ceasefire, and no plans have been announced for further talks.
Iranians, who endured six weeks of U.S. and Israeli bombardment before the ceasefire on April 8, described a nerve-wracking environment under threat of renewed attack.
"In a situation that is neither peace nor war, things are somewhat frightening. At every moment, you think that Israel or the U.S. might launch an attack," Arash, 35, a government employee in Tehran, told Reuters by phone.
