President Donald Trump has called off a trip for US negotiators to visit Pakistan for ceasefire talks on Iran but insisted that a shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday would not deter him from a win.
“I just cancelled the trip of my representatives going to Islamabad, Pakistan, to meet with the Iranians. Too much time wasted on traveling, too much work!” he wrote on Truth Social about the plan to send envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Speaking to reporters later in the aftermath of the WHCD shooting, he said: “It’s not going to deter me from winning the war in Iran.”
Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said he had discussed “the latest developments related to the ceasefire" and Tehran’s “views and considerations” in Pakistan and expressed a willingness to continue mediation efforts. Iran had insisted that no direct talks with Washington were scheduled to take place.
The delegation left Islamabad shortly after meeting Pakistani officials.
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Key Points
- Trump cancels US negotiators' trip to Pakistan for Iran talks
- Iranian foreign minister delivers Tehran's negotiating demands
- Four dead in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon
- Iran executes January protester for being Israeli 'intelligence agent'
- Trump says WHCD shooting is 'not going to deter me from winning war in Iran'
Netanyahu 'shocked' by 'attempted assassination' of Trump
09:00 , Maira ButtIsraeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed his shock at a shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday, which saw President Donald Trump and JD Vance escorted out of event by security officials.
“Sara and I were shocked by the attempted assassination of President @realDonaldTrump last night in Washington, DC,” Netanyahu wrote in a post on X.
“We are relieved that the President and the First Lady are safe and strong. We send our wishes for a full and speedy recovery to the wounded police officer and salute the US Secret Service for their swift and decisive action.”
All the alternative routes for Middle East oil and gas to bypass the Strait of Hormuz
08:46 , Maira ButtThe US-Israeli war with Iran has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, with only three vessels passing the waterway in one 24 hour, 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 US and Iran appeared in jeopardy on Tuesday as Iran vowed to retaliate for the US seizure of one of its vessels and refused to join new peace talks.
All the alternative routes for Middle East oil and gas to bypass the Strait of Hormuz
Government ramps up planning for possible supply shortages from Iran war
08:15 , Maira ButtThe UK government is escalating its planning to counteract potential shortages stemming from the Iran conflict.
Oil prices have soared since the US-Israel war on Iran began, driven by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz – a key shipping lane that once handled a fifth of global oil and gas.
The Prime Minister will chair another meeting of the Cabinet committee, established to manage the fallout, this Tuesday, following last week's Middle East Response Committee session.
A separate contingency group of ministers, led by Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones, also meets twice weekly.
Government ramps up planning for possible supply shortages from Iran war
Recap: Trump says White House dinner shooting will not deter him from Iran war
07:50 , Maira ButtIf you’re just joining us, here are the latest updates on the ongoing tensions between the US, Israel and Iran.
- President Donald Trump and JD Vance were escorted out of a White House correspondents’ dinner on Saturday evening after a shooting in the building said to have targeted Trump administration officials. The US leader said it would not deter him from a win in the Iran war.
- Mr Trump cancelled a trip scheduled for US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to visit Islamabad, Pakistan, after saying the distance was too far to travel and “too much work” without a plan.
- The Iranian delegation left Pakistan on Saturday after conveying their demands and reservations to Pakistani officials. They had insisted that no direct talks were scheduled contrary to US reports.
- Israel continued to bomb Lebanon despite a ceasefire and said it is targeting Hezbollah.
- Israeli attacks that have killed journalists were condemned by the UK and Finland in a statement by the Media Freedom Coalition on Saturday.
Iran caused more extensive damage to US bases than publicly acknowledged, says NBC
07:24 , Maira ButtIranian attacks on US military bases caused far more extensive damage than has been publicly acknowledged, a new report by NBC has suggested.
Three US officials familiar with the damage told the publication that it was extensive and wide-reaching.
Facilities affected by Iranian retaliatory strikes include the headquarters of the US navy in Bahrain, the centre for the navy’s operations in the region, which suffered serious damage while some parts of the building sustained destruction that was likely more repairable.
Bases had been largely cleared of troops leaving them vulnerable to attack.
The American Enterprise Institute found that multiple hangars and warehouses at the Ali Al Salem air base in Kuwait was also hit. The AEI said that Iran hit more than 100 targets across 11 Gulf countries, with estimated damage at around $5bn.
Two air defence systems were also damaged in the region.
Iran executes man linked to militant group, Tasnim reports
07:00 , Shweta SharmaIran executed a man convicted of being a member of the Sunni militant group Jaish al-Adl and carrying out attacks on Iranian security forces, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday.
Authorities identified the man as Amer Ramesh, saying he had been arrested in a counter-terrorism operation in southeastern Iran and charged with armed rebellion, including being involved in bombings and ambushes targeting military personnel.
Jaish al-Adl is an extremist Sunni Muslim militant group active in Iran's poorest region, Sistan-Baluchestan.
US intercepts sanctioned merchant vessel in Arabian Sea, Central Command says
06:30 , Shweta SharmaThe US Central Command said it intercepted a merchant vessel attempting to breach the blockade of Iran, in what it described as part of ongoing efforts to curb illicit energy shipments.
The ship, identified as Sevan, was among a 19-vessel “shadow fleet” allegedly transporting Iranian oil and gas products to foreign markets, according to the US military.
Central Command said the vessel was intercepted in the Arabian Sea by a US Navy helicopter operating from the guided-missile destroyer USS Pinckney. The ship is now “complying with US military direction to turn back to Iran under escort,” it added.
Officials said the so-called shadow fleet has been sanctioned by the US Treasury for moving billions of dollars’ worth of Iranian energy exports – including propane and butane – to overseas buyers.
Since the blockade began, the US military says it has redirected 37 vessels attempting similar routes.
Iran to include US-Iran war in school textbooks
06:00 , Shweta SharmaIran plans to incorporate its recent conflict with the United States and Israel into school textbooks, the country’s education minister has said.
Alireza Kazemi described it as the “third imposed war” – a reference used by officials for the latest fighting, now under a ceasefire extended by Donald Trump.
“We will try to ensure that the memory of the martyrs and the strength of the Islamic Republic in the third imposed war are properly reflected in our textbooks,” the minister said.
He added that a dedicated working group has been set up to integrate accounts of the conflict into the curriculum, including what he described as narratives from the war and “the martyrdom of the leader”.
“We will present this history using all available capacities and pass it on to the new generation,” he said.
Last year, authorities introduced new curriculum materials portraying an earlier confrontation with Israel as a national success, aimed at reinforcing unity, patriotism and deterrence among students.
Iran's Araghchi expected to visit Pakistan again after Oman trip, Mehr reports
05:41 , Shweta SharmaIranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to visit mediator Pakistan again after completing his trip to Oman, before traveling to Russia, Iran's Mehr news agency reported on Saturday.
Araghchi earlier left the Pakistani capital Islamabad without any sign of a breakthrough in peace talks with Pakistani prime minister Shehbaz Sharif and other senior officials over the Iran war.
Iran executes man over alleged role in anti-government protests
05:30 , Shweta SharmaIran has executed a man over his alleged role in anti-establishment protests in January, with authorities claiming he acted on behalf of Israel’s intelligence agency, Mossad.
Judiciary-linked media identified the man as Erfan Kiani, saying his death sentence had been upheld by the Supreme Court before being carried out early on Saturday.
Officials said Kiani led a group in the central city of Isfahan accused of damaging public and private property, setting fires, using Molotov cocktails, blocking roads and attacking security forces during the unrest.
State media portrayed him as a central figure in efforts to create “fear and chaos”, framing the case as part of what authorities describe as a wider campaign against foreign-backed activity.
The execution comes amid an ongoing crackdown following the January protests, with several people put to death in recent weeks on similar charges.
Earlier this month, two men were executed after being accused of attempting to storm a military site and seize weapons, while another man was killed over allegations he set fire to a mosque during the unrest.
Rights groups, including Amnesty International, have repeatedly raised concerns over the use of capital punishment in protest-related cases, saying defendants are often convicted in unfair trials.
Trump says White House dinner shooting incident won’t deter him from Iran war
05:08 , Shweta SharmaDonald Trump said he did not believe the shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ dinner was linked to Iran war.
When asked whether the shooting was linked to the ongoing war in Iran, he said he did not believe that was the case, but investigators are still gathering information.
But stressed that the incident will not deter him from the war in Iran.
The president added that he believes the suspect was a "lone wolf," and called him a "whack job."
Iran's president says Tehran will not force negotiations with US
05:00 , Shweta SharmaAfter talks in Islamabad were cancelled for the second time, Iran’s president Masoud Pezeshkian has said Tehran will not engage in “forced negotiations” with the US while under pressure and threats, according to state broadcaster Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting.
In a phone call with pakistani mrime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Pezeshkian said US actions were eroding trust and making dialogue increasingly difficult. Progress, he warned, would remain elusive unless Washington halts what he described as “hostile actions and operational pressures”.
He added that the US must first remove “operational obstacles, including the blockade” affecting ships travelling to and from Iranian ports in order to create conditions for resolving disputes.
Sharif, in turn, said Islamabad would continue its “sincere and honest endeavours” to promote regional peace and security, according to a statement from his office.
In a post on X, he also welcomed Iran’s decision to send a high-level delegation led by foreign minister Abbas Araghchi to Islamabad for talks aimed at ending the conflict.
The Iranian delegation departed Islamabad on Saturday for further discussions in Oman.
Meanwhile, US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had been expected to visit the Pakistani capital, but Donald Trump cancelled the trip at the last minute.
Israel directs military 'vigorously attack Hezbollah targets'
04:30 , Shweta SharmaIsrael’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has ordered the military to “vigorously attack Hezbollah targets” in Lebanon, just two days after a ceasefire between the sides was extended by three weeks.
The directive was swiftly followed by fresh Israeli strikes, amid renewed cross-border exchanges that have underscored the fragility of the truce.
While the agreement has reduced the intensity of fighting, it has fallen short of a complete halt in hostilities.
The ceasefire extension was agreed on Thursday after talks between the countries’ envoys in Washington, but violence has persisted.
On Saturday, Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon killed at least six people, according to Lebanese authorities.
Lebanon’s health ministry said four people were killed when a truck and a motorbike were targeted in the town of Yohmor al-Shaqeef in Nabatieh district, Agence France-Presse reported. In a separate attack on Safad al-Battikh in Bint Jbeil district, two more people were killed and 17 injured.
The Israel Defense Forces said it had “eliminated” three Hezbollah members travelling in a vehicle “loaded with weapons”, as well as another operative riding a motorcycle.
Trump and first lady rushed out of White House Correspondent's dinner
03:56 , Shweta SharmaUS president Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump were rushed out of the White House Correspondents' Association dinner by Secret Service agents on Saturday night after a man armed with a shotgun tried to breach security, officials said.
The armed man fired at a Secret Service agent, an FBI official told Reuters.
The agent was hit in an area covered by protective gear and not harmed, the official said.
All federal officials, including Trump, were safe. About an hour after Trump was rushed from the event, he posted on Truth Social that a "shooter had been apprehended."
"Quite an evening in DC Secret Service and Law Enforcement did a fantastic job," Trump added.
Addressing a press conference, Trump said the suspect was "a very sick person".
"We don't want things like this to happen," he said.
Trump to talk to King about Iran and Nato rift at ‘high stakes’ US state visit
03:00 , Rebecca WhittakerDonald Trump has revealed he plans to talk to King Charles about the Iran war and strained relations with Nato during the monarch’s “high stakes” state visit.
The US president also plans to raise the UK digital services tax with the royal during the four-day visit next week. The president has threatened to impose tariffs on Britain if Sir Keir Starmer does not drop the tax, which targets several major tech firms.
"I'm going to talk about everything," Donald Trump said during a phone interview with Reuters. "I'm going to talk about it. He's a friend of mine, and he's a great guy."
Read more here:
Trump to talk to King about Iran and Nato rift at ‘high stakes’ US state visit
Tucker Carlson admits he doesn’t ‘hate’ Trump, but feels ‘betrayed’ by the president’s policies
02:00 , Rebecca WhittakerTucker Carlson says he doesn’t hate his former close friend, President Donald Trump, but feels “betrayed” by the administration’s recent military actions in the Middle East.
Carlson, the former Fox News host and one of the most influential conservative media voices in America, was once closely aligned with Trump and even served as an informal adviser.
Now, Carlson has become one of Trump’s most vocal conservative critics, especially over the president’s foreign policy and military actions in the Middle East.
Read more here:
Tucker Carlson admits he doesn’t ‘hate’ Trump but feels ‘betrayed’ by policies
Watch: US could challenge UK over Falklands for not backing Iran war
01:00 , Rebecca WhittakerRecap: Trump cancelled the US negotiators' trip to Pakistan for Iran talks
Sunday 26 April 2026 00:00 , Rebecca WhittakerDonald Trump has cancelled the US negotiators' trip to Pakistan for Iran talks.
In a post on Truth Social he said there would have been "too much time wasted on travelling".
"We have all the cards," he added, "they have none".
"If they want to talk, all they have to do is call."
Pictured: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visits Muscat, Oman
Saturday 25 April 2026 23:30 , Rebecca Whittaker
Israeli strikes hit southern Lebanon
Saturday 25 April 2026 23:00 , Rebecca WhittakerLebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA) has reported a number of Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon, in the districts of Bint Jbeil, Tyre, and Nabatieh.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it struck "Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure used for military purposes across southern Lebanon".
“The targeted structures were used by the Hezbollah terrorist organization to advance attacks against IDF soldiers and the State of Israel,” it added.
“The IDF will continue to operate decisively against threats directed at Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers, in accordance with directives from the political echelon.”
Iran resumes commercial flights from Tehran's international airport
Saturday 25 April 2026 22:30 , Rebecca Whittaker
Iran resumes commercial flights from Tehran's international airport
Watch: Pete Hegseth brushes off Pope Leo's criticisms of Iran war: 'Pope’s gonna do his thing'
Saturday 25 April 2026 22:00 , Rebecca WhittakerArgentina renews call for Falklands talks amid potential shift in US stance
Saturday 25 April 2026 21:40 , Rebecca WhittakerArgentina has called for talks with the UK over the Falkland Islands after reports the US could review its position on the South Atlantic territory in retaliation for Sir Keir Starmer’s lack of support for the war in Iran.
Downing Street had earlier insisted the sovereignty of the Falklands was “not in question”.
That came after an internal Pentagon email set out options for president Donald Trump’s administration to punish Nato allies for refusing to join the US-Israeli strikes against Iran.
Read more here:
Argentina renews call for Falklands talks amid potential shift in US stance
Iran's Araqchi expected to visit Pakistan again
Saturday 25 April 2026 21:20 , Rebecca WhittakerIranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi is expected to visit mediator Pakistan again after completing his trip to Oman, before traveling to Russia, Iran's Mehr news agency reported on Saturday.
Araqchi earlier left the Pakistani capital Islamabad without any sign of a breakthrough in peace talks with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other senior officials over the Iran war.
Watch: US could challenge UK over Falklands for not backing Iran war
Saturday 25 April 2026 21:00 , Rebecca WhittakerPictured: Israeli left-wing activists protest against the ongoing war with Iran
Saturday 25 April 2026 20:30 , Rebecca Whittaker
Trump claims he cancelled US negotiators' trip to Pakistan because it was too far to travel
Saturday 25 April 2026 20:15 , Rebecca WhittakerUS President Donald Trump said he cancelled the US negotiators' trip to Pakistan for Iran talks because it would have involved "too much travel", adding that the US has "all the cards".
Speaking to reporters in Florida before flying to Washington he explained nothing has changed in recent days, and the US delegation was not going to travel that far "without a plan".
Trump to talk to King about Iran and Nato rift at ‘high stakes’ US state visit
Saturday 25 April 2026 20:00 , Rebecca Whittaker Trump to talk to King about Iran and Nato rift at ‘high stakes’ US state visit
US envoys won't meet 'people nobody's ever heard of', Trump says
Saturday 25 April 2026 19:49 , Rebecca WhittakerSpeaking in Florida on his way back to the White House, US president Donald Trump said he is not “meeting with people that nobody’s ever heard of.”
Earlier today Trump cancelled the US negotiators' trip to Pakistan for Iran talks.
Following his decision he said JD Vance, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are all “very competent" but added that they were not “meeting with the leader of the country,” Sky News reported.
Israel orders military to 'vigorously attack' Hezbollah targets
Saturday 25 April 2026 19:42 , Rebecca WhittakerIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to "vigorously attack Hezbollah targets in Lebanon", according to a statement from his office.
The IDF issued several statements on Telegram accusing Hezbollah of violating a ceasefire agreed between Israel and Lebanon, the BBC has reported.
Watch: Iran’s exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi hit with red liquid while walking down street
Saturday 25 April 2026 19:30 , Rebecca WhittakerPakistan PM spoke to Iran's President about regional situation
Saturday 25 April 2026 19:20 , Rebecca WhittakerPakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the evolving regional situation.
"Pakistan remains committed to serve as an honest and sincere facilitator - working tirelessly to advance durable peace and lasting stability in the region," Sharif said in a post on X.
Had a warm and constructive telephone exchange this evening with my brother, President Masoud Pezeshkian, on the evolving regional situation.
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) April 25, 2026
I appreciated Iran’s continued engagement, including the high-level delegation to Islamabad led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, whom…
Comment: Why a century-old naval disaster means Trump can’t take the Strait of Hormuz by force
Saturday 25 April 2026 19:00 , Rebecca WhittakerAs Donald Trump and Iran insist on keeping the Strait of Hormuz firmly closed while a shaky ceasefire persists, John W S Clark looks back at a similar stand-off more than a century ago, which did not end well.
Why a century-old naval disaster means Trump can’t take the Strait of Hormuz by force
Trump says Navy is clearing Iranian mines from the Strait of Hormuz
Saturday 25 April 2026 18:45 , Rebecca WhittakerPresident Donald Trump said the US Navy is clearing Iranian mines from the Strait of Hormuz.
Sweeping for underwater explosives could take months despite a tenuous ceasefire between the US and Iran, experts say.
Any future claims that the US cleared the waterway where 20 per cent of the world's oil typically passes might fail to convince commercial freighters and their insurers that it is finally safe.
"You don't even have to have lain mines — you just have to make people believe that you've laid mines," said Emma Salisbury, a scholar at the Foreign Policy Research Institute's National Security Program.
"And even if the US sweeps the strait and says everything's clear, all the Iranians have to do is say, 'Well, actually, you haven't found them all yet,"' said Salisbury, who is also a fellow at the Royal Navy Strategic Studies Centre.
"There's only so much the US can do to give that confidence back to commercial shipping."
Trump send's message to Iran after cancelling trip to Pakistan
Saturday 25 April 2026 18:19 , Rebecca WhittakerDonald Trump has cancelled the US negotiators' trip to Pakistan for Iran talks.
In a post on Truth Social he said there would have been "too much time wasted on travelling".
"We have all the cards," he added, "they have none".
"If they want to talk, all they have to do is call."
In pictures: Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi meets with Pakistan's prime minister Shehbaz Sharif
Saturday 25 April 2026 18:15 , Maira Butt
Iran’s Foreign Minister says he is 'yet to see if the US is truly serious about diplomacy.'
Saturday 25 April 2026 18:07 , Rebecca WhittakerIran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has he is “yet to see if the US is truly serious about diplomacy,” following his visit to Pakistan.
Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi has laid out Tehran’s demands for ending the war with the US during talks in Islamabad, according to a statement released on Saturday.
Meeting with head of Pakistan’s armed forces, Asim Munir, Araghchi said the pair discussed “the latest developments related to the ceasefire" and Tehran’s “views and considerations”. He expressed a willingness to continue mediation efforts.
However, following his “fruitful” visit he said questioned whether the intensions of the US in a post on X.
He wrote: “Very fruitful visit to Pakistan, whose good offices and brotherly efforts to bring back peace to our region we very much value. Shared Iran's position concerning workable framework to permanently end the war on Iran. Have yet to see if the U.S. is truly serious about diplomacy.”
Very fruitful visit to Pakistan, whose good offices and brotherly efforts to bring back peace to our region we very much value.
— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) April 25, 2026
Shared Iran's position concerning workable framework to permanently end the war on Iran. Have yet to see if the U.S. is truly serious about diplomacy.
Watch: Trump rules out use of nukes in Iran but says he won't be rushed to end Middle East crisis
Saturday 25 April 2026 17:45 , Maira ButtUS has ‘burned through’ billions of dollars’ worth of critical weapons supplies in the Iran war, report claims
Saturday 25 April 2026 17:15 , Maira ButtThe U.S. has burned through billions of dollars’ worth of its critical weapons stockpile in the war with Iran, according to a report.
The conflict, which began on February 28, has seen the Pentagon use more than 1,200 Patriot interceptor missiles, and each costs more than $4 million.
The military has also used up around 1,100 of its long-range stealth cruise missiles stockpiled for a potential war with China, according to congressional officials and internal Defense Department estimates obtained by the New York Times. More than 1,000 Tomahawk cruise missiles have been fired, too, which is around 10 times the amount currently bought by the U.S. Military each year.
Owen Scott reports:
US ‘burned through’ billions of dollars of weapons in Iran war, report
Trump says he canceled US negotiators' trip to Pakistan for Iran talks
Saturday 25 April 2026 17:10 , Rebecca WhittakerUS President Donald Trump has cancelled Witkoff and Kushner’s trip to Pakistan to meet with the Iranians, Fox News White House Correspondent Aishah Hasnie has reported.
She said in a post on X Trump told Fox News about the trip's cancellation during a phone call.
🚨 BREAKING: President Trump just told me over the phone he has unilaterally cancelled Witkoff and Kushner’s trip to Pakistan to meet with the Iranians.
— Aishah Hasnie (@aishahhasnie) April 25, 2026
"I've told my people a little while ago they were getting ready to leave, and I said, 'Nope, you're not making an 18 hour…
