US-Israel-Iran War LIVE | US Deploys 10,000 More Troops; Pakistani Military Chief Arrives In Tehran

A U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military operations, explained that the strategy is to observe vessels subject to the blockade leave Iranian facilities and clear the Strait of Hormuz before intercepting them and forcing them to turn around.

The official said that the military relies on more than just automated tracking beacons that all merchant ships are required to carry called AIS to determine merchant ships were coming from a port in Iran but wouldn’t go into more detail, citing the need for operational security. The official also wouldn’t go into what the military would do should they need to board and capture a ship.(AP)

In clips showing excerpts of an interview he taped with Fox Business Network’s “Mornings with Maria,” Trump says of the Iran war, “I think it’s close to over, yeah. I mean, I view it as very close to over.”

He adds, “If I pulled up stakes right now, it would take them 20 years to rebuild that country. And we’re not finished. We’ll see what happens. I think they want to make a deal very badly.”

Trump has declared a U.S. victory in Iran repeatedly since mere days after the war started — even as the reality on the ground has been far more complicated. The full interview is set to air starting Wednesday morning.(AP)

The blockade on Iranian ports had been “fully implemented” within 36 hours of its launch, according to a social media post by the U.S. Central Command late Monday. The statement quoted CENTCOM head Brad Cooper as saying the U.S. had halted all sea trade going in and out of Iran.(AP)

The negotiating team led by Vice President JD Vance called for Iran to agree to a uranium enrichment moratorium as part of a potential deal to end the war, according to a regional official involved in the mediation efforts and a person briefed on the matter.

The Iranians rejected the U.S. plan laid out during last weekend’s talks in Islamabad and came back with a counteroffer to suspend enrichment for five years, the regional official and a person briefed on the matter. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly on the negotiations.

The White House rejected the Iranian proposal that was conveyed by Tehran’s negotiators earlier this week.

The White House and the vice president’s office did not respond to requests for comment about the proposals.

The U.S. and Iranian proposals were first reported by the New York Times. (AP)

A Malta-flagged vessel is the first crude oil carrier to head west through the Strait of Hormuz since the United States blocked Iranian ports, according to a global shipping tracking monitor.

The Malta-flagged VLCC Agios Fanourios I is expected to arrive on Thursday at Basra, Iraq, where ports are not under U.S. blockade. Marine Traffic said the vessel attempted a transit again after anchoring in the Gulf of Oman for nearly two days. (AP)

U.S. Central Command said in a statement Wednesday that no vessels have made it past U.S. naval forces during the first 48 hours of the blockade on ships entering and exiting Iranian ports.

Central Command also said nine vessels have complied with the direction from U.S. forces to turn around and return toward an Iranian port or Iran’s coastal area. (AP)

An Israeli official said the meeting would be held on Wednesday evening. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

The meeting comes a day after Lebanon and Israel held their first direct diplomatic talks in decades in Washington, following more than a month of war between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group. (AP)

Johann Wadephul said it is “unacceptable” that the strait is being controlled by a single state and that tolls are being collected.

“We will demand that a complete opening of the Strait of Hormuz is guaranteed once again,” the foreign minister told reporters in Berlin on Wednesday. “This is not just in the interest of the Gulf states, this is not just in the interest of the immediate Asian neighbouring states, but it is in the interest of the entire global community.”

Referring to the Iran war, Wadephul reiterated that “this conflict can’t be solved through military means, it must be solved through negotiations.”

He also stressed that “the demands of the U.S. president are right — that the result of negotiations must be that there is no nuclear threat coming from Iran in the future. (AP)

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Jeddah on Wednesday and is set to meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss bilateral ties and regional issues, following recent Pakistan-hosted talks between the United States and Iran.

A statement from Sharif’s office in Islamabad said the prime minister was received at the airport by senior Saudi officials.

Sharif is accompanied by a high-level delegation including Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and the prime minister’s spokesman, Mosharraf Zaidi. (AP)

Pakistan’s army chief arrived in Tehran on Wednesday in the latest diplomatic move to ease tensions in the region and facilitate a second round of negotiations between the United States and Iran, two Pakistani officials said.

The military said the visit is “part of the ongoing mediation efforts” and gave no details. (AP)

The head of the U.N. General Assembly’s nuclear watchdog said Wednesday that “very detailed” measures to verify Iran’s nuclear activities must be included in a potential U.S.-Iran agreement to end their war in the Middle East.

International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi stressed the need for a thorough verification regime for Iran’s nuclear program, as U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that a second round of talks could happen over the next two days.

The Trump administration has said that preventing Iran from gaining a nuclear weapon is a key war aim. Iran has previously said it isn’t developing such weapons but rejected limits on its nuclear program. (AP)

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has defended sending King Charles III to the U.S. for a state visit later this month despite Trump’s threat to tear up a trade agreement with the U.K.

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey asked Starmer in Parliament how he could allow Charles to travel to the U.S. after Trump threatened to punish the U.K. “for us not joining his idiotic war in Iran.”

“This must be the last straw,” Davey said Wednesday. “Surely the prime minister can’t send our king to meet a man who treats our country like a Mafia boss running a protection racket.”

Starmer says the visit is to mark the 250th anniversary of the U.S. and the bond between the two countries that is more important “than anyone who occupies any particular office at any particular time.” (AP)

Lebanon’s Foreign Ministry has filed an official complaint with the U.N. Security Council over Israel’s intense barrage on the country last week that it says killed over 300 people and wounded 1,150 others.

In less than 10 minutes last Wednesday, Israel struck 100 targets across Beirut, the Bekaa Valley and southern Lebanon without warning during rush hour, marking one of the deadliest single bombing campaigns in the country’s history. The ministry said in its letter on Wednesday that the majority of casualties were unarmed civilians.

Israel says it targeted Hezbollah militants and infrastructure, but has offered few details on what was hit.

The foreign ministry also condemned Israeli attacks on Lebanese medical facilities as violations of international law. It said Israel has launched 17 attacks on hospitals and 101 attacks on emergency response teams in its latest war against Hezbollah. (AP)

A Pakistani political-security delegation, headed by the Pakistani Army Chief General Asim Munir, has left Islamabad en route to Tehran. The delegation carries a message from Washington to Tehran and will discuss upcoming negotiations with Iranian officials, reported Iran's Tasnim Media.

OSINT platform EGYOSINT, which posts regular updates about the war on X, stated that as of April 9, the US Air Force incurred a loss exceeding $2.5 billion. This includes the four F-15 fighters, one F-35 fighter, the Chinook helicopter that was hit in Kuwait, apart from the MQ-4C drone that we reported went missing over the Persian Gulf on April 9. Some were verified and reported by ETV Bharat earlier while others could not be independently verified.

The United States has not formally agreed to extend its two-week ceasefire with Iran, a senior official said Wednesday, after reports that President Donald Trump's administration had consented in principle to lengthen the truce.

"The United States has not formally agreed to an extension of the ceasefire," the US official told AFP on condition of anonymity. "There is continued engagement between the US and Iran to reach a deal."

Iran used a Chinese-built spy satellite to target US military bases across the Middle East during the war, monitoring Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, Muwaffaq Salti in Jordan, the US Fifth Fleet naval base in Bahrain, and Erbil airport in Iraq, per leaked Iranian military documents reviewed by FT.

The TEE-01B satellite was built and transferred in-orbit to the IRGC Aerospace Force in late 2024 by the Chinese company Earth Eye Co, with imagery taken before and after Iranian drone and missile strikes. China's foreign ministry denied the claim, calling it "not true."

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Iran is open to discussing the type and level of its uranium enrichment, but his country “based on its needs, must be able to continue enrichment,” Iran’s state media reported.

"We are not optimistic about the sustainability of any agreement with the United States, nor do we endorse, at this point, any possibilities regarding an extension of the ceasefire. The exchange of messages is conducted exclusively through the Pakistani mediator, and it is incumbent on the United States to demonstrate its seriousness regarding the negotiations," said Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei, according to Tasnim News.

The Turkish leader acknowledged that talks between the United States and Iran have hit obstacles, especially on the nuclear issue, but insisted that the dialogue must continue.

“Negotiations cannot be conducted with clenched fists. Weapons must not be allowed to speak again instead of words,” Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday in an address to his ruling party’s legislators.

Erdogan renewed his warning that Israel should not be allowed to undermine the ceasefire.

“The Israeli government, which is known to be displeased with the ceasefire, must not be allowed to sabotage the process,” Erdogan said.

His comments came as Turkish and Israeli officials traded accusations this week in a new verbal spat that further strained the two countries’ already tense relations.

Iran will likely host a high-level Pakistani delegation today in Tehran, stated Iran's Mehr News.

Trump stated that China is very happy that he is 'permanently opening the Strait of Hormuz'. "I am doing it for them, also - And the World. This situation will never happen again. They have agreed not to send weapons to Iran. President Xi will give me a big, fat, hug when I get there in a few weeks. We are working together smartly, and very well! Doesn’t that beat fighting??? BUT REMEMBER, we are very good at fighting, if we have to - far better than anyone else!!! (sic)," posted Trump on Truth Social.

Keir Starmer says he will not "yield" to Donald Trump after he threatened to rip up the UK-US trade deal over Iran

"I am not going to change my mind. I am not going to yield. It is not in our national interest to join this war," stated Starmer.

U.S. Marines conduct close-quarters tactics training aboard USS Tripoli (LHA 7) as the amphibious assault ship sails in the Arabian Sea. "During training evolutions like these, embarked Marines hone their skills for missions such as maritime interception operations. Tripoli is currently executing a mission to blockade ships entering and departing Iranian ports. The blockade is being enforced impartially against vessels of all nations," stated US Central Command on X.

We will not allow any export or import activity in the Gulf and the Sea of Oman if the American blockade continues. Our armed forces will not allow trade to flow through the Red Sea if the naval blockade continues. If America continues its naval blockade, this will be considered a prelude to violating the ceasefire," stated the commander of Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters.

EU Council President Antonio Costa stated, "The EU is a reliable and predictable partner for the Gulf. We are here to support the region’s stability and security. We want to make our cooperation deeper and stronger. And this is also the message I heard from all the leaders I met this week."

President Masoud Pezeshkian said no power can bring the Iranian nation to its knees, criticizing the double standards in the international system and condemning military actions against sovereign states, according to IRNA. Pezeshkian was speaking during a Wednesday visit to various departments of Tehran Province’s Emergency Organization, where he reviewed service delivery, operational readiness, and specialized capacities.

High-Resolution satellite imagery shows equipment positioned at a blocked tunnel entrance at a missile base south of Tabriz, Iran, with a line of dump trucks waiting nearby as crews work to restore access, according to Airbus Satellite Imagery, as seen on the OSINT platform Soar Atlas.

An Israeli military spokesperson stated on X that the country's Air Force struck more than 200 Hezbollah infrastructure, including launch platforms, military buildings, and personnel. The post also showed visuals of the strikes.

A crude oil tanker, Alicia (IMO Number: 9281695), transited the Strait of Hormuz in an East-West direction and entered the Iranian waters, according to Marine Traffic. The 330-metre tanker is a Curacao-flagged tanker, and according to Iran's Tasnim media, it is under US sanctions.

Trump told Fox News that he wrote a letter asking Chinese President Xi Jinping 'not to supply weapons to Iran', and that he received a reply stating that China is 'essentially not doing that'. He stated upon being asked about his upcoming meeting with Xi next month, and also said that "He (Xi) is someone who needs oil and we (USA) don't".

"Equating a sovereign UN member state with a jihadist terrorist organization is yet another proof of the UN Secretary-General’s failure. The UN has failed to disarm Hezbollah and failed to uphold its own Security Council Resolution 1701. Hezbollah is the enemy of both Israel and Lebanon, serving as the Iranian regime’s proxy to dominate Lebanon," stated Israel's Foreign Ministry on X, urging UN Sec Gen Antonio Guterres to "stand firmly behind genuine Israel–Lebanon peace efforts, not offer excuses for Hezbollah."

The Washington Post reported that the US is deploying multiple warships and 10000 additional troops, in addition to the ~50000 troops already present in the Middle East. This can indicate the possibility of a ground operation.

Israel issued a warning to the residents of Southern Lebanon, specifically those south of the Zahrani River. On an X post, Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee stated that the IDF will conduct airstrikes on Hezbollah in the area and issued the evacuation warning. "We reiterate our urgent appeal for you to evacuate your homes immediately and head north of the Zahrani River. Anyone present near Hezbollah elements, their facilities, or their combat vehicles endangers their life. To ensure your safety, we call on you to move immediately to the area north of the Zahrani River. Remaining south of the Zahrani River may endanger your lives and the lives of your families."

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Wednesday that “the right to enrich uranium for civilian purposes is an inalienable right of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

Whether Iran, in its negotiations with the United States, decides to “pause” or “insists on preserving this right,” Russia will accept “any approach based on this principle, the principle of the universality of the right to enrichment,” Lavrov told reporters in Beijing, where he was on a two-day visit this week.

Lavrov emphasized that Russia and China “firmly support” the talks to end the Mideast war, “so that the parties can advance realistic and fair goals, fully respecting the legitimate rights of each party, in accordance with international law.”

Iran is a signatory to the 1970 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which gives countries the right to peaceful nuclear energy programs with safeguards, but does not explicitly mention enrichment.

Mediators’ efforts to extend a ceasefire between the United States and Iran have made progress as the warring sides are expected to return soon to the table for another round of negotiations, regional officials said.

The officials said mediators aim to extend the ceasefire, which is due to expire on April 22, for at least another two weeks to allow diplomacy another chance. They said that both sides gave an “in principle agreement” to extend the ceasefire.

One of the officials, who is involved in the mediation efforts, said mediators were working on a compromise to the three main disputed points, including the nuclear program, the Strait of Hormuz and war compensation.

Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter.

Responding to reports that there may be a second round of negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, China said it “welcomes all efforts conducive to a ceasefire and the cessation of hostilities,” at a regular press briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing Wednesday.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun also praised Pakistan for its “role in facilitating a temporary ceasefire between the US and Iran and playing a fair and balanced mediating role.”

Beijing has been working behind the scenes to bring Iran to the negotiation table. Trump also said that he believed China helped to encourage Iran to agree to the ceasefire. (AP)

Iran’s Minister of Science, Research and Technology, Hossein Simaei Sarraf, on Wednesday said that Iranian students and faculty members expelled from US universities will be admitted to equivalent universities in Iran, adding that these scholars were studying legally in the US, IRNA reported.

Speaking on Wednesday during a visit to the Aerospace Research Institute, which had come under joint US-Israel attacks twice, Simaei Sarraf condemned it as another crime of the coalition in the sphere of science. The facility, he noted, hosted civilian research in biology, agriculture, and cartography. ​ The minister added that universities are already planning for the post‑war period, aligning educational and technological programs with national reconstruction needs.

Eight people were killed, and 29 were wounded by Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours, Gaza's Health Ministry said Wednesday. According to ministry figures, the total number of Palestinians killed since the start of the war is 72,344, with 172,242 wounded. It also said that since a ceasefire began on Oct. 11, 765 people have been killed and 2,140 have been wounded.

Iran on Wednesday objected to remarks made by former army officer and television personality Gaurav Arya for his comments on the genocidal war by Israel on Gaza. In a post on X, the Indian Consulate in Hyderabad said," Gaurav Arya says: 'We are the real brother of Israel and we want Israel to drop 100 bombs on Lebanon and 50 bombs on Gaza." @majorgauravarya, brotherhood with a genocidal and occupying regime has no credibility. It’s the classic gaslighting circular argument: Israel invades → people resist → Israel blames the resistance to justify even more invasions."

Israeli forces demolished villages in southern Lebanon using methods similar to those employed in Gaza, Haaretz reported, quoting Israeli soldiers. “We’re behaving just like we did in Gaza,” one army source told the newspaper, adding that “There’s a list of homes to be demolished, and we measure success based on the number of buildings destroyed in a day.”

The report said bulldozers have been used to raze villages near the border fence to clear space for "permanent" military outposts. Haaretz reported that Israeli troops have advanced to a third line of villages from the border, about 20 kilometres south of the Litani River.

European countries are putting together a plan for a broad coalition of countries to help free up shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, including sending mine-clearing and other military vessels, the Wall Street Journal reported. But the plan would only come after the war and may exclude one country in particular: the U.S.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday the plan is for an international defensive mission that doesn’t include the “belligerent” parties, meaning the U.S., Israel and Iran. European diplomats familiar with the plan say European ships wouldn’t be under American command. The goal of the European plan is to give shipping companies confidence to use the strait after the fighting has ended, which officials say could be some time away. The European plan is likely to include Germany, which had until now been publicly reluctant to even contemplate any military involvement, WSJ reported, quoting a senior German official.

An Israeli strike on Wednesday hit a vehicle in Saadiyat, around 20 kilometres (12 miles) south of Beirut, hours after Lebanon and Israel agreed to hold direct negotiations.

"Enemy aircraft targeted a car in Saadiyat," Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said. Israel is continuing its strikes on southern Lebanon in its war with Hezbollah, but has not targeted the Lebanese capital since a series of attacks across the country on April 8 that killed more than 350 people. (AFP).

Israel's army said Hezbollah militants fired around 30 rockets into northern Israel early on Wednesday, just hours after Washington hosted the first direct talks between Israel and Lebanon in decades. The military detected "approximately 30 launches" towards Israel since the early hours, a spokesman told AFP.

Ahead of a possible second round of US-Iran peace talks, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is set to begin a four-day trip to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkiye, the country's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

“Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif will undertake official visits to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the State of Qatar and the Republic of Turkiye from 15–18 April 2026,” the statement read.

During his visits to Saudi Arabia and Qatar, Sharif will meet with each country’s leaders to “discuss ongoing bilateral cooperation as well as regional peace and security”. While in Turkey, Sharif will participate in the Antalya Diplomacy Forum and hold bilateral meetings with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as well as other leaders on the sidelines, the statement said.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar is accompanying Sharif, the statement added.

The head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog says “very detailed” measures to verify Iran’s nuclear activities must be included in a potential U.S.-Iran agreement to end their war in the Middle East. International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi said in Seoul on Wednesday that “Iran has a very ambitious, wide nuclear program, so all of that will require the presence of IAEA inspectors.”

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that a second round of talks with Iran could happen over the next two days. The Trump administration has said preventing Iran from gaining a nuclear weapon is a key war aim. Iran has said it isn’t developing such weapons, but rejected limits on its nuclear program. (AP).

Iran's Revolutionary Guards used a Chinese satellite secretly purchased in 2024 to target U.S military bases in the Middle East, the Financial Times reported Wednesday, citing leaked Iranian military documents.

According to the report, the TEE-01B satellite was bought by the IRGC's Aerospace Force from China's Earth Eye Co, which built and launched the platform. Ownership of the spacecraft was transferred to Iran once it reached orbit, the FT reported. Images and time stamps seen by the newspaper show Iran used the satellite to monitor U.S. military bases in the Middle East during the latest U.S.-Israeli war against Iran. According to the report, the IRGC photographed the bases before and after drone and missile strikes hit the sites in March.

US Vice President JD Vance said Tuesday (local time) that mistrust remains high between Washington and Tehran but that Iranian negotiators appeared interested in reaching an agreement

"There is a lot of mistrust between Iran and the United States. You're not going to solve that overnight," Vance said at a Turning Point USA event. "Iranian negotiators wanted to make a deal. I feel very good about where we are."

President Donald Trump said talks aimed at ending the war with Iran could resume in Pakistan within the next two days after negotiations over the weekend collapsed.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said Wednesday that the stability and certainty of China-Russia relations are particularly “precious” in the face of an international landscape intertwined with change and chaos.

During a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Beijing, Xi said the strong vitality and exemplary significance of the friendship treaty between the two countries stand out even more under such a backdrop.

He said foreign ministries from both countries would need to fully implement the consensus reached between him and Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling for strengthening strategic communication and close diplomatic coordination. He also urged them to promote the comprehensive strategic partnership between Beijing and Moscow to “stand higher, walk more steadily and go further.” Read more...

South Korea says it provided information to Iran, the United States and Gulf nations concerning 26 vessels from South Korea that are stuck in the Strait of Hormuz. South Korea is attempting to secure their safe passage out of the strait.

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said in a legislative hearing on Wednesday that officials consider the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran as a window to ensure the safe exit of the ships from the region. (AP).

Sri Lanka has repatriated 238 Iranian sailors stranded in the South Asian country after one of their warships was torpedoed by a US submarine, a minister told AFP on Wednesday.

Deputy Defence Minister Aruna Jayasekara said 32 sailors rescued from the IRIS Dena -- a frigate attacked on March 4 just off Sri Lanka -- and another 206 from the IRIS Bushehr left on Tuesday.

"A few sailors from the IRIS Bushehr are staying back to operate the vessel, but 206 joined those rescued from the IRIS Dena and returned home last night in a chartered aircraft," Jayasekara said. Official sources said 15 Iranian sailors will remain in Sri Lanka to operate the IRIS Bushehr, which is anchored off Trincomalee in the northeast of the island. Read more...

The situation in the Middle East is an obvious "crisis knot" that will not be easy to untangle, simply trying to "cut it" is unlikely to produce results, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said following his official visit to China, warning that Palestine must not be ignored.

Lavrov noted that Arab states of the Persian Gulf see that Iran would not have blocked the Strait of Hormuz if not for what they view as aggression by the United States and Israel, and he added that in recent weeks he has spoken many times with his Arab counterparts who agree Iran would not have taken such actions without that perceived aggression.

He also said Russia can supply energy resources to China and other countries affected by the crisis

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday (local time) said that he is not considering extending the ongoing two-week ceasefire with Iran; however, he indicated that a negotiated deal would be the preferred outcome to end the conflict in West Asia.

Speaking to ABC News' Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl, the US President said he does not believe extending the ceasefire will be necessary. "President Trump told me today he isn't thinking about extending the ceasefire. He doesn't think it will be necessary," Karl wrote in his post.

Trump expressed confidence about imminent developments, saying, "I think you're going to be watching an amazing two days ahead. I really do." When asked whether the war would end through a deal or by simply neutralising Iran's capabilities, Trump said both outcomes were possible but emphasised his preference for diplomacy. "It could end either way, but I think a deal is preferable because then they can rebuild. They really do have a different regime now. No matter what, we took out the radicals. They're gone, no longer with us," the US President said as quoted by ABC's Karl.

The Israeli drone strike on a group of people in Gaza City brought the total number of Palestinians killed on Tuesday to 11, according to health officials at Shifa hospital. The Israeli military said it had struck Hamas militants in the area.

Separate Israeli strikes earlier Tuesday killed two children, including a 3-year-old, and three adults, an official at the hospital said. Deadly airstrikes are a near-daily threat in Gaza, where more than 750 Palestinians have been killed by Israel despite a ceasefire with Hamas since October, according to figures from the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry. (AP).

The US president, Donald Trump, on Wednesday issued another statement in his widening feud with Pope Leo. “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 his Truth Social.

“AMERICA IS BACK!!!” he added. The statement comes two days after Trump attacked Pope Leo on social media, calling him “weak on crime” and “terrible on foreign policy” after the pontiff, who is the first US-born pope, criticised the US and Israeli war on Iran.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Beijing, Xinhua news agency reported. Lavrov is on a two-day visit to China to boost bilateral ties, discuss the conflict in the Middle East and the war in Ukraine.

Beijing has welcomed a string of leaders this week from countries impacted by the Middle East war and its economic fallout, including Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Vietnamese leader To Lam. Lavrov met with Xi at Beijing's Great Hall of the People, according to state broadcaster CCTV, a day after he criticised efforts to "contain" Russia and China during talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper on Wednesday said that “a blockade of Iranian ports has been fully implemented” and that US forces maintain maritime superiority in the Middle East.

“An estimated 90% of Iran’s economy is fuelled by international trade by sea,” he said on X. “In less than 36 hours since the blockade was implemented, US forces have completely halted economic trade going into and out of Iran by sea.”

More than 20 commercial ships have passed through the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours, WSJ reported, quoting two US officials. The ships that crossed the strait in the last 24 hours include cargo, container and tanker vessels going into and out of the Persian Gulf, one of the officials said. Some ships have travelled without their transponders to minimise the risk of Iranian attacks. The threat of Iranian attacks and sea mines has deterred most vessels from trying to sail through the narrow waterway during the war.

US Vice President JD Vance praised Pope Leo XIV as a strong advocate for peace, while also pushing back against some recent remarks made by the pontiff on Western military actions, including commentary linked to the Iran conflict.

Speaking during an interview, Vance said he appreciated the Pope's willingness to speak on global issues, even when there is disagreement. "I kind of like even when there's disagreement. I like it when the pope comments on questions of immigration, I like it when the pope talks about abortion, I like it when the pope talks about matters of war and peace, because I think that, at the very least, it invites a conversation," Vance said during an interview with Turning Point USA in Georgia, quoted by CNN.

Guterres said this was the indication he had after a phone call on Tuesday with Pakistan’s deputy prime minister, who is also the country’s foreign minister. The U.N. secretary-general expressed “enormous admiration” for Pakistan’s initiative to bring peace to the Middle East.

“I consider it essential that these negotiations go on,” Guterres told U.N. reporters, explaining that it would be “unrealistic” for long-lasting and complex problems between the U.S. and Iran to be resolved in a first negotiating session. “We need negotiations to go on, and we need a ceasefire to persist as negotiations go on,” he said.

U.S. stocks rallied to the edge of an all-time high Tuesday, and oil prices eased as hopes climbed that the United States and Iran may try again on talks to end their war and avoid a worst-case scenario for the global economy.

The S&P 500 added 1.2% to its leap from the day before, and the index at the heart of many 401(k) accounts is just 0.2% below its record set in January.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 317 points, or 0.7%, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 2%. They followed gains for stock markets worldwide as diplomats worked through back channels to arrange a new round of talks between the United States and Iran. Read more...

The US Central Command says the blockade on Iranian ports “is being enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or leaving coastal areas or ports in Iran”. It said US Navy guided-missile destroyers are among the assets executing the blockade against Iranian ports.

“A typical destroyer has a crew of more than 300 Sailors that are highly trained in conducting offensive and defensive maritime operations,” the statement added.

The US Treasury Department says “the short-term authorization permitting the sale of Iranian oil already stranded at sea is set to expire in a few days and will not be renewed,” in a post on X.

The administration allowed for the delivery and sale of Iranian crude oil already in transport before March 20, and would last through April 19.

Additionally, the administration allowed a waiver on Russian oil at sea to expire on Saturday.

A non-Iranian VLCC supertanker capable of carrying 2 million barrels of crude oil, blacklisted by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for violating sanctions on Iran, has just made her way into the country via the Strait of Hormuz, all while her AIS was switched on, according to TankerTrackers.com, Inc.

The Global Sumud Flotilla’s Spring Mission launched from Barcelona on April 12 with 39 vessels and ~1,000 participants from 100 countries, aiming to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza. The weather has delayed entry into international waters, but organisers hope to reach 100 vessels along their way across the Mediterranean.

“A lot of young voters don’t love the policy we have in the Middle East. I understand that,” Vance said. But, rather than offering a full-throated defense for the war, the vice president urged conservative activists who disagree with the Trump administration on top issues to avoid becoming “disengaged.”

Vance said Trump is pushing to make sure Iran never has a nuclear weapon, but added, “I’m not saying you have to agree with me on every issue.” “What I’m saying is, don’t get disengaged because you disagree with the administration on one issue,” Vance said. He added of conservatives staying united, “that’s ultimately how we take the country back.”

In clips showing excerpts of an interview he taped with Fox Business Network’s “Mornings with Maria,” Trump says of the Iran war, “I think it’s close to over, yeah. I mean, I view it as very close to over.”

He adds, “If I pulled up stakes right now, it would take them 20 years to rebuild that country. And we’re not finished. We’ll see what happens. I think they want to make a deal very badly.” Trump has declared a U.S. victory in Iran repeatedly since mere days after the war started — even as the reality on the ground has been far more complicated. The full interview is set to air starting Wednesday morning.

Lebanon’s top envoy to the U.S. says the first high-level diplomatic engagement between her country and Israel was “constructive,” but urged an end to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants that has displaced thousands of Lebanese.

After participating in Tuesday’s talks with Rubio and Israel’s ambassador to the U.S., Nada Hamadeh Moawad said she had “underscored the need to preserve our territorial integrity and state sovereignty” during the two-hour discussion.

“I called for a ceasefire and the return of displaced persons to their homes,” she said in brief comments released by the Lebanese embassy in Washington.(AP)