What happened today
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Thank you for joining us. Our live coverage has moved to Monday’s live blog.
Here’s a summary of today’s top stories:
- The US seized an Iranian cargo ship that tried to breach its naval blockade after “blowing a hole” in its engine compartment, Donald Trump has claimed
- Iran has refused to take part in a second round of peace talks unless the US lifts its blockade and softens its demands
- Mr Trump announced that he was sending negotiators to Pakistan for a fresh round of peace talks before the expiration of the fragile ceasefire on Wednesday
- The US president further threatened to “knock out” every power plant and bridge in the country unless Iran accepted his terms
- The UK Maritime Trade Operations Centre declared the threat to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf to be “critical”, its highest risk level
- Mr Trump claimed Iran had fired on a British ship, which the UK Government denied
- Two Israeli soldiers were killed and 12 wounded in southern Lebanon over the weekend as the ceasefire there came under strain
Cooper: Strait must stay toll-free
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Yvette Cooper has said that any talks between the US and Iran must result in a toll-free passage for vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.
The Foreign Secretary said that proposals have been circulating from Tehran to introduce tolls on the crucial waterway once the conflict concludes.
Ms Cooper was travelling to Japan on Sunday on the final leg of a diplomatic mission ahead of the US–Iran ceasefire expiring on Tuesday, which she called a “critical diplomatic moment”.
She said: “Further talks on a lasting settlement are welcome – they must lead to a toll-free Strait of Hormuz.
“This argument is not just about the Strait of Hormuz, it is about the precedent this will set for freedom of navigation all over the world.”
Pink missiles paraded by female wing of Iran’s repressive paramilitary
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Thousands of Iranian women took part in a military parade through the streets of Tehran, brandishing pink weapons and equipment, Ben Farmer and Akhtar Makoii write.
Young women were filmed driving military vehicles, riding motorcycles and marching in a show of force that organisers said demonstrated their readiness to defend the country.
The participants declared that women were ready to stand alongside men in defending the country during its conflict with the United States and Israel.
The exercise, called “Jan Fada-ye Iran”, roughly translated as “Sacrifice for Iran”, is mostly symbolic, given that women in Iran are barred from combat roles.
They can, however, join the female wings of volunteer militias such as the Basij, which deals with internal security and is managed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.
Oil price jumps again
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The price of oil has jumped in early trading in Asia.
Brent crude futures are up about 7pc to $96.85 (£71.80) a barrel on Monday morning.
Watch in full: US fires on Touska
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A video posted by US Central Command shows the USS Spruance opening fire on the Iranian-flagged Touska.
The tanker ignored multiple warnings to change course issued over six hours and was headed to an Iranian port when it was targeted, according to the military.
In the footage, a crew member of the USS Spruance can be heard ordering the Touska to evacuate its engine room moments before opening fire.
“Motor vessel Touska, motor vessel Touska. Vacate your engine room. Vacate your engine room. We are about to subject you to disabling fire,” can be heard in the video.
Later in the video, three rounds are fired from the destroyer’s 5-inch MK 45 Gun, leaving smoke in their wake.
US Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, who had been dispatched to the region in preparation for a ground invasion, later boarded and seized the vessel.
Iran: US has violated ceasefire and we will respond
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Iran’s top joint military command has said the US violated the ceasefire when it fired on an Iranian cargo ship.
Earlier today, Donald Trump claimed that US forces had taken “full custody” of the Touska, a cargo ship that he claimed tried to breach the American blockade in the Gulf of Oman.
“We warn that the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will soon respond and retaliate against this armed piracy and the US military,” said a spokesperson for the military’s central command centre, Khatam Al-Anbiya, cited by ISNA news agency.
Trump: We’ve blown a hole in Iranian ship
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Here’s more on our lead story.
The US has seized an Iranian cargo ship that tried to breach its naval blockade after “blowing a hole” in its engine compartment, Donald Trump has claimed.
The president said the US navy fired on and took “full custody” of the vessel in the Gulf of Oman after it refused “fair warning to stop” on Sunday.
It is the first known time that the US has fired on a commercial vessel during the conflict. It has turned back more than 20 Iranian-linked ships since the blockade, but has never before used force to do so.
The confrontation comes after Iran refused to take part in a second round of peace talks unless the US lifted its blockade and softened its demands on Tehran.
Analysis: Truce is more fragile than every before
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The seizure of the Iranian-flagged cargo ship is the first known intervention since Donald Trump’s blockade began on Monday.
The US has so far turned back more than 20 Iranian ships that left Iranian ports and attempted to pass through the blockade. Until now, they had heeded American demands to stop and turned their vessels back to Iranian shores.
But on this occasion, the 900-foot-long cargo ship Touska refused to stop. In response, the US Navy guided missile destroyer USS Spruance fired on the ship’s engine bay, rendering it immobile.
The move risks escalating the conflict by putting US forces into physical confrontation with Tehran’s supply lines for the first time since the war began.
As US sailors seize and search the ship, the president, currently held up in the Oval Office, will quietly hope it is transporting something of value.
The tanker’s seizure gives Mr Trump and the US negotiation team leverage in the talks as they are due to travel to Pakistan tomorrow for a second round.
“We have full custody of the ship, and are seeing what’s on board!”, Mr Trump wrote.
Just days away from the expiry of the ceasefire, the truce between the two is more fragile than ever before.
Threat to shipping raised to ‘critical’
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The British military has escalated its threat assessment for the strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf to “critical” - the highest possible risk level.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), the British military-run coordination centre to keep commercial shipping safe, issued a warning on Sunday, citing navigation interference, blockade enforcement, mine reports and risk or attacker miscalculation.
Seized ship entered Strait from Arabian Sea
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The Iranian-flagged ship seized by US Marines appears to have been heading in the direction of the Strait of Hormuz from the Arabian Sea, according to MarineTraffic data.
The naval blockade applies to Iran’s ports on either side of the strait, in both the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.
‘You cannot keep violating international law,’ says Iran ambassador
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The Iranian ambassador to Pakistan has accused Donald Trump of pretending to pursue diplomacy.
In a post on X, Reza Amiri Moghadam wrote: “You cannot keep violating the international law, double down on your blockade, threaten Iran with further war crimes, insist on unreasonable demands, pace out with rethorics (sic) and pretend to be pursuing ‘Diplomacy’.”
He adds that as long as the naval blockade remains, “faultines” remain.
Marines seize Iranian-flagged cargo ship
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Donald Trump has said that a US destroyer ship fired on and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman that tried to evade a US naval blockade.
The US president said US marines had now taken “full custody” of the vessel in the Gulf of Oman.
“Today, an Iranian-flagged cargo ship named TOUSKA, nearly 900 feet long and weighing almost as much as an aircraft carrier, tried to get past our Naval Blockade, and it did not go well for them,” he wrote on Truth Social on Sunday.
The president said USS Spruance, a US Navy Guided Missile Destroyer, had intercepted the cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman, and gave them “fair warning to stop”.
He added: “The Iranian crew refused to listen, so our Navy ship stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engine room.
“Right now, U.S. Marines have custody of the vessel. The TOUSKA is under U.S. Treasury Sanctions because of their prior history of illegal activity. We have full custody of the ship, and are seeing what’s on board! President DONALD J. TRUMP”
The US military has previously warned any ships attempting to get past the blockade, which began on Monday, would be boarded and seized.
Iran has accused the US blockade of violating the two-week ceasefire agreement between the two countries which is set to end on Tuesday.
Pakistan remains committed to peacemaker role, says PM
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Shehbaz Sharif, prime minister of Pakistan, said he held a “warm and constructive conversation” with Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian.
During the talk, Mr Sharif shared insights with Pezeshkian regarding his recent conversations with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey, he said in a post on X.
“I appreciated Iran’s engagement, including its high-level delegation to Islamabad for the historic talks, and recent discussions with Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir in Tehran,” Mr Sharif said.
Mr Sharif assured Pezeshkian that Pakistan remains committed to its role as a facilitator of peace and regional stability.
The US president has announced that US negotiators will return to Pakistan tomorrow evening for a fresh round of peace negotiations, with preparations already underway in the hotels and on the streets of Islamabad.
Iranian officials have so far refused to entertain the prosect of negotiations next week.
Iran fears Trump plotting ‘surprise attack’
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Iranian officials suspect that Donald Trump may be plotting a “surprise attack” next week.
Tehran has so far snubbed the US president’s announcement of a second round of peace talks in Pakistan citing the ongoing US naval blockade.
It has been reported that the Iranians have refused to come to the table over suspicions that Mr Trump will launch a barrage against the regime ahead of the ceasefire ending on Tuesday.
The US president is said to have told Axios that he remains optimistic about the upcoming negotiations.
Axios reported that Iranian officials believe Mr Trump’s optimistic statements could be cover for an impending surprise American attack.
The fears have been fuelled by the president convening a sensitive security discussion in the White House Situation Room on Sunday at a time when US reinforcements continue to pour into the Middle East.
Doubts have also crept in amongst the confusion over whether JD Vance would lead the US delegation again.
Mr Trump said today that it was too dangerous for the vice-president to travel at short notice, yet a White House official told The Telegraph that Mr Vance would head to Islamabad, alongside US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Netanyahu says Iran war ‘not over yet’
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Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that the Iran war is “not over yet”.
The Israeli prime minister said: “We have been engaged with the United States in a battle against the Great Tyranny of Iran, which terrorises the world, which seeks our destruction and seeks to bring down the United States, seeks to bring down Western civilisation as we know it.
“We have achieved enormous things. It’s not over yet. And any moment could bring us new developments.”
Mr Netanyahu was speaking at a press conference in Jerusalem to mark a visit by Javier Milei, the president of Argentina.
Global economy cannot afford Strait of Hormuz uncertainty, says Abu Dhabi oil chief
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The global economy cannot afford further Strait of Hormuz uncertainty, the CEO of Abu Dhabi state oil company ADNOC has warned.
Sultan Al Jaber said bills would continue to rise for “ordinary people” unless the waterway is fully opened once more.
In a post on X on Sunday, he wrote: “Almost 600 million barrels of oil blocked so far. 50 days of mounting pressure on LNG, jet fuel, fertiliser, and the essentials that the world depends on.
“Behind every missing barrel, bills go up for ordinary people everywhere.
“The global economy cannot afford more uncertainty. The Strait cannot operate under threat.
“And let’s call payment for safe passage what it is: A protection racket. Hormuz belongs to the world. It must be returned to the world. Exactly as it was.”
Milei: War against Iran is ‘right thing to do’
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Javier Milei has declared that the joint US-Israel war against Iran was the “right thing to do”.
Making his third state visit to Israel, the Argentine president signed on to the so-called Isaac Accords aimed at deepening bilateral ties between Israel and Latin American countries.
Milei reaffirmed Argentina’s support for the campaign against Iran, citing his government’s earlier decision to designate the Islamic Republic’s Revolutionary Guards a “terrorist organisation”.
“We expressed our firm support for the United States and Israel in their war against terrorism and against the Iranian regime, not only because it is the right thing to do, but because our countries are brothers in suffering,” Milei said in a joint statement with Benjamin Netanyahu.
“Argentina was the victim of cowardly terrorist attacks on the AMIA and on the Embassy of Israel, both instigated by the Islamic Republic of Iran,” he added.
Argentina has accused Iran of not cooperating with a probe into a 1994 bombing in Buenos Aires that killed 85 people and injured more than 300 at a Jewish community centre.
Prior to that, in 1992, an explosion at the Israeli embassy killed 29 and wounded 200.
The Israeli prime minister added: “President Milei... has shown that by standing up with the Jewish people, standing up against anti-Semitic vilifications, standing up in our hour of need, standing up when we fight the battle of civilisation against barbarism.”
Earlier on Sunday, Milei visited the Western Wall in Jerusalem’s Old City, considered the holiest site where Jews are allowed to pray.
— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) April 19, 2026ברוך הבא לישראל, ברוך הבא לירושלים, חברי נשיא ארגנטינה חאבייר מיליי, חבר גדול של מדינת ישראל.
ישראל וארגנטינה עומדות יחד, חזקות מתמיד.
—-
Bienvenido a Israel, bienvenido a Jerusalén, mi amigo, Presidente de Argentina @JMilei, un gran amigo del Estado de Israel.Israel y… pic.twitter.com/ammraov0cu
Iran rejects second round of peace talks, says state media
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Iran has rejected taking part in the second round of peace talks with the US, according to IRNA, the Iranian state news agency.
Tehran’s expected absence from discussions, due to start on Monday in Islamabad, Pakistan, was blamed on “Washington’s excessive demands, unrealistic expectations, constant shifts in stance, repeated contradictions, and the ongoing naval blockade”.
The announcement came after Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, had a telephone conversation with his Pakistani counterpart to discuss the ongoing crisis in the region.
IDF claims 250 kills as it raids tunnels in Lebanon
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The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claims to have seized thousands of weapons from underground tunnels in southern Lebanon.
In a post on social media, it said: “OPERATIONAL UPDATE: 250+ terrorists eliminated, 405+ terrorist infrastructure sites dismantled, and 1000+ weapons and munitions items located in the Forward Defense Area.
“Additionally, IDF troops located underground tunnel routes in the area.”
⭕️OPERATIONAL UPDATE: 250+ terrorists eliminated, 405+ terrorist infrastructure sites dismantled, and 1000+ weapons and munitions items located in the Forward Defense Area. Additionally, IDF troops located underground tunnel routes in the area. pic.twitter.com/8t0jnZgYg7
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) April 19, 2026
Iran ‘may not send negotiators to peace talks’
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Iran has yet to decide on sending a negotiating delegation to sit down with US counterparts in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Monday.
The Iranian Tasnim news agency suggested Iran could hold back from negotiations for “as long as there is a naval blockade”.
On Saturday, Iranian officials U-turned closed the Strait of Hormuz soon after reopening it because the US said it would not end its blockade of Iranian ports.
CNN reported that it was probable that the Iranian delegation would arrive in Pakistan on Tuesday for talks with the US, citing Iranian sources familiar with the negotiations.
The sources reportedly expected the team to be the same as in the last round, with the expectation of a symbolic joint announcement of an extension to the current 10-day ceasefire.
Pope encourages Iran and American to continue peace talks
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The Pope has encouraged delegations from the US and Iran to resume peace talks.
The head of the Catholic Church welcomed the ceasefire in Lebanon but warned that negotiations must continue to achieve lasting peace in the Middle East.
In a post on social media, Pope Leo wrote: “The ceasefire announced in Lebanon, however, offers cause for hope; it represents a glimmer of relief for the Lebanese people and for the Levant.
“I encourage those who are working toward a diplomatic solution to continue peace talks, so that the cessation of hostilities throughout the Middle East may become permanent.”
The Pope, the first to be born in the US, also sought to downplay the feud with Donald Trump, which had erupted after the pontiff said the world was being “ravaged by a handful of tyrants”.
Speaking to reporters as he flew to Angola for the third leg of a tour in Africa, he said his comments had not been aimed at Mr Trump. He also insisted he had not intended to make it seem as though he wanted to “debate the president”.
The Pope’s Africa tour is one of the most complicated ever arranged for a pontiff, with stops in 11 cities and towns in four countries. He will travel more than 11,000 miles at take 18 flights.
No reports of British ships under fire, says UK Government
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The Government said it had not received any reports of British ships being attacked or threatened in the region, writes Tom Cotterill.
Likewise, the UK Maritime Trade Operations Centre, which monitors attacks on shipping, has not received any information about civilian freighters being targeted.
Donald Trump had accused Iran of violating the 10-day ceasefire by firing at a British cargo ship near the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday.
The US president wrote on Truth Social: “Iran decided to fire bullets yesterday in the Strait of Hormuz – A Total Violation of our Ceasefire Agreement! Many of them were aimed at a French Ship, and a Freighter from the United Kingdom.”
A spokesman for the British Government told The Telegraph: “There have been no reports of UK vessels being attacked. We don’t recognise this claim.”
Islamabad locks down for talks
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Preparations are underway in Islamabad ahead of talks resuming on Monday.
Guests at the five-star Serena Hotel hotel where talks took place between the US and Iranian delegations last weekend have reportedly been told they need to leave.
Islamabad police have warned that the arrival of foreign delegations will mean roads into the city may be closed, with heavy traffic already built up around the edges of the city.
Three universities are said to have moved their classes online.
Iran hiring thugs to carry out anti-Semitic attacks in UK, police fear
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British counter-terror police believe assailants recruited by the Iranian regime could be behind a spate of arson attacks on Jewish-linked sites.
A firebomb was thrown through a synagogue window in Harrow on Saturday night, in the fourth such attack on north London’s Jewish community in the past month.
Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiyya (HAYI), an Islamist militant group linked to Iran, has claimed responsibility for all the attacks.
At the scene of the latest attack, Dept Asst Commissioner Vicki Evans, the senior national coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, said people were being recruited to carry out the attacks for “quick cash”.
She said: “As the conflict in the Middle East continues to evolve, counter terrorism policing and our partners remain alive to the threat of Iranian hostile activity in the UK.”
TUI cruise ships sail through Strait of Hormuz
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TUI Cruises said two of its ships had passed through the Strait of Hormuz. In a statement posted on its website, the travel company said it had obtained approvals from relevant authorities for Mein Schiff 4 and Mein Schiff 5 to pass through the shipping lane and proceed to the Mediterranean Sea.
The cruise operator said all passengers had previously been brought home and both ships were operating with reduced crews.
JD Vance expected to lead peace talks
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JD Vance is expected to lead resumed peace talks with Iran in Pakistan, despite the US president suggesting he would be left behind.
Donald Trump told reporters that the vice president would not be leading the US delegation because the Secret Service had deemed it too dangerous for the vice president to travel at such short notice.
Asked why Mr Vance was not making the journey, Mr Trump told ABC News: “It’s only because of security. JD’s great.”
However, a White House official told The Telegraph the vice president would be leading the second round of talks in Pakistan, alongside Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the president’s peace envoys.
Earlier on Sunday, Mike Waltz, the US envoy to the UN, and Chris Wright, the US energy secretary, indicated that Mr Vance would lead the negotiations, due to start in Islamabad on Monday.
Trump accuses Iran of firing on British cargo ship near the Strait of Hormuz
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Donald Trump accused Iran of violating their temporary ceasefire by firing on a British cargo ship near the Strait of Hormuz.
Less than a day after Iran reopened the strait on Friday, it closed it again, with several ships reporting being targeted by Iranian forces while attempting to transit the waterway.
UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Centre, which issues alerts on maritime security incidents, said a container ship near the strait had been struck by an unknown projectile on Saturday.
It said containers had been damaged but there were no reports of casualties or fires on board.
UKMTO announced the same day that two Iranian gunboats had opened fire on a tanker in the strait. The centre often withholds vessel identification for security reasons.
IDF reveals extent of southern Lebanon invasion
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The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has revealed a map showing where its soldiers are stationed and operating across southern Lebanon, along what it calls a “forward defence line”.
The IDF said: “At present, five divisions, alongside Israeli Navy forces, are operating simultaneously south of the Forward Defense Line in southern Lebanon in order to dismantle Hezbollah terror infrastructure sites and prevent direct threats to communities in northern Israel.”
The Israeli controlled zone stretches from the Mediterranean to the slopes of Mount Hermon in eastern Lebanon.
Iran accuses US of violating ceasefire by blockading ports
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Iran claimed that the US blockade of Iranian ports was a violation of the ceasefire and an “unlawful and criminal act”.
The tit-for-tat accusation came after Donald Trump accused Iran of breaking the truce by firing on British and French ships.
Esmaeil Baqaei, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman, wrote on X.“The United States’ so-called ‘blockade’ of Iran’s ports or coastline is not only a violation of Pakistani-mediated ceasefire but also both unlawful and criminal. Moreover, by deliberately inflicting collective punishment on the Iranian population, it amounts to war crime and crime against humanity.”
Tehran previously declared that it would keep the Strait of Hormuz closed until the US ended its blockade on Iranian ports.
Iran restocks missile and drone launchers faster than before war
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Iran is restocking missile and drone launchers more quickly than before the war, according to an X account purporting to be by one of its military commanders.
A post apparently by Majid Mousavi, who leads the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force, also featured a video said to be Mr Mousavi at a missile facility, along with clips of missiles, launchers and drones.
The New York Times reported that Tehran could access 70 per cent of its pre-war ballistic missile stocks, 60 per cent of its pre-war missile launchers and 40 per cent of its drone arsenal.
The regime was believed to be taking advantage of the ceasefire to dig up missile stocks buried under rubble after US attacks.
US team going to Islamabad to resume talks, Trump says
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Donald Trump has announced that his envoys will travel to Pakistan to resume talks with Iran tomorrow evening.
The US president wrote on Truth Social: “My representatives are going to Islamabad, Pakistan – they will be there tomorrow evening, for negotiations. We’re offering a very fair and reasonable deal. I hope they take it because, if they don’t, the United States is going to knock out every single power plant, and every single bridge, in Iran.”
A ceasefire currently active between the two sides expires on Wednesday, but it is understood that Tehran and Washington have been in indirect talks to extend it.
Mr Trump added: “If they don’t take the deal, it will be my honour to do what has to be done, which should have been done to Iran, by other presidents, for the last 47 years. No more Mr Nice Guy!”
Trump vows to make peace deal ‘the nice way or the hard way’
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Donald Trump said he would strike a peace deal with Iran “the nice way or the hard way” while also accused Tehran of violating a temporary ceasefire, ABC News has said.
The US president is reported to have told Jonathan Karl, the Australian news organisation’s chief Washington correspondent, that Iran had committed a “serious violation” of the current 10-day ceasefire. However, he added that he would continue efforts to negotiate a peace deal with Tehran.
Mr Trump said in quotes posted on X by Mr Karl: “It will happen. One way or another. The nice way or the hard way. It’s going to happen.”
International flights from Iran’s Mashhad airport to resume tomorrow
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Iran is set to restart international flights on Monday from its northeastern Mashad airport, according to the country’s civil aviation authority.
“Permission to operate international passenger flights at Mashhad Airport has been issued, starting tomorrow,” state TV said, quoting the authority.
Iranian airports have been closed since the outbreak of the US-Israeli war. A temporary ceasefire to allow for talks between Washington and Tehran is set to expire on Wednesday.
Pictured: Blockade operations in the Arabian Sea
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Trump’s haphazard decision-making sparks concerns among aides
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Donald Trump has been making crucial decisions on the war in Iran in a haphazard manner, frequently sidelining input from his advisors, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal.
The US president has enjoyed seeing videos of spectacular explosions from attacks on Iran, but screamed at aides “for hours” when he found out that two US pilots had been shot down over the country, according to officials speaking to the outlet.
He was kept away from the situation room by team members who “believed his impatience wouldn’t be helpful”, one senior administration official said.
Concerns have also been raised by his frequent and impromptu phone interviews with media, which were not coordinated with his press team and have often appeared contradictory.
Mr Trump reportedly agreed to stop speaking to journalists for a short time before abruptly returning to conversing with multiple media outlets every day.
His social media posts, including one in which he signed off with “Praise be to Allah” and another in which he threatened that “a whole civilisation will die tonight, never to be brought back again”, were also not coordinated with advisors, administration officials said.
The US president told one aide that he had come up with the Allah line himself to scare Iranians to the negotiating table by appearing unstable.
Zelensky condemns US decision to extend Russian sanctions waiver
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Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, has condemned Washington’s decision to extend its sanctions waiver period on Russian oil.
On Friday, Donald Trump’s administration issued another month-long sanctions waiver on Russian oil and petroleum products already at sea, permitting countries to purchase them until May 16.
It came two days after Scott Bessent, the US treasury secretary, said that Washington did not plan to renew the policy.
Mr Zelensky said that the sale of Russia’s more than 110 tankers currently at sea, carrying over 12 million tonnes of the country’s oil, would give Moscow’s economy a $10bn (£7.4bn) boost.
“Every dollar paid for Russian oil is money for the war,” the Ukrainian president said. “That is why it is important that Russian tankers are stopped, not allowed to deliver oil to ports.”
The continued easing of sanctions against Russia does not reflect the real situation in the war or in diplomacy and fuels the Russian leadership's illusion that they can continue the war. This week alone, the Russians have launched over 2,360 attack drones, more than 1,320 guided… pic.twitter.com/XmVz4e07Aq
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) April 19, 2026
Iran may be able to access vast majority of pre-war missile stocks
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Iran could still have access to about 70 per cent of its pre-war ballistic missile stocks, 60 per cent of its pre-war missile launcher stockpiles and 40 per cent of its drone arsenal, according to The New York Times.
When the US-Iran ceasefire came into effect almost two weeks ago, Tehran only had access to half of its missile launchers, the outlet reported, citing US intelligence and military assessments.
In the days after, it reportedly dug out around 100 systems concealed in caves and bunkers to boost its stockpile back up to 60 per cent of the pre-conflict level.
The regime is thought to be similarly digging up its supply of missiles buried in the rubble after US attacks and could reclaim as much as 70 per cent of its pre-war arsenal.
Pictured: Protesters rally in support of Palestine, Lebanon and Iran in Indonesia
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Turkey ‘optimistic’ about US-Iran ceasefire extension
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Turkey said it was “optimistic” about the prospect of a ceasefire between Iran and the United States being extended.
The two-week ceasefire is set to expire on Wednesday as talks between Tehran and Washington descend into disarray.
“No one wants to see a new war break out when the ceasefire expires next week. We hope ... the parties will extend the ceasefire,” said Hakan Fidan, the foreign minister, at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum.
“I hope there’ll be an extension. I am optimistic,” he added.
Iran’s sudden reversal on Hormuz could signal conflict in the regime
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Iran’s sudden reversal on opening the Strait of Hormuz could signal a rift within the Iranian regime, according to reports, writes Ben Farmer.
It is believed that two factions could be at odds: political pragmatists wishing to push talks forward, and military hard liners opposed to concessions.
The announcement by Abbas Araghchi, the Iranian foreign minister, that the hairpin waterway was open to traffic was quickly condemned by sections of the IRGC, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Soon after his announcement, a marine radio message purporting to be from a member of the Revolutionary Guard’s navy, insisted that the passage was still closed.
“We will open it by the order of our leader, Imam Khamenei, not by the tweets of some idiot,” the message said according to the paper.
Any rift is likely to complicate negotiations with America.
Trita Parsi, of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft think tank, said: “Hard line resistance against a deal with the US has become louder, presenting a major political challenge.”
Displaced Lebanese return home, but uncertainty remains
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Displaced people have continued to return to their homes in the south of Lebanon, but uncertainty remains over how long it will be until they are forced to flee again.
Despite warnings earlier this week from the Lebanese army against moving south, the Lebanese government hopes the ceasefire will allow people to go back to their villages and force Israeli troops to withdraw.
After the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) resumed attacks against Hezbollah, the IDF said on Saturday that it had established a “yellow line” in southern Lebanon, similar to the buffer zone in Gaza separating Israeli forces from Hamas territory.
As the displaced streamed back, often to find their homes uninhabitable, many people were waiting “to see what happens” before returning for good.
“I am afraid to return to my home because the situation is not stable yet,” said Samah Hajoul, who briefly went back to her flat in Beirut’s southern suburbs, in an interview with AFP. She found her flat had broken windows, but little other damage.
“We do not feel safe to return, for fear that something might happen at night and I would not be able to carry my children and flee with them.”
Hezbollah, which has a strong hold over many of the worst-affected areas in the south, provided little reassurance.
Mahmud Qamati, a senior official with Hezbollah, warned on Saturday that “Israeli treachery is expected at any time, and this is a temporary truce”.
“Take a breath, relax a little, but do not abandon the places you have taken refuge in until we are completely reassured about your return,” he said.
Lebanon ceasefire strains after two Israeli soldiers killed
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Two Israeli soldiers were killed and 12 wounded in southern Lebanon over the weekend as the fragile ceasefire came under strain.
One was killed by a bomb that detonated when his vehicle drove over it, while the other died after an explosive device was detonated as he searched a building for weapons.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) also said it registered “several incidents” in which Hezbollah violated the ceasefire on Saturday, by approaching soldiers and posing an “immediate threat” to them near the “Yellow Line”, which marks the Israeli-controlled areas in southern Lebanon. The same term is used to divide Gaza between Hamas and Israel.
The Israeli military has carried out strikes and demolitions in southern Lebanon despite the ceasefire.
Mahmud Qamati, a Hezbollah official, warned on Saturday that “Israeli treachery is expected at any time, and this is a temporary truce”.
The two killed were named as Sgt Lidor Porat, 31, and Command Sgt Maj Barak Kalfon, 48.
Trump cannot ‘deprive’ our country of nuclear rights, Iran’s president says
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Donald Trump has no right to deprive Iran of its nuclear rights, said Masoud Pezeshkian, the Iranian president, according to local media.
“Trump says Iran cannot make use of its nuclear rights but doesn’t say for what crime. Who is he to deprive a nation of its rights?” Mr Pezeshkian was quoted as saying.
The progress of talks between Washington and Tehran has reportedly been thrown into doubt by topics of fierce dispute including Iran’s nuclear ambitions and the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has accused the US of taking a “maximalist position” in negotiations.
Trump held Situation Room meeting over Iran
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Donald Trump convened a Situation Room meeting on Saturday morning to discuss the Strait of Hormuz and peace deal negotiations, Axios reported late on Saturday.
The war is entering a precarious period, with no confirmed date for another meeting between American and Iranian negotiators, and the ceasefire set to expire in mere days.
A senior US official told Axios that the conflict could resume within days if no breakthrough is reached.
US vice-president JD Vance, who is expected to be involved in the next round of negotiations, and US secretary of war Pete Hegseth were among the senior Cabinet officials present at the meeting.
Trump: Iran will not blackmail us over Hormuz
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The US will not be blackmailed by Iran, Donald Trump has declared, after Iranian gunboats attacked cargo ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
Tehran closed the vital oil passage on Saturday morning in response to a continuing US blockade of its ports, just hours after agreeing to reopen it.
Two Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) vessels opened fire on the ships 23 miles north-east of Oman, without warning their crews, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre.
“They wanted to close up the strait again, as they’ve been doing for years. But they can’t blackmail us,” Mr Trump said on Saturday. The day before, he claimed the waterway would “no longer be used as a weapon against the world”.
Tehran said any vessels that approached the strait from Saturday evening would be considered “enemy” and would be targeted.
The US military has drawn up its own plans to board and seize Iranian-linked ships in the coming days, strengthening its economic stranglehold on Tehran in an attempt to force a reopening of the strait, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Iran almost shot at US minesweeper
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Iran almost fired at a US minesweeper in the Strait of Hormuz, a senior Iranian official said on state TV.
Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of Iran’s parliament, said Tehran had threatened to shoot at the vessel if it moved from its position.
“We have dealt decisively with the US attempt to clear mines and consider it a violation of the ceasefire and we went to the point of conflict, but the enemy retreated,” he said.
Mr Ghalibaf said he had told the US delegation about the incident during negotiations in Islamabad, and the US had ordered the ship to turn around. It is unclear when the confrontation occurred.
The speaker also criticised the US naval blockade in the Strait, calling it a “clumsy and ignorant decision”.
“It is not possible that others can pass through the Strait of Hormuz but we cannot. If the US does not lift the blockade, traffic in the Strait of Hormuz will definitely be restricted,” he said.
Welcome to our coverage
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Donald Trump and Tehran are “far from final discussions”, according to Iran’s parliamentary speaker, in contrast to claims by the US president that talks are “working out really well”.
Here’s a summary of what happened overnight:
- Iranian gunboats have fired on a number of vessels trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, with reports of at least three attacks on commercial ships. Tehran briefly reopened the waterway before saying it would remain closed until the end of the parallel US blockade.
- Iran’s president insisted that Mr Trump has no right to assert control over Iran’s nuclear programme, but said that Tehran was trying to end the war “with full dignity”.
- Kamala Harris, the former US vice president, said that Mr Trump had been “pulled” into the war with Iran, which she described as “a war that the American people do not want”, by Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister.
- The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that more than 150 Hezbollah fighters, including several commanders, had been killed in Israeli airstrikes the day before the ceasefire in Lebanon took effect.