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Iran Sunday rebuffed a fresh round of peace negotiations with the United States, declaring Washington’s demands excessive and its conduct in breach of the ceasefire — even as US President Donald Trump threatened to destroy every power plant and bridge in the country unless Tehran accepted his terms.Trump said the U.S. military had taken control of an Iranian-flagged cargo ship by blowing a hole in its engine room. “We have full custody of their ship, and are seeing what’s on board!” he wrote on social media.Tehran’s rejection, reported by state news agency IRNA, cited Washington’s unrealistic expectations, constantly shifting positions, and the ongoing US naval blockade of Iranian ports as grounds for refusing to send a delegation to Islamabad for a second round of talks. Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency confirmed no decision had been taken to participate while the blockade remained in place.Trump had earlier announced on Truth Social that his envoys would arrive in Pakistanthisday evening — leaving barely a day for progress before the two-week ceasefire expires early on Wednesday. “We’re offering a very fair and reasonable DEAL, and 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,” he wrote. “NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!”The White House did not immediately respond to Iran’s rejection.Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Sunday that he spoke with Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian about the conflict in the Gulf.During the talk, 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,” Sharif said.Sharif assured Pezeshkian that Pakistan remains committed to its role as a facilitator of peace and regional stability.Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, had acknowledged some progress from the first round but said the two sides remained far apart on nuclear issues and the Strait of Hormuz. Washington had proposed a 20-year suspension of all Iranian nuclear activity; Tehran countered with three to five years.The strait itself remained closed Sunday, a day after Iranian forces fired on two vessels attempting to cross. Iran had announced on Friday it would reopen the waterway — triggering the sharpest single-day oil price drop in years and a global stock market rally — but reversed course on Saturday after Trump declined to lift the US port blockade. Marine traffic data showed shipping through the strait at a virtual standstill.Energy analyst Amrita Sen, founder of the Energy Aspects think tank, warned of fresh market volatility when trading resumed on Monday, saying Iran’s weekend actions had laid bare just how fragile the situation remained.Now in its eighth week, the conflict has delivered the most severe shock to global energy supplies in history.On the ground in Islamabad, two US C-17 cargo planes touched down at Nur Khan air base Sunday carrying security equipment ahead of the expected delegation’s arrival. City authorities halted public transport, barbed wire was rolled out near the Serena Hotel — venue of last week’s talks — and all guests were ordered to leave. Related Story Source link
Two Palestinians were wounded by gunfire from the Israeli occupation forces on Sunday in the city of Hebron in the occupied West Bank.Local sources said Israeli forces fired a barrage of live ammunition at a vehicle, wounding two Palestinians. Medical sources described one of the injuries as critical.In a related development, Israeli forces arrested a Palestinian from the village of Azmut, east of the city of Nablus.Local sources reported that Israeli forces raided the village and detained one person.Cities, towns and refugee camps across the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem witness daily raids and incursions by Israeli forces and settlers, often accompanied by clashes, arrests, and the use of live and rubber-coated bullets, and tear gas against Palestinians. Source link
A Palestinian was martyred and another wounded by shelling from an Israeli drone on Monday in the Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, medical sources in Gaza reported.The death toll from the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023, has risen to 72,551 martyrs and 172,274 wounded.The ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel came into effect in Oct. 2025, following the withdrawal of the Israeli army from its positions and populated areas in the Strip, and the beginning of the return of displaced persons to the northern Gaza Strip. This was part of the first phase of US President Donald Trump's initiative to end the war on Gaza. Source link
Four Palestinians were wounded in Israeli shelling on the Gaza Strip, according to medical sources.Three Palestinians were injured in a drone strike that targeted a group of people near the 17 Roundabout, west of Gaza City, the sources said.A woman was also wounded by Israeli gunfire east of the Maghazi refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip.The death toll from the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023, has risen to 72,551, with 172,274 people injured.A cease-fire agreement between Hamas and Israel took effect on Oct. 10, following the withdrawal of Israeli forces from positions and populated areas in the enclave and the beginning of displaced residents’ return to northern Gaza. The agreement was part of the first phase of an initiative proposed by the US president, Donald Trump, aimed at ending the war in Gaza. Source link
Ships and tankers in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Musandam, Oman, Saturday. (Reuters) Iran’s military declared the Strait of Hormuz closed again Saturday, prompting ships to abandon attempts to transit the waterway and President Donald Trump to warn Tehran against trying to “blackmail” the United States.On Friday, Tehran had declared the strait, which usually carries a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas, open after a ceasefire was agreed in Israel’s war with Iran’s ally Hezbollah in Lebanon.This prompted elation in global markets and sent oil prices plunging but, with Trump insisting that a US naval blockade of Iranian ports would continue until a deal to end the wider Middle East war was concluded, Tehran threatened to shutter the strait once more.Late last morning, Iran’s central military command said that, in response to the US blockade, “control of the Strait of Hormuz has returned to its previous status” and “is under strict management and control of the armed forces”.Trump had previously said the two sides were “very close” to striking a deal, but following Iran’s announcement Saturday, he insisted Tehran “can’t blackmail us”, even as he maintained communications were ongoing.”We’ll be talking about Iran later. We have very good conversations going on,” he added, accusing Tehran of getting “a little cute” with its recent moves.Iran’s top national security body, meanwhile, said that during a visit by the military chief of mediator Pakistan that concluded Saturday, “new proposals have been put forward by the Americans, which Iran is currently reviewing and has not yet responded to”.It went on to say, however, that Iran’s negotiating delegation would not offer “even the slightest compromise, retreat or leniency” in talks with Washington.A handful of oil and gas tankers crossed the Strait of Hormuz early Saturday during the brief reopening, tracking data showed, but others retreated and tracking platforms showed hardly any vessels crossing the waterway by the late afternoon.A UK maritime security agency said Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) fired at one tanker, while security intelligence firm Vanguard Tech reported the force had threatened to “destroy” an empty cruise ship that was fleeing the Gulf.In a third incident, the UKMTO said that it received a report of a vessel in the same area “being hit by an unknown projectile which caused damage” to shipping containers but no fire.Speaking at a diplomatic forum in Turkiye, Iranian deputy foreign minister Saeed Khatibzadeh said the “Americans cannot impose their will over Iran” with a siege, and suggested the blockade was a violation of the ceasefire that merited “repercussions”.Meanwhile, in a written message, Iran’s supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who has yet to be seen since taking power, said Iran’s navy “stands ready” to defeat the United States.There are just four days remaining before the end of the two-week ceasefire in the US and Israel’s war on Iran, launched by Washington and its ally on February 28.Nevertheless, Trump has appeared convinced that a deal could be finished shortly, and has made a series of social media posts praising talks mediator Pakistan.Egypt, which has also been involved in diplomatic efforts, appeared similarly upbeat Saturday, with Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty saying Cairo and Islamabad hoped to secure a final agreement “in the coming days”.He was speaking at the same event in Antalya as Khatibzadeh, who insisted no date had been set for the next round of talks, though Tehran was “very much committed to diplomacy”.Islamabad has emerged as the lead mediator during the conflict, hosting a marathon first round of talks last weekend, with a second expected in the Pakistani capital this coming week. Related Story Source link
Children play football amid makeshift shelters for displaced Palestinians in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on April 18, 2026. Since October 10, a fragile US-sponsored truce in Gaza has largely halted the fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas, but both sides have alleged frequent violations. Source link
Zahra Eid, 60, who was displaced in Byblos district, reacts while inspecting her house destroyed by Israeli strikes, after returning to her village, following the ceasefire…
Israeli occupation forces again incurded today into the town of Taranga in the northern Quneitra countryside in southern Syria, arresting a Taranga resident.Local sources reported that an Israeli military patrol stormed the town before arresting a resident and transferring him to an Israeli military base inside the Jubata al-Khashab nature reserve in the northern part of the governorate.This incursion comes amidst repeated incursions by Israeli occupation forces into the Quneitra countryside, where they have carried out similar raids and house searches over the past two days.The Israeli occupation continues to violate the 1974 Disengagement Agreement, despite Syrian demands to halt these violations and for Israeli forces to withdraw from Syrian territory. Source link
A man drives as he flashes a victory sign following a 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel went into effect, in Nabatieh, Lebanon, April 18, 2026.…
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) reaffirmed its enduring commitment to promoting a stable and secure environment and adopting constructive policies based on development and prosperity rather than wars and conflicts, in a way that strengthens mutual trust with regional and international partners and consolidates its position as a reliable partner on various fronts.Secretary-General of the GCC Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi stated during a session titled ‘A Middle East Beyond Zero Sum Politics,” held on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, that the GCC has always been a partner in solutions based on diplomacy and dialogue.Albudaiwi also addressed the treacherous Iranian attacks targeting GCC countries and their serious repercussions on security and stability, explaining that GCC states made significant efforts to prevent war but were nonetheless surprised by these unjustified and unlawful attacks.He stressed that the GCC has played a proactive role in several regional issues, particularly the Palestinian cause, supporting international efforts to achieve a two-state solution, alongside providing humanitarian aid and political initiatives in many areas. He emphasized that these roles reflect the GCC countries’ belief that regional and international stability is a shared responsibility.He added that the role of regional organizations is no longer optional but has become an imperative necessity. Their success, he said, is measured not only by internal cohesion but also by their ability to build bridges of cooperation, establish partnerships, and actively contribute to global stability.In this context, he pointed out that the GCC has embraced this responsibility seriously by establishing 28 strategic partnerships with countries worldwide, in addition to its cooperation with eight regional organizations, thereby reinforcing its regional and international standing as an effective link that promotes dialogue, supports peace, and advances stability and prosperity.He also praised the achievements of GCC countries not only in economic growth but also in resilience and their ability to face challenges, noting that joint action has proven capable of exceeding expectations and strengthening their global position.In conclusion, Albudaiwi affirmed that these collective Gulf efforts have contributed to building a regional system based on cooperation and integration, serving as an active force in achieving regional and international security and stability. Source link