The US naval blockade of Iranian ports has come into force, heightening fears over security and trade routes in the region and adding to market jitters after US‑Iran talks in Pakistan on Saturday ended without a deal. US Central Command has said that the measures apply to vessels calling at Iranian ports in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
US President Donald Trump has launched a verbal attack on Pope Leo XIV, an outspoken critic of the war on Iran, calling the American-born pontiff “weak.”
In a Truth Social post, Trump – who initially hailed Leo’s election as a “great honor” – said the Pope is “terrible for Foreign Policy,” with the US leader adding that he does not “want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States.” Speaking later aboard Air Force One, Trump doubled down, calling Leo “a liberal person” and saying: “I don’t think he’s doing a very good job... I’m not a big fan of Pope Leo.”
The remarks came after the pontiff intensified calls for peace and diplomacy in the Middle East. On Friday, Leo wrote that “God does not bless any conflict” and “no cause can justify the shedding of innocent blood.”
On Monday, the Pope reiterated his stance, saying he “will continue to speak out loudly against war.”
He added he was “not afraid” of Trump and refused to “get into a debate” with the US president. A senior Vatican official later dismissed Trump’s insults as “a declaration of impotence.”
The clash comes as Trump refused to rule out resuming “limited” strikes on Iran after ordering a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The move followed the collapse of 21-hour US-Iran talks in Pakistan at the weekend, which Tehran said broke down over “excessive” and “unreasonable” US demands. The US Department of War said enforcement of the blockade on all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports will begin at 10:00 AM ET (14:00 GMT) on April 13.
The announcement sent global oil prices back above $100 and prompted Iran to warn any hostile activity in the strait would be met with force, declaring no port in the Persian Gulf or the Sea of Oman would remain secure if its own ports are targeted.
Here are the latest developments:
- Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles said Trump’s planned Hormuz blockade “makes no sense,” calling it part of a “downward spiral.”
- China warned the blockade threatens global trade, stressing the strait must remain “safe, stable, and unimpeded.”
- The UK said it will not join the blockade, adding Hormuz “must not be subject to tolling.”
- Iran said it is weighing tolls on all vessels transiting Hormuz, not just oil shipments.
- More than 32 million people could be pushed into poverty by the war’s fallout, the UN Development Program warned.
Follow our live coverage below for continuous updates. You can also read our previous updates here.
13 April 2026
The EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, said the bloc does not support any attempts to disrupt shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
“It’s not entirely clear what action the US is taking,” Kallas told the BBC, adding that the EU does not support any tolls or blockages. “It must be clear that there is no danger,” she said.
The US aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush and three escort ships are sailing around the African continent en route to the Persian Gulf, USNI News reported.
According to USNI, the United States gave neutral ships until 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Monday (2:00 p.m. GMT) to leave Iranian ports.
Preliminary estimates show that the damage to Iran from US and Israeli attacks amounts to $270 billion, Iranian government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani told RIA Novosti.
Mohajerani said Iran would pursue “legal means” to seek compensation, including for the families affected by strikes on a girls’ elementary school in Minab that killed 175 people, most of them children.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has praised Pope Leo XIV for his “fearless stand,” calling his leadership an “inspiration to millions.”
The remarks come as the pontiff engaged in a bitter spat with President Donald Trump, condemning what he described as “war crimes” committed by the US and Israel. Trump retaliated against the Chicago-born pope, calling him “WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy.”
The International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and International Energy Agency have urged countries around the globe against imposing export control measures and hoarding energy supplies for themselves. Such behavior could only worsen the situation, which the bodies believe to be the biggest ever shock experienced by global energy markets.
“First do no harm,” IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva told reporters after a meeting with the IEA and World Bank chiefs.
Diplomacy between Iran and the US “has not totally collapsed” despite the Islamabad talks ending without an agreement, Major General Zahid Mahmood, principal at Pakistan’s NUST Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, has told RT. He called the new US naval blockade “an extremely dangerous proposition,” warning that remilitarizing the Strait of Hormuz would have “international implications” and emphasizing that the waterway is international and involves other stakeholders.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has condemned Trump’s tirade against Pope Leo XIV, calling his remarks “unacceptable.” In a published statement, she said “the Pope is the head of the Catholic Church, and it is right and proper that he call for peace and condemn all forms of war.”
The next round of direct talks between Iran and the US is reportedly expected to take place in Islamabad on Thursday, according to a source in Tehran cited by The Atlantic writer Arash Azizi on X.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said Britain will host talks with France this week aimed at what he described as a “diplomatic” negotiated end to the Iran war so the Strait of Hormuz can be reopened. Starmer has earlier ruled out UK participation in enforcing the US blockade, telling the BBC that London’s focus is on restoring traffic through the waterway and bringing down energy prices “as quickly as possible.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Iranian counterpart Seyed Abbas Araghchi have held a telephone call to discuss the latest regional developments and the recent Iran‑US talks in Islamabad, according to a post on the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s official Telegram channel.
US Central Command has shared images on X which it said show the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli carrying out “night flight operations in the Arabian Sea.” CENTCOM noted that the vessel, configured without a traditional well deck to accommodate more F‑35B fighters, Ospreys and helicopters, can support more than 20 F‑35Bs during peak operations.
Retired Pakistani Major General Tariq Rashid Khan has told RT the “goodwill” created by the US‑Iran talks in Islamabad should be “capitalized” on despite ending in an impasse. He warned the global economy is at risk if tensions around the Strait of Hormuz escalate, describing it as an international waterway where Iran “cannot solely” claim control, and urged both sides to resolve differences at the negotiating table while Tehran keeps nuclear enrichment at peaceful levels.
At least two tankers turned away from the Strait of Hormuz shortly after the US began its blockade, according to ship-tracking site MarineTraffic. The data shows the 188-metre tanker Rich Starry reversed course within minutes of approaching the chokepoint, while another vessel, the 175-metre tanker Ostria, also turned back after nearing the strait.
The US proposed that Iran accept a 20‑year moratorium on uranium enrichment during the Islamabad talks over the weekend, Axios has reported, citing a US official and a source familiar with the negotiations. Tehran reportedly countered with a shorter “single‑digit” period and offered a “monitored process of down‑blending” its highly enriched uranium rather than removing it from the country, the outlet wrote, adding that differences over the nuclear program were the main sticking point preventing a deal.
Iran has long insisted its nuclear program is peaceful but has recently suggested it could withdraw from the 1968 Nuclear Non‑Proliferation Treaty.
Asked by reporters if he would apologize to Pope Leo XIV, Trump said “no,” saying the pontiff is “very much against what I’m doing with regard to Iran” and “very weak on crime.” Trump claimed Leo “would not be happy with the end result” if Iran obtained nuclear weapons and insisted he was “just responding” after the Pope publicly criticized the war.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry says 2,089 people have been killed and 6,762 injured in the country since Israel’s offensive began on 2 March, according to figures carried by the state‑run National News Agency. The death toll includes 166 children and 174 women, the agency reports.
Trump has claimed on Truth Social that 34 ships transited the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, writing it was “by far the highest number since this foolish closure began.”
Iranian‑American Lego cartoonist Mahdi Hemmat has told RT that Iran is “winning the information war” against the US, arguing that social media lets “raw, unfiltered truth” about the conflict reach millions and collapse old narratives. Hemmat’s viral Lego rap animations have depicted incidents such as the Minab school strike, Iranian attacks on US bases and the rescue of an American F‑15 pilot, which he says are based on “verifiable events anyone can deep dive into,” as part of a low‑cost, high‑impact strategy that forces “billion‑dollar media empires to play defense.”
The Kremlin has warned that US President Donald Trump’s plans to blockade Iran’s coast would have negative consequences for global markets. “The situation is still far from being resolved,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told RT, adding that the move would weigh on international markets.
BBC Verify said satellite imagery from Saturday appears to show the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier at the eastern edge of the Gulf of Oman, around 200 km south of the Iranian coast, its closest observed position to the Gulf since the war began. Two nearby warships in the imagery appear consistent with US guided-missile destroyers and were likely part of the carrier’s strike group, although their exact identities could not be confirmed.
A China-owned pure car and truck carrier, that had been anchored “for weeks” after discharging cargo in Saudi Arabia, has left an anchorage near Dubai and transited the Strait of Hormuz via an Iran‑approved detour, the maritime journal Lloyd’s List has reported.
Iran’s ambassador to India, Mohammad Fathali, has told NDTV that the Strait of Hormuz will remain open for Indian ships, despite Tehran’s warnings of wider economic fallout from the US naval blockade. He added that Tehran has “good contact” with New Delhi to ensure passage for Indian vessels and named India among five countries Iran regards as ‘friendly.’
US President Donald Trump has warned that any Iranian “fast attack ships” that come close to the American blockade around Iranian ports “will be immediately eliminated.” He claimed in a Truth Social post that Iran’s navy has already been “completely obliterated – 158 ships,” and said the same “quick and brutal” methods used against drug‑smuggling boats at sea would be applied.
Markets don’t seem to be taking the news of the blockade too seriously
--The three major US indices down less than 1% after the opening bell.
--Mark Luschini, the chief investment strategist at Janney Montgomery Scott, told CBS News that there’s growing investor sentiment that the conflict has passed its peak escalation and could ease further.
“I think investors realize that this is probably a little bit more brinkmanship than necessarily the start of a significant re-escalation of the war, given the fact that we’re still theoretically in the midst of this two-week ceasefire, in which negotiations still have a chance of coming back together,” he said.
The US military’s blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports has now taken effect, according to the deadline announced by Washington. US Central Command has said the measures would apply to vessels calling at Iranian ports in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.
The Israeli military says it killed more than 250 Hezbollah fighters and commanders in a major strike across Lebanon on April 8, which came just hours after a two-week US-Iran ceasefire was announced.
The IDF described the April 8 operation as a “precise” blow to Hezbollah’s command structure, targeting sites in Beirut, the Beqaa Valley and southern Lebanon. Among those reportedly killed were senior figures linked to logistics, intelligence and missile units, it stated.
The strikes lasted ten minutes, but are considered the most intense aerial assault since the broader US-Israel war against Iran began on February 28. The Lebanese authorities said at least 357 people, mostly civilians, were killed amid heavy bombardment across populated areas, and more than 1,223 were wounded.
The UN is pushing for a mechanism to ensure safe passage for fertilizer shipments through the Strait of Hormuz as shortages worsen, UNOPS communications director Juliette Touma told Al Jazeera.
“Extensive meetings” have been held in New York over the past two weeks to design the system with member states, Touma stated. The plan aims to secure transit for fertilizer cargo and limit humanitarian fallout in Asia and Africa, which rely heavily on imports.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization warned a more than 90% drop in tanker traffic in the Gulf is threatening agricultural production and global food security.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has condemned Trump’s remarks about Pope Leo XIV, calling them an “insult.”
“I condemn the insult to Your Excellency on behalf of the great nation of Iran,” Pezeshkian wrote on X, adding that “the desecration of Jesus, the prophet of peace and brotherhood, is not acceptable to any free person.”
He expressed support for the pontiff, wishing him “glory by Allah.”
Two tankers with links to Iran have exited the Persian Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz, according to Kpler, even as traffic has thinned sharply following the US announcement of a blockade.
A vessel called the Auroura is believed to be carrying Iranian naphtha, while the other, the New Future, loaded gas oil in the UAE and has a recent history of Iran-linked trades.
“There is still a trickle of trade,” Kpler analyst Alexis Ellender said in a note to NYT, adding that major shipping firms now see transiting the strait as “just not worth it” given the risks.
The US military will enforce a blockade on all vessels in the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea east of the Strait of Hormuz, regardless of flag, according to a CENTCOM notice seen by Reuters.
“Any vessel entering or departing the blockaded area without authorization is subject to interception, diversion, and capture,” the notice reportedly warned.
It added the measures will not affect neutral transit through the Strait of Hormuz to or from non-Iranian destinations. The US Department of Defense earlier said enforcement of the blockade on all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports will begin at 10:00 a.m. ET (14:00 GMT).
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has backed Trump’s planned naval blockade of Iranian ports, insisting there is no rift between him and the US president.
“The claims that there is any rift between us are completely false… the exact opposite is true,” Netanyahu said at a cabinet meeting, according to Israeli media, adding coordination with Washington is “unprecedented.”
He claimed the US-Iran ceasefire “could turn on a dime,” saying Vice President J.D. Vance told him talks had collapsed after Iran failed to meet US conditions, including reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Netanyahu said Washington’s key demand is “removing all enriched material” and ensuring “no enrichment inside Iran” for years, adding Israel fully supports that goal.
Moscow has warned that the risk of further escalation remains after failed US-Iran talks in Islamabad.
“Given that an agreement was not reached… the potential for conflict remains,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told RT, citing US plans to blockade Iran’s coast. “We don’t yet understand what this will entail… but in any case, it will have negative consequences for the international market.”
“The situation is still far from resolved,” Peskov said, expressing hope that it “won’t return” to active hostilities.
Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref has praised Spain’s stance on the US-Israeli war on Iran, singling out Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez for his “humanitarian” position.
“We salute all who have courageously stood against aggression and atrocities… The world must distinguish between the aggressor and the defender,” Aref wrote on X, adding Iran seeks only its “legal rights” and to defend its national security.
Spanish officials, including Sanchez, have been among the most vocal critics of the US-Israeli war, warning of a severe humanitarian and economic fallout. Last month, Madrid closed its airspace to US war-linked flights and withdrew its ambassador from Israel, downgrading ties.
Spain has reopened its embassy in Tehran following the ceasefire, the mission announced.
“We are returning to Tehran,” the embassy said on X, adding that Ambassador Antonio Sanchez-Benedito Gaspar and staff are resuming operations “with a commitment to supporting peace.”
The embassy along with several other foreign missions in the Iranian capital had been closed since mid-March.
Iran is “fully prepared for any confrontation,” a senior Interior Ministry spokesman has told RT, stressing readiness across diplomacy, security, and the battlefield.
Ali Zeinivand said Tehran maintains “excellent” internal security, while other branches handle diplomacy and military operations, adding Iran has “the ability, the power, and the will” to defend itself.
Israel is already looking to cast Türkiye as its next enemy after Iran, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has warned, citing what he called a broader “state strategy.”
“Israel cannot live without enmity after Iran… not only the Netanyahu administration but also some in the opposition are in search of a new enemy,” Fidan said in a televised debate.
The remarks come amid a deepening rift between Ankara and West Jerusalem. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier accused Benjamin Netanyahu of being “blinded by blood and hatred,” while Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry branded him “the Hitler of our time” and said his goal is to “undermine peace negotiations” and pursue an expansionist agenda.
The war of words escalated after Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz called Erdogan a “paper tiger” for not responding to Iranian missile overflights earlier this year.
Moscow has warned that the US move to blockade the Strait of Hormuz could hit global markets.
“It’s likely that such actions will continue to negatively impact international markets. This can be assumed with a high degree of certainty,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. “However, many details remain unclear, so I would refrain from making any substantive comments at this time.”
He stressed that Moscow is still ready to “provide any service” to help de-escalate tensions around Iran.
Pope Leo has refused to engage with Donald Trump after the US president attacked him over his criticism of the US-Israeli war against Iran, saying: “I have no intention to debate with (Trump)… I am not a politician.” He added that his message remains unchanged, “to promote peace.”
Trump has posted an image portraying himself as Jesus Christ shortly after attacking Pope Leo, sparking backlash online.
The AI-generated image, shared on Truth Social, shows Trump in flowing biblical robes with a glowing aura as he appears to heal the sick, flanked by eagles, fighter jets, and the Statue of Liberty.
The post drew mixed reactions, with some users mocking it as a step toward Trump “declaring himself God.”
The Vatican has also hit back at Trump’s attack on Pope Leo XIV, with a senior official calling his disparaging remarks “a declaration of impotence.”
Antonio Spadaro, under-secretary for culture and education, said Trump’s attack reflects “a deeper unease,” arguing political power often turns on moral authority when it “cannot contain it.”
He said the US president was trying to pull the Pope into a language of “force, security, or national interest,” but stressed Leo “speaks another language” beyond such constraints.
Spadaro added that attempts to delegitimize the pontiff only underscore his influence, noting that if he were irrelevant “he would not deserve a word.”
Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, said he was “disheartened” by Trump’s verbal attack on Pope Leo XIV.
“Pope Leo is not his rival; nor is the Pope a politician,” Coakley said. “He is the Vicar of Christ who speaks from the truth of the Gospel and for the care of souls.”
Trump earlier lashed out at Pope Leo, calling him “weak” and saying he should be “grateful” for his appointment after the pontiff criticized his policies.
Trump’s plan to blockade the Strait of Hormuz “makes no sense,” according to Spain’s defense minister, Margarita Robles.
“Since this war started, nothing makes sense,” Robles told Spain’s public television. “This is another episode in the downward spiral the world has been dragged into.” She said Spain opposes the conflict and fears its economic fallout.
“Trump and Netanyahu want to impose their rules on the international community, and that must not be accepted under any circumstances,” Robles stated.
Iran is considering charging tolls on all vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, not just oil shipments, under a plan now under parliamentary review.
MP Ali Shirinzad said the draft legislation would impose fees on “every shipment… every passage,” including commercial and passenger vessels, as part of Iran’s expanded “control, supervision and operational management” of the waterway.
He said the framework has been approved in principle by parliamentary commissions, with fees to be calculated in Iranian rials, adding the strait holds “significant economic advantages.”
The proposal is framed as a means for Tehran to assert sovereignty and provide security and services in the strategic chokepoint.
Pistachio prices have surged to an eight-year high amid the US-Israeli war on Iran, Bloomberg reports, citing market data.
Prices have climbed to $4.57 per pound ($10.07/kg), with retail costs in key markets like India and the Middle East jumping 20-50% in the past week.
“Pistachios are certainly sensitive to disruptions in the Middle East given the region’s role as a major producer, transit hub, and destination,” said Expana Markets analyst Nick Moss, noting the conflict is “compounding an already constrained situation,” as Iranian pistachio trade was already complicated by sanctions and geopolitical frictions prior to the war.
Iran is the world’s second-largest producer, accounting for about a fifth of global output and a third of exports of pistachios.
Iranian inventor Leyla Keshavarzi has used her award moment at the Malaysia Invention and Innovation Competition to honor victims of the Minab school strike, carrying a small pink-and-purple backpack in memory of the girls killed.
The February 28 strike on the Shajarah Tayyebeh school came on the first day of the US-Israeli attack on Iran, killing more than 175 students and staff.
Keshavarzi won gold in the Asian Youth category for biotech research on brain cancer therapy.
The Middle East crisis could drive a surge in global food insecurity and inflation, Russian Security Council Deputy Secretary Aleksandr Maslennikov has warned. According to Maslennikov, a prolonged Hormuz blockade could threaten food supplies “first of all” in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Egypt, while also posing risks to Russia, including through potential attempts by “external forces” to undermine its food security.
Maslennikov noted European farmers are already shifting to fertilizers from North Africa, North America, and Russia, warning the conflict could trigger “the largest wave of global food inflation in recent years” if it drags into the summer.
He added the crisis could push 45 million more people into hunger globally, to a record 673 million, with corn producers and European greenhouse farms among the most vulnerable.
Former Israeli acting President and Knesset speaker Avraham Burg has likened the US-Iran ceasefire to “a divorce” between Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu.
Speaking to Going Underground, Burg said Trump “does not pay attention to the whining of his lover Israel,” adding the war may mark “the last couple of months” of Netanyahu’s rule as Israelis grow “fed up.”
He said neither Israel nor the US appears to have won the war, arguing: “Iran got it very strong, but so far it won.” Watch in full below.
Nine people have been killed and 13 wounded in an Israeli strike on the southern Lebanese town of Tefahta, the National News Agency reports.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry says at least 2,055 people have been killed and 6,588 injured in the conflict since early March.
Iran says US-Israeli strikes have caused major environmental damage, including the release of large volumes of greenhouse gases and toxic pollutants.
The country’s Environmental Protection Organization said attacks hit industrial sites, oil facilities, and protected areas across seven provinces, damaging 13 conservation zones to varying degrees.
Fires at three major oil storage complexes in Tehran burned more than 360,000 cubic meters of fuel, releasing nearly 1 million tons of CO2 and around 4,000 tons of hazardous compounds, it said. Separate strikes on fuel tanks in Alborz emitted a further 53,000 tons of CO2 and about 220 tons of toxic substances.
The agency warned the destruction and pollution posed a serious threat to environmental and public health, with impacts severe enough to “threaten the very possibility of life” in affected areas.
China has warned that a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz threatens global trade, stressing that keeping the key waterway “safe, stable, and unimpeded” is in the international community’s shared interests.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said the root cause of the crisis lies in the ongoing war, calling on all parties to show “calm and restraint” as the US Navy prepares to enforce an embargo on ships entering Iranian ports.
Guo described negotiations as “an important step toward de-escalation” and urged adherence to the temporary ceasefire, adding that China is “willing to continue playing a positive and constructive role.”
Indonesia and the US are in talks over granting American military aircraft access to Indonesian airspace, Jakarta’s Defense Ministry said in a statement, stressing no deal has been reached.
The ministry said only a preliminary, non-binding draft ‘Letter of Intent’ is under discussion after reports Washington is seeking “blanket overnight access.” It insisted defense cooperation talks are guided by national interests, including safeguarding sovereignty and compliance with national and international law.
“The authority, control, and supervision of Indonesian airspace remains fully in Indonesia’s hands,” the ministry’s information chief, Brig. Gen. Rico Ricardo Sirait, said.
US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is due to meet his Indonesian counterpart, Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, later on Monday.
Japan has not yet decided whether to deploy its Self-Defense Forces for minesweeping in the Strait of Hormuz, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara has told reporters, as cited by Kyodo News.
Tokyo is pushing for de-escalation and a broader understanding between the sides, with Kihara stressing that “what is most important is that de-escalation… and the safety of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz is actually achieved.”
Meanwhile, shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz appears to have picked up over the weekend, with MarineTraffic data showing at least ten vessels transited in the past 36 hours and seven more currently in passage.
Pakistan and Iran have officially launched a new transit corridor, with the first shipment sent from Pakistan to Uzbekistan via Iranian territory.
Pakistan’s director of customs for transit trade, Sanaullah Abro, said the route will link Gwadar Port to Central Asia through Iran, opening a new trade channel for Pakistani exports.
Robert A. Pape, a University of Chicago professor and former White House and Pentagon adviser, has warned the Hormuz crisis is shifting from a price spike to a full-scale supply shock. In a series of posts on X, Pape said that with about 20% of global oil flows through the strait now constrained “by Iran and the US,” the impact will soon extend beyond energy to “fuel, fertilizer, plastics – much more.”
“Everyone is still talking about oil prices – that’s already outdated… this is the early stage of a system-wide supply shock,” he wrote. “Within 10 days… parts of the global economy will start running short of critical goods… not just higher prices – shortages.”
He warned the fallout will spread “Asia first → Europe next → global compression,” adding: “By the time shortages show up in headlines, it’s already too late.”
Five people have been killed in Israeli airstrikes across southern Lebanon, including in Nabatiyeh, the Lebanese National News Agency reports.
Footage verified by Aljazeera shows ambulances at the scene, with paramedics recovering a body following the strikes.
Iran has warned that Gulf ports are “either for everyone or for no one,” as tensions rise over the Strait of Hormuz ahead of Trump’s planned blockade.
State broadcaster IRIB cited the armed forces as saying “enemy-affiliated vessels do not and will not have the right to pass,” while other ships may transit under Iranian rules.
Tehran insisted it is exercising its “natural right” to sovereignty in its waters and vowed a “permanent mechanism” to control the strait even after the war.
It also branded US restrictions on maritime traffic “an illegal act” amounting to “piracy,” warning that if its port security is threatened, “no port in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman will be safe.”
Former US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has likened Donald Trump to “an arsonist putting out the fire” over the planned blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Speaking to CNN, Blinken said the crisis around the key waterway stemmed from Trump’s own actions, while stressing the strait remains “the most important thing.” He urged the US president to show “strategic patience” in handling the situation.
The US Department of War said American forces will begin enforcing a blockade on all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports from 10:00 AM ET (14:00 GMT) on April 13.
At least 77 historical sites in Tehran were damaged by US-Israeli strikes over the past weeks, according to Sajjad Asghari, the head of the city’s monument protection committee.
He said around 90% of the damage is minor, and 10% is classified as serious. Of the affected sites, 38 are nationally registered, and the rest hold architectural and cultural value; 27 date back to the Qajar dynasty era.
The damaged landmarks include Golestan Palace, Sa’dabad Palace Complex, Farrokhabad and Ishratabad palaces, Qasr Prison, the Marble Palace’s Stone Gate, Ahmad Reza Pahlavi Palace, and the Rafi Nia Synagogue House.
The Israeli military claims that its troops uncovered and dismantled an underground Hezbollah tunnel in southern Lebanon.
The tunnel was supposedly used to plan and advance attacks against Israeli forces. Searches and inspections were conducted inside before it was destroyed.
The IDF has pledged to continue operations against Hezbollah. Iran insists that Lebanon must be part of its temporary ceasefire with the US.
More than 32 million people could be pushed into poverty by the economic fallout from the US-Israeli war on Iran, with developing countries set to bear the brunt, the UN Development Program has warned.
In a brief report released during the temporary ceasefire, the agency flagged a “triple shock” – rising energy and food costs alongside weaker global growth. It said the conflict is reversing years of development gains, with impacts shifting from an “acute” to a more “enduring” phase. The longer this persists, “the greater the risk of accelerated lapses into poverty in vulnerable countries,” it warned.
“War is development in reverse. Conflict can undo in weeks what countries have built over years,” said UNDP Administrator Alexander De Croo. “Even if the war stops… the impact is already there. The effects will endure, especially in poorer countries, pushing more people back into poverty.”
Asian equity markets have plunged after US-Iran peace talks collapsed and Donald Trump threatened a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng dropped about 1.3-1.5% in morning trading, Japan’s Nikkei 225 slid 1%, South Korea’s Kospi fell around 1.1%, and China’s Shanghai Composite edged down 0.2%. India’s Nifty 50 slid 1.3%.
Analysts warn volatility is likely to persist.
“The outcome of the talks was not really what people were hoping for,” said Neil Newman, head of strategy at Astris Advisory Japan.
Last week, the Asian Development Bank warned that “a prolonged conflict in the Middle East is the single biggest risk” to Asia Pacific outlook, predicting that growth will likely slow to 5.1% in 2026-2027.
Global oil prices surpassed $100 after US-Iran talks collapsed over the weekend.
US benchmark WTI crude has been up around 8%, trading near $104 per barrel as of 06:30 GMT, while international benchmark Brent has gained around 7% to $102.
Iran’s Navy commander has dismissed Donald Trump’s latest threat to impose a naval blockade on Iran as “ridiculous,” claiming that Tehran is closely tracking every movement of US forces in the region.
“The brave men of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Navy are tracking and monitoring all movements of the aggressor US military in the region,” Rear Admiral Shahram Irani said in a statement carried by Iranian media. He added that “the threats of the US president following the humiliating defeat of his army in the third imposed war, a naval blockade on Iran, are very ridiculous and laughable.”
President Donald Trump offered a brief health update on the two US airmen rescued from Iran after their F-15E was shot down earlier this month. Their identities remain classified.
“They are in very good shape and we’re very proud of them,” Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews.
On April 3, a US F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet was shot down over Iran by a surface-to-air missile defense system. The pilot was rescued a few hours later, but it took nearly two days to locate the weapons systems officer.
Officials have not publicly reported any US fatalities from the rescue mission, which came at a steep material cost. Beyond the downed F-15E, the US lost at least one A-10 during the rescue operation, had helicopters hit, and then destroyed two MC-130Js and several Little Birds on the ground in Iran rather than allow them to be captured.
Israeli warplanes have reportedly carried out new strikes on the towns of Nabatieh and Maifadoun in southern Lebanon, according to Al Jazeera Arabic.
Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has once again ground to a halt after Trump announced a naval blockade, according to Lloyd’s List, which said vessels that had been moving at reduced levels stopped and some turned back. The report said even the limited recovery seen during the ceasefire vanished as shipowners reacted to the threat of US interdictions.
The IDF is reportedly gearing up for a renewed war with Iran after the collapse of the Islamabad talks, according to multiple Israeli media reports.
An i24NEWS report said Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir had ordered “immediate readiness” for a possible resumption of combat with Iran.
The Kan public broadcaster cited a “senior defense official” as saying that “Israel is interested in renewing the war against Iran,” after the war ended “too early, without sufficient pressure being applied on Iran regarding the nuclear issue and ballistic missiles.”
The IDF has not formally confirmed the latest reports, but it had already said during the ceasefire that it remained on “high alert in defense, ready to respond to any violation,” and Zamir said last week that Israel was prepared to return to combat in Iran “with full force” if required.
A senior NATO military official told CBS News that the UK is leading planning for a coalition of more than 40 countries aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz and protecting “freedom of navigation”, even as London had previously insisted it would not join Donald Trump’s “blockade” of Iranian-linked shipping.
“They are discussing what to do and when to do it, including the pre-positioning of assets now,” the unnamed official said, without providing specific details about what the operation could look like or which countries might participate.
The United States has “much more oil than Russia and Saudi Arabia put together”, and other countries are now sending their tankers to purchase American crude, President Trump has claimed.
“There are many boats heading toward our country to fill up with oil ... they’re not going to go through the Hormuz Strait. Ultimately, that’ll be corrected. But in the meantime, they’re using us,” he said. “Because of Drill Baby Drill, we have more oil than Russia and Saudi Arabia put together.”
American benchmark WTI crude soared to nearly $105 after Asian markets opened on Wednesday, while the international Brent benchmark traded at more than $102 a barrel.
President Trump has renewed his criticism of NATO, saying the bloc failed to help the US in its war with Iran, and dismissing its alleged late effort to show support now that “there’s no real threat anymore.”
“I’m very disappointed in NATO. They weren’t there for us. We pay trillions of dollars for NATO, and they weren’t there for us,” Trump told reporters. “Now they want to come up, but there’s no real threat anymore.”
“We spent trillions of dollars on NATO ... to help them guard really against Russia. When you think of it, we’re guarding against Russia. I’ve long thought it was a little ridiculous,” he added.
Trump said the issue would now be “under very serious examination.” His meeting with Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Wednesday reportedly “went sh*t”, with the US leader allegedly unleashing a “tirade of insults” at European NATO members and threatening “to do just about anything”, according to Politico.
The US president said he was unconcerned about whether Iran returned to negotiations after the failed Islamabad round, arguing that Tehran had already been badly weakened and accusing it of breaking its word on the Strait of Hormuz.
“Oh, I don’t know. I don’t care if they come back or not. If they don’t come back, I’m fine,” Trump said, reiterating yet again his claim that Iran’s military, leadership and industrial capacity have been destroyed.
“We’ve been very nice. We haven’t ripped down too many bridges,” he said, claiming that Washington has shown restraint so far.
Trump also accused Tehran of failing to honor an alleged “promise” to reopen the waterway. “Their promise was that they were going to open the Hormuz Strait. They didn’t do it. They lied,” he said.
President Donald Trump has presented the US naval blockade due to begin on Monday as the next step in Washington’s effort to choke off Iranian oil sales.
“As you know, at 10 o’clock tomorrow, we have a blockade going into effect,” Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews. “Other nations are working so that Iran will not be able to sell oil. And that would be very effective.”
President Trump has sharply escalated his public clash with Pope Leo, attacking the pontiff as “WEAK on Crime” and “terrible for Foreign Policy” in a lengthy post on Truth Social that touched on Iran, Venezuela, COVID-era church restrictions and the Pope’s criticism of the administration.
The outburst comes days after Leo condemned Trump’s threat against Iran as “truly unacceptable” and denounced the “delusion of omnipotence” driving the war.
Trump accused Leo of being soft on Iran and hostile to his foreign policy, while claiming the Pope’s rise was tied to his own return to the White House.
The UK will not take part in President Trump’s planned blockade of Iran-linked vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, but will instead focus on maintaining freedom of navigation, a government spokesman said, insisting that the waterway “must not be subject to tolling.”
“We continue to support freedom of navigation and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, which is urgently needed to support the global economy and the cost of living back home,” the spokesman told multiple media outlets.
In an interview with Fox News earlier on Sunday, Trump renewed his criticism of Prime Minister Keir Starmer, comparing him to Neville Chamberlain, the former British prime minister associated with pre-World War II appeasement, and dismissing his offer to send military equipment after the conflict, saying such support is needed “before the war starts or during the war.”
The Israeli military says two soldiers from the 98th Division were moderately injured on Sunday in southern Lebanon after a Hezbollah rocket strike. According to the IDF, both were hurt by the blast wave from the impact, evacuated to hospital, and their families were informed.
Hezbollah says it carried out 43 attacks on Israeli positions in southern Lebanon and northern Israel on Sunday, using rockets, drones and other weapons against troops, bases and border positions. According to the group’s account, the targets included Israeli forces in and around Khiam, Biyyada, Bint Jbeil, Taybeh and Shama in southern Lebanon, as well as positions near Kiryat Shmona, Margaliot, Avivim, Metula and the occupied Syrian Golan Heights. The group also said it struck a number of Israeli barracks and bases, including Al-Aliqah, Beit Hillel, Mount Neria, Filon, Yiftah and Dishon.
Open-source flight-tracking accounts on X are reporting a fresh wave of US Air Force cargo aircraft heading toward the Middle East late on Sunday, suggesting Washington may still be moving personnel and materiel into the region after the failed Pakistan talks and the new blockade announcement. The claims have not been formally confirmed by the Pentagon.
Two million barrels of Iranian crude oil were reportedly delivered to India by a National Iranian Tanker Company supertanker, the VLCC FELICITY, on Sunday, marking the first such shipment in seven years following a US sanctions waiver, according to TankerTrackers.com.
India’s shipping ministry granted special permission two days earlier to four vessels carrying Iranian oil at the request of Reliance Industries, operator of the world’s largest refining complex, according to a Reuters report. Those approved include the tankers FELICITY and HEDY, as well as the aframax KAVIZ and VLCC LENORE, each capable of carrying up to 2 million barrels of oil.
Additional shipments totaling several million barrels are expected to arrive in the coming days, the monitoring group said.
Acting Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche says the US will “vigorously prosecute” anyone involved in buying or selling sanctioned Iranian oil.
12 April 2026
Seyed Hossein Mousavian, who previously served on Iran’s nuclear diplomacy team, says the failed Pakistan talks still showed that a diplomatic channel remains open between Tehran and Washington.
“No one expected a big deal in Pakistan after 40 days of war. Nevertheless, it was high-level direct negotiations, and they can continue to resolve the two remaining issues,” Mousavian told Al Jazeera.
According to Mousavian, the two main sticking points are now clear: freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear enrichment. “I believe there is a solution for both,” he said, suggesting that despite the deadlock in Islamabad, there is still room for further negotiations.
Besides the announced US blockade targeting Iranian ports and traffic around the Strait of Hormuz, Trump is considering resuming “limited” strikes against Iranian infrastructure, the Wall Street Journal has reported, citing sources.
The US president has also not ruled out a broader bombing campaign, though officials say that is less likely because of the risk of wider regional destabilization and his reluctance to enter a prolonged conflict.
“I would hate to do it, but it’s their water, their desalination plants, their power plants, which are very easy to hit,” Trump told Fox News earlier on Sunday.
A White House spokesperson declined to detail specific plans, saying the president “keeps all additional options on the table” and dismissing reports about his next steps as speculation.
Australia has signaled it is not preparing to join the US naval blockade around Hormuz, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese saying Canberra has not been asked to take part and ministers stressing that diplomacy remains the best path forward.
“We haven’t been asked to participate. We’ve received no requests. We haven’t been asked … and I don’t expect that we will be,” Albanese told local media.
Former EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, who helped steer the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, has warned against expecting any quick breakthrough between Washington and Tehran after the failed Islamabad talks.
“It took us 12 years and an immense amount of technical work, anyone seriously thought an agreement could be reached in 21 hours….?” Mogherini wrote in a post on X.
The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, reached in 2015, was negotiated between Iran and the E3/EU+3 – China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States, with the EU coordinating the process – and was designed to keep Iran’s nuclear programme exclusively peaceful in exchange for sanctions relief. The US unilaterally withdrew from the deal in 2018 during Trump’s first term.
US gasoline prices have surged since the late-February attack on Iran, with the conflict disrupting global oil supplies and forcing American drivers to cut back on spending.
Fuel costs have climbed above $4 per gallon nationwide, rising by roughly 25% to 30% over the past month, with the national average reaching about $4.16, up around 8 cents in a week.
Global crude markets remain highly volatile, with prices swinging more on Trump’s rhetoric than on developments on the ground, where a tentative ceasefire continues to hold despite the collapse of talks.
Oil prices have jumped sharply after the Pentagon announced a US naval blockade targeting Iranian ports, with fresh fears of disruption around the Strait of Hormuz jolting energy markets.
Market screens showed WTI crude up 8.41% to $104.69 and Brent up 7.46% to $102.30, pushing the global benchmark back above the $100 mark.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf mocked Donald Trump’s blockade threat by warning American drivers that fuel prices could soon surge far beyond current levels.
“Enjoy the current pump figures. With the so-called ‘blockade’, Soon you’ll be nostalgic for $4–$5 gas,” Ghalibaf wrote in a post on X, sharing a map of gas prices near the White House.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says Tehran engaged “in good faith” in the Islamabad talks and came within inches of an “Islamabad MoU” before the process was derailed by “maximalism, shifting goalposts, and blockade.”
“Good will begets good will. Enmity begets enmity,” he added in a pointed warning to Washington.
Iran’s embassy in Thailand has mocked President Trump’s decision to blockade the Strait of Hormuz in order to free the waterway as “comical”.
“The new move from Trump against our country is so comical that we don’t even have a meme for it,” the mission said in a post on X.
US Central Command has announced that it will begin enforcing a blockade on all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports at 10am ET on April 13, acting under what it described as President Donald Trump’s “proclamation.”
"The blockade will be enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman," CENTCOM said, promising not to "impede freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports."
The US military added that commercial mariners would receive further guidance through a formal notice before the operation begins, and advised vessels in the Gulf of Oman and near the approaches to Hormuz to monitor official maritime broadcasts and contact US naval forces on channel 16.