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U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered the U.S. subject to “shoot and kill” Iranian tiny boats choking the Strait of Hormuz.
In a societal media station Thursday morning, helium said the subject is intensifying its excavation clearing efforts successful the captious waterway. The determination intensified the U.S.-Iran standoff successful the Persian Gulf and raised questions astir efforts to extremity the war.
Meanwhile, the U.S. subject said it seized different tanker Thursday associated with smuggling Iranian oil, the Majestic X, successful the Indian Ocean, deepening disorder implicit efforts to extremity the war. The seizure comes aft a time aft Iran attacked 3 cargo ships successful the Strait of Hormuz, capturing 2 of them. Ship-tracking information showed the Majestic X successful the Indian Ocean betwixt Sri Lanka and Indonesia.
The standoff betwixt the U.S. and Iran has efficaciously choked disconnected astir each exports done the Strait of Hormuz, wherever 20% of the world’s traded lipid passes successful peacetime, with nary extremity successful sight.
Here is the latest:
Trump accidental helium won’t beryllium rushed to extremity warfare arsenic Iran negotiations resistance on
“I don’t privation to unreserved myself,” said Trump, who added that Iran’s enactment is successful “turmoil.”
Trump successful an speech with reporters successful the Oval Office besides pushed backmost against questions that the struggle is exceeding the four-to-six week timeline that helium and aides antecedently acceptable for the war.
“I took the state retired militarily successful the archetypal 4 weeks. I took it retired militarily,” Trump said. “Now each we’re doing is sitting backmost and seeing what woody (we make). And if they don’t privation to marque a deal, past I’ll decorativeness it up militarily.”
Iranian officials refute Trump’s claims of enactment rift successful the country
“In Iran determination are nary ‘hardliners’ oregon ‘moderates’. We are each Iranians and revolutionaries,” Iran’s president, and Iran’s parliament talker wrote successful an astir identical connection connected their societal media.
A spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry called the U.S. president’s assertion that determination was a enactment rift successful Iran “a signifier of deflection,” with different Iranian officials besides claiming connected societal media that the state was united.
Hours earlier, Trump said that Iran is going done a hard clip “figuring retired who their person is! They conscionable don’t know!“
Since the sidesplitting of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei astatine the opening of the war, it has been unclear who successful Iran wields eventual authorization implicit its postulation of civilian figures and almighty generals who look to beryllium successful charge.
Third craft bearer arrives successful the Middle East
The craft bearer USS George H.W. Bush has present arrived successful U.S. Central Command, making the vessel the 3rd craft bearer to beryllium contiguous successful the Middle East during a tenuous ceasefire successful the Iran war.
The Bush is present successful the Indian Ocean, according to a societal media station from the subject command. The USS Abraham Lincoln is located successful the Arabian Sea and the USS Gerald R. Ford is successful the Red Sea.
The Bush, which near its location larboard of Norfolk, Va. astatine the extremity of March, proceeded to sail crossed the Atlantic Ocean but past made the antithetic prime to crook southbound and sail astir the Horn of Africa earlier heading northbound toward the waters of the Middle East
Air defenses successful enactment implicit Tehran
Iran’s superior Thursday nighttime saw aerial defence systems successful enactment arsenic explosions were heard successful the occidental portion of the city.
State media said the determination was against “hostile targets, “ without immoderate elaboration.
Witnesses said aerial defence systems were besides heard southwest of the city.
Some Iranian media said earlier Wednesday that a trial of the systems was successful process.
Clashes disrupt Israeli Supreme Court hearing
Clashes broke retired astatine Israel’s Supreme Court during a proceeding connected petitions calling connected the authorities to found an authoritative authorities committee of enquiry into the Oct. 7 attacks.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opposes the investigation.
Protesters attempted to interruption into the courtroom, forcing the proceedings to pause, according to Israeli media reports. The proceeding resumed aft astir 30 minutes. Separate confrontations were reported extracurricular the tribunal betwixt bereaved families holding opposing views.
Renowned US-Kuwaiti writer detained successful Kuwait acquitted, property show says
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said Thursday that a Kuwaiti tribunal acquitted writer Ahmed Shihab-Eldin connected each charges pursuing 52 days of detention.
Shihab-Eldin, an award-winning writer who contributed reporting to large media outlets, was arrested March 3 portion visiting his household successful Kuwait, CPJ said. The property show antecedently reported that Kuwaiti authorities person charged him with “spreading mendacious information, harming nationalist security, and misusing his mobile phone.”
“We are relieved that Ahmed Shihab-Eldin has been recovered guiltless aft 52 days successful detention,” said CPJ CEO Jodie Ginsberg.
Trump to articulation Israel-Lebanon talks astatine White House
A U.S. authoritative says President Donald Trump volition greet Israeli and Lebanese diplomats who volition conscionable for a 2nd circular of talks connected Thursday astatine the White House.
The authoritative said the gathering had been moved from the State Department, wherever the archetypal circular was held past week, to the White House truthful that Trump could attend. The authoritative spoke connected information of anonymity to sermon interior medication planning.
The talks travel arsenic a impermanent ceasefire betwixt Israel and Hezbollah that was agreed to by the Israeli and Lebanese governments is owed to expire. U.S. officials accidental they anticipation an hold of the truce tin beryllium arranged.
—- Mathew Lee
Israel appoints envoy to Christian world
Israel’s overseas curate Gideon Saar has appointed George Deek arsenic peculiar envoy to the Christian satellite successful a bid to fortify ties with Christian communities, according to a authorities statement.
Deek, a seasoned diplomat and erstwhile ambassador to Azerbaijan, is simply a subordinate of Israel’s Arab Christian community.
Saar said Israel attaches “great importance” to its relations with Christians worldwide.
The assignment comes aft a brace of incidents that strained relations with the Christian world. Last month, Israeli constabulary prevented Catholic leaders from celebrating Palm Sunday astatine the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, citing the warfare with Iran. And an Israeli worker acceptable disconnected a planetary firestorm by smashing a statue of Jesus Christ successful Lebanon. Two soldiers person been sentenced to jailhouse for their roles successful the incident.
Pope urges US and Iran to instrumentality to bid talks, condemns superior punishment
After a travel that was dominated by the precise nationalist backmost and distant betwixt Pope Leo XIV and U.S. President Donald Trump implicit the war, Leo urged the United States and Iran to instrumentality to negotiations.
He called for a caller “culture of peace” to regenerate the recourse to unit whenever conflicts arise.
He said the question wasn’t whether the Iran authorities should alteration oregon not. “The question should beryllium astir however to beforehand the values we judge successful without the deaths of truthful galore innocents.”
He revealed that helium carries with him the photograph of a Muslim Lebanese lad who had been killed successful Israel’s caller warfare with Hezbollah. The lad had been photographed holding a motion welcoming the pope erstwhile helium visited Lebanon past year.
“As a pastor I cannot beryllium successful favour of war,” helium told reporters aboard his plane. “I would similar to promote everyone to find responses that travel from a civilization of bid and not hatred and division.”
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Trump likes a naval blockade. But Iran presents large differences from Venezuela and Cuba
President Donald Trump has turned to naval blockades to unit the governments of Venezuela, Cuba and present Iran to conscionable his demands, but his preferred maneuver is confronting a precise antithetic world successful the Middle East than successful the Caribbean.
Unlike Cuba oregon Venezuela, Iran choked disconnected a important commercialized way for vigor shipments, meaning the longer the standoff persists, the much the planetary system volition suffer. Tehran besides poses a greater subject menace than those 2 adversaries successful America’s ain hemisphere and requires a sustained subject beingness acold from U.S. shores.
Iran’s leverage implicit the Strait of Hormuz gives it powerfulness during a shaky ceasefire due to the fact that the widening economical risks, particularly higher U.S. state prices successful an predetermination year, could unit the Republican president to extremity the blockade connected Iran’s ports and coastline, experts say.
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Palestinians mourn different decease successful historically convulsive twelvemonth successful the occupied West Bank
A 25-year-old begetter of twins was changeable by Israeli settlers successful a colony location to a ample Palestinian-American population, sparking an outpouring of grief astatine his ceremonial Thursday.
The Ramallah-based Palestinian Ministry of Health said Awda Awawdeh died from gunshot wounds aft what witnesses described arsenic a clash with settlers attempting to bargain Palestinian livestock.
“Young men from our municipality gathered and came to face them. The settlers fired astatine them, and the young antheral Awda Awawdeh was deed and injured connected his broadside with a unrecorded bullet,” said Ziad Manasrah, a section paramedic who helped transport Awawdeh from the municipality of Deir Dibwan to the hospital.
Awawdeh is the 11th Palestinian killed by Israeli settlers successful 2026, surpassing the 9 killed successful 2025.
“The regular killings successful the West Bank are not incidental, but an integral portion of a systematic process of taste cleansing. The Israeli strategy does not halt this unit deliberately due to the fact that it serves its governmental goal: the suppression and dispossession of Palestinians from their land,” said Yuli Novak, the enforcement manager the Israeli rights radical B’Tselem.
Lebanese furniture discusses imaginable determination to articulation the ICC
Lebanon’s Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri said ministers connected Thursday discussed joining the International Criminal Court, a imperishable tribunal that prosecutes individuals for warfare crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, for “a circumstantial period.”
The determination would people a important displacement for Lebanon, which is not a subordinate of the court. Mitri said the determination would alteration the ICC to “look into warfare crimes and humanitarian crimes which were committed connected Lebanese territory.”
Lebanon has accused Israel of warfare crimes and and repeated breaches of planetary instrumentality during the latest warfare with Hezbollah.
Iran’s judiciary main touts the country’s amusement of unit successful the Strait of Hormuz
Iran’s judiciary chief, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejehi, said connected X that the country’s equipped forces were demonstrating spot successful the Strait of Hormuz, citing what helium described arsenic a Revolutionary Guard “mosquito fleet” of speedboats and underwater drones, on with enactment against 3 ships successful the waterway.
He wrote that “the IRGC’s mosquito fleet, with speedboats and drones, lies successful hold from the oversea caves of Faror Island for the American aggressor warships, acceptable to saturate their aerial defenses and bring utter ruin upon the invaders.”
He called the show “a root of pride” and warned against U.S. naval presence.
Israeli defence curate says Israel is acceptable to resume warfare with Iran
Israel’s defence minister, Israel Katz, said Thursday that Israel is prepared to resume warfare with Iran and is awaiting a “green light” from the United States, according to a connection pursuing a information assessment.
“We are waiting for a greenish airy from the United States,” Katz said, adding that the subject is acceptable for some antiaircraft and violative operations and “targets are marked.”
Israelis explicit mixed views connected Lebanon talks
Residents successful Jerusalem and Tel Aviv expressed mixed views connected talks betwixt Israel and Lebanon, with opinions ranging from calls for diplomacy to heavy skepticism implicit Hezbollah’s role.
“I ever judge that you tin talk, but you person to beryllium prepared for war,” said Ben Kurtzer, a Jerusalem resident.
Others were much skeptical. “Who is determination to speech to?” said Yardena Sharon.
Some drew a favoritism betwixt Lebanon and Hezbollah.
“We bash not privation to beryllium hostile with the authorities of Lebanon; we person nary hostility towards them. I deliberation determination are, undoubtedly, fantastic radical there, radical who question peace, conscionable arsenic we question peace,” said Matan Moalem, a Jerusalem resident. “Hezbollah needs to beryllium eliminated erstwhile and for all, to instrumentality power of the full country that perpetually threatens Israel, firing successful our absorption and ever seeking to destruct and termination us.”
In Tel Aviv, others emphasized diplomacy. “Force without brains is worthy nothing. In the end, lone agreements bring bid and security, lone agreements,” said Daron Sabani.
Images of caller crucifix successful confederate Lebanon convey ‘message of hope, dialog and peace,’ Meloni says
Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni connected Thursday thanked Italian peacekeepers serving successful confederate Lebanon for donating a caller crucifix to the colony of Debel aft the archetypal was destroyed by an Israeli worker successful an incidental that drew planetary criticism.
Meloni said images showing the crucifix being delivered and placed successful the aforesaid spot arsenic the 1 destroyed days earlier conveyed “a connection of hope, dialog and peace.”
Israel’s subject said Tuesday it had replaced the crucifix and shared a photograph of the caller 1 connected societal media. The replacement appeared smaller and much ornate than the original, which had been smashed by a soldier.
The Israeli subject said 2 soldiers progressive successful the occurrence volition beryllium held for a period successful subject detention.
Ukraine’s president discloses details of information agreements with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and UAE
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said successful a CNN interrogation that his state signed a “Drone Deal” with the 3 Gulf countries, aiming to assistance them manufacture overmuch cheaper drones and drone interceptors.
Zelenskyy toured the Gulf countries precocious May, but determination was nary contiguous connection connected the details of the signed agreements betwixt Ukraine and the Gulf countries.
” A (low-cost, Iranian-designed Shahed drone) tin outgo from 80 to 130 1000 dollars. It volition beryllium destroyed not with a rocket worthy 3-4 cardinal dollars, but with an interceptor costing 10 1000 dollars,” Zelenskyy wrote, adding that helium wants to assistance Gulf countries support themselves.
Speaking earlier this month, Zelenskyy said that successful speech for its drone expertise, Ukraine would get aerial defence weapons to support its vigor infrastructure, on with oil, diesel and, successful immoderate cases, fiscal help. Ukrainian officials haven’t published details of the last deal.
‘Stable ceasefire and assurances’ needed for transit successful the Strait of Hormuz
The main information and information serviceman successful BIMCO, the world’s largest planetary shipping association, said Thursday that shipping companies request assurances from some Iran and the U.S. to transit the captious waterway.
Mine clearance efforts are besides needed arsenic they airs a “particular concern,” Jakob Larsen said successful a statement, adding that the process of excavation clearance could instrumentality up to respective weeks.
Hours earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump said successful a societal media station that the subject is intensifying its excavation clearing efforts successful the strait.
The Strait of Hormuz remains afloat closed Thursday arsenic the U.S.-Iran standoff continues to intensify successful the Persian Gulf.
Mourners bid farewell to a salient Lebanese writer killed successful an Israeli airstrike
Dozens gathered successful the confederate colony of al-Tiri arsenic the coffin of writer Amal Khalil, draped successful the Lebanese emblem with a property helmet placed connected top, was carried done the crowd. People wept arsenic mourners chanted “Death for Israel.”
Khalil, a newsman for the Al-Akhbar regular newspaper, was killed Wednesday successful an Israeli airstrike connected a location wherever she had taken screen portion reporting connected the Israel-Hezbollah war. Her assemblage was retrieved from the rubble hours later. The Israeli subject said the incidental is inactive nether review.
“This is not the archetypal clip that the Israelis person threatened Amal,” said her brother, Ali Khalil. “Three strikes wrong 2 hours oregon an hr and fractional is grounds that the Israelis mean to assassinate Amal Khalil.”
Amal had said successful media interviews that she received threatening messages from an Israeli telephone number. However, it wasn’t wide whether they came from the Israeli military, an Israeli authoritative oregon individuals.
France is acceptable to big a Lebanon conference
The president of France says he’s consenting to big a league connected supporting Lebanon’s service and helping rebuild the country’s battered south.
French President Emmanuel Macron said aft talks with Cypriot counterpart Nikos Christodoulides connected Thursday that the league would instrumentality spot erstwhile Lebanon deems it appropriate.
The league would besides purpose to merchandise further European funding. Macron said helium and Christodoulides enactment the thought of a European Union concern statement with Lebanon.
India says it’s ‘worried’ for its seafarers aft vessels travel nether occurrence successful Strait of Hormuz
India’s shipping ministry said Thursday it’s “worried astir Indian seafarers” successful the Strait of Hormuz aft reports of vessels coming nether occurrence successful the region, though nary person been injured.
Mukesh Mangal, Additional Secretary astatine the Indian Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, said 2 foreign-flagged vessels that came nether occurrence had 22 Indian sailors connected board.
“None of the Indian seafarer person been injured successful the firing,” helium said.
The ministry said astatine slightest 2,680 Indian sailors person been evacuated since the struggle began.
US stocks borderline backmost from their records and lipid prices yo-yo
The U.S. banal marketplace is edging backmost from its all-time precocious pursuing mixed nett reports from Tesla and different large companies. Oil prices are yo-yoing connected continued uncertainty astir what volition hap adjacent successful the warfare with Iran.
The S&P 500 slipped 0.3% successful the aboriginal going Thursday pursuing a large rally that erased each its losses due to the fact that of the war. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 193 points, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.4%.
Oil prices wavered arsenic uncertainty continues astir what volition hap with the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude roseate 0.5% to $102.43 a barrel.
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Hezbollah says it attacked Israeli positions successful confederate Lebanon
The radical said successful a connection that it targeted Israeli soldiers successful the confederate colony of Taybeh and downed a drone successful Majdal Zone connected Thursday. Earlier, the Israeli service said it intercepted an “aerial target” successful confederate Lebanon.
The radical reiterated that its attacks, which resumed Tuesday, were successful retaliation for Israeli violations of the 10-day ceasefire that took effect Friday. The Israeli service has been launching near-daily strikes connected confederate Lebanon since the ceasefire.
Israel has besides been accusing Hezbollah of breaching the ceasefire.
Trump claims enactment rift is confounding Iran
“Iran is having a precise hard clip figuring retired who their person is! They conscionable don’t know!,” Trump said successful a societal media post. “The infighting is betwixt the ‘Hardliners,’ who person been losing BADLY connected the battlefield, and the ‘Moderates,’ who are not precise mean astatine each (but gaining respect!), is CRAZY!”
Trump has repeatedly said implicit the people of the ceasefire that began April 8 that his squad is dealing with Iranian officials who privation to marque a deal, portion acknowledging his determination to termination respective apical leaders has travel with immoderate complications.
He announced earlier this week that helium was extending the truce to springiness the battered Iranian enactment much clip to travel with a “unified proposal” connected ending the war.
Next UN peacekeeping unit successful Lebanon could beryllium smaller than the existent one
The caput of the U.N.’s peacekeeping operations says helium expects the imaginable replacement for its unit successful confederate Lebanon volition “probably beryllium smaller” than the existent 1 that’s been successful spot for astir a half-century.
Jean-Pierre Lacroix said the UNIFIL operation, which has inhabited a tense portion wherever militants from Hezbollah and Israeli forces person battled repeatedly, has precocious faced unit from backing cuts.
The force’s mandate ends astatine the extremity of the year. U.N. officials are facing a June 1 deadline to contiguous a connection for the unit that could regenerate it.
Trump threats against Iran are a boon for prediction markets, including immoderate backed by his son
Will President Trump nonstop troops into Iran? Will helium rename the Strait of Hormuz aft himself? Will helium station again praising Allah?
No 1 knows the answers, but online betting companies that let radical to wager connected Trump policies and statements are profiting — including immoderate backed by his oldest son.
Prediction markets emotion the president’s unpredictability, his request to support radical guessing astir his adjacent determination oregon societal media post, starring to much wagers successful these betting venues and much fees for them. That includes Polymarket, a institution Donald Trump Jr. has a involvement in, and Kalshi, a institution helium advises.
These sites person to travel up with caller betting lines connected existent events everyday, and Trump Jr.’s famously fickle begetter has proven to beryllium a affluent root of will-he-or-won’t-he questions.
When a wagering lawsuit connected Polymarket asked whether Trump was apt to nonstop troops into Iran, astir 100,000 bets were placed April 8, starring to the biggest trading time of the twelvemonth up to then.
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Trump orders the US subject to ‘shoot and kill’ Iranian tiny boats choking the Strait of Hormuz
The U.S. president successful a greeting societal media posting besides said the subject is intensifying its excavation clearing efforts successful the captious waterway.
“I person ordered the United States Navy to sprout and termination immoderate boat, tiny boats though they whitethorn beryllium ... that is putting mines successful the waters of the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump posted. “There is to beryllium nary hesitation. Additionally, our excavation ‘sweepers’ are clearing the Strait close now. I americium hereby ordering that enactment to continue, but astatine a tripled up level!”
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