Trump claims world’s ‘most active terrorist’ has been killed

Key Points

• Trump says ‘most active terrorist in the world’ killed by US and Nigerian forces
• Iranian military calls on Tehran to impose fees on undersea cables
• US is seeking continued talks, says Tehran
• Trump says he and Xi agree to keep Iran from having nuclear arms

Inside the UK-led mission to open the Strait of Hormuz

Preparations are underway for a multinational mission led by Britain, which includes the deployment of a warship, Typhoon jets, and mine-hunting equipment to the Middle East, our reporter Harriette Boucher writes.

The UK, alongside France, has set out to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and has gained the support of dozens of allies to do so once conditions allow for it.

But, retired brigadier and military analyst Ben Barry said Iran will pose a threat to the UK regardless of whether fighting in the region has paused.

Read more:

Inside the UK-led mission to open the Strait of Hormuz

Even Iran's own export hub has paused oil shipments

Iran's key export hub, Kharg Island, has paused shipments likely due to an oil spill in the area, satellite images suggest.

Reports from TankerTrackers, a firm that uses satellite imagery to monitor vessels, point to a multi-day pause in the loading of big ships at the island.

This follows a large oil spill reported around the site on 9 May by The New York Times.

Iran remained one country easily moving oil through the Strait of Hormuz, but the oil spill seems to have disrupted its dominance in the area as well.

Trump’s remarkable military failure shows abject fiasco of his Iran war

Sources tell The Independent that at least 60 per cent of Iran’s missiles have survived the Israeli-US attacks while its nuclear facilities remain largely undamaged amid delusion in the White House, reports world affairs editor Sam Kiley

Iran’s missile arsenal is mostly intact and still capable of attacking America’s allies beyond the Gulf states, two months into a joint US-Israeli bombing campaign.

The White House has repeatedly claimed that Iran’s military capacity has been “decimated” and wiped out, but Nato sources have told The Independent this is not true.

US Africa Command shares video of lethal ISIS airstrike in Nigeria

Donald Trump has said Abu-Bilal al Minuki, who is "second in command of Isis globally", has been "eliminated" in Africa in a joint operation by US and Nigerian forces.

How Iran could fight a shadow war with US for months after Operation Epic Fury failed to destroy missiles?

Iran has enough missile capability to continue fighting should Donald Trump choose to resume the war, US and Nato intelligence has assessed - and experts say it has several more cards up its sleeve, writes The Independent’s Alex Croft.

Those cards include imposing fees on use of the undersea cables running through the Strait of Hormuz, and continuing to leverage its control over the Strait of Hormuz.

Meanwhile, security agencies have been warning about the danger of cyber attacks by Iran-affiliated proxies, especially around water and energy facilities.

Iran will announce Strait of Hormuz mechanism, Iranian MP says

Iran has prepared a mechanism to manage traffic through the Strait of Hormuz along a designated route that will be unveiled soon, the head of the Iranian parliament's national security committee Ebrahim Azizi said on Saturday.

Azizi added that only ⁠commercial vessels and parties cooperating with Iran would benefit from the arrangement.

He said ‌fees would ​be ‌collected for ⁠specialised services ⁠provided under the mechanism.

Israeli bombardment on Lebanon's southern city of Tyre

Why Trump’s Pentagon wants to rebrand the Iran war

The Pentagon is considering renaming the U.S.’s war with Iran to “Operation Sledgehammer” if hostilities resume, according to a report.​

The war began on February 28 under the name “Operation Epic Fury”, but efforts to bring an end to the conflict with a peace deal have stalled as neither side can agree on terms.

Trump is said to be considering further military action if Iran does not agree to a deal and reopen the key shipping route, the Strait of Hormuz.

A White House official told NBC News any fresh military combat action against Iran would be conducted under a new name and operation.

Whatever the name might be, the official said that from the Trump administration’s point of view, it would restart the 60-day clock that requires congressional approval for a war.

Chief ⁠of Hamas' military wing killed in Isreali strike

Israel's military on Saturday said it had killed the chief ⁠of Hamas' military wing in an air strike on Gaza the previous day, the most senior Hamas official killed by Israel since an October U.S.-backed ceasefire agreement that was meant to halt fighting.

A senior Hamas official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, confirmed Izz al-Din al-Haddad, who was born in 1970, was killed in the attack. Hamas `Gaza spokesperson Hazem Qassem later said in a video statement published `on Facebook that Haddad had died, without giving further details.

At Al Aqsa Martyrs Mosque in central Gaza, a joint funeral was held on Saturday for Haddad, his wife and ⁠their 19-year-old daughter. It was not immediately clear how they died.Israel carried out at least two attacks `on Gaza on Friday, killing seven Palestinians, including three women and one child, according to local medics.

What to know about joint US-Nigeria operation that killed a senior militant leader

President Donald Trump announced that a joint operation by U.S. and Nigerian forces killed a top leader of the Islamic State group in Nigeria on Saturday.

Trump wrote in a social media post that the mission in the early hours of Saturday targeted Abu Bakr al-Mainuki, who was part of the top leadership of the local IS chapter in West Africa.

Nigeria's government and military said the operation in the Lake Chad Basin, a stronghold of Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), was the result of a recently formed partnership with the U.S government.

Abu Bakr al-Mainuki was a ‘specially designated global terrorist’. He was born in 1982 in Mainok, or Mainuki, a village in Nigeria’s northeastern Borno, the heart of an insurgency crisis following the formation of the Boko Haram militant group around 2009.

He became one of the key commanders of ISWAP following its split from Boko Haram, and was a deputy to Abu Musab al-Barnawi, the ISWAP leader who was reported to have died in 2021.

A Nigerian military spokesperson also said that recent intelligence indicated he might have been appointed as “Head of the General Directorate of States,” making him second-in-command within the global IS hierarchy, a claim also made by Trump but disputed by some analysts.

Inside the UK-led mission to open the Strait of Hormuz

Preparations are underway for a multinational mission led by Britain, which includes the deployment of a warship, Typhoon jets, and mine-hunting equipment to the Middle East, our reporter Harriette Boucher writes.

The UK, alongside France, has set out to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and has gained the support of dozens of allies to do so once conditions allow for it.

But, retired brigadier and military analyst Ben Barry said Iran will pose a threat to the UK regardless of whether fighting in the region has paused.

Read more:

Inside the UK-led mission to open the Strait of Hormuz

Israel confirm killing of Hamas commander

Israel has confirmed the Hamas military commander it targeted, Izz al-Din al-Haddad, has been killed.

Yesterday, Israel said it targeted the Hamas leader in Gaza in an airstrike, although there was no immediate confirmation he was killed.

Now, in a joint statement by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) and the Israeli Security Agency, the killing of "one of the architects of the brutal October 7th massacre" has been confirmed.

Iran has enough missile capability to continue fighting should Donald Trump choose to resume the war, US and Nato intelligence has assessed - and experts say it has several more cards up its sleeve, our reporter Alex Croft writes.

The US president has repeatedly claimed that American forces have comprehensively destroyed Iran’s military, including its missile capabilities and navy, during six weeks of conflict before a ceasefire was agreed.

Intelligence agencies have warned that Iran still has access to most of its missiles and underground facilities, sources told The Independent, casting doubt over President Trump’s dubious claims that Iran has been “decimated” by the war.

Experts say Iran retains numerous options for escalation.

“Tehran’s strength lies in its asymmetric capabilities: ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, drones, naval mines, cyber operations, and proxy groups,” said Frank A Rose, the former assistant secretary of state for arms control under the Obama administration.

How Iran could fight a shadow war with US for months

Managing the Strait of Hormuz

Iran has effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz, which carried one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supply ⁠before the US and Israel launched attacks at the end of February. The disruption to shipping has caused the biggest oil supply crisis in history, sending ​oil prices ⁠skyrocketing.

Ebrahim Azizi, who heads the Iranian parliament's national security committee, said on Saturday that Tehran had prepared a mechanism to manage traffic through the strait along a designated route that would be unveiled soon.

Mr Azizi said only commercial vessels and parties cooperating with Iran would benefit, and that fees would be collected for specialised services provided under the ‌mechanism.

Fall out of Israeli bombardment on Lebanon's southern city of Tyre

The Israeli army has began striking alleged Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon just hours after the so-called ceasefire was extended for a further 45 days.

Who is Ali al-Zaidi Iraq's new prime minister?

Iraq’s parliament on Thursday voted to approve the government program and part of the Cabinet lineup of Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi but hit an impasse over some of the ministerial appointments.

Al-Zaidi, a businessman with no political background, emerged as a consensus candidate for prime minister after weeks of internal debate among the Coordination Framework’s member parties aimed at selecting a compromise candidate to lead the next government.

Al-Zaidi is Iraq’s youngest prime minister at the age of 40. Born in the capital, Baghdad, to a prominent family originating in the southern province of Dhi Qar, he built his career in the private and academic sectors.

He holds bachelor’s degrees in law and finance, as well as a master’s degree in banking and finance, and is a member of the Iraqi Bar Association.

The new Iraqi PM received the blessing of officials in both the U.S. and Iran. Iraq has close ties with the two rival countries and has long performed a delicate balancing act between them.

His new government will have to deal with the political and economic fallout of the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, which spilled over into Iraq while the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has disrupted the oil exports on which Iraq’s economy depends.

Basim Mohammed was ‌appointed as the country’s new oil minister while Fuad Hussein was kept on as the foreign minister in the new government, lawmakers told the Reuters news agency.

Trump calls reporter 'treasonous' for Iran war coverage

Trump says he doesnt want to 'travel 9000 miles to fight a war' when asked about defending Taiwan

Israel strikes southern Lebanon after warning villages to evacuate

The Israeli army has begun striking alleged Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon, it had announced, hours after the so-called ceasefire was extended for a further 45 days.

The announcement also came shortly after the army issued forced evacuation notices for nine towns in Lebanon.

It comes hours after Israel's latest strike on the region killed at least six people, according to the Lebanese state news agency.

On Wednesday, the Lebanese health ministry said that 2,882 people have been killed in Israeli strikes since 2 March.

An initial ceasefire was agreed between Israel and Lebanon on 16 April, but both the Israelis and Hezbollah have carried out strikes across the border since.

Israel has been striking the southern Lebanon region throughout the war, describing it as a stronghold of the Iran-backed group.

Gaza mosques announce death of Hamas military commander

Mosques in northern Gaza ​on Saturday announced ‌that Hamas' military wing commander had died, ​a day ​after Israel's military said ⁠that it had ​targeted the armed ​wing chief in airstrikes, according to Reuters.

Witnesses told Reuters that mosques in ​Gaza City ​had announced Izz al-Din al-Haddad's "martyrdom". ‌

There ⁠was no immediate comment from Hamas on the fate ​of ​the ⁠militant group's military chief.

Isreal has not confirmed if he was killed in the airstrike.

A senior Hamas official has since confirmed Al-Haddad's death to Reuters.

Iraq's new oil minster speaks at press conference

Iraq’s new oil minister, Basim Mohammed, told a press conference the country exported 10 million barrels of oil via the Strait of Hormuz.

Basim Mohammed previously served as deputy oil minister in the cabinet of former prime minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani.

Trump claims ‘most’ Iranians have same first name

President Donald Trump has claimed “most” Iranians have the same first name.

Trump’s comment was made during a Fox News interview that aired Friday evening, in which he talked about the U.S. Space Force’s ability to surveil Iranian nuclear sites.

“Space Force, which I created, has got cameras — nine different cameras — in space on that site,” he told Special Report host Bret Baier during his trip to China this week.

“We know everybody that moves there. We can read the name of a person. If his name is Muhammad something — and most of ’em are Muhammad, you can guess about 50 percent right — we can read his name right on his tag from space,” Trump added.

Iraq exported 10 miilion barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz in April

Basim Mohammed, has said the country exported 10 million barrels of oil via the Strait of Hormuz last month - down from 93 million - according to reports from Reuters.

Oil exports from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Iraq have been curtailed due to the closure of the key waterway during the war.

"We export 200,000 barrels through Ceyhan port, and we ⁠have a plan to increase ​it to 500,000 barrels," ​Mohammed said.

Iraq's crude exports through the Kirkuk–Ceyhan ​oil pipeline resumed in March, after Baghdad and ‌the ⁠Kurdistan Regional Government agreed on restarting flows.

Iraq plans to engage ​with the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries to boost the ⁠its production and export capacity, the minister said, adding that Baghdad aims ⁠to reach a production ​capacity of five million barrels per ​day.

Trump says ‘most active terrorist in the world’ killed by US and Nigerian forces

U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, second in command of Isis globally, was killed in an operation conducted by U.S. and Nigerian forces.

"Tonight, at my direction, brave ​American ⁠forces and the Armed Forces of Nigeria flawlessly executed a meticulously planned and very complex mission to eliminate the ⁠most active terrorist in the world from the battlefield.

“Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, second ​in ⁠command of ISIS globally, ‌thought he could hide in Africa, but little did he know we had sources who kept us informed on what he ‌was doing," Trump said on Truth ‌Social.

Trump did not disclose in his post the exact location of the operation.

Al-Minuki, a Nigerian national, was designated as a "specially designated global terrorist" by the ⁠former Biden administration in 2023, according to the U.S. Federal Register.

FIFA officials to meet Iranian FA to discuss World Cup on Saturday - reports

FIFA officials are set to meet the Iranian FA in Istanbul to offer “reassurance” over the country’s participation in the World Cup, according to reports from Reuters.

A source familiar with the talks told Reuters that FIFA was working with the relevant authorities to ensure all teams at the World Cup, which is set to be held in the US, were able to compete.

Iran is set to play three World Cup matches, but its participation has been in question since the onset of the US-Israel war with Iran in February.

Key demand of senior Iranian officials

The main demand of senior Iranian officials seems to be guarantees against future US-Israeli attacks as a precondition for negotiations.

Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Commander Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari said yesterday that the US must satisfy Iranian “confidence-building” before starting negotiations.

The Iranian regime seeks that the US recognise its control over the Strait of Hormuz as one such guarantee.

UN states backing Trump's resolution will be responsible for escalation, says Iran

The UN states who co-sponsor Donald Trump’s draft resolution for the Strait of Hormuz will share responsibility for any military escalation, Iranian officials have warned.

The statement published on the social media site X accused the US of seeking to “exploit” supportive member states to engineer a false image of “broad international support.”

Even Iran's own export hub has paused oil shipments

Iran's key export hub, Kharg Island, has paused shipments likely due to an oil spill in the area, satellite images suggest.

Reports from TankerTrackers, a firm that uses satellite imagery to monitor vessels, point to a multi-day pause in the loading of big ships at the island.

This follows a large oil spill reported around the site on 9 May by the New York Times.

Iran remained one country easily moving oil through the Strait of Hormuz, but the oil spill seems to have disrupted its dominance in the area as well.

Iran says lack of trust is biggest hurdle to end war with US

Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said today that a lack of trust with the US is the biggest obstacle to ending the war.

He said contradictory messages from the Trump administration “made us reluctant about the real intentions of Americans".

“We are in doubt about their seriousness,” Araghchi said, adding that Iran would welcome diplomatic support from other countries, particularly from China.

He said the issue of Tehran's enriched uranium stockpile is one of the most difficult subjects in negotiations with the US.

Trump's $40bn Hormuz ship insurance scheme has had zero takers – report

Nearly two months after US president Donald Trump announced a government programme to provide insurance to ships seeking to transit the Strait of Hormuz, not even a single user has used the scheme, a new report suggests.

In March, Trump announced that the US would provide insurance to ships seeking to pass through the Strait “at a very reasonable price”, with insurers Chubb and AIG roped in to help provide cover.

He posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, that the US Development Finance Corporation would provide “at a very reasonable price, political risk insurance and guarantees for the Financial Security of ALL Maritime Trade, especially Energy, travelling through the Gulf".

But the $40bn programme has not been used at all till now, the Financial Times reported, citing people familiar with the scheme's operations.

This comes even as reports suggest at least 38 ships have been attacked or struck since the conflict began, and 11 seafarers killed while transiting through the Strait.

Hormuz strait will open in 'summer at the latest': US energy secretary

The US energy secretary Chris Wright said yesterday that the Strait of Hormuz will reopen “sometime this summer at the latest".

“Traffic will be flowing through the Straits of Hormuz, you know, as soon as we can, but certainly sometime this summer at the latest,” Wright said, later adding that a deal could be struck “in the next few days" at the earliest.

“We’ve done the early steps on that, but [what’s] better is to get a deal and not have to use military force,” he said.

UAE says its military actions come under defensive measures

The UAE foreign ministry said earlier today that all ‌of its actions were defensive measures to protect its citizens and its ​sovereignty.

The statement comes as the Wall Street Journal reported, citing US officials, that the UAE carried out ​military operations ​against Iran in early April.

UAE's attacks signalled a more aggressive stance by Gulf monarchies against Iran.

The US officials cited by the WSJ report declined to reveal the exact targets or timing of the strikes.

In its latest statement, the UAE foreign ​ministry ⁠did not refer particularly to the ⁠reported ​strikes on ​Iran.

Trump calls price rise from Iran war 'short-term pain'

US president Donald Trump said the rise in prices from the Iran war will cause "short-term pain", and that costs would ultimately drop to levels lower than they were before the conflict.

"It's going to be short-term pain, but the pain is much less than people thought," Trump said as he returned to the US after a two-day summit in Beijing with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

“The only thing that matters, when I’m talking about Iran, they can’t have a nuclear weapon,” the US president said.

“I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation, I don’t think about anybody. I think about one thing: You cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon," he said.

India can be long-term mediator as Pakistan helps with urgent issues, Russia says

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said yesterday that India could be a potential long-term mediator in the conflict involving Iran and the US, as Pakistan helps resolve more urgent problems.

India can be a long-term mediator between Iran and America's Arab friends due to its “vast diplomatic experience and international standing", Mr Lavrov said.

“Pakistan is helping establish dialogues between the US and Iran to resolve urgent problems," he said.

”And they are trying; other countries are trying to instil this aggression, to instil this hostility in these relations. And I believe that this hostility, this aggression against Iran, was motivated, among other things, to antagonise Iran and its Arab neighbours," the Russian diplomat said.

“We need to understand the root causes of every conflict; here it is unprovoked aggression by the US and Israel,” he said.

Iraqi man accused of planning terror attacks in US in retaliation to war in Iran

An Iraqi man has been detained in Turkey and brought to the US, accused of his involvement in terror attacks against US interests in Europe.

The suspect, Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, is accused of coordinating or supporting nearly 20 attacks ​and ⁠attempted attacks across Europe and the US, "including his efforts to kill on US soil," according to the US Justice Department.

Prosecutors alleged Al-Saadi was a senior member of the Iran-backed Kata ib Hezbollah militia.

They accused him of providing material support to a foreign terrorist organisation, amid heightened US scrutiny of Iran-backed militias across the globe.

Trump seeks 'real' 20 year suspension of Iran's nuclear program

US president Donald Trump said he would accept a 20-year suspension by Iran of its nuclear programme, in what seems like a shift from his earlier stance, demanding a total end to Tehran's nuclear ambitions.

He stressed that it had to be "real 20 years", moving away from his previous statement that he sought to prevent Iran from ever acquiring nuclear weapons.

"Twenty years is enough, but the level of guarantee from them, in other words it's got to be a real 20 years," Trump told reporters on Air Force One.

USS Ford returns home after 11-month deployment supporting the Iran war and Maduro's capture

The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world largest aircraft carrier, returned home to Virginia on Saturday after an 11-month deployment, the longest since the Vietnam War, that saw it support the U.S. war with Iran and the capture of Nicolás Maduro when he was Venezuela's president.

The most advanced U.S. warship and two accompanying destroyers docked at Naval Station Norfolk with about 5,000 sailors waiting to see their families for the first time since June.

Besides combat operations and traversing continents, the sailors aboard the carrier faced a noncombat-related fire that left hundreds without places to sleep and forced lengthy repairs on the Greek island of Crete.Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was on hand for the arrival of the warships, which included the destroyer USS Bainbridge.

Hegseth commended the crew of the Bainbridge for a “job well done.”“You didn't just accomplish a mission, you made history,” Hegseth said on the destroyer's deck. “You made a nation proud.”

China criticises US Hormuz resolution

China's ambassador to the UN criticised a proposed US-Bahrain resolution for the Strait of Hormuz blockade, stating that it would not be helpful.

The resolution calls for Iran to stop attacks and mining in the strait.

"What we need is to urge both sides to engage in serious and good-faith negotiations that can resolve the issue. So passing a resolution ​at this stage, we don't think is going to be helpful," China's UN envoy Fu Cong said, according to the Pass Blue news portal, which reports on UN news.

"We don't think the content is ​right, and the timing is not right," Mr Cong said.

A similar US-backed draft resolution was vetoed by Russia and China last month, who argued it was biased against ​Iran.

Trump says he threw away Iran proposal after reading first sentence

Trump says he threw away Iran proposal after reading first sentence

War worsens Lebanon's economic crisis

Ayman al-Zain watched on a recent afternoon as a bulldozer cleared the rubble of what used to be his sports clothing store, which was one of dozens of buildings destroyed in Israeli strikes against the Hezbollah militant group.

With a nominal truce in place that has reduced but not halted the fighting, Al-Zain tried to assess whether to rebuild the shop in Beirut’s southern suburbs that he once hoped to pass down to his kids. But it's unlikely he will be able to do so anytime soon, and not only because of the fear of more airstrikes.

“Everything is expensive,” he told The Associated Press. “If I want to open a new store and get mannequins, hangers and some accessories, the prices are very different than before.”

More here.

War worsens Lebanon's economic crisis with job losses, price gouging and slow business

Iranians go about their daily lives

UAE accelerates oil pipeline project to bypass Strait of Hormuz

The UAE is set to boost the construction of a new oil pipeline which will allow it to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.

The project would mean Abu Dhabi’s oil exports are no longer at the mercy of Iranian blockade, with Tehran claiming it retains full control over the strait.

The project will allow it to double its export capacity through Fujairah, the government's Abu Dhabi media office said on Friday.

US-Nigeria military cooperation has picked up

The Nigerian government acknowledged that U.S. intelligence and cooperation were key to the operation, which killed Abu-Bilal al Minuki.

It was a significant development after the countries' relations reached their nadir last year, when Trump accused the government of the West African nation of “Christian genocide."

The Nigerian government repeatedly denied the persecution of Christians, and engaged the U.S. government, leading to military cooperation.

In February, the U.S. sent troops to Nigeria after an airstrike targeted IS last December.

Government officials had previously said U.S. troops were restricted to advisory and training roles, but this weekend's operation marks a new phase, according to analysts.“It would demonstrate to them (militants) that the American-Nigerian operation has really picked up,” Bulama Burkati, a security analyst on sub-Saharan Africa, said.

“We know the Nigerian forces lack the basic capacity to fight violent extremist groups, especially in places like the Lake Chad region, which is densely forested.”

Malaysian vessel passes through Strait of Hormuz, shipping data shows

A support vessel owned by Malaysian firm Vantris Energy, formerly known as Sapura Energy, passed through the Strait of Hormuz, shipping data showed on Friday.

It becomes the fourth ship linked to the country to transit the waterway since the outbreak of the US-Iran war.

The Sapura 1200 was among seven ships that the Malaysian government had sought permission from Iran to clear the strait, which has been mostly closed off since the conflict broke out in late February disrupting global energy supplies, two sources told Reuters news agency.

The ship made its way through the strait, hewing close to the Iranian coastline, before heading for Oman, entering the Muscat port, LSEG data showed.

Malaysia's prime minister Anwar Ibrahim said in March Iran would allow Malaysian vessels to pass through the strait after holding talks with Iranian officials.

China says solution to Strait of Hormuz should take all parties into account

US president Donald Trump and China’s president Xi spoke about the conflict with Iran in their recent meeting.

While, Trump said Xi agrees with him that a nuclear-armed Iran is a bad idea and that the Strait of Hormuz must be reopened, China has publicly said the solution should “take into account the concerns of all parties on the Iran nuclear issue.”

In Trump’s view, China should be more involved in the resolution to the conflict, given its dependence on oil and liquefied natural gas coming from the Middle East.

If Trump successfully persuaded Xi to get more engaged, that could be significant for the U.S. effort to find a credible exit from the Iran war.

Iran says lack of trust is biggest hurdle to end war with US

Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, has said that a lack of trust with the US is the biggest obstacle to ending the war.

He said contradictory messages from the Trump administration “made us reluctant about the real intentions of Americans".

“We are in doubt about their seriousness,” Araghchi said, adding that Iran would welcome diplomatic support from other countries, particularly from China.

He said the issue of Tehran's enriched uranium stockpile is one of the most difficult subjects in negotiations with the US.

Republican gives stark message to Americans reeling over rising gas prices: ‘That’s life’

Republican representative Jim Jordan had a blunt message for Americans regarding current gas hikes, saying it’s because of “the world we live in.”

In a CNN interview with Kaitlin Collins, the Ohioan congressman argued that the rising cost of gas as a result of war with Iran is an acceptable price to pay for fighting Tehran.

The US has killed several high-ranking Iranian officials during the conflict, although they are yet to achieve regime change as figures have been readily replaced, with Mojtaba Khamenei succeeding his father as supreme leader.

Jordan was asked to explain his ongoing support for Trump and the United States war against Iran, which has resulted in gas hitting a high of $4.53 per gallon.

Oisin Mcilroy reports:

Republican’s stark message to Americans reeling over rising gas prices: ‘That’s life’

Trump says all of Iran's navy now at 'bottom of the sea'

President Donald Trump has once again insisted that Iran’s military power has been severely depleted as a result of the US-Israeli war on Iran.

“They have no navy, they have no air force, it's all destroyed,” he said on Friday.

“Their air force is destroyed, but yet they're not going to be game. Iran's foreign minister said the Strait [of Hormuz] is not open to commercial shipping only if they cooperate with the Iranians.

“They're not going to be game. You know who's talking a big game?The fake news media. If you read the New York Times, you would think that we're losing militarily.

“Think of it, they have 159 ships, everyone is now in the bottom of the sea, every one of them is gone.”

US intelligence reports suggest that Iran’s military capacity remains robust.

Trump doubles down on comments about American's financial situation

President Donald Trump has doubled down on comments about not being concerned about the financial plight of Americans as a result of the Iran war.

Asked about the continuing pocketbook pressures faced by everyday consumers as a result of the war he started more than two months ago, Trump told reporters on Tuesday: “I don't think about American financial situation — I don't think about anybody. I think about one thing: We cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon.”

When questioned about the comments on Friday, the US leader said: “It's a perfect statement. I'll make it again. Everybody agrees.”

Watch: Jimmy Fallon skewers Trump's China visit with dig over Iran war parallels

At least six killed, including paramedics, in Israeli strike on civil defense center in southern Lebanon

At least six people were killed, including three paramedics, and 22 were wounded in an Israeli strike on a civil defense center in southern Lebanon, the Lebanese state news agency said on Friday.

It comes as a ceasefire was reportedly extended for another 45 days.

What makes undersea cables in the Strait of Hormuz so important?

Subsea cables are fibre-optic or electrical cables ‌laid on the sea floor to transmit data and power.

They carry around 99 per cent of the world's internet traffic, according to the ITU, the United Nations specialized agency for digital technologies.

They also carry telecommunications and electricity between countries, and are essential for cloud services and online communications.

"Damaged cables mean the internet slowing down or outages, e-commerce disruptions, delayed financial transactions ... and economic fallout from all of these disruptions," said geopolitical and energy analyst Masha ​Kotkin.

Gulf countries, particularly the UAE and Saudi Arabia, have been investing billions of dollars in artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure to diversify their economies away from oil.

Both nations ​have established national AI companies serving customers across the region - all reliant on undersea cables to move data at lightning speed.

Israel and Lebanon extend ceasefire by 45 days as Washington talks conclude

Israel and Lebanon agreed to a 45-day extension of a ceasefire that has tamped down the conflict between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, as two days of talks facilitated by Washington concluded on Friday with an agreement to hold further meetings in the coming weeks.

“The April 16 cessation of hostilities will be extended by 45 days to enable further progress,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said on X, adding that the talks aimed at settling decades of conflict between the two countries were “highly productive.” The ceasefire was set to expire on Sunday.

Iran war left in limbo after Trump and Xi fail to agree path to ending conflict at crucial summit

Donald Trump and Xi Jinping failed to agree on a concrete path to end the war in Iran during the US president’s highly anticipated Beijing visit, dashing hopes for an end to a conflict that has devastated the Middle East for over two months.

The President’s first visit to China was met with significant fanfare, with hopes that Beijing - Tehran’s most powerful ally - could help broker a peace agreement during 48 hours of bilateral meetings.

After the talks, Trump said the pair had agreed that Iran must not have nuclear weapons and claimed they "want the Strait of Hormuz open". He also declared they had “settled a lot of different problems that other people wouldn’t have been able to solve”.

But in the absence of agreement between the US, which sparked the war with its attacks alongside Israel on 28 February, and China on a concrete blueprint for peace will mean the Middle East remains in limbo with diplomatic efforts stalling.

Read our full report:

Iran war in limbo after Trump and Xi fail to agree path to peace at Beijing summit

Oil prices rise 3% to $109 a barrel as peace appears distant

Oil prices rose around 3 per cent to near $109 a barrel on concerns over a lack of progress in resolving the conflict.

It follows the failure of landmark talks between Donald Trump and Chinese president Xi Jinping to agree on any meaningful path towards peace in Iran.

Fresh Lebanon talks aim to extend ceasefire

A fragile ceasefire in Lebanon due to expire on Sunday, abd discussions between Lebanese and Israeli officials were set to continue on Friday after what a senior State Department official said were productive talks on Thursday.

Hezbollah opposes the talks, in which Israel is insisting on the group's disarmament.

Thousands have been killed in Israel’s ongoing attacks in Lebanon, which began after Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel in early March in response to the US-Israeli attacks on Iran.

UAE rejects Iranian allegations and says it reserves 'full sovereign' rights to respond to threat

The United Arab Emirates has said it reserves the full sovereign, legal, diplomatic and military rights to respond to any Iranian threat or hostile act, in a new statement released on Friday.

It said it categorically rejects Iran’s allegations and attempts to justify Iranian attacks that targeted the UAE during the BRICS meeting on Friday.

The UAE had been accused of working with the US and Israel to attack Iran.

Trump lambasts reporter inches from his face on flight from China and calls him ‘treasonous’ over Iran question

President Donald Trump labeled a reporter “treasonous” and “fake” for his coverage of the ongoing Iran war during a tense exchange aboard Air Force One.

While en route to Washington after a three-day summit in Beijing, Trump was pressed about the situation in Iran — where the conflict is currently paused under a fragile ceasefire — after he indicated the military campaign could soon continue.

“What would be the use in repeating the bombing?” New York Times White House and National Security Correspondent David Sanger asked, standing just a few feet from the GOP president. “You did it for 38 days and you did not get the political changes in Iran.”

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Trump lambasts reporter on flight from China and calls him ‘treasonous’ over question

Beijing: Iran war has no reason to continue

Chinese president Xi Jinping did not comment on his discussions with Donald Trump about Iran, despite claims by the US president that the pair agreed on several issues.

Beijing’s foreign ministry did, however, issue a blunt statement outlining Beijing's frustration with the Iran war.

"This conflict, which should never have happened, has no reason to continue," it said.

Merz and Trump hold call over Iran

We’re hearing from German chancellor Friedrich Merz, who has said he had a good phone call with US president Donald Trump following his trip to China.

The leaders agreed that Tehran must return to the negotiating table, open the Strait of Hormuz, and not be allowed to have nuclear weapons, Mr Merz said on X.

He added that they discussed reaching a peaceful solution in Ukraine and “coordinated their positions ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara”.

Watch: Rubio warns Trump won’t be pressured into ‘bad deal’ as Israel and Lebanon trade blows

German economic growth to take significant hit because of Iran war

Economic growth in Germany will likely take a significant hit from the effects of the Iran war in the second quarter, the federal economy ministry warned on Friday.

Growth was just 0.3 per cent in the first quarter.

"Rising prices, supply chain issues and uncertainty are weighing on sentiment among businesses and households," the ministry said in its monthly report.

Iran says ships entering Hormuz must cooperate - ICYMI

Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi has said that ships entering the Strait of Hormuz must cooperate with the Iranian navy after reports emerged of a ship being seized outside a UAE port.

Araghchi said: “In our view, the Strait of Hormuz is open to all commercial ships, but they must cooperate with our naval forces."Araghchi is in India for the Brics summit.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said it received reports that the ship seized yesterday was taken by unauthorised personnel while anchored 38 nautical miles northeast of the UAE port of Fujairah.

Indian authorities said that an Indian-flagged cargo ship sank off the coast of Oman after an attack sparked a fire aboard the vessel while it was en route from Somalia to Sharjah, another UAE port. They did not say who attacked the ship.

India’s foreign ministry called the incident “unacceptable” and condemned continued attacks on commercial shipping and civilian mariners.

Military not investigating reports of US bombing schools and hospitals in Iran, military chief says

The Department of Defense is not investigating US bombings that reportedly destroyed 22 Iranian schools and 17 healthcare facilities, according to the commander leading US forces in Iran.

US Central Command Admiral Brad Cooper told members of Congress that there is “no way” and “no indication” that the military can corroborate reports in The New York Times that detailed the alleged destruction using satellite imagery and verified video and social media footage.

“There is no indication that we have that has been corroborated,” Cooper told Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand during Thursday’s Senate Armed Forces Committee hearing. “There is no way we can corroborate that. No indication of that whatsoever, senator.”

His admission comes two months after a preliminary internal investigation linked American forces to a lethal strike on an Iranian girls' school that killed 150 children, according to Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations.

Military investigators believe American forces were likely responsible for a strike that analysts and human rights officials believe is the deadliest incident for civilian casualties since President Donald Trump’s administration and Israeli forces began attacking the country in February.

Spanish PM praises Lamine Yamal for waving Palestinian flag after Israel's criticism

Israeli defence minister Israel Katz has criticised Barcelona’s teenage star Lamine Yamal for waving a Palestinian flag during celebrations of the Spanish league title win.

Yamal, 18, waved a large Palestinian flag from an open-top bus during a victory parade, which drew about 750,000 people.

“Lamine Yamal chose to incite hate against Israel while our soldiers combat the terrorist organization Hamas, an organization that massacred, raped and burned Jewish children, women and the elderly on October 7 [2023],” Israel Katz wrote on X.

Dismissing Katz's claims, Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez said Yamal made Spain “proud” for waving a Palestinian flag at a victory parade.

“Those who think that waving the flag of a state is ‘inciting hatred’, they have either lost their minds or they have been blinded by their own disgrace,” Sanchez wrote on X.

“Lamine just expressed the solidarity with Palestine that millions of Spaniards feel. Yet another reason to be proud of him".

Recap: UAE denies Netanyahu secretly visited the country during the Iran war

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu quietly visited the United Arab Emirates during the Israeli-US war with Iran, his office said this week. The UAE later denied any secret visit had occurred.

Netanyahu met with UAE president Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in a gathering that “resulted in a historic breakthrough in relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates,” according to the Israeli statement. The Gulf nation normalized relations with Israel in 2020.

The UAE’s official WAM news agency later posted an article denying “reports circulating” about a Netanyahu visit. According to WAM, the country’s relations with Israel “are public and conducted within the framework of the well-known and officially declared Abraham Accords, and are not based on non-transparent or unofficial arrangements.”

The Emirati report also denied any Israeli military delegation was received in the UAE.

War worsens Lebanon's economic crisis with job losses, price gouging and slow business

Ayman al-Zain watched on a recent afternoon as a bulldozer cleared the rubble of what used to be his sports clothing store, which was one of dozens of buildings destroyed in Israeli strikes against the Hezbollah militant group.

With a nominal truce in place that has reduced but not halted the fighting, Al-Zain tried to assess whether to rebuild the shop in Beirut’s southern suburbs that he once hoped to pass down to his kids. But it's unlikely he will be able to do so anytime soon, and not only because of the fear of more airstrikes.

“Everything is expensive,” he told The Associated Press. “If I want to open a new store and get mannequins, hangers and some accessories, the prices are very different than before.”

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War worsens Lebanon's economic crisis with job losses, price gouging and slow business