Lebanon: Hezbollah denies killing of French Unifil soldier. Trump: 'By today news on Iran'

The Iranians want to "close the Strait" of Hormuz again, "as they have done for years", but "they cannot blackmail us". This was stated by US President Donald Trump during the signing of an executive order at the White House.

The talks with Iran 'are going very well. We will have information by the end of the day." Donald Trump said this, speaking from the Oval Office.

According to shipping data, more than a dozen oil tankers, including three sanctioned ships, crossed the Strait of Hormuz after the lifting of the 50-day blockade yesterday and before Iran reintroduced restrictions today and opened fire on some ships. Reuters writes this on its website. The ships that crossed the strait on Friday and Saturday into Iranian waters south of Larak Island were mainly older, non-Western-owned vessels and included sanctioned ships, according to ship tracking data. Iran arranged passage for a limited number of oil tankers and merchant ships following earlier agreements reached during negotiations, a spokesman for the Iranian Revolutionary Guards said. Other ships were spotted approaching the strait and then turning back, as Iran said it will maintain strict controls as long as the US continues its blockade of Iranian ports. A number of merchant ships received radio messages from the Iranian navy announcing the closure of the strait and a ban on any ships passing through, according to maritime sources today. Ship tracking data showed five ships loaded with liquefied natural gas from Ras Laffan, Qatar, approaching the strait this morning. No LNG cargoes have crossed the channel since the US-Israeli war with Iran began on 28 February. Hundreds of ships have been stranded in the Gulf since the closure of the strait.

"We are pleased and very happy that many other countries have realised that South Africa's decision to sue Israel for genocide before the International Court of Justice was not madness. Now many countries understand that what is happening in Gaza and the West Bank is genuine genocide." This was said by South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa speaking from the stage of Global Progressive Mobilisation in Barcelona. "Our freedom as South Africans will never be complete until the Palestinians get their freedom," he added.

A Hezbollah leader, Mahmud Qamati, stated that the Lebanese Shiite movement is not interested in the direct negotiations that Lebanon has entered into with Israel, calling them a failure. During a press conference in the southern suburbs of Beirut, where Hezbollah has its strongholds, Qamati said that the movement "is not interested in the state-led negotiations", calling them "weak, with a submissive attitude and destined to failure". "Resistance is what imposes. We are the land and it is we who dictate decisions, not those with official status," he added, pointing out that the group is not opposed to coordination with Beirut, "but not in this way that leads to surrender".

The UK Maritime Trade Operations Centre reports that a container ship washit by an unidentified projectile, causing damage to some containers. No fires or environmental impacts were reported. The authorities are investigating. The incident occurred 25 nautical miles northeast of Oman.

Since the beginning of the blockade on 13 April, '23 ships have obeyed the order of US forces to turn back'. This was written in a post on X by Centcom, the US Central Command, confirming the enforcement of the "maritime blockade against ships entering or leaving Iranian ports and coastal areas".In the post, Centcom attached a photo of the warship USS Canberra, engaged in patrolling the Arabian Sea.

The cruise ship Msc Euribia, which has been locked for a month and a half in the Persian Gulf due to the war in Iran and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, is now close to leaving the area for good. According to AIS data, the unit of Gianluigi Aponte's company sails at about 22 knots and has almost rounded the Musandam Peninsula, at the northern end of Oman, being in fact almost out of the Strait of Hormuz. The Euribia is proceeding in aconvoy of other cruise ships: they are followed by the Celestyal Journey, with TUI Cruises' Mein Schiff 4 and Mein Schiff 5 also close behind.

The US "cannot impose a siege" on the Strait of Hormuz. This was stated by Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh, after Tehran said it had closed the strait again due to the US blockade.

"The Americans cannot impose their will to besiege Iran, while the latter, animated by good intentions, strives to facilitate safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz," Saeed Khatibzadeh told reporters on the sidelines of a diplomatic forum in Antalya, southern Turkey.

A French soldier died and three others were injured after an attack on UN Blue Helmets of the Unifil mission in Lebanon. The announcement came from French President Emmanuel Macron on X. "Everything suggests that responsibility lies with Hezbollah," Macron added, "France demands that the Lebanese authorities immediately arrest the perpetrators and assume their responsibilities alongside Unifil.

Donald Trump 'has the right instincts about Iran and we will be the first to give him credit if Iranian concessions turn out to be real. But his frequent statements about an imminent deal signal to the regime that it is desperate to end the war. This makes it less likely that the regime will make the concessions Trump needs to claim a legitimate and lasting victory'. So says the Wall Street Journal editorial board, urging a postponement of the victory parade over Iran, at least for the time being.

Two Indian ships, after a shot fired by Revolutionary Guard forces in the Strait of Hormuz, were forced to change course and return westwards. One of these ships was an Indian-flagged supertanker (Vlcc) carrying 2 million barrels of Iraqi oil. This was written by the Iranian Tasnim news agency.

No date has yet been set for a second round of talks between Washington and Tehran. This was reiterated by the Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister after the failure of the first talks last weekend in Pakistan's capital Islamabad.

"We cannot set a date until we are heard on the big picture," Saeed Khatibzadeh said during a diplomatic forum in Antalya (southern Turkey). "We do not want to engage in any negotiations or meetings that are doomed to failure and could serve as a pretext for a new escalation," he added.

The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) confirmed that they carried out several attacks in southern Lebanon in the last 24 hours, against Hezbollah militiamen who "violated ceasefire agreements". These are the first such actions since the truce came into effect at midnight between Thursday and Friday.

Troops operating south of the 'Yellow Line' in southern Lebanon 'identified terrorists who have violated ceasefire agreements and approached forces from north of the Yellow Line in such a way as to pose an immediate threat', the army said.

The words of Italy's premier Giorgia Meloni.

"The captain of an oil tanker reports that he was approached by two gunboats of the Revolutionary Guards who opened fire. The tanker and crew are safe. The authorities are investigating'. This was reported in a note by the British maritime safety company Ukmto, after receiving a report of the incident that occurred 20 nautical miles northeast of Oman.

"Just as the Iranian Army's drones strike the US and Zionist assassins like lightning, its valiant navy is also ready to inflict new bitter defeats on its enemies." This was stated in a message from the Supreme Leader of Iran Mojtaba Khamenei, released on the anniversary of the creation of the Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran on the 29th of Farvardin (18 April 2026).

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh said on the sidelines of the Diplomatic Forum in Antalya, Turkey, that US President Donald Trump "talks too much". For the deputy minister, Trump "said contradictory things in the same statement", "I don't know exactly what he meant", he reiterated, responding to journalists' questions about the tycoon's claims that he had contemplated a return to bombing if no agreement is reached by Wednesday. Iran believes that "the war cannot lead to any positive result", but is ready to continue defending itself in the event of an attack. "We will fight to the last Iranian soldier," he remarked. Al Jazeera reports.

At least two merchant ships claimed to have been hit by gunfire while attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz, three maritime security and shipping sources told Reuters as reported on the site. The impact was not immediately clear. Today, Iran cancelled the brief reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, accusing the US of not fulfilling its obligations under the agreement. This came as several ships had begun transiting through the sea route, in what appeared to be the 'first major movement' of ships since the start of the war.

Egypt's foreign minister said he is "working tirelessly" alongside Pakistan to reach a "final agreement" between the US and Iran "as soon as possible". "We are working tirelessly in cooperation with Pakistan to promote de-escalation and reach a final agreement between the US and Iran. We hope to achieve this as soon as possible," Minister Badr Abdelatty said at a diplomatic forum in Antalya, southern Turkey.

L’incontro tra i ministri degli esteri di Egitto, Pakistan, Turchia e Arabia Saudita, Badr Abdelatty, Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Hakan Fidan e il principe Faisal bin Farhan, a margine del Forum diplomatico di Antalya, in Turchia, il 17 aprile 2026. Turkish Foreign Ministry/Handout via REUTERS

"In Beirut, I saw hundreds of thousands of people who were displaced. In the face of so much injustice, suffering and pain, you experience powerlessness: you want to help, that things could change, but you experience that you are not the saviour of the world. You therefore have to come to terms with powerlessness. This is not necessarily negative, it is not necessarily a problem. Perhaps it is what helps us to be even more human. One of the characteristics of St Francis is that he made limitation a point of strength'. This was said by Father Francesco Ielpo, Custos of the Holy Land, speaking by video link to 'Francesco Live', a national meeting of reflection and dialogue held in Palazzo Vecchio.

Father Ielpo recalled that 'on the way from the airport to Beirut one of the brothers told me that what mattered was being able to save even one person. This was interesting. Faced with all that we have seen, the first question is what can we do? The first thing is not to look the other way. The first big thing we can do is to inform ourselves and document ourselves, not to be satisfied with the first news that appears on social media.

Iran has not yet given its go-ahead for a new round of negotiations with the United States, contradicting Donald Trump's claim that talks could be held in the coming hours. This is written by the Tasnim news agency, which cites "authoritative sources", according to which, while the US naval blockade continues and due to the "excessive demands of the Americans in the negotiations, which continue to emerge from recent exchanges of messages, Iran has not yet agreed to the next round of talks". According to Tasnim, all this has been reported to the US through Pakistani mediators.

One of the objectives of the US operation in Iran was to control oil passing through the Strait of Hormuz. This was stated by the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov.

"I don't think there were really plans to destroy civilisation. I think it is just a rhetorical figure. But the plans were to control the oil that passes through the Persian Gulf, through the Strait of Hormuz," Lavrov told the Diplomacy Forum in Antalya.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is engaged in talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on the sidelines of the Diplomacy Forum in Antalya. This was reported by correspondents of Russian news agencies.

Prior to the meeting, the Foreign Ministry in Moscow stated that the parties would discuss a wide range of bilateral and international issues, including the situation related to the Iranian crisis, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and developments in Syria.

According to the Statistical Review of World Energy 2025, the Gulf contains 48% of the world's proven oil reserves; the year before it provided 31% of consumption. It also holds 40% of global natural gas reserves and supplies 23% of LNG exports. When it comes to energy, there is no region in the world that is more strategic. How was it possible to start a war here?

The question is not rhetorical. Nor is it enough to say that it is the immense wealth of the place that triggers greed and conflict, because the causes of this war are not economic: at least as far as we know, economics was an important consequence, not the motive. Israel wanted to eliminate the last great danger to its security at any price; Iran wanted to safeguard a regional power status it could no longer afford. Both acted with a presumption that others in the world were not afforded without penalty.

According to Iranian sources quoted by CNN, on Monday a second round of peace talks between the US and Iranian delegations will be held in Islamabad, in Pakistan. The US has not confirmed the scheduling of the talks.

The US President's statements.

The secretary of the Association of Iranian Airlines announced the reopening of Tehran Imam Khomeini and Mehrabad airports, as well as Mashhad, Birjand, Gorgan and Zahedan airports. Iran International reports. Earlier, the Civil Aviation Organisation had announced the reopening of part of the country's airspace as of 7am local time this morning.

Italia and China share the demand to 'ensure the free transit of merchant vessels' through the Strait of Hormuz. This was emphasised by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani in an interview with Il Sole 24 Ore.

"Foreign Minister Wang Yi agrees with us on the request to guarantee the free transit of merchant ships through Hormuz: no one can claim to block international trade, no one can charge a toll," explained the head of the Italian diplomacy, "That war must be stopped with diplomacy and the latest news that is arriving gives us hope.

The Iranian military command claims to have closed Hormuz again because of the US blockade.

A convoy of oil tankers was observed crossing the Strait of Hormuz today, the first major movement of ships through this strategic passage since the US and Israel launched their joint military action against Iran seven weeks ago.

The tanker convoy was seen leaving the Gulf and transiting through the strait, according to ship tracking data.

Israel will impose the so-called 'yellow line' in Lebanon, preventing residents from returning to areas occupied by the Israeli army. Cnn reports this, citing senior officials of the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF). The measure has already been used in the Gaza Strip, where the so-called 'yellow line' demarcates an area occupied by the Israeli army under the ceasefire agreement that ended the two-year war, and is inaccessible to residents. "The Gaza "yellow line" model will be replicated in Lebanon as well, and the IDF has already defined a "yellow line" within which Israeli forces are currently operating," senior IDF officials told reporters at a briefing on Saturday.

Residents will not be allowed to return to the 55 Lebanese villages within the area, IDF officials said.

Ankara accuses Israel of using the war in the Middle East as a pretext to 'occupy more territories'. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, during a diplomatic forum in Antalya, southern Turkey, said that: "Israel does not seek to guarantee its security; Israel wants more territories. Security is used by the Netanyahu government as a pretext to occupy more territories."

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards (Irgc) have arrested more than 120 people who they claim were affiliated with the United States, United Kingdom and Israel and were 'preparing the ground for an enemy military attack', according to a report by the Tasnim news agency. The IRGC arrested seven suspects in the Iranian province of Eastern Azerbaijan, accused of 'sending the coordinates of sensitive locations to their headquarters', Tasnim reports. Another 69 people were arrested in the Mazandaran province and 51 others, including three 'spy teams', discovered in the Kerman province, according to reports.

US President Donald Trump said the US will take Iran's highly enriched uranium stockpile one way or another, warning that the transfer could take place "in a much more hostile form" if negotiations fail. This was reported by CNN. Previously, he had stated that Iran had "accepted everything" in talks with the US, including cooperation in removing enriched uranium from the country and bringing it to the US.

Pakistani army chief Asim Munir concluded a three-day visit to Tehran, during which he met with senior leaders and Iranian negotiators as part of efforts to end the war in the Middle East. The Times of Israel reports. Munir reportedly met with several high Iranian officials during the trip, which demonstrates Pakistan's "steadfastness in facilitating a negotiated settlement... and promoting peace, stability and prosperity," the military said in a statement ahead of peace talks scheduled to take place in Islamabad in the coming days.

Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi accompanied Munir during the visit. The delegation met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and held talks with Parliament Speaker Bagher Qalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and senior military officials. Discussions focused on regional security, ongoing diplomatic efforts and measures to promote lasting peace.

Iran's civil aviation agency announced the partial reopening of the country's airspace.

US President Donald Trump has categorically denied the possibility of Iranian-led restrictions or tolls in the Strait of Hormuz.

"No. Absolutely not. No. No", Trump said, responding to reporters' questions. The tycoon emphasised that there will be no restrictions or tolls: 'No, there will be no tolls,' he said.

At least six ships, including oil tankers and cargo ships, crossed the Strait of Hormuz. This was reported by Sky News, citing the website Marine Traffic, which monitors ship movements around the world. These are the first ships to cross the strait since Iran officially announced its reopening yesterday, following the cessate of fire that came into effect in Lebanon. In addition, several other oil tankers carrying gas have reportedly begun transiting the strait on the Iranian side.

Tehran will again close the Strait of Hormuz if the US continues with its blockade of Iranian ports. This was stated by Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. "With the continuation of the blockade, the Strait of Hormuz will not remain open," Ghalibaf wrote on X, adding that passage through the channel will depend on Iran's permission.

Donald Trump said that thenegotiations will continue over the weekend, but warned that the ceasefire with Iran could end if aagreement is not reached by Wednesday. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on his way back to Washington, the US president said: 'We will negotiate over the weekend'. However, he insisted that the US blockade, which began on Monday, "will remain" in force. Trump's statements come after Iran's claims that Tehran has lifted its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has warned that it could take action if the US blockade continues.

Further reading

US and Iran forced to peace by domestic causes

18 April 2026