War, latest news. US 'self-defence' raids against Iranian sites and ships. Tehran: now violent retaliation

Some $24 billion of Iranian funds frozen abroad are expected to be released under a memorandum of understanding being negotiated with the United States. This was said by a source close to the negotiating team in Tehran, the Iranian news agency Tasnim reported today. The agency reported that Iran's chief negotiator, Mohammad Baqr Qalibaf, travelled to Qatar to reach agreement on a mechanism to implement this demand.

The head of the Shin Bet (Israeli domestic intelligence service), David Zini, travelled to the United Arab Emirates after the announcement of the ceasefire between the US and Iran and met with Mohammed Dahlan. This was reported by Channel 11 citing regional and Israeli sources. Dahlan, a historical domestic rival of Abu Mazen, who has been in exile in the Emirates since 2011, was responsible for Fatah's preventive security in the Gaza Strip. In 2024 his name emerged as one of the possible candidates for the leadership of Gaza as an alternative to Hamas.

The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) have started to call up reservists after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that military operations in Lebanon will be intensified. This was reported by Israeli broadcaster Kann, according to which recently discharged soldiers were ordered to report for reserve duty immediately. In turn, broadcaster Channel 13 revealed that discussions on extending the campaign in Lebanon have intensified in recent days, and the Chief of Staff of the IDF, General Eyal Zamir, reportedly told ministers at a security meeting that "buildings in the Dahiyeh neighbourhood of Beirut should be demolished" in response to the threat of Hezbollah drones. Yesterday, a US official told the Times of Israel that the US might give the green light to a large-scale Israeli operation against Hezbollah in the face of the recent increase in drone attacks.

Iran has executed a man on charges of espionage on behalf of Israel: this was reported by the Tasnim news agency, linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. According to the report, Gholamreza Khani Shekarab's conviction was confirmed by the country's Supreme Court before being executed

"Unfortunately, the situation has seen a halt in the negotiations, with very tough positions: this does not help, we need to move forward in the dialogue and reopen Hormuz," Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said, commenting on the state of negotiations between the United States and Iran on the sidelines of the Confindustria general assembly. "If there is a truce it must be respected: even in Lebanon we need more prudence from everyone, Hezbollah must not attack but Israel must also respect the truce that there is," he concluded.

China called on the 'parties involved' in the Middle East conflict, the US and Iran, to respect the ceasefire. This was stated by Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning. Mao responded at the conference to a question about the resumption of US attacks against Iranian missile sites and boats attempting to lay mines. "We urge the parties concerned to abide by their ceasefire commitments, to resolve disputes through peaceful means," Mao said, calling for "promoting the rapid restoration of peace".

"Time will not stand still and the nations and lands of the region will no longer shield American bases. They will no longer be a safe haven for evil and will no longer host military bases in the region'. This was stated by Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatolla Mojtaba Khamenei in his message on the occasion of the Hajj. This was reported by the Irna news agency.

Any new aggression against Iran will receive a 'much more severe' response that will extend beyond the region. This was stated by Iranian Armed Forces spokesman Abolfazl Shekarchi. Shekarchi - writes the Iranian news agency Fars - added that in the event of a new conflict, Iran's attacks would extend beyond the region's borders and would be more intense and violent than previous ones.

Abolfazl Shekarchi, a high-ranking spokesman for the Iranian Armed Forces, stated that any new aggression against Iran will receive a 'much more severe' response that will extend beyond the borders of the region. Al-Jazeera writes that. "If we are attacked, our attacks will be harsher, more intense and more powerful. Our response will go beyond the region,' the military's statement, as reported on X, 'The target has already been identified and is ready. The response to any new aggression will be different. If they prevent our exports, Iran will prevent oil from leaving the region'.

The price of Brent oil, the European benchmark, rose 2.1% to $98.15 per barrel. The price of Wti oil, the US benchmark, fell 4.94% to $91.66 per barrel.

The ECB is expected to raise interest rates in June, even if the ongoing peace talks with Iran lead to an agreement, as the conflict has lasted much longer than expected and high energy prices are being passed on to the economy as a whole, said Isabel Schnabel, a member of the Governing Council. "Given the magnitude and persistence of the current shock, ignoring it is no longer an option in my view," Schnabel told Reuters in an interview. "From today's perspective, I think a rate hike in June will be necessary." Although the US has signalled progress in peace talks with Iran, for Schnabel, "even if the war ended today, a lot of damage has already been done to global energy infrastructure and supply chains." "So even then, I think a monetary policy reaction would be necessary." "We have now moved beyond the adverse scenario," he added, "which assumed a rapid normalisation of oil prices.

Isabel Schnabel, membro del comitato consultivo tedesco di esperti economici, partecipa al 29° Congresso Bancario Europeo (EBC) di Francoforte presso la Vecchia Opera di Francoforte, in Germania, il 22 novembre 2019. REUTERS/Ralph Orlowski/

"We have just discovered that it is possible to kill 80,000 people, including more than 10,000 children, displace 2 million people and call it self-defence". Thus on X Iranian state TV Irib, commenting on the news of the US 'self-defence' attacks.

Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has stated that he does not believe Islamabad should join the Abraham Agreements, which normalise relations with Israel, according to a report by the ANI news agency. 'Personally, I don't believe we should join any agreement that conflicts with our fundamental ideologies,' Asif said in an interview with Samaa TV, according to a report by ANI. 'We have a very clear position: this is unacceptable to us.

Further reading

How the energy routes move, on the trail of Abraham's agreements

02 April 2026

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has ordered the restoration of the internet connection in the country. This was reported by the Fars news agency, citing the Ministry of Communications. "The resolution on the restoration of the internet was published by the president of Iran for the Ministry of Communications," the statement read. The decision comes after months of restrictions. Protests had erupted in Iran at the end of December 2025 in connection with the devaluation of the national currency, which then degenerated into riots and actions against the authorities. At that stage, the internet had stopped working.

An agreement between the US and Iran would be 'close to completion'. This was reported by Pakistani army chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir during a meeting in Beijing with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, according to a summary released by the Chinese government. Munir updated Wang on the status of the Pakistan-led mediation between Washington and Tehran, saying that Islamabad also hoped for a further role of China in the process.

(cont'd)

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the Strait of Hormuz will reopen 'one way or another'. International media reported that. "The straits have to be opened. They will be opened one way or another, so they have to be opened," Rubio said in the Indian city of Jaipur, where he is on an official visit. "What is happening there is illegal, it is illicit, it is untenable for the world, it is unacceptable," he added.

Donald Trump compares his Iran policy with that of Barak Obama. In an image posted on his social network Truth contrasts the former president's money granted to Tehran with his policy of forceful missiles. The commander-in-chief has been criticised for the Iran deal, which many consider worse than that of his predecessor.

epa12993435 Il presidente degli Stati Uniti Donald Trump ispeziona le colonne del Portico Nord della Casa Bianca a Washington, DC, USA, il 25 maggio 2026. EPA/AARON SCHWARTZ / POOL

The US military conducted several so-called 'self-defence' raids in southern Iran against Iranian missile launch sites and boats that were - according to the Americans - trying to lay mines. This was reported by the US Central Command, explaining that the operations were carried out 'to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces'.

The attacks occurred while Iranian negotiators were in Qatar for talks on ending the war and threaten to complicate a possible agreement that US President Donald Trump has outlined as the way to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and mitigate the most serious energy disruption in decades.