War, breaking news. Putin to Trump: 'Ground operation in Iran would be unacceptable and dangerous'

The aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford will leave the Middle East and begin its journey back to the US in the coming days. The Washington Post reports this, citing sources. The aircraft carrier is one of three American aircraft present in the Middle East along with the Ass George H. W. Bush and the Uss Abraham Lincoln.

Russian President Vladimir Putin considers Donald Trump's decision to extend the ceasefire on Iran wise, as it should help stabilise the situation and 'give negotiations a chance'. This was said by Russian presidential advisor Yuri Ushakov quoted by Tass, reporting on the phone call between the two leaders.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump discussed the situation in Iran by telephone. This was indicated by Yuri Ushakov, an important adviser of Putin on foreign policy.

After condemning the assassination attempt against his American counterpart in Washington, the Russian president reportedly 'proposed ideas' on Iran's nuclear programme.

"The new European framework on state aid for the Middle East crisis, published today by the European Commission, declares incompatible the Italian proposal to suspend the Ets contained in the Decreto Bollette. This is what emerges from the Commission's communication within AccelerateEU, the set of emergency measures to reduce energy prices in response to the Hormuz crisis". This was argued by theclimate think tank Ecco in a statement. "The Commission confirms the role of Ets as a pillar of the European electricity markets," says Matteo Leonardi, co-founder of Ecco. "For Brussels, the support tools introduced by the member states cannot cancel out the most necessary effect of this mechanism: to maintain the long-term investment signal for clean energy, the only real solution to the repeated crises to which Europe and Italia are exposed. Brussels allows state aid to deal with energy crises (such as the one related to Iran), but only if it is temporary and if it disrupts the electricity market and cross-border trade. The measures must also maintain all ETS obligations and incentives, the document specifies. Should the measures result in new costs on the bill, these should only be borne by those consumers who have benefited from the measure. "The Brussels Communication confirms that the measures proposed by Italy in the Bills Decree do not provide a structural solution to the electricity price gap in Italia," Leonardi adds. For Ecco, what is needed instead is to develop more renewables, to review the electricity sector's taxation and charges, to ensure market competitiveness, and to tax or administratively intervene on the extra profits that are generated in times of crisis.

The words of Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, on the sidelines of the event 'Obiettivo Export: Enterprises and Territories in Northern Italia Towards the National Export Conference 2026' at the Ogr in Turin.

Brent crude is pushing close to the $120 dollar mark, up 7.15 per cent on fears of a prolonged blockade of the Strait of Hormuz after Trump - according to Axios - rejected Iran's offer. The US President believes that maintaining the naval blockade is his main negotiating leverage but would consider military action if Tehran continues not to yield. The Wti rose by 6.9 per cent to $107 per barrel.

King Charles III is not willing to be pulled by the jacket by Donald Trump on Iran: not even on an issue that - unlike others - continues to see Washington and London in full agreement, such as the 'no' to any hypothetical ambition of Tehran to secure an unconventional military arsenal. This is the message with which Buckingham Palace has hastened to dot the 'i's' in these hours with respect to the first real 'incident' of the delicate State visit that the sovereign is facing in the United States with Queen Camilla. A mission marked by the climate of "bromance" between Charles and The Donald, against the backdrop of the fascination that the British monarchy has always exercised over the president-magnate. And conceived in London as an opportunity to at least partially mend the recent rifts between the landlord and Keir Starmer's government, beyond the proverbial unpredictability of the tycoon or the pinpricks towards the ally that the 77-year-old monarch, a very experienced peer in the use of the world, did not spare himself between serious references and jokes under the banner of sense of humour in the whirlwind of speeches, toasts and historical citations of his trip. The stumbling block arose from the passage Trump claimed to dedicate to Iran while toasting the royals during the lavish state banquet hosted at the White House. "We will never allow that adversary to acquire a nuclear weapon, Charles agrees with me," the president boldly proclaimed in front of the gala dinner guests, not without going back to flaunting the phantasmagorical successes self-attributed to the American war strategy on the Middle East front. Words that the royal palace could not let slide, considering that the sovereign - head of state who rules but does not govern in a regime of constitutional monarchy - is called upon in public to the strictest political neutrality, except for the duty to reflect the point of view of the British government on duty. All the more so against the backdrop of the distance claimed in recent weeks by Starmer's party from any direct participation of British forces in the war triggered by the US and Israeli attacks against Iran. Hence the clarification - put in black and white at the drop of a hat, though avoiding the slightest explicit polemical hint - to make it clear that "Her Majesty is of course aware of her government's well-established and well-known position on the prevention of nuclear proliferation". A position with which he obviously remains aligned. And with which alone - the court leaves no room for equivocation - he can say he "agrees".

"Certainly, this department has looked at all aspects of this risk". This was stated by Pete Hegseth, the US Secretary of Defence, responding during a parliamentary hearing to the question of whether US President Donald Trump had been presented with the risk of Iran blocking the Strait of Hormuz.

"We always offer a full range of military options, carefully weighed against the associated risks and military considerations," added Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine.

Germany, which has just overtaken the UK as the world's fourth largest military spender, is again raising its defence resources to 3.1% of GDP next year and 3.7% in 2030.

Sparks broke out during the hearing of Pete Hegseth and other Pentagon top brass before the House Armed Services Committee. The Defence Secretary clashed with Democratic Congressman John Garamendi, who had called the war in Iran 'a quagmire'. Hegseth defended the conflict, replying: 'You call it a quagmire, providing propaganda material for our enemies? Shame on you for such a statement'. For Hegseth, this kind of language 'undermines the mission. Your hatred for President Trump blinds you,' he said addressing the Democratic congressman.

The conflict in the Middle East "has increased the vulnerabilities of the economy and financial system worldwide", and for Italia "the greatest risks to financial stability derive from international factors". This was stated by the Banca d'Italia in its latest Financial Stability Report, noting that for Italy "until February, the country's macrofinancial condition and the risks associated with cyclical trends" were "stable".

The war in Iran, in particular, occurred "in a context already characterised by strong geopolitical and trade tensions and high uncertainty. World growth forecasts have been revised downwards," Bankitalia notes, "inflation expectations have risen and financial conditions have tightened. At the same time, the pre-existing risks of excessive valuations in the financial markets, especially in the technology sector, have not disappeared'.

The US Central Command (Centcom) has reportedly prepared a plan for a 'short and powerful' wave of attacks against Iran in the hope of breaking the stalemate in negotiations. This was revealed by Axios, citing three different informed sources, who said that after the attacks, which would likely include infrastructure targets, the US would resume pressure on the regime to return to the negotiating table and show more flexibility.

US President Donald Trump rejected Iran's offer, adding that the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz will remain until a nuclear deal is reached, Axios news agency reports.

The Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf, accused Donald Trump of wanting to bend Iran through 'economic pressure' and internal 'divisions' and in an audio message, quoted by the Tasnim news agency, outlined what he called the new phase of the 'enemies' strategy against the Islamic Republic. In his speech, Ghalibaf retraced the different phases of the confrontation: from the attempt to 'annihilate' the Tehran regime in the first 'three days' of the war, by killing the Supreme Guide and military commanders, to the alleged plans to foment internal unrest, support separatist movements in the west (the Kurds, ed.) and apply the Venezuela 'model' to Iran. All strategies that, according to him, have 'failed'. According to the Majlis president, after the failure of attempts at military and political destabilisation, Washington changed its approach by focusing on economic levers. "The enemy has entered a new phase and wants to exert economic pressure and sow divisions within the country through a naval blockade and manipulation of the media, in order to weaken us from within or even collapse us," Ghalibaf explained.

"In just 60 days of conflict, our expenditure on fossil fuel imports has increased by more than 27 billion euros, without this resulting in a single kilowatt-hour of extra energy.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told the plenary in Strasbourg.

Oil's rise in anticipation of the Fed does not stop while attention remains high on Iran after the Arab Emirates' exit from Opec. Wti rose 5.35 per cent above $105, while Brent oil gained 5.7 per cent to $117.5 a barrel. Gas also skyrocketed, its price rising 7.5% to 47 euros per megawatt hour.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog said he was 'horrified' by the Golders Green attack, saying it had become dangerous for a Jew to 'walk openly in the streets' of London.

"I am horrified by yet another violent attack against Jews, which took place in broad daylight on the streets of London. We pray for the speedy recovery of all those injured," the Israeli president wrote on X.

The war in Iran has cost the US $25 billion so far, largely due to the tens of thousands of bombs and missiles used. This was said by the Controller of the Department of Defence, Jay Hurst, in a congressional hearing. This is the first time the Pentagon has publicly provided an estimate of the costs of the 'Epic fury' military operation.

According to a UN report, 1.2 million people in Lebanon - almost a quarter of the country's population - are at risk of going hungry because of the war with Iran. The joint study by the FAO and the Lebanese Ministry of Agriculture reports a rapid deterioration in food security, caused by 'conflict, displacement and economic pressures'. According to the report, Lebanon's food supply remains vulnerable to shocks and, in the absence of humanitarian assistance or economic improvements, the situation is likely to worsen in the coming months.

Iran's updated proposal to unblock negotiations with the US could arrive "today or Friday". This was reported by CNN, citing informed sources who said the delay indicates difficulties in contacting Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei.

The Israeli prime minister's office has denied reports that Benjamin Netanyahu is planning a trip to Washington next week. To the Times of Israel, he explained that "at the moment there are no such plans". At the beginning of the month, US President Donald Trump had said that he would invite Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to the White House, clarifying, however, that no visit had yet been scheduled.

Israel "is giving the diplomatic route with Iran a chance, if the negotiations fail, we will reconsider the military option". This was stated by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar in an interview in English with the Saudi Al Arabiya television network, adding, "We will respond to Hezbollah attacks as we see fit. We will withdraw from Lebanon when there is effective Lebanese governmental and military authority; we will reconsider the military option with Iran if American negotiations fail'.

Five hundred million euros per day. That is the cost of the war in the Middle East for Europe. As emphasised by the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen in her speech to the plenary session of the Eurochamber, "in just sixty days of conflict, our expenditure on imported fossil fuels has increased by more than 27 billion euro". The emergency, the president warned, could have consequences that will be felt 'for months or even years'.

The war in Iran strongly pushed down consumer and business confidence in April. ISTAT points out that the index relating to households stood at 90.8 from 92.6 in March, while that relating to businesses dropped from 97.3 to 95.2. Above all, confidence in the economy fell. The index on the economic climate dropped from 88.1 to 82.7, that on the future climate from 85.3 to 82.5, and that on the personal climate from 94.2 to 93.8. Finally, the index on current climate decreases from 98.0 to 96.9.

Continued US naval actions around the Strait of Hormuz could meet with a practical and unprecedented military response. Press TV reported this, citing a 'high-ranking security source'. The source said that the Iranian Armed Forces, operating under the command of Khatam al-Anbiya headquarters, believe that patience has a limit and that they might act if Washington maintains what it calls a naval blockade. The source added that the restraint shown so far was aimed at allowing the diplomatic process to continue, but warned that a different response could be adopted if the conditions set by Iran were not met.

The European Commission is launching a new temporary state aid framework to support sectors affected by the crisis in the Middle East: governments will be able to cover up to 70 per cent of the extra costs linked to rising energy, fuel and fertiliser prices. The mechanism, in force until 31 December 2026, covers agriculture, fisheries, transport and energy-intensive industries and also provides for an accelerated approval procedure for national aid. It also provides for the possibility of increasing aid for the cost of electricity by up to 70 per cent and, on a case-by-case basis, for interventions in the price of gas for electricity production.

germany's inflation rate rose again in April, reaching 2.9 per cent after 2.7 per cent in March, due to the explosion in energy prices following the war in Iran. This was announced by the Federal Statistical Office.

For the first time since the Iran war began, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth will have to answer questions from members of Congress. Wednesday's hearing before the House Armed Services Committee will focus on the Trump administration's $1.5 trillion military budget for 2027. Democratic lawmakers are likely to question Hegseth on the costs of the Iran war and the huge reduction in essential munitions.

Lawmakers from both parties expressed concern over Hegseth's dismissal of high-ranking generals and other military leaders.
Although a ceasefire is now in place, the United States and Israel launched the war on 28 February without the OK of Congress.

The war in Iran 'will continue to affect Germany for a long time'. German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil said this at a press conference when presenting the federal government's budget guidelines.

"It is not our war. But the consequences are being felt,' Klingbeil explained, adding that he did not want to declare a state of budgetary emergency because of the war with Iran, which would lead to an even greater increase in debt.

Two people were stabbed in London in the district of Golders Green, inhabited by a large community of observant Jews. This was reported by Sky News, citing a local Jewish security group. The alleged attacker was arrested.

Most of Iran's enriched uranium is probably still at the Isfahan site, bb>bombed in last year's attacks, said the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, when interviewed by the Associated Press.

Grossi pointed out that the IAEA has satellite images showing the effects of the latest Israeli and US attacks and 'continues to gather information': according to the agency, most of the uranium was 'stored in Isfahan in June 2025, at the outbreak of the 12-day war, and has been there ever since'.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz insisted today that his relations with Donald Trump are still good, following the US president's criticism of his statements on Iran: Tehran is 'humiliating' Washington at the negotiating table, the chancellor had said.

'From my point of view, the personal relationship between the US president and me remains as good as before,' Merz told a press conference in Berlin.

Exports to Opec countries almost halved. While exports to Switzerland nearly doubled and those to China grew by double digits. The balance of extra-EU exports in March was positive, a growth of 4.5% within which the effects of the crisis in Iran are evident, albeit circumscribed.

In the absence of details on individual countries, it is the Opec area that in preliminary ISTAT statistics comes closest to the geographical perimeter of the Middle East, a territory to which sales fell by 43% in the month, a clear sign of the shock in shipments triggered at the end of February.

The Iranian rial hit an all-time low against the dollar due to the US naval blockade of the country's ports. This can be seen on websites that monitor exchange rates. On the black market, the rial is trading at about 1.8 million rials per dollar, as reported by the websites Bonbast and AlanChand. When war broke out two months ago, one dollar was worth about 1.7 million rials. Officially, Iran has several fixed exchange rates, but the two websites are generally used as a reference for unofficial rates.

"If Iranian pistachios do not return to the market, there will be a major availability problem. At the moment the product is there and has risen by 15%, but the outlook is not rosy, as we expect a 'short' harvest from California next year'. Giovanni Calvini, CEO of Madi Ventura, a Genoese company operating in the packaged and bulk dried fruit market, is a case study. Like most Italian companies, Midi Ventura imports 'green gold' from California (the world's leading exporter), where the block on exports from Iran (the world's second largest exporter) has caused demand to skyrocket. A bit like what is happening with saffron, of which Iran is the world's leading producer.

Less traditional customers are also turning to the US, such as the Far East, which has seen its import share from Tehran plummet from 25% to 8% due to the blockade of shipments from the Bandar Abbas port on the Strait of Hormuz. By March 2026 (the beginning of the campaign) American output already stood at 276 thousand tonnes, up 26% compared to the same period in 2025. On the other hand, supplies to Turkey, CIS, and India have not been interrupted, albeit with prohibitive times, methods, and costs.

"We are ready to send minesweepers from our navy, accompanied by other navy ships in an international European or UN mission that will have to guarantee freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz in the future, as soon as there is a lasting ceasefire". So said Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani in his speech at 'Obiettivo esportazione' underway in Turin. Shortly before, talking to journalists, the minister explained that the government had given "provision through the action of Minister Crosetto to participate, with the Navy, in any international operations under the UN flag, or of the European Union, to take part in the action both of demining and of guaranteeing freedom of navigation". "Our Navy," he added, "is ready to participate on behalf of Italia as it is doing in the Red Sea to protect maritime traffic from Houthi attacks, and as the Atalanta mission is doing from piracy attacks.

Italia is among the top 15 countries in the world for military spending (in 12th place), with a significant increase in spending (+20% in 2025 over 2024) and a growing weight on GDP, but it remains below the threshold of 2% of gross domestic product (1.9 per cent). The latest report on global military spending published on Monday 27 April by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri) takes a snapshot of this. Twelve of the top 15 countries by military expenditure have increased their allocations in 2025, while only the United States, the United Kingdom and Israel have seen a decrease. States at the bottom of the top 15 recorded some of the largest year-on-year percentage increases within this group, with Spain (ranked 15th) recording the largest increase (plus 50%). Poland (ranked 14th) increased its spending by 23%, while Italia (ranked 12th) and Ukraine (ranked 7th) each increased their military spending by 20%.

US President Donald Trump received oil and gas company executives at the White House yesterday to discuss the consequences of the war with Iran. This was reported today by the website Axios, listing Chevron CEO Mike Wirth among the participants. Present alongside Trump were White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

Piracy off the coast of Somalia is on the rise, largely due to regional instability caused by the war in the Middle East, according to Operation Atalanta (EU Navfor), an EU naval force patrolling the region.

At least three hijackings have been confirmed in the last week alone, with pirates boarding two merchant ships and an oil tanker, according to UK Maritime Trade Operations. The attacks occurred in Eyl, Mareeyo and Garacad, in the semi-autonomous Puntland region of Somalia, which was a hub for piracy in the late 2000s.

Further reading

Non-EU exports grow but to the Gulf almost halved

29 April 2026

Tokyo confirms the transit through the Strait of Hormuz of a ship bound for Japan. The Foreign Ministry states that there are three Japanese crew members on board. "The government of Japan considers this transit of a ship bound for Japan to be a positive development, including from the perspective of protecting Japanese citizens," the ministry note reads. Tokyo will "continue to urge Iran to ensure free and safe passage through the Strait for all ships".

Donald Trump has once again attacked Iran in a social media post, saying the regime needs to 'get its act together' and does not know 'how to sign a non-nuclear deal'. The post, published when it's 4am in Washington, is accompanied by an evidently artificial intelligence-generated image of him holding a machine gun while standing in front of a mountain range wracked by explosions. "STOP LORD GENTLE," reads the caption, echoing an earlier post by Trump in which the president said he was taking a hard line on Iran

"Our common goal is now to see a lasting end to the war" in Iran, and "this includes the restoration of full and permanent freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz without tariffs" for transit. This was said by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, at the plenary of the Europarliament. "It is equally clear that any peace agreement will have to address Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programme," she added.

"Our common goal is now to see a lasting end to the war" in Iran, and "this includes the restoration of full and permanent freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz without tariffs" for transit. This was said by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, at the plenary of the Europarliament. "It is equally clear that any peace agreement will have to address Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programme," she added.

The Israeli army said it killed three Hezbollah militants "who had attempted a gun attack on soldiers" in Lebanon on Tuesday, adding that, in a separate incident, a Hezbollah drone exploded near IDF soldiers, slightly wounding one. "The soldier was transported to hospital to receive medical treatment," the army added.

The IDF also claimed to have hit 'ready-to-fire grenade launchers, weapons depots and military facilities' outside the Israeli buffer zone in Lebanon.

The US government has stepped up pressure on Tehran, imposing sanctions on 35 entities and individuals for their role in Iran's shadow banking sector and threatening sanctions against banks that do business with Chinese 'teapot' refineries, which it claims pay tolls for the transit of goods through the Strait of Hormuz.

The Treasury Department claimed that the sanctioned individuals and companies facilitated the movement of the equivalent of tens of billions of dollars, related to sanctions evasion and what it called Iran's support for terrorism.

The Iranian state news agency Irna writes that flights between Tehran and Moscow resumed today after a two-month suspension caused by the US-Israeli war with Iran. The announcement came a day after a meeting between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Russian President Vladimir Putin during a visit to Russia, in which the two discussed the 'details' of the war in the Middle East. CNN writes. The Iranian airline Mahan Air made its first restored flight this morning, departing from Tehran and returning to the Iranian capital later the same day. According to the agency, which quotes Mahan Air officials, regular service on the Tehran-Moscow route will operate on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays in both directions.

Further reading

The second round of negotiations between the US and Iran failed before it even started

25 April 2026

Donald Trump said at the State Dinner for King Charles that the US had won 'militarily' over Iran.

Iran has sent a letter to the UN Security Council 'on US piracy'. This was reported by the Iranian Tasnim news agency. In a letter addressed to the UN Secretary General and the Security Council Presidency, Amir Saeed Iravani, Iran's ambassador to the UN, strongly protested against the US seizure of Iranian ships and piracy. The letter states, among other things: 'Referring to internal agreements, which are inherently illegal, can under no circumstances justify such a heinous crime committed by force. Such conduct constitutes unlawful coercion, interference with legitimate international trade and illegal seizure of property, while setting a dangerous precedent that seriously undermines the rule of law internationally'.

Iranian army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia said in a video taken by Al Jazeera that he did not consider the war 'over' despite the ceasefire with the US.

US President Donald Trump reportedly told his aides to prepare for a 'prolonged blockade' of Iran. The Wall Street Journal reports. The tycoon - it is explained - would prefer a 'decisive victory' but none of the available options guarantees him a quick exit from the conflict. The idea would therefore be to target Iranian financial resources in an attempt to force Tehran into a 'nuclear capitulation' that it has long rejected. In Monday's meeting in the Situation Room, the US president reportedly opted to continue squeezing Iran's economy and oil exports by blocking shipments to and from its ports. Trump reportedly assessed that the other options - resuming the bombing or withdrawing from the conflict - carried greater risks than maintaining the blockade.

Further reading

Extreme attempts to revive negotiations between the US and Iran

26 April 2026

"As a result of the maximum pressure campaign, inflation in Tehran has doubled and its currency has rapidly depreciated. Kharg Island, Iran's main oil export terminal, is about to reach its maximum storage capacity, which will force the regime to reduce oil production, resulting in a loss of revenue of approximately $170 million per day and permanent damage to Iran's oil infrastructure." US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent wrote this on X. "The Treasury Department will continue to exert maximum pressure and any person, vessel, or entity facilitating illicit flows to Tehran risks being subject to US sanctions," he added.

Donald Trump launched a scathing attack on German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the night, accusing him on his Truth Social of 'not knowing what he is talking about' with regard to Iran.

The German leader had stated on Monday that "the Americans obviously have no strategy" in Iran and added that Tehran was "humiliating" the world's leading power.