War, latest news. Centcom, from Monday blockade of ships entering and leaving Iranian ports

Former CIA director John Brennan has joined the growing chorus of voices calling for Donald Trump's ouster, claiming that he is unfit for office and arguing that the 25th Amendment of the Constitution, which governs involuntary removal from office, was 'written with him in mind'. Brennan, who headed the spy agency during Barack Obama's presidency, said in an interview that the tycoon's recent statements about the destruction of Iranian civilisation, as well as the danger he poses to so many lives, justify his removal from the Oval Office. "This person is clearly out of his depth," he said. "I believe the 25th Amendment was written with Donald Trump in mind. "Brennan's statements are particularly egregious given that he is the subject of an ongoing investigation by the Justice Department as part of the president's vendetta against his alleged enemies. Under pressure from the White House, the Justice Department launched a criminal investigation against Brennan and former FBI director James Comey in July. The former CIA chief added that the US president poses too great a risk to continue as commander-in-chief, since he has immense firepower at his disposal, including the US nuclear arsenal.

Iran will not give in to the threats of the US and Donald Trump, who has ordered a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said this on his return to Tehran after leading negotiations in Islamabad: "If they fight, we will fight, and if they come up with logic, we will use logic. We will not bow to any threat, let them test our will again so that we can teach them a bigger lesson'.

"The Islamabad talks are not 'an event, but a process'. They laid the foundation for a diplomatic process that, if strengthened by trust and willingness, can create a sustainable framework for the interests of all parties'. Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan Reza Amiri Moghadam wrote this on X. "I would like to express my gratitude to the friendly and brotherly country of Pakistan, especially His Excellency Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, for their goodwill initiative and commitment to the talks," he added. "The Iranian senior negotiating team, with dignity, self-confidence and faith in Allah Almighty, and with attention to the concerns of the people, conducted dignified talks for the great Iranian nation in order to secure and protect the national interests and legitimate rights of the people," he concluded.

The UK will not be involved in a possible blockade of Hormuz. Sky News Uk reports this, citing a government spokesperson. 'We continue to support freedom of navigation and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, which is urgently needed to support the global economy and the cost of living at home. The Strait of Hormuz should not be subject to tolls," the spokesman said. "We are working urgently with France and other partners to form a broad coalition to protect freedom of navigation." Trump had stated that London would send minesweepers to help with the clean-up operations in the strait

Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu visited Israeli troops in southern Lebanon today, together with the Defence Minister and the Chief of Staff. ''The war continues, even within the security zone in Lebanon. Our enemies - Iran and the Axis of Evil - wanted to destroy us, and now they are fighting for their own survival,'' Netanyahu said in a video-recorded statement near an Israeli military post. ''We have thwarted the threat of invasion from Lebanon thanks to this security strip, and we are eliminating the danger of anti-tank missiles and rockets. There is still much to be done, but we have fundamentally changed the face of the Middle East,'' Netanyahu added.

The 'double standard' policy of the United States was the main obstacle to reaching an agreement to end the war. This was the accusation made by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian during a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. "During the negotiations in Islamabad, the US's continued adherence to double standards and its power-politics ambitions were the biggest obstacles," Pezeshkian said, according to the Iranian presidential office. Pezeshkian added that Iran remains willing to reach a fair agreement to achieve lasting peace in the region.

"An agreement is certainly feasible, but the US must adhere to internationally recognised rules and international law," he said.

The Iranian news agency Fars reported that two Pakistani-flagged oil tankers have turned around in the Strait of Hormuz. The oil tankers are named Khairpur and Shalamar, the news agency reported.

US President Donald Trump reiterated that his threat to impose 50% tariffs on goods from countries that sold arms to Iran was aimed at China. Trump told Fox News' 'Sunday Morning Futures' that he had received reports that China had supplied Iran with 'shoulder-fired' anti-aircraft missiles. He downplayed the possibility of China supplying weapons to Tehran, but said that if this happened, their goods would be subject to tariffs.

"I doubt they would, because I have a relationship with them and I think they wouldn't, but maybe they hinted a little bit at first," Trump said. "But if we catch them in the act, they get 50 per cent tariffs."

Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian said that the biggest obstacle to reaching an agreement in yesterday's negotiations in Islamabad was the double standards and the hegemonic approach of the United States, while Tehran is ready for a "balanced and fair" agreement. This is stated in the account provided by the Iranian presidency of the phone conversation Pezeshkian had with Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which the two leaders discussed regional developments following the US and Zionist regime's aggression against Iran, the ongoing ceasefire, and negotiations between Iran and the United States in Islamabad, Pakistan.

In the conversation, Pezeshkian updated the Russian president on the negotiations that took place between Tehran and Washington with the mediation of the Pakistani government and pointed out as the 'biggest obstacle' towards a fair agreement 'the existence of double standards and the hegemonism of the American side'.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said today that the talks hosted yesterday in Islamabad have not definitely failed, but are at an impasse. "The talks are not dead. There is a stalemate,' Sharif said, speaking on Cbs's 'Face the Nation' programme.

President Donald Trump announced that the US, along with the UK "and a couple of other countries", are sending minesweepers to the Strait of Hormuz to clear the passage. "We have minesweepers there. We have highly sophisticated underwater minesweepers, the most advanced, modern minesweepers, but we're also bringing in more traditional minesweepers," he said during an interview with Fox News, adding that, "as I understand it, the United Kingdom and a couple of other countries are sending minesweepers."

In a month Israel will celebrate Yom HaAtzmaut, Independence Day, and it will be another anniversary of war. Hamas is still in the rubble and tunnels of Gaza, Hezbollah quartered in the hills in southern Lebanon, the Islamic republic in power in Iran. In 78 years of existence, the Jewish state is still far from secure.

Nahum Barnea, the country's most famous journalist, wrote that 'Israelis are used to designing their lives around war. They were born a year after a war, went into the army the year before another war, got married just after a third war, and had a child a year before or after the next war'.

Iranian navy special forces have deployed on the southern coast, signalling their readiness for a potential invasion by US troops. The Wall Street Journal writes this, reporting on reports in Iran's state media.

During the US-Iranian talks in Pakistan, a form of 'frenzied diplomacy' was staged, according to a Pakistani source told the US broadcaster CNN. Both sides reportedly expressed optimism and acknowledged that diplomacy is the only way forward, he added, stressing that neither side wanted to go back to 28 February, the day the war broke out. The head of the Pakistani army, Field Marshal Asim Munir, was "very involved" in leading the mediation, the source explained. The talks began with the arrival of the Iranian delegation in Islamabad on Friday night, the night before the talks held on Saturday, and lasted over 29 hours. Officially, the talks, which later proved inconclusive, lasted 21 hours in total. The source told CNN that both sides were also trying to 'play to their domestic audience' and warned to be wary of 'detractors' in the region and beyond who did not want the talks to succeed. Overall, Pakistan ensured that the operation was 'hermetically sealed' to ensure that no information leaked and that there was a balanced and safe space for both sides.

According to a preliminary estimate, the Israeli Ministry of Finance said that the war launched against Iran together with the US cost the country over $11 billion. The ministry cited 35 billion shekels ($11.52 billion) in budgetary expenses, of which 22 billion shekels were allocated to defence. This amount has already been added to the 2026 budget, it explained.

Four years ago, the energy map of the world was a chessboard with many players and many options. Russia was supplying Europe with 150 billion cubic metres of natural gas. Iran and Venezuela were selling crude oil to China outside the dollar-based financial system. Qatar was supplying one fifth of the world's LNG with the largest liquefaction plant on the planet. China was building the Belt and Road Initiative with a land corridor through Iran, Iraq and Syria allowing it to bypass the US Navy-controlled sea straits.

After the public release of ChatGPT in 2022,the power of AI became clear to everyone and that energy chessboard became unrecognisable. Artificial intelligence is an industry that runs on power and chips. Data centres require huge amounts of continuous electricity, supplied mainly by natural gas. Semiconductor production requires helium and rare earths. So what? These days, a video has gone viral that captures a speech from Oliver Stone's 2008 film 'W.' about George W. Bush's presidency. In the key scene, Vice President Dick Cheney explains the American strategic logic: controlling Iran would mean controlling oil, Eurasia and thus the world.

"Iran promised to open the Strait of Hormuz and deliberately failed to do so. This has caused anxiety, inconvenience and suffering to many people and countries around the world." Donald Trump wrote this on Truth. "They claim to have placed mines in the waters, even though their navy and most of their mine-laying ships have been completely destroyed. They may have done so, but what shipowner would want to take the risk? Great dishonour and permanent damage to Iran's reputation, as well as that of what remains of its 'leaders', ensues," the US president wrote again. "They had better start the process to reopen this international waterway, and do it fast! They are violating every existing law. "I have been fully briefed by Vice President JD Vance, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on the meeting held in Islamabad," Trump later clarified, thanking Pakistan for hosting the talks.

Further reading

Closing Hormuz or taxing ships for passage is not legal

09 April 2026

"Iran is not willing to give up its nuclear ambitions" but, "as I have said from the beginning, it will never have a nuclear weapon." Thus US President Donald Trump in a second post on Truth after the failure of the Islamabad negotiations between the US and Irana. The points agreed in the negotiations, he writes, 'are preferable to continuing our military operations to conclusion, but all these points do not count against allowing nuclear energy to be in the hands of such an unstable, difficult and unpredictable people'.

"I have instructed our Navy to locate and intercept any vessel in international waters that has paid a toll to Iran. No one who pays an illegal toll will be able to sail safely on the high seas." Writing this, on Truth, was US President Donald Trump.

"Other countries will be involved in the naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Donald Trump wrote this on Truth without specifying which ones. "At some point," he continued, "we will reach a condition where everyone is allowed in and everyone is allowed out. However, Iran has prevented this from happening." "This is a worldwide extortion and the leaders of nations - particularly those of the United States - will never allow themselves to be extorted," the president said referring to Tehran's threat to have placed mines in the strait.

Donald Trump announced on Truth the blockade 'with immediate effect' of all ships to and from the Strait of Hormzu after the failure of negotiations in Pakistan. "I have ordered our Navy to locate and intercept any vessel in international waters that has paid a toll to Iran. No one paying an illegal toll will have free transit at sea," the US president wrote in his post on Truth.

Hezbollah claims to have carried out two attacks against Israeli forces. According to Al Jazeera, Hezbollah targeted with a drone a military vehicle carrying a command crew in the town of Taybeh, in the occupied West Bank. In a second statement, the group also attacked the Kiryat Shmona barracks in northern Israel with several drones.

Leo invokes peace, and says that in the Kingdom of God "there is no sword, no drone, no revenge, no unjust profit". The Pope concludes the Peace Vigil in St. Peter's Basilica, and his words are very clear: "We have here a curb to that delirium of omnipotence that around us is becoming more and more aggressive", and he adds that "even the Holy Name of God is dragged into the discourses of death, he who prays does not kill and does not threaten death". Instead, denounces Leo, "to death is enslaved those who have turned their backs on the living God, to make of themselves and their own power the mute, blind and deaf idol", "enough with the idolatry of self and money! Enough with the display of force! No more war!"

Vladimir Putin spoke on the phone with Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian a few hours after the end of the US-Iran negotiations in Islamabad, mediated by Pakistan. Putin "stressed his readiness to further facilitate the search for a political and diplomatic solution to the conflict and to mediate efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace in the Middle East," the Kremlin reported.

At least 3,375 people were killed in the US and Israeli attacks on Iran. This was stated by the Iranian broadcaster Irib. The victims were identified by the Iranian Organisation of Forensic Medicine, the same source continued, quoting Abbas Masjedi, head of the organisation. At least 2,875 victims were men and 496 women. Last month, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi had stated that "hundreds of Iranian civilians", including over 200 children, had been killed since the beginning of the conflict.

Una donna passa davanti a un cartellone pubblicitario con l'immagine del nuovo leader supremo iraniano Mojtaba Khamenei, affisso su un edificio a Teheran, in Iran, il 12 aprile 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS

The Israeli Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, has ordered the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) to adopt a high state of alertness following the failure of the US-Iran talks, and to prepare for the possibility of a return to military conflict in the short term. According to military sources, Ynet reports, the IDF activated a structured combat procedure, similar to the one used on the eve of previous operations against Iran, while accelerating all planning and execution processes. As part of this procedure, the directive was given to maintain a high level of operational readiness in all formations, reducing response times and closing operational gaps.

What blocked an agreement in Islamabad between American and Iranian negotiators was - among others - the failure to agree on two essential issues, that of control over the Strait of Hormuz and Tehran's refusal to give up its stockpiles of enriched uranium. Reporting this - partly confirming what emerged in recent hours, after the announcement of the failure of the negotiations - were sources quoted by Axios.

"The international community's attention to the drama of the war" in Ukraine should not be diminished. "Even to the beloved Lebanese people I am closer than ever in these days of pain, fear and invincible hope, the principle of humanity inscribed in the conscience of every person is recognised in international law" and "entails the moral obligation to protect the civilian population from the atrocious effects of war, I appeal to the conflicting parties to cease fire and urgently seek a peaceful solution". These are the appeals launched by Pope Leo at the Regina Caeli from St. Peter's Square.

On the eve of his trip to Africa, Leo recalled the martyrs of Abitene. "The Sunday Eucharist is indispensable for the Christian life," he said at the Regina Caeli from St Peter's Square. "Tomorrow I will leave for the Apostolic Journey to Africa, and it is precisely some martyrs of the African Church of the first centuries, the Martyrs of Abitene, who have left us a beautiful testimony in this regard. Faced with the offer to have their lives saved on condition that they renounced celebrating the Eucharist, they replied that they could not live without celebrating the Lord's Day".

Iran mocks the US after the failure of peace talks in Islamabad. "The US flew its vice-president to the other side of the world, all the way to Islamabad. 21 hours of talks. They asked for everything they couldn't get with the war. Iran said a BIG NO. The talks are over. The Straits are still closed. And the Vice President is going home empty handed,' reads a post on X from the Iranian embassy in Ghana, referring to the US administration's number two, JD Vance, who led the US delegation to Pakistan. "Just Iran's word. Again. They no longer have any option to save face." After the halt in the peace talks, Iran stepped up its digital offensive, using social media to mock the US delegation. Since the beginning of the US and Israeli bombings, Iranian embassies all over the world have used their accounts to issue extremely sarcastic comments against their country's rivals.

The failure of the first round of negotiations between the US and Iran 'came as no surprise' and this outcome confronts the Trump administration with several unattractive options: a lengthy negotiation with Tehran over the future of its nuclear programme, or the resumption of a war that has already caused the biggest energy crisis in modern times, and the prospect of a long struggle for control of the Strait of Hormuz'. So writes the New York Times, which points out that Trump's main leverage now is the threat of a resumption of large-scale military operations, in view of the end of the fragile ceasefire on 21 April. But for the American media this is not a 'politically viable option for Trump, and the Iranians know it'.

Trump, recalls The Nyt, declared a ceasefire last week in large part to stem the consequences of the loss of 20 per cent of the world's oil reserves, which was driving up fuel prices and creating shortages of fertiliser and, among other essential commodities, helium for semiconductor production. Markets had regained ground on the prospect of a deal, and if the war resumed, they would most likely collapse, and US inflation, already at 3.3%, would inevitably rise. "So the most pressing issue remains: the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranians, in their description of the meeting, placed it at the top of the issues discussed,' the media outlet points out.

"I appeal to the parties to the conflict to cease fire and urgently seek a peaceful solution". So said Pope Leo XIV at the end of the recitation of the Regina Coeli from the window of his study in the Vatican Apostolic Palace overlooking St. Peter's Square.

"Intense" clashes between Hezbollah and Israeli forces took place in Bint Jbeil, a locality in southern Lebanon near the border with Israel: this was reported by the Lebanese news agency NNA, adding that the pro-Iran group also claimed drone and missile attacks on Israeli soldiers elsewhere in the area. As reported by the Times of Israel, alarm sirens sounded in the morning in and around the northern Israeli city of Kiryat Shmona: according to the IDF, a drone believed to have been launched by Hezbollah was "probably intercepted" in this context.

"The international community's attention to the drama of the war" in Ukraine should not be diminished. "Even to the beloved Lebanese people I am closer than ever in these days of pain, fear and invincible hope, the principle of humanity inscribed in the conscience of every person is recognised in international law" and "entails the moral obligation to protect the civilian population from the atrocious effects of war, I appeal to the conflicting parties to cease fire and urgently seek a peaceful solution". These are the appeals launched by Pope Leo at the Regina Caeli from St. Peter's Square.

The Minister of Energy and Infrastructure and member of the Israeli political and security cabinet, Eli Cohen, said today in an interview with Ynet that he does not believe that negotiations between Israel and Lebanon can succeed, further arguing that Israel should bomb more Lebanese infrastructure. "In my opinion, we should not only hit Dahieh (southern Beirut area), but also sites and infrastructure related to the Lebanese state itself, and I said this in the cabinet as well. I do not give these negotiations much chance," the minister said.

Deputy Oil Minister Mohammad Sadegh Azimifar said that Iran can return to 70-80% of its previous production capacity within one to two months after the damage suffered by oil refining and distribution facilities during the US-Israeli war. "In the medium to long term, we can reach 100 per cent of pre-invasion capacity," he added, as reported by Irna news agency. "Within the next 10 days or so, we will also reactivate part of the refinery on the southern island of Lavan, which was damaged during the attacks," Azimifar said, adding that about 2,000 people are working on restoring the transmission and storage facilities at the Shahr-e Rey oil depot near Tehran.

Further reading

Opec+: 206,000 barrels/day more crude oil production needed from May

05 April 2026

"Do you want to know why the negotiations were unsuccessful?" asked former Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, after the failure of the Iran-US talks in Islamabad. "They chose not to accept our terms.... Bingo. No negotiations - at least with Iran - will succeed on our/your terms." "The US must learn: you cannot dictate terms to Iran. It is not too late to learn that. Yet," he added.

"The United States now understands our logic and principles and must decide whether it can earn Iran's trust," wrote Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf in his lengthy post on X after the talks held in Islamabad. The head of the Iranian delegation emphasised that Tehran "considers 'authority diplomacy' a key tool, along with military resistance, to guarantee the nation's rights" and that it "will not stop working to consolidate the achievements of the forty days of national defence".

The 250-foot-tall triumphal arch, one for each year of the Declaration of Independence, that Donald Trump wants to erect in Washington is only the most recent external manifestation of what best defines his psychology.

The importance mistaken for importance, appearance for quality, gilding for substance are crucial elements in understanding why the US has again fallen into the trap of redrawing the balance in the Middle East.

In the first two weeks alone, the war in Iran polluted as much as one million petrol cars and caused climate damage in excess of $1.3 billion. So the figures emerged from an analysis by Queen Mary University of London, Lancaster University and the Climate and Community Institute. Between 28 February and 14 March, more than 5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2) were generated: more than Iceland produces in an entire year. If the crisis in the Middle East were to continue for a year, the study explains, the pollution produced would weigh as much as a fossil fuel-intensive economy like Kuwait, or as much as the 84 countries with the lowest emissions combined: 131 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.

A new mission of the Global Sumud Flotilla, a humanitarian sea expedition bound for the Gaza Strip with the declared aim of delivering aid and challenging the blockade imposed by Israel, is departing today from the port of Barcelona. Around 70 boats and more than 1,000 activists from around 70 countries are taking part in the initiative organised by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (Ffc), Global Movement to Gaza, Maghreb Sumud Flotilla and Sumud Nusantara (an Asian mission with the participation of the government of Malaysia), in the context of escalation in the Middle East and as negotiations in Islamabad on the fragile truce in the US-Israeli conflict against Iran have ended without agreement. On board the boats will be doctors, lawyers, researchers and volunteers along with international NGOs such as Greenpeace and Open Arms, who will provide technical, medical and logistical support. According to the activists, while international attention is focused on the broader conflict in the Persian Gulf, "Israel has intensified its blockade on Gaza, restricting the entry of aid, expanding settlements of settlers and accelerating a process of territorial expropriation", The flotilla, defined by the promoters as "the largest civilian maritime mission in support of Palestine", follows a previous expedition last September and is accompanied by public events and awareness-raising initiatives in the port of Barcelona. The municipality of the Catalan city has also increased its financial support for the project. The founder of Open Arms, Oscar Camps, indicated in statements to Cadena Ser radio that the expedition carries 'medicines and food' and has the main objective of 'bringing what is happening in Gaza back to the centre of media attention'. "In all likelihood the flotilla will be intercepted before 100 miles from the coast" of Gaza, the Open Arms founder reported, but reiterated the activists' determination. "We are willing to take this risk because the context is not the same as last time," he assured.

Iranian authorities have arrested at least 50 people for alleged espionage activities, according to state news agency Snn, as reported by Al Jazeera. Those arrested are accused of collaborating with the US and Israel by sharing sensitive locations, including service facilities and infrastructure. Authorities also seized electronic equipment, satellites and weapons, Snn said. Iran has arrested dozens of people accused of espionage in the recent conflict, following a previous wave of arrests that followed the 12-day war with the US and Israel last year. A recently tightened espionage law provides for the death penalty and confiscation of property for those accused of espionage.

Further reading

Why time plays in Tehran's favour

03 April 2026

Despite the failure of negotiations in Islamabad, three supertankers loaded with crude oil reportedly crossed the Strait of Hormuz yesterday. SkyNews reported this, citing data from ship tracking and analysis of global shipping traffic. These would be the first ships to leave the Gulf after the ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran, the site points out, noting that hundreds of oil tankers are still stuck in the Gulf, hoping to leave during the ceasefire period.

Violent fighting between Israeli forces and Hezbollah militiamen is going on in Bint Jbeil, south Lebanon. This was reported by the correspondent of the NNA news agency, according to which Israeli forces are trying to advance into the city, with "heavy artillery shelling targeting the outskirts of the city, its entrances and neighbouring villages". "Israeli troops are encountering resistance and suffering significant casualties during the clashes," Nna added.

After the attack in Qana, which cost the lives of at least five people, another Israeli bombing carried out against the town of Maaroub, also in southern Lebanon, cost the lives of another six people today. This was reported by the Lebanese news agency NNA.

The oil pipeline crossing Saudi Arabia from east to west is operational again after the attacks. This was announced today by the Saudi Ministry of Energy. In a note reported by the Spa news agency, the ministry reported the 'successful operational and technical efforts to restore the East-West pipeline's full pumping capacity of approximately seven million barrels per day'.

The Israeli Prosecutor's Office announced today that it has granted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's request to postpone his testimony scheduled for this week in the corruption trial against him, citing 'the circumstances described and the absence of alternatives'. Israeli media reported this. Last Friday, Netanyahu had requested a postponement of his testimony by at least two weeks, citing 'classified security and diplomatic reasons, related to the dramatic events that have taken place in Israel and throughout the Middle East over the past period'. According to Haaretz, the Prosecutor's Office has indicated that it is only prepared to approve the cancellation of the three hearings scheduled for this week, and that the request to cancel next week's hearings will be examined separately.

At least 11 people were killed in new Israeli raids in southern Lebanon, five of them in the locality of Qana and another six in Maaroub, where an entire family was targeted: this was reported by the Lebanese news agency NNA. The same source adds that there have also been attacks in other locations in southern Lebanon and that, in addition to the dead, there are also several wounded.

Further reading

WHO, Lebanese hospitals at risk of running out of medical supplies

08 April 2026