Iran, EU against the crisis: 'Smart working mandatory and discounts on public transport'

Stranded in the middle of the Persian Gulf along with hundreds of other ships:almost two months after the start of the war in Iran, the situation of the Grande Torino is not unblocked. The Grimaldi Lines car carrier continues to remain at anchor, not too far from the Iranian island of Kish, and with a crew of 21 seafarers on board, including 3 Italian officers and 18 sailors of Filipino nationality. The situation of the Grande Torino seemed to be unblocked with the truce announced a few days ago but today it still remains very uncertain; the fate of the Italian-flagged ship is being closely monitored by both the Neapolitan shipping company and the Farnesina. In addition to the crew on board the ship, launched in 2018 and just under 200 metres long, there are several new cars loaded in Japan and China; the Grande Torino had unloaded part of them in some Persian Gulf ports it was leaving to continue its itinerary and disembark the rest of the vehicles still on board (ANSA).

Three Iranian oil tankers on Wednesday left the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz with five million barrels of crude oil, the first since the US blockade of Iranian ports began. Maritime data company Kpler told AFP today.

According to Kpler's data, the Deep Sea, the Sonia I and the Diona, all three subject to US sanctions, passed through this strategic passage. All came from the island of Kharg, home to Iran's largest oil terminal, through which about 90 per cent of the country's crude oil exports pass, according to a note by the US bank JP Morgan.

India says it has been invited by the United Kingdom and France to join the Volunteers' mission to restore safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. The announcement by India's Foreign Ministry spokesman, picked up by Al Jazeera and Reuters, comes as international efforts to restore safe navigation through the strait intensify.

The signals coming from Lebanon "are positive", yesterday's step "was important" and "now we have to transform the truce into peace": "Now we will do our part so that we can move forward and peace is the priority for everyone". This was said by Italy's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, speaking in Shanghai at a meeting with representatives of the Italia system and the Italian business community in China, stressing that Hezbollah "must end its attack against Israel".

The leaders of Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria and the Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council Jasem Mohamed al Budaiwi have been invited to attend an extended session of the informal European Council to be held in Cyprus next week. This was announced today by Cypriot Deputy Minister of European Affairs Marilena Raouna during a press conference.

At least one compulsory telework day per week, cheaper public transport, heating cuts and energy vouchers for vulnerable households. These are some of the measures the European Commission recommends to member states in the draft 'Accelerate Eu' plan, due on 22 April, to tackle the war-related energy crisis in the Middle East. The package aims at the voluntary reduction of consumption, especially in heating and transport. Among the indications: limiting energy use at home, avoiding waste and shifting consumption away from peak hours, along with incentives for sustainable mobility. Administrations are asked to set an example with regard to consumption and lighting, while businesses and buildings are asked to be more efficient.

Iran rejects any temporary ceasefire and hopes for a final solution to the conflict throughout the region. This was stated by Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister, Saeed Khatibzadeh, speaking to the press on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomatic Forum.

According to Turkish news agency Anadolu, Khatibzadeh said that any ceasefire must include all conflict zones, "from Lebanon to the Red Sea", calling it a "red line" for Iran.

A Lebanese MP from Hezbollah's parliamentary bloc, Hassan Fadlallah, stated that "the Lebanese government is not able, not capable, and not constitutionally or nationally authorised" to conduct direct negotiations with Israel. According to the MP, direct talks constitute "a concession" to Israel "so dangerous that it threatens the future of Lebanon", since the Israeli army (IDF) remains on Lebanese soil. "In these ten days, we want Iran to continue its efforts to force Israel to follow the line imposed by the Islamabad talks," Fadlallah added, speaking to the press in the Haret Hreik neighbourhood on the southern outskirts of Beirut, which has been hard hit by the bombings. Fadlallah also warned that Hezbollah will not remain silent if Israel continues its attacks in southern Lebanon.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz stated that the IDF "maintains and will continue to maintain" all the positions it has "reclaimed and conquered" in Lebanon, saying that Israel is still in the middle of a war against Hezbollah and that its goals have not yet been achieved. In a statement released by his office, Katz said that the goal of disarming Hezbollah "by military or diplomatic means" remains the central objective.

The 'brilliance' of the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon lies in putting an end to 'senseless killings' and 'this is only the beginning of a journey'. This was said by Tom Barrack, US special envoy to Syria and ambassador to Turkey, speaking at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, a conference hosted by Turkey. "The brilliance of what happened yesterday lies in the fact that it put an end to the senseless killings and that President Trump and Secretary Rubio intervened forcefully stating that we need a truce," Barrack said. "This is just the beginning of a journey and ceasefires are very delicate because everyone has proven to be equally unreliable," he added. "Everyone is exhausted because of this absurd war. So will the ceasefire hold? What are we going to do? These are small steps," he concluded.

At least 13 people were killed and 35 injured in Tyre, Lebanon, by an Israeli IDF raid just minutes after the truce came into effect at midnight last night, local sources told Afp. Rescuers are still searching for survivors - 15 people are still missing -- in the rubble. Six residential buildings were destroyed in the shelling.

Some 50 aircraft were damaged by US and Israeli attacks, including 10 destroyed by direct missile strikes, said Mohammad Reza Rezaei Kouchi, chairman of the Iranian parliament's construction committee, who said that some of the damaged aircraft could return to service and domestic and international flights could resume if an agreement was reached or if the ceasefire was extended. "There are no serious infrastructure problems," he concluded. Iran International writes.

Hezbollah deputy Hassan Fadlallah thanked Iran for 'allowing this ceasefire and standing up to the Israeli enemy', meeting with the population in southern Beirut in the aftermath of US President Donald Trump's announcement of the ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel.

'To the displaced we say: you will return home, to your villages in the south,' the MP added, according to L'Orient Le Jour newspaper. 'Despite the destruction, your return this morning and last night was a source of pride. We want a ceasefire, the withdrawal of the enemy from our land, the return of the displaced and the release of prisoners'.

The Iranian Armed Forces remain in a state of 'maximum combat readiness, with their finger on the trigger' in the event of 'any act of aggression' by the US and Israel. This was stated in a communiqué issued today by the Guardians of the Revolution on the occasion of 'Iranian Army Day'.

In the note reported in the Iranian media, the Pasdaran say that any 'reckless act by the enemy will be countered with lethal blows by the fighters of Islam, and will achieve nothing but humiliation, strategic defeat, and dishonour'.

The foreign ministers of Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia will meet today to discuss regional issues, including how to end the war in Iran, on the sidelines of the diplomatic forum in Antalya, a location on Turkey's Mediterranean coast, which starts today and ends on 19 April. "The meeting will focus on assessing regional solutions to regional problems, including the conflict between the US, Israel and Iran, within the framework of regional responsibility," sources in Ankara's Foreign Ministry said, while in March the foreign ministers of the same countries had already met twice as part of diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.

Hezbollah warned that its fighters 'will keep their finger on the trigger' if Israel violates the ceasefire in Lebanon. "The mujahideen will keep their hands on the trigger, ready to defend themselves against the treachery and treachery of the enemy," it stressed in a brief statement released by al-Manar TV, a Hezbollah-owned broadcaster, quoted by the Guardian.

The ceasefire removes a major obstacle to peace talks between the US and Iran. This was reported by several international media, including the New York Times. Tehran had initially refused to continue direct talks with Washington and to reopen the Strait of Hormuz until Israel stopped its attacks in Lebanon.

US President Donald Trump has stepped up his criticism of Pope Leo XIV, accusing him of an overly naive view of geopolitical dynamics. Trump, leaving Washington yesterday, declared that he was "sure that the Pope is a good person", while hinting that the Pontiff would lack realism in matters of international politics.

A South Korean tanker has crossed the Red Sea: it is the first such transit since the Strait of Hormuz was blocked due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. This was announced by Seoul. Today the South Korean Ministry of Maritime Affairs reported the 'first case of crude oil transportation in the country (South Korea) through the Red Sea, an alternative route, since the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz'.

South Korea, which is heavily dependent on hydrocarbon imports, has been trying to secure its supplies since the Israeli-US attacks on Iran in late February led Tehran to close off access to the Strait of Hormuz, which is also subject to a US naval blockade for ships arriving in or departing from Iranian ports.

A Hong Kong-flagged oil tanker has crossed the Strait of Hormuz and entered the Gulf of Oman in what appears to be a second 'test' of the US blockade against ships entering or leaving Iranian ports. This was reported by the South China Morning Post.

The oil tanker Ava 6 left a port in the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday, according to Beijing time, and crossed the strait between 4am and 2pm on Thursday, according to data from Mingkun Technology, a Chinese maritime information provider based in Chongqing. The ship's transit was also recorded by the tracking site MarineTraffic, which indicated the chemical and oil tanker Ava 6 in the Gulf of Oman earlier today. The registered owner of the ship is the Hong Kong company Standwill Shipping Ltd, according to MagicPortù's data. The Chinese tracking company pointed out that it remains uncertain, however, whether the Ava 6 actually breached or challenged the US blockade, despite its successful passage through the strait. "The area of the blockade is approximately in the Gulf of Oman, so it cannot be said that the ship crossed the blockade," the Chongqing-based company said

A South Korean-flagged tanker carrying crude oil from the Saudi port of Yanbu has safely left the Red Sea. This was reported by South Korean officials. The passage marks the country's first such shipment since it began looking for alternative energy routes following the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung today called the passage a 'valuable achievement' as part of the government's efforts to overcome the challenges posed by the war. The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries did not immediately specify how many oil tankers will attempt to use the Red Sea route or when the ship that crossed the strait will arrive in South Korea. According to the authorities, 26 South Korean ships remain stranded in the Strait of Hormuz.

Of the five-point China-Pakistan proposal for peace in Iran 'we did not discuss it. We talked in general about the dialogue, I reiterated for them to engage who have pushed and are pushing with Pakistan. Let's see what the parties will be able to do'. This was stated by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani speaking at a press point last night at the Italian Cultural Institute in Beijing about the meeting he had had with Chinese counterpart Wang Yi shortly before.

Iran has agreed to hand over its enriched uranium. Donald Trump said this, according to reports in the Wall Street Journal. The president also said he was ready to fly to Islamabad in the event of an agreement between the two countries.'It's very likely that we will reach an agreement with Iran. It will be a good deal,' the president noted.

A ten-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel came into force on the night of Thursday to Friday. In Beirut, celebratory gunfire rang out in the southern suburbs of the city at the stroke of midnight. Until the last moment, the conflict was intense: the last attack claimed by Hezbollah against Israeli troops - Al Jazeera reports - came ten minutes before midnight, and Israel continued to launch air raids until one or two minutes before the ceasefire came into effect. The ceasefire declared as a primary condition by Tehran seems to pave the way for more decisive talks between the US and Iran. US President Donald Trump said he was optimistic about a possible agreement: 'I think we are very close to making a deal with Iran,' he told reporters outside the White House, adding yesterday evening that the war 'should end fairly soon'.

However, the truce remains fragile and already contested. Hezbollah appears to have ceased fire, but the Lebanese army has confirmed Israeli violations, with artillery strikes targeting several villages in the south. Whether this is a technical violation of the ceasefire remains to be clarified: the US State Department has pointed out that the agreement allows Israel to strike Hezbollah at its own discretion - an interpretation that is not shared in Lebanon, including by the Lebanese army.