War, latest news. Wsj: Iran proposes nuclear talks in exchange for easing sanctions

"I am not happy with Italia and I am not happy with Spain. They think it is acceptable for Iran to possess nuclear weapons'. Repeated the US president, Donald Trump.

Iran "wants to make a deal, but I am not satisfied". This was said by Donald Trump from the White House. "We're negotiating by phone," Trump assured, adding that "they've made progress, but I'm not sure they'll ever come to an understanding." Trump then returned to refer to the internal divisions within the Iranian leadership: 'The leadership is very fragmented. It is composed of two or three groups, maybe four, and it is a very disorganised leadership. That said, everyone wants to reach an agreement, but they are all in disagreement'.

Republican Congressman Brian Mast, chairman of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee, sharply criticised the UN during a hearing of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Intelligence over its choice of Iran as vice chair at the UN conference on nuclear non-proliferation. "I can't even say that seriously," he said. The 11th conference to review the implementation of the NPT began Monday at the UN in New York. Several groups nominated 34 conference vice-presidents, and the conference chairman, Vietnamese Ambassador to the UN Do Hung Viet, announced that Iran had been chosen by the "group of non-aligned countries and other states", raising the ire of Washington. Mast also denounced the choice by the 54-nation UN Economic and Social Council to appoint Iran to the UN Programme and Coordination Committee, which sets policies on women's rights, human rights, disarmament and prevention of terrorism. "This is the same regime whose idea on women's rights is to impose physical assault or detention on women caught without a hijab," Mast said. "How is this possible? It is a rotten institution."

"Let us not go into the details of private diplomatic conversations. President Trump has been clear that Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon, and negotiations continue to ensure the short- and long-term national security of the United States." Thus White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly to CNN, when asked for comment on the latest proposal Iran has sent to the US through Pakistani mediators.

The USS Gerald Ford, the US aircraft carrier deployed in the Middle East, has left the region. This was stated by a US official. The world's largest aircraft carrier is currently in the area of the US European Command (Eucom), according to the official, who spoke of 20 US Navy ships still deployed in the Middle East. These include the aircraft carriers USS Abraham Lincoln and USS George Bush. The Ford has been at sea for over 10 months.

An Israeli military official said that if the Iranian stockpile of more than 400 kilograms of 60% enriched uranium is not taken away from Iran, the entire ongoing war will be considered "a huge failure". The Times of Israel reported this. The official added that if, as part of the negotiations between the US and Iran, an agreement is not reached to remove the uranium stockpile and stop enrichment in the country, the results achieved in the 40 days of fighting will have been in vain. "If the nuclear goal is not achieved, everything we have done in Iran will be a colossal failure. The evil Iranian regime could hurl the nuclear programme at us,' he said, adding that if the uranium is removed from Iran 'through diplomatic means' then 'we will have done our part'. However, if this does not happen, Israel would have to launch another operation in Iran to achieve the goal.

The Global Sumud Flotilla activists who landed in Crete after being intercepted in international waters by Israeli forces "have just survived 40 hours of deliberate cruelty" on board a military vessel: this is what is stated in a statement circulated on social media and accompanied by a video of testimonies from veterans of this situation. "They were denied sufficient food and water. They were forced to sleep on the floor, which was deliberately and repeatedly flooded", says the Global Sumud Flotilla, also denouncing how, "when the military tried to kidnap two participants", namely activists Saif Abu Keshek and Thiago Ávila, their comrades "resisted peacefully" and "the response was one of pure violence"; with "fists", "kicks", and people "dragged on deck with their hands tied behind their backs". The Flotilla claims that among the activists there were those who suffered 'broken noses, cracked ribs and beatings' and that 'gunshots were even fired'. And they claim that once they landed in Crete, the Greek police would 'detain the crew in buses, denying them the chance to leave'. Some 60 members of the initiative have 'immediately started a hunger strike' as a form of protest against what has been reported. "This is a violent attack against peaceful civilians. We will not look the other way. We demand their release and international accountability NOW,' the statement concludes.

Iran has provided its response to the latest US amendments to a draft plan to end the war. This was confirmed to Axios by a regional source. The Iranian response is a sign that diplomacy is not completely frozen, while US President Donald Trump maintains the naval blockade and is considering new military action against Iran. Last weekend, Iran submitted a proposal to the US to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the war, with nuclear negotiations postponed to a later stage. On Monday, White House envoy Steve Witkoff sent a list of amendments focusing on reinstating the nuclear issue in the draft, according to an informed source.

The US, through Pakistan's mediators, sent Iran on Monday a list of amendments aimed at reinserting the nuclear issue into the text of the agreement. Axios reports this, citing sources. One of the amendments included a demand that Iran undertake not to carry out any activities at its bombed nuclear facilities and not to attempt to touch enriched uranium stockpiles as long as negotiations continue.

'The time for dialogue has come'. Writing this, in a post on X, is the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres. "The consequences of the crisis in the Middle East are dramatically worsening by the hour. The restriction of rights and freedoms of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz area disrupts energy, transport, manufacturing and food markets and strangles the global economy." "The time has come for dialogue, to find solutions that will move us away from the abyss and to take measures that can pave the way for peace," he writes.

Iran has submitted a new proposal for talks with the US to the Pakistani mediators. Iranian media reported. "The Islamic Republic of Iran last night handed over the text of its latest negotiating proposal to Pakistan as a mediator in the talks with the US," the official IRNA news agency reported, without giving further details.

Washington is preparing to host another round of talks between Israel and Lebanon. This was reported by the Israeli public broadcaster Kan News.

Further reading

10-day truce between Israel and Lebanon. But Beirut denounces violations

17 April 2026

President Donald Trump's war in Iran is as unpopular among Americans as the Iraq War in 2006 and the Vietnam War in the early 1970s. This is the finding of a Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll. 61% of Americans," writes the Wp, "say that the use of military force against Iran was a mistake, with less than two in ten Americans believing that US actions in Iran have been effective. In contrast, 40 per cent say they believe the operation has not been successful, while a similar proportion say it is 'too early to tell'. But support for the war among Republicans remains high: 79% believe it was the right decision.

"The Pentagon is lying. Netanyahu's bet has cost America $100 billion so far, four times what it has claimed'. The Iranian foreign minister, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, writes this in a post on X, pointing out that 'the indirect costs to American taxpayers are MUCH higher. The monthly bill for each American household is $500 and rising rapidly'.

The Pentagon has entered into agreements with four other technology companies for expanded use of advanced artificial intelligence tools on classified military networks, according to a statement by the Department of Defence and two defence officials briefed on the matter. Nvidia Corp., Microsoft Corp., Reflection AI Inc. and Amazon Web Services have all recently signed agreements with the US Department of Defence "for legitimate operational use," according to the statement. The officials asked to remain anonymous in order to discuss internal discussions.

The companies join a growing list of technology giants that have recently promised to provide wider use of AI tools on the Pentagon's classified networks. Other technology companies that have recently agreed to similar deals include SpaceX, OpenAI and Google. "These agreements accelerate the transformation to make the US military a fighting force that puts AI first," reads the statement, which refers to all six companies and also marks the first official confirmation by the Pentagon of a new agreement with Google reported earlier this week.

Several Israeli attacks were reported this morning from locations in southern Lebanon: this was reported by the newspaper L'Orient-Le Jour, adding that Zebqine, Qlaylé (Tyre), Zrariyé (Sidon) and Breiké (Nabatiyeh) were among the places affected. In these areas, the newspaper reported, aerial bombardments were recorded, while in Halta (Hasbayah) there were reportedly artillery launches. Raids were also reported by the NNA news agency, which also reports that the recovery of the bodies of five people who died in an attack last night in Kfar Roummane (Nabatieh) was completed this morning. Earlier, the Lebanese Ministry of Health had reported two more dead and 10 wounded in Nabatieh al-Fawqa.

Iran's Supreme Guide, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, is "perfectly well" and overseeing the "negotiations", despite not appearing in public since his appointment on 8 March. This was stated by an advisor to Khamenei, Mohsen Qomi, a cleric who holds the position of deputy in charge of international affairs in the Supreme Guide's office, as quoted by the Fars news agency.

Qomi confirmed that Khamenei was wounded in the attacks that killed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, at the start of the war, but claimed that minutes before the bombing he had gone to the courtyard and survived the impact. The Supreme Leader limited his public communications to alleged written statements, without releasing videos or voice recordings. This fuelled inferences about the severity of his injuries. "This is a trick of the enemy. They want to say: why doesn't he appear? Why doesn't he send voice messages or condolences?" said Qomi, assuring that Khamenei "is fine, he manages affairs" and "oversees negotiations and the battlefield". Qomi added that Khamenei also instructed the negotiating team on "how to behave in different situations". "He has full awareness and control of the situation," the cleric concluded.

epaselect epa12921947 Iran Army members wave national flags as they stand in front of a poster of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei during a rally in Tehran, Iran, 29 April 2026. The demonstration, organized to show support and solidarity for the new leadership, follows an announcement by US President Trump on 21 April, that the ceasefire between the United States and Iran has been extended indefinitely at the request of Pakistan, as a naval blockade remains in place and diplomatic negotiations continue. EPA/ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH

- French Foreign MinisterJean-Noël Barrot said on Friday that the US plan for a coalition to reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz, at the centre of the Iran war, would not conflict with the mission that France and the UK intend to carry out. This was reported by the transalpine media. Speaking in Abu Dhabi at the end of a regional tour, the French foreign minister indicated that he had informed his Gulf allies of the Franco-British initiative, which is now at an 'advanced' stage. Barrot stated that the US project is not 'of the same nature' as the one initiated by France and the UK, to which 'several dozen' countries have announced that they will 'certainly' contribute, describing it as 'complementary' and not 'in competition' with the Franco-British initiative.

"The consequences of the crisis in the Middle East are dramatically worsening by the hour. The restriction of shipping rights and freedoms in the Strait of Hormuz area disrupts energy, transport, manufacturing and food markets and strangles the global economy". The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, writes this on X. "The time has come for dialogue, to find solutions that will move us away from the abyss and to take measures that can pave the way for peace," he added

The war against Iran was in no way an act of self-defence but instead an act of aggression against the country. Stating this on X is Tehran's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmaeil Baqaei. ''Self-defence from what? Was there an "armed attack" by Iran that justified 'self-defence'?" he writes. "Definitely not!" "So this was not 'self-defence' at all - it was an act of aggression against the nation of Iran." (Adnkronos) - In the post on X, Baqaei points to a US State Department statement on the war, which stated, "The United States intervened in this conflict at the request and for the collective self-defence of its Israeli ally, as well as in exercise of the inherent US right to self-defence."

The Israeli army announced that it had hit and destroyed over 40 Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon in the last 24 hours. "Among them," the Times of Israel reports, citing the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), "were command centres from which members of the terrorist group, who were planning attacks against troops and Israel, were operating.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Tehran Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf are reportedly lobbying for the removal of Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. This is written by Iran International, a London-based newspaper. The accusation is that he is too close to the Pasdaran. Pezeshkian and Ghalibaf - it is explained - believe that in recent weeks Araghchi has behaved less like a minister in charge of implementing government policies and more like an assistant to Ahmad Vahidi, commander of the Revolutionary Guards. The situation is said to have caused deep dissatisfaction in Pezeshkian, who has reportedly confided to his staff that if the situation persists, he will dismiss Araghchi, according to sources.

The US 'does not seriously address the nuclear issue and sanctions' concerning Iran, Tehran Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei was quoted by the Irna news agency as saying. Speaking on a TV programme, Baghaei said that "every time Iran has started talks with the US on the nuclear issue and the lifting of sanctions, the US has simultaneously conducted military actions" against the Islamic Republic. And he emphasised that 'the US is not serious about lifting sanctions and has not learned from past mistakes'. Baghaei then stated that 'deep distrust exists' between the two countries and accused the US of 'expecting its maximalist demands to be accepted', while Iran 'has always presented its proposals on the basis of ending the war and establishing a ceasefire'. The Iranian ministerial spokesman also explained that "many countries, with various intentions, have announced their readiness to mediate", but for Tehran "the official mediator remains Pakistan".

Two of the activists of the Global Sumud Flotilla intercepted between Wednesday and Thursday by Israeli forces in international waters in the Mediterranean "will be taken to Israel for questioning", as they are considered to be perpetrators of suspicious activities, the Israeli Foreign Ministry indicated in a statement. They are Saif Abu Keshek, "suspected of affiliation to a terrorist organisation", and Thiago Ávila, "suspected of illegal activities", the statement adds. In the note, the Israeli ministry also thanks the Greek government for accepting the landing of the remaining Flotilla activists in Crete.

The 175 or so activists of the Global Sumud Flotilla for Gaza who had been intercepted in the night between Wednesday and Thursday by Israeli forces in international waters in the Mediterranean have disembarked on the island of Crete, an Afp journalist on the spot noted. The disembarkation took place in the south-east of the island. Escorted by the Greek coast guard, the activists boarded four buses on their way to a destination currently unspecified by the authorities, according to the same source.

Israel sent sophisticated weapons systems - including advanced laser technology - to the United Arab Emirates to help defend the Gulf monarchy from a fierce attack by Iranian missiles and drones.

The deployment was one of the first examples of meaningful military cooperation between the two states - which did not have formal diplomatic relations until the 2020 Abrahamic Accords, brokered by US President Donald Trump - and was a demonstration of "the value of being friends with Israel", a regional official said.

Admiral Brad Cooper, who heads Centcom, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, briefed Trump on plans for possible attacks against Iran. This was reported by Barak Ravid of Axios, adding that, according to 2 officials, Thursday's briefing lasted 45 minutes. The ceasefire between the US and Iran, which began in early April, 'ended' hostilities between the parties for the purposes of the congressional deadline on war powers. This was clarified by an administration official, according to the US media, after Republicans in the Senate urged an interpretation of the 60-day War Powers Act

The news of 30 April