The Strait of Hormuz is closed again, this time by Iran. Two ships have reported being fired on in the strait Saturday. File Photo by Divyakant Solanki/EPA April 18 (UPI) -- Just one day after the Strait of Hormuz was declared open, Iran has blocked the passage again, citing "breach of promise" by »»»

TEHRAN (Sputnik) - Iran will view any US maritime blockade of the Strait of Hormuz as a violation of the ceasefire, the Supreme National Security Council of Iran said on Saturday. "As long as the United States intends to obstruct the passage of vessels using methods such as a maritime blockade, Ira»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom is ready to assist in transferring enriched uranium from Iran, while the issue of the Iranian enriched uranium remains key and painful issue during talks between the United States and Iran, the company's CEO Alexey Likhachev said on Satur»»»

Beirut, Lebanon: Lebanon's president and prime minister discussed on Saturday, April 18, 2026, preparations for the first direct negotiations with Israel in decades, as southerners headed home after the ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war. In a statement, the office of President HH Joseph Aoun sa»»»

Lebanon's president and prime minister discussed on Saturday preparations for the first direct negotiations with Israel in decades, as southerners headed home after the ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war. In a statement, the office of President Joseph Aoun said he and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam »»»

In a message on Saturday marking Iran’s Army Day, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Sayyed Mojtaba Khamenei hailed the country’s army for courageously defending the nation in the recent imposed war, just as it did in previous imposed wars. He said the army of the Islamic Republic of Iran h»»»

Abu Dhabi: More than 25,000 people from across society took part on Saturday in the “Your Nation Is Fortified” race in Abu Dhabi, in a strong show of unity, cohesion and social solidarity across the UAE. The race began at Wahat Al Karama and ended at Erth Abu Dhabi (Armed Forces Officers Club & Hot»»»

PoliticsGlobal issuesRecord fuel prices: How are governments responding?Jan D. WalterIn Germany, a liter of diesel costs up to 40% more than before the Iran war and other countries have seen even bigger price jumps. What are governments around the world doing to combat record fuel prices? https://p»»»

Türkiye's long-term contract for importing natural gas from Iran is due to expire in the coming months, and the two countries could hold talks on a possible extension, though no negotiations are under way yet, Türkiye's energy minister said on Saturday. The agreement, due to expire in July, provide»»»

Hamas is facing its strongest pressure yet from mediators and other parties to agree, even in principle, to the “Peace Council” document before negotiating its terms, particularly the plan to disarm factions operating in the Gaza Strip, especially its armed wing, the Qassam Brigades. Two Hamas sour»»»

Dubai: As schools across the UAE reopen their doors, families are once again slipping into familiar routines, from early morning alarms to last-minute school shopping. The return marks a renewed sense of normalcy after nearly 50 days of distance learning mandated amid regional tensions linked to th»»»

No date has been set for the next round of Iran-US peace talks brokered by Pakistan following the failure of an initial round, Iran's deputy foreign minister said on Saturday. "Until we agree on the framework, we cannot set a date," Saeed Khatibzadeh told journalists on the sidelines of an annual d»»»

A French soldier was killed and three others wounded in an attack Saturday on UN peacekeepers in Lebanon that appeared to have been carried out by Hezbollah, French President Emmanuel Macron said. "Everything points to Hezbollah being responsible for this attack," he said on X, urging Lebanese auth»»»

Seven weeks of war have failed to topple Iran’s theocratic rulers or force them to meet all of President Donald Trump's demands, but for US adversaries and allies it has cast a spotlight on one of his central vulnerabilities: economic pressure. Even with Iran’s announcement on Friday that it was re»»»

The Israeli military said Saturday it had established a "Yellow Line" demarcation in southern Lebanon, similar to the one separating its forces from territory still held by Hamas in Gaza, adding that it had already struck suspected militants approaching its troops along the line. "Over the past 24 »»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe An Israeli soldier was killed and five others were wounded after a roadside bomb exploded in southern Lebanon yesterday: Zionist media 18-0»»»

No date has been set for the next round of Iran–U.S. peace talks brokered by Pakistan following the failure of an initial round, Iran's deputy foreign minister said on Saturday. "Until we agree on the framework, we cannot set a date," Saeed Khatibzadeh told journalists on the sidelines of an annual»»»

A statement said to have been issued by Iran's supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei warned Saturday that Tehran's navy was ready to defeat U.S. forces, as the foes sparred over the Strait of Hormuz. In a statement carried on his Telegram channel, Khamenei, who has not been seen in public since before th»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Iran Says It Reasserted Control of Strait of Hormuz, Citing US Piracy and Blockade 18-04-2026 13:38 PM The spokesperson for the Khatam al-A»»»

Washington, United States: US President Donald Trump's administration on Friday issued a month-long sanctions waiver allowing the sale of Russian oil and petroleum products that are at sea, extending an earlier move to soften surging energy prices. The license, issued by the Treasury Department, co»»»

Dubai: Several Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states have raised concerns over mounting risks to global food supplies, calling for a coordinated international action to safeguard supply chains amid ongoing global disruptions. The call has come during a meeting held at the Philippine Embassy in Rome»»»

Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, GCC Secretary-General, welcomed the resolution adopted by the Legal Committee of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) during its 113th session, which strongly condemned Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, as well as its attacks, threats against vessels in the r»»»

ANTALYA (Sputnik) - One of the goals of the US operation in Iran was to control the oil that passes through the Strait of Hormuz, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Saturday. "I do not think there really were plans to destroy civilization. I think it is just a figure of speech. But the »»»

ANTALYA, Turkey (Sputnik) - The Strait of Hormuz is open for merchant shipping, with possible technical restrictions due to mines, but there is no blockade and there will not be one, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh has said. "There is no uncertainty for us on this issue. I cannot »»»

Türkiye's top diplomat on Saturday accused Israel of creating an international "illusion" and using security concerns as a pretext to seize "more land," in the latest flare-up in escalating tensions between the two regional powers. Israel and Türkiye have been trading near-daily diplomatic barbs ov»»»

Egypt is working closely with Pakistan on a framework aimed at securing a lasting peace between the US and Iran, ⁠Foreign Minister Badr ⁠Abdelatty said on Saturday. He said Egypt, Türkiye, Pakistan and ⁠Saudi Arabia were coordinating a broader regional effort focused on preventing renewed escalatio»»»

Tehran: Iran's central military command announced on Saturday it would resume "strict management" of the Strait of Hormuz, reversing a decision to unblock the strategic channel as part of negotiations with Washington. In a statement shared on state television, the headquarters said Washington had b»»»

The Iranian military has once again closed free passage through the strategic Strait of Hormuz, citing what it described as US ‘piracy.’ On Friday, Tehran initially declared the waterway completely open for commercial vessels for the remaining period of the ten-day ceasefire between Israel and Leba»»»

Iran has said it is reinstating strict controls over the Strait of Hormuz, reversing an earlier move to ease transit as tensions with the United States escalate over an ongoing naval blockade. Iran’s central military command said on Saturday it would return to “strict management” of the strategic w»»»

U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that the United States and Iran would jointly remove uranium from Tehran's nuclear sites with excavators under any peace deal, before the material is transferred to U.S. territory. Trump's comment came despite Iran's foreign ministry saying earlier that the I»»»

Iran's central military command announced on Saturday it would resume "strict management" of the Strait of Hormuz, reversing a decision to unblock the strategic channel as part of negotiations with Washington. In a statement shared on state television, the headquarters said Washington had broken a »»»

Iran's central military command announced on Saturday it would resume "strict management" of the Strait of Hormuz, reversing a decision to unblock the strategic channel as part of negotiations with Washington. In a statement shared on state television, the headquarters said Washington had broken a »»»

President Donald Trump said on Friday that the US would work alongside Iran, using “a lot of excavators” to recover Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium and bring it to the United States. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei, however, reiterated that Iran would not give up the stockpi»»»

Pakistan's powerful military chief and prime minister on Saturday concluded separate visits aimed at ending the Iran war, with Field Marshal Asim Munir leaving Tehran and premier Shehbaz Sharif headed home from Turkey. Munir met Iran's top leadership and peace negotiators during a three-day visit t»»»

TEHRAN (Sputnik) - The Iranian armed forces have restored military control over the Strait of Hormuz due to the US blockade, Ebrahim Zolfaghari, a spokesman for the Khatam Al-Anbiya central headquarters of the Iranian military command, said on Saturday. "Unfortunately, the US … continues to engage »»»

Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization has announced the partial reopening of the country’s airspace from 7:00 a.m. on April 18, following security and safety assessments. International transit routes through Iran's eastern airspace have now reopened, allowing foreign flights to pass through Iranian sk»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Pakistani Army: Field Marshal Asim Munir’s visit to Tehran came as part of ongoing efforts to end the war in the Middle East 18-04-2026 10:»»»

Iran’s parliament speaker has categorically refuted successive false claims made by US President Donald Trump regarding the Strait of Hormuz and the rules set by the Islamic Republic concerning transit through the strategic waterway. In a post on X on Friday, Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf wrote, “The US p»»»

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa said the Golan Heights are “occupied Syrian land” and that any recognition of Israeli sovereignty there would be “null and void,” stressing that the international community does not accept Israel’s claim. Speaking at the fifth Antalya Diplomacy Forum, Sharaa said Is»»»

Tehran: Although the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for the world's oil supply, has been declared fully open for commercial vessels, its operational status remains contested. Both Washington and Tehran confirmed on Friday that the strait had been completely open for all commercial vessels. Howe»»»

Global markets moved sharply on Friday after Iran said it would reopen the Strait of Hormuz to all commercial vessels, prompting investors to rapidly reassess geopolitical supply risks. Iran’s foreign minister said the strait was fully open to all commercial shipping for the duration of the ceasefi»»»

Tehran: Iran partially reopened its airspace on Saturday to international flights crossing the eastern part of its territory, the country's Civil Aviation Authority said. "Air routes in the eastern section of the country's airspace are open for international flights transiting through Iran," it sai»»»

Iran partially reopened its airspace on Saturday to international flights crossing the eastern part of its territory, the country's Civil Aviation Authority said. "Air routes in the eastern section of the country's airspace are open for international flights transiting through Iran," it said, addin»»»

Pakistan's powerful military chief and prime minister on Saturday concluded separate visits aimed at ending the Iran war, with Field Marshal Asim Munir leaving Tehran and premier Shehbaz Sharif headed home from Turkey. Munir met Iran's top leadership and peace negotiators during a three-day visit t»»»

Iran has confirmed that the Strait of Hormuz will only be open under specific conditions, while warning of navigation restrictions as long as the blockade continues. Reza Talaei, spokesman for Iran’s Ministry of Defense, announced that the Strait will only be accessible if a ceasefire is in place a»»»

Islamabad, Pakistan: Pakistan's army chief completed a three-day visit to Tehran, the country's military said on Saturday, having met top Iranian leaders and negotiators as part of efforts to end the Middle East war. Field Marshal Asim Munir met several top Iranian leaders during the trip, which sh»»»

Tehran's announcement on Friday that the critical Strait of Hormuz was reopen to commercial shipping for the remainder of the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire was followed by a flurry of social media posts by US President Donald Trump suggesting that a peace deal could be reached "soon". But Iranian offici»»»

Gavin Lee is pleased to welcome Robert B. Murrett, retired Vice Admiral in the US Navy, Professor of Practice and Deputy Director of the Syracuse University's Institute for Security Policy and Law. The Israel-Lebanon and US-Iran ceasefires are at a critical juncture In the evolving geopolitical dyn»»»

Gavin Lee is pleased to welcome Robert B. Murrett, retired Vice Admiral in the US Navy, Professor of Practice and Deputy Director of the Syracuse University's Institute for Security Policy and Law. The Israel-Lebanon and US-Iran ceasefires are at a critical juncture In the evolving geopolitical dyn»»»

Aboard Air Force One: President Donald Trump said late Friday he planned to maintain a US blockade of Iranian ports if a peace deal with Tehran is not reached, adding that he may not extend the ceasefire after its expiration. Iran reopened the Strait of Hormuz on Friday in the wake of a ceasefire d»»»