Two US Navy warships have transited the Strait of Hormuz at the start of an operation to clear the strategic waterway of mines laid by Iran, US Central Command said Saturday. The announcement -- which marks the first such transit since the US-Israeli war with Iran began -- came shortly after Presid»»»

The Israeli military said Saturday it had struck more than 200 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon within the last 24 hours, among them rocket launchers. "In the last 24 hours, the army struck more than 200 Hezbollah terror targets in Lebanon. The Israeli air force continues to strike Hezbollah infrastruc»»»

Baghdad: Iraq's parliament voted Saturday to elect Nizar Amidi, a political official with one of the country's two main Kurdish parties, as president, five months after a parliamentary election that didn't produce a bloc with a decisive majority. His election comes as Iraq is reeling from the fallo»»»

The Palestinian health ministry said Israeli settlers shot dead a Palestinian man in the West Bank on Saturday, in the latest deadly attack on the occupied territory. Ali Majed Hamadneh, 23, died after settlers opened fire during a raid on the village of Deir Jarir, northeast of Ramallah, the minis»»»

Syria's interior ministry said Saturday that five people had been arrested over a plot to attack an unidentified religious figure in Damascus, alleging the cell was linked to the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah. In a statement, the ministry said security forces observed a woman as she attempted to "»»»

The Iraqi parliament on Saturday elected Kurdish politician Nizar Amedi as the country's new president, a largely ceremonial role, following a parliamentary election last November. Amedi, 58, is a former environment minister and has headed the political office of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (P»»»

Islamabad: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held talks on Saturday in Islamabad with US delegation led by Vice President JD Vance, as Islamabad expressed hope that the United States and Iran would engage constructively in the talks it is hosting to reach a lasting peace agreement following a»»»

UN agency chiefs on Saturday demanded an end to impunity for widespread international law violations in the Middle East, as casualties pile up six weeks into the war unleashed by US-Israeli strikes on Iran. In a joint statement, the heads of multiple United Nations agencies said they were "alarmed »»»

DOHA: Advisor to the Prime Minister and Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansarihas strongly condemned ongoing attacks in the region, highlighting what he described as a “clear contradiction” in Iranian claims regarding their targets. In an interview»»»

Islamabad: Trilateral talks between the United States, Iran, and Pakistan began today in Islamabad. Attended by Pakistani Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir, the talks aimed at reaching a permanent peace agreement between Washington and Tehran. In a press statement, a Pakistani source stated that the t»»»

A Syrian man on Saturday buried his wife and four of his five children, killed in the massive wave of Israeli strikes that pounded Beirut earlier this week, laying them to rest in Deir Ezzor province in northeastern Syria. It was not the homecoming they had anticipated when they fled to Lebanon six»»»

The United States and Iran began face-to-face negotiations Saturday in Pakistan, days after a fragile, two-week ceasefire was announced, as the war that has killed thousands of people and shaken global markets entered its seventh week. The White House confirmed the direct nature of the talks. Iran'»»»

Two US warships have reportedly passed through the Strait of Hormuz, the first such transit since the war with Iran began, as President Donald Trump said Saturday that the United States had started "clearing out" the strategic waterway. The US Navy guided-missile destroyers passed through the strai»»»

Iran should not repeat the mistakes of Libya, which paid a heavy price for trusting the West, the North African country’s former information minister, Moussa Ibrahim, has warned ahead of the talks between delegations from Washington and Tehran. The first direct meeting between the sides since the U»»»

1 of 2 | Vice President JD Vance shakes hands with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during a meeting, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Saturday. Delegations from the United States and Iran are meeting in Pakistan Saturday to discuss ending the war in Iran. Photo by the Pakistan Foreign Ministry/EPA A»»»

Abu Dhabi: The Zayed Sustainability Prize has expanded its support framework, announcing funding for all finalists in its 2027 cycle, continuing the approach introduced in 2026. The move reflects the Prize’s shift from a recognition platform into a broader support system that helps projects at diff»»»

Kyiv, Ukraine: A temporary ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine for Orthodox Easter begins on Saturday afternoon, as US-led diplomatic efforts to end the war falter. The Kremlin said it had ordered a temporary truce from Saturday at 4pm (1300 GMT) until the end of Sunday, a 32-hour period. Russia's»»»

NEW YORK: The State of Qatar has sent a 14th identical letter to Secretary-General of the United Nations HE Antonio Guterres and Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the United Nations and President of the Security Council for the month of April HE Jamal Fares Al Rowaiei, regarding»»»

New York, USA: The State of Qatar has sent a 14th identical letter to HE Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres and HE Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the United Nations and President of the Security Council for the month of April Jamal Fares Al Rowaiei, rega»»»

Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah on Saturday reiterated his group's rejection of direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon, where authorities reported 10 people killed in Israeli attacks in the south. The office of President Joseph Aoun said on Friday that officials from Lebanon, Israel and»»»

A senior Iranian source said on Saturday the US had agreed to release Iranian frozen assets ​held in Qatar and other foreign banks, but a US official swiftly denied the assertion, Reuters news agency reported. The senior Iranian ‌source welcomed the purported US move as a sign of “seriousness” in r»»»

Washington, United States: A senior US official denied on Saturday a report saying Washington had agreed to release Iran's frozen assets held in foreign banks. Iranian and US delegations have arrived in Islamabad, Pakistan for talks aimed at ending the war in the Middle East. Tehran earlier said an»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Hezbollah’s Fadlallah: Autonomy-Lacking Gov’t Prolonging Israeli Aggression at Expense of Civilian Lives 11-04-2026 14:41 PM MP Hasan Fadla»»»

“My daughter is sleeping in the ICU of a hospital in Mohakhali, Dhaka and I have been in the queue at the Trust filling station since 1:30 AM. It is now a quarter to three... If I cannot get fuel, I will leave the bike on the road and just walk away. I do not have the strength left in my body to pu»»»

Iran’s delegation, headed by Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, met Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad, as part of high-level diplomatic engagements ahead of expected talks with US officials later on Saturday. US Vice President JD Vance also met with the Pakistani PM, media reports said. P»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Lebanese Health Ministry says 2 paramedics among 7 martyrs in Israeli strikes on Zefta and Kfar Seer in southern Lebanon 11-04-2026 13:58 P»»»

Some three-quarters of the airstrikes during the Middle East war targeted sites in Iran or Lebanon, according to an AFP analysis of data from ACLED, a non-profit that tracks political violence worldwide. At least 7,700 strikes or series of strikes by missiles, drones, rockets or bombs, were recorde»»»

Senior Iranian and American delegations met Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad on Saturday to begin negotiations towards a deal to end the Middle East war unleashed six weeks earlier by US-Israeli strikes on Tehran. With the talks under way at Islamabad's Serena Hotel, Iranian med»»»

Boston resident Pat Ouedraogo has cut longer-distance trips, while aspiring law student Skyler Burke drives extra miles to avoid pricier gasoline pumps closer to home. In Houston, auto broker David Wright has switched from a gas-guzzling race car to an all-electric vehicle. These struggles are bein»»»

A senior Iraqi security official told AFP that a drone crashed near a group of US diplomats inside the grounds of Baghdad's airport earlier this week as they were escorting an American journalist freed after a recent kidnapping. The account shed light on a statement issued Thursday by the US State »»»

Pakistan Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif held a meeting with US Vice President JD Vance, marking the opening phase of a high-level diplomatic process focused on regional stability and conflict resolution, as the Islamabad talks formally commenced. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download th»»»

Ukraine can play a useful role in international efforts to secure the Strait of Hormuz, Britain's armed services minister said, praising its drone technology as among the best in the world. Britain has organized discussions this month among more than 30 nations on how to reopen the strait, amid an »»»

Israel said Friday it will not discuss a ceasefire with Hezbollah when it holds talks with Lebanon's government next week in Washington. The Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors spoke to set up the talks that will open Tuesday at the State Department. Israel "agreed to begin formal peace negotiations" »»»

Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah on Saturday reiterated his Iran-backed group's rejection of direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, a day after Lebanon's president said such talks would take place next week in Washington. The move is "a blatant violation of the (National) Pact, the cons»»»

A magnitude 5.2 earthquake was recorded in southern Iran on Saturday, according to the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) National Seismic Network. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click here.The tremor was detected by monitoring stations in the region and »»»

Abu Dhabi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday landed at Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. Jaishankar will be in the UAE from April 11-12 as a part of an official visit and will be meeting the leadership of the UAE to review close cooperation and deepen the Comprehensive Strateg»»»

Talks between the US and Iranian delegations will take place in Islamabad, with Pakistan acting as a mediator in hopes of achieving a lasting peace in the Middle East. Ahead of the highly anticipated US-Iran peace talks, preparations are in full swing in Islamabad. Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsi»»»

An economist at Moody’s Analytics, Dominic Bartos, said that the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are facing an unprecedented crisis due to the Iran war, raising concerns about the potential postponement or cancellation of their previously announced investments in Egypt. Bartos added that t»»»

Top US officials landed in Islamabad ⁠on Saturday to meet with representatives from Iran for ‌peace talks aimed at ending the six-week-old ​war that has killed thousands of people across ​the Middle ​East. Read our liveblog to follow the latest developments.  • US Vice President JD Vance »»»

The war in the Middle East will have a cascading impact on the global economy, even if a ceasefire announced by US President Donald Trump takes hold, World Bank President Ajay Banga told Reuters in an interview on Friday. And the damage will be far deeper if the ceasefire fails and the conflict esc»»»

US intelligence indicates China is preparing to deliver new air defense systems to ‌Iran within the ‌next few weeks, CNN ‌reported ⁠late on Friday, ⁠citing three people familiar with recent intelligence assessments. The network said there are indications that Beijing is working to route ⁠the shipme»»»

Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is still recovering from severe facial and leg injuries ‌suffered in the airstrike that killed his father at the beginning of the war, three people close to his inner circle told Reuters. Khamenei's face was disfigured in the attack on the supreme leader's»»»

The United States and Iran have been sworn enemies since the 1979 revolution and the hostage crisis at the US embassy in Tehran. On Saturday, the arch-foes are set to hold talks in Islamabad to end more than a month of war in the Middle East, as a fragile ceasefire holds despite deep mutual mistrus»»»

A temporary ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine for Orthodox Easter is set to begin on Saturday afternoon, as US-led diplomatic efforts to end the war falter. The Kremlin said it had ordered a temporary truce from Saturday at 4:00 pm (1300 GMT) until the end of Sunday, a 32-hour period, AFP said. »»»

Three opinion polls conducted in Tel Aviv on Friday showed that an overwhelming majority of Israelis view the war against Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah as a failure for US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while supporting a resumption of the fighting to achieve t»»»

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Friday that the ‌United States is trying to maintain a stable relationship with China, but if Beijing gets involved with Iran in a way that is counter to US interests, that would complicate matters. “The underlying goals ⁠of our economies are so differ»»»

More than 125,000 civilian facilities have been damaged or destroyed in the US-Israeli attacks across Iran, the head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) said on Friday. Pir-Hossein Kolivand told Iranian state television that around 100,000 homes and at least 23,500 shops were hit during the »»»

Diplomatic momentum is building around a Gaza ceasefire, as Hamas and other Palestinian factions prepare their final response to a “Board of Peace” plan on the movement’s disarmament and the second phase of the deal. Talks were set to begin in Cairo on Friday and Saturday, with more meetings possib»»»