US‑Iran‑Israel War Highlights | No date set for Pak mediated peace talks as ceasefire deadline nears, Supreme Leader issues new threat

Four people, including two foreign nationals, have been arrested in Iran’s northwest for being part of a “US-Israel-linked espionage network”, the Tasnim news agency reports.

IRGC aerospace commander said Iran had replenished its missile and drone stocks during the ceasefire at a pace even faster than before the war, while saying the other side had failed to rebuild its own munitions.

President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran isn’t seeking war and is acting only in self-defence against the attack by the US and Israel, stressing his country’s commitment to peace and regional stability.

Iran’s intelligence agency says it dismantled “espionage and sabotage networks” linked to the US, Israel and the UK in Kerman City in southeastern Iran.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Sunday (April 19) that Iran was seeking its rights while the United States was trying to deny those rights to Iran.

“They are trying, through bullying, to deny the rights of a nation, of a society. They say they have decided that you must not exercise this right. Why? For what crime? Who are you to decide?” Pezeshkian said.

U.S. President Donald Trump has no justification to deprive Iran of its nuclear rights, the Iranian Student News Agency quoted Pezeshkian as saying on Sunday, as Washington and Tehran continue to face disagreements over nuclear issues.

Ship tracking data from MarineTraffic showed two vessels moving eastbound around the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday (April 19).

The data indicated that only two vessels, Chinese owned LPG tanker G Summer and Indian owned MEDA entered or exited the Gulf after midnight GMT.

Tehran reversed course on Saturday (April 18) to reassert control over the strait, again closing the energy choke point and adding fresh uncertainty to the war, which the U.S. and Israel launched on February 28.

Indian Ships have been advised to keep away from Larak Island and not commence movement through Hormuz till the time clearances are given. Deployment of Indian Navy ships in the region continues as it was earlier.

There are signs that security is being ramped up in the Pakistani capital, though preparations are not at last weekend’s levels.

More police officers were deployed and checkpoints installed around the Serena hotel in Islamabad, the location of the highest-level US-Iran negotiations since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, which ended without agreement.

Pakistan is expected to host the second round of talks between Iran and the US in the coming days.

Lebanon's military said Sunday it had reopened a road and bridge damaged by Israeli strikes in the country's south, as a 10-day truce holds between Hezbollah and Israel.

In a statement, the military said it "fully reopened" a road linking the city of Nabatieh with the Khardali area, and had "partially reopened the Burj Rahal-Tyre bridge".

"Work is also underway to rehabilitate the Tayr Falsay-Tyre bridge... following damage caused by the Israeli aggression," the army added.

According to reporting from CNN-News18, the Iranian Ambassador, Mohammad Fathali, informed Indian officials that the firing was "unintentional." Abdul Majid Hakeem Ilahi, representative of Iran’s Supreme Leader in India, said he has no information about the specific event but emphasised that Iran and India share strong bilateral relations.

India summoned the Iranian Ambassador, Mohammad Fathali, to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in New Delhi to lodge a formal protest. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri conveyed India’s "deep concern and displeasure" over the unprovoked firing.

"This is motor tanker Sanmar Herald… You gave me clearance to go. My name is second on your list. You are firing now. Let me turn back!” the captain of the India-flagged "Sanmar Herald" tanker can be heard saying in the audio widely circulated on social media.

Two Indian ships were targeted at the Strait of Hormuz when they were attempting to pass the passage. They were reportedly fired upon by boats of IRGC. The vessels turned back following the incident. This marks the first time that Iranian forces have fired upon Indian-flagged or owned merchant vessels. The shipping ministry has identified the two vessels as the Sanmar Herald, a crude oil tanker, and the Jag Arnav, a bulk carrier. It must be noted that Iran had allowed India and other nations like China and Pakistan to use the Strait amid the war and blockade. Multiple Indian-flagged ships passed through the strait in recent weeks without incident.

Britain's government is set to announce legislation next month to move the country closer to the European Union, as the Iran war sours the UK's ties with the US with Trump targeting NATO nations including the UK

Israeli forces have said that they have established a “yellow line” in southern Lebanon, similar to an Israeli military measure in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli military said in a statement on Saturday that over the previous 24 hours, its forces “operating south of the Yellow Line in southern Lebanon identified terrorists who violated the ceasefire understandings and approached the forces from north of the Yellow Line in a manner that posed an immediate threat”.

No date has been set for the next round of negotiations between Iran and the United States, Iran's deputy foreign minister said ​on Saturday, adding that a framework of understanding must be agreed first. "We are now focusing on finalising ⁠the framework of understanding between two sides. We don't want to enter into any ​negotiation or meeting which is doomed to fail and which can be a pretext ​for another round of escalation," Saeed Khatibzadeh told reporters on the sidelines of a diplomacy forum in the southern Turkish province of Antalya.

"Until we agree the framework, we cannot set the date... There ​was significant progress made actually. But then the maximalist approach by the other side, ​trying to make Iran an exception from international law prevented us to reach an agreement," he said, ‌referring ⁠to U.S. demands over Iran's nuclear programme. “I have to be very crystal clear that Iran would not accept to be an exception from the international law. Anything that we are going to be committed will be within the international regulations and international law.”

"The other side, the American side, tried to sabotage that by saying that it is open except for Iranians. So that was ⁠the reason ​we said that 'if you are going to violate ​the ceasefire terms and conditions, if Americans are not going to honour their words, there will be repercussions ​for them'," he said.

US President Donald Trump said that Tehran "can't blackmail" the US, while asserting that ongoing talks are "working out really well." He mocked Iran over its move to reimpose closure of the Strait of Hormuz, saying Tehran had “got a little cute” 

Naim Qassem said the 10-day ceasefire with Israel cannot be one-sided, warning Hezbollah will respond to violations. He stressed resistance fighters remain ready, rejected US influence on Lebanon, and called for mutual adherence to the truce amid rising regional tensions. READ MORE

"We warn that no ship, of any kind, should leave its anchorage in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman. Any attempt to approach the Strait of Hormuz will be considered cooperation with the enemy, and the offending vessel will be targeted," the navy of Iran's Revolutionary Guards said in a statement on its official Sepah News website.

Israeli forces on Saturday carried out demolitions in the southern Lebanese town of Bint Jbeil -- about five kilometers from the border -- the scene of intense fighting with Hezbollah prior to the recently agreed 10-day truce, Lebanese state media reported.

"The Israeli enemy is repeating its house detonating operations in the town of Bint Jbeil," Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA) said, also reporting demolitions in other border towns where Israeli troops are present.

Iran's state-run Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs was quoted by the ISNA news agency as saying Saturday that the war with the United States and Israel had killed 3,468 people in the Islamic republic.

Israel’s military said on Sunday that a soldier died during combat in southern Lebanon, where a temporary ceasefire had come into effect. “Lidor Porat, aged 31, from Ashdod, a soldier in the 7106th Battalion, 769th Regional Brigade, fell during combat in southern Lebanon,” the Israeli military said in a statement

A French UN peacekeeper was killed and three others injured in an attack in southern Lebanon. French President Emmanuel Macron blamed Hezbollah, though the group denied involvement. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said on Saturday that French United Nations peacekeepers had been attacked in southern Lebanon, ordering an investigation into the incident. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the attack.

Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, in a national televised address, has delivered a defiant message amid escalating tensions with the United States and Israel, and declared that Iran won the war against the aggressors. He said that negotiations with the US have progressed but far from final agreement. READ MORE

fter Israel targeted civilian infrastructure and crucial road links to south Lebanon, the Lebanese army said that its specialised units have fully reopened the Khardali-Nabatieh road and partially reopened the Burj Rahal-Tyre bridge. “Work is also underway to rehabilitate the Tayr Falsay-Tyre bridge in cooperation with the National Authority for the Litani River, following the damage caused by the Israeli aggression,” an army statement said.

Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has said Iran's navy is ready to inflict "new bitter defeats" on the US and Israel. Read out on state TV on Saturday (April 18), stated "The army stood against the sinister plans of the United States, the remnants of the Pahlavi regime, and separatists who wanted a dismembered Iran, and created epic achievements."

Donald Trump posted on Truth Social 39 times in a short span. This rapid-fire posting occurred after he praised Israel as a "great ally" following these comments. Read more

The two-week ceasefire in the war between the United States and Iran is currently set to expire on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. The initial truce, mediated by Pakistan and effective since April 8. US President Donald Trump has warned he may not extend the ceasefire if a permanent deal is not reached. Iran has said it will not bow down if its demands are not met

No official date has been set for a second round of Pakistan-mediated peace talks between the United States and Iran. While US President Donald Trump previously expressed optimism that negotiations could resume in Islamabad, current diplomatic efforts are stalled

Four people, including two foreign nationals, have been arrested in Iran’s northwest for being part of a “US-Israel-linked espionage network”, the Tasnim news agency reports.

IRGC aerospace commander said Iran had replenished its missile and drone stocks during the ceasefire at a pace even faster than before the war, while saying the other side had failed to rebuild its own munitions.

President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran isn’t seeking war and is acting only in self-defence against the attack by the US and Israel, stressing his country’s commitment to peace and regional stability.

Iran’s intelligence agency says it dismantled “espionage and sabotage networks” linked to the US, Israel and the UK in Kerman City in southeastern Iran.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Sunday (April 19) that Iran was seeking its rights while the United States was trying to deny those rights to Iran.

“They are trying, through bullying, to deny the rights of a nation, of a society. They say they have decided that you must not exercise this right. Why? For what crime? Who are you to decide?” Pezeshkian said.

U.S. President Donald Trump has no justification to deprive Iran of its nuclear rights, the Iranian Student News Agency quoted Pezeshkian as saying on Sunday, as Washington and Tehran continue to face disagreements over nuclear issues.

Ship tracking data from MarineTraffic showed two vessels moving eastbound around the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday (April 19).

The data indicated that only two vessels, Chinese owned LPG tanker G Summer and Indian owned MEDA entered or exited the Gulf after midnight GMT.

Tehran reversed course on Saturday (April 18) to reassert control over the strait, again closing the energy choke point and adding fresh uncertainty to the war, which the U.S. and Israel launched on February 28.

Indian Ships have been advised to keep away from Larak Island and not commence movement through Hormuz till the time clearances are given. Deployment of Indian Navy ships in the region continues as it was earlier.

There are signs that security is being ramped up in the Pakistani capital, though preparations are not at last weekend’s levels.

More police officers were deployed and checkpoints installed around the Serena hotel in Islamabad, the location of the highest-level US-Iran negotiations since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, which ended without agreement.

Pakistan is expected to host the second round of talks between Iran and the US in the coming days.

Lebanon's military said Sunday it had reopened a road and bridge damaged by Israeli strikes in the country's south, as a 10-day truce holds between Hezbollah and Israel.

In a statement, the military said it "fully reopened" a road linking the city of Nabatieh with the Khardali area, and had "partially reopened the Burj Rahal-Tyre bridge".

"Work is also underway to rehabilitate the Tayr Falsay-Tyre bridge... following damage caused by the Israeli aggression," the army added.

According to reporting from CNN-News18, the Iranian Ambassador, Mohammad Fathali, informed Indian officials that the firing was "unintentional." Abdul Majid Hakeem Ilahi, representative of Iran’s Supreme Leader in India, said he has no information about the specific event but emphasised that Iran and India share strong bilateral relations.

India summoned the Iranian Ambassador, Mohammad Fathali, to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in New Delhi to lodge a formal protest. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri conveyed India’s "deep concern and displeasure" over the unprovoked firing.

"This is motor tanker Sanmar Herald… You gave me clearance to go. My name is second on your list. You are firing now. Let me turn back!” the captain of the India-flagged "Sanmar Herald" tanker can be heard saying in the audio widely circulated on social media.

Two Indian ships were targeted at the Strait of Hormuz when they were attempting to pass the passage. They were reportedly fired upon by boats of IRGC. The vessels turned back following the incident. This marks the first time that Iranian forces have fired upon Indian-flagged or owned merchant vessels. The shipping ministry has identified the two vessels as the Sanmar Herald, a crude oil tanker, and the Jag Arnav, a bulk carrier. It must be noted that Iran had allowed India and other nations like China and Pakistan to use the Strait amid the war and blockade. Multiple Indian-flagged ships passed through the strait in recent weeks without incident.

Britain's government is set to announce legislation next month to move the country closer to the European Union, as the Iran war sours the UK's ties with the US with Trump targeting NATO nations including the UK

Israeli forces have said that they have established a “yellow line” in southern Lebanon, similar to an Israeli military measure in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli military said in a statement on Saturday that over the previous 24 hours, its forces “operating south of the Yellow Line in southern Lebanon identified terrorists who violated the ceasefire understandings and approached the forces from north of the Yellow Line in a manner that posed an immediate threat”.

No date has been set for the next round of negotiations between Iran and the United States, Iran's deputy foreign minister said ​on Saturday, adding that a framework of understanding must be agreed first. "We are now focusing on finalising ⁠the framework of understanding between two sides. We don't want to enter into any ​negotiation or meeting which is doomed to fail and which can be a pretext ​for another round of escalation," Saeed Khatibzadeh told reporters on the sidelines of a diplomacy forum in the southern Turkish province of Antalya.

"Until we agree the framework, we cannot set the date... There ​was significant progress made actually. But then the maximalist approach by the other side, ​trying to make Iran an exception from international law prevented us to reach an agreement," he said, ‌referring ⁠to U.S. demands over Iran's nuclear programme. “I have to be very crystal clear that Iran would not accept to be an exception from the international law. Anything that we are going to be committed will be within the international regulations and international law.”

"The other side, the American side, tried to sabotage that by saying that it is open except for Iranians. So that was ⁠the reason ​we said that 'if you are going to violate ​the ceasefire terms and conditions, if Americans are not going to honour their words, there will be repercussions ​for them'," he said.

US President Donald Trump said that Tehran "can't blackmail" the US, while asserting that ongoing talks are "working out really well." He mocked Iran over its move to reimpose closure of the Strait of Hormuz, saying Tehran had “got a little cute” 

Naim Qassem said the 10-day ceasefire with Israel cannot be one-sided, warning Hezbollah will respond to violations. He stressed resistance fighters remain ready, rejected US influence on Lebanon, and called for mutual adherence to the truce amid rising regional tensions. READ MORE

"We warn that no ship, of any kind, should leave its anchorage in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman. Any attempt to approach the Strait of Hormuz will be considered cooperation with the enemy, and the offending vessel will be targeted," the navy of Iran's Revolutionary Guards said in a statement on its official Sepah News website.

Israeli forces on Saturday carried out demolitions in the southern Lebanese town of Bint Jbeil -- about five kilometers from the border -- the scene of intense fighting with Hezbollah prior to the recently agreed 10-day truce, Lebanese state media reported.

"The Israeli enemy is repeating its house detonating operations in the town of Bint Jbeil," Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA) said, also reporting demolitions in other border towns where Israeli troops are present.

Iran's state-run Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs was quoted by the ISNA news agency as saying Saturday that the war with the United States and Israel had killed 3,468 people in the Islamic republic.

Israel’s military said on Sunday that a soldier died during combat in southern Lebanon, where a temporary ceasefire had come into effect. “Lidor Porat, aged 31, from Ashdod, a soldier in the 7106th Battalion, 769th Regional Brigade, fell during combat in southern Lebanon,” the Israeli military said in a statement

A French UN peacekeeper was killed and three others injured in an attack in southern Lebanon. French President Emmanuel Macron blamed Hezbollah, though the group denied involvement. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said on Saturday that French United Nations peacekeepers had been attacked in southern Lebanon, ordering an investigation into the incident. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the attack.

Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, in a national televised address, has delivered a defiant message amid escalating tensions with the United States and Israel, and declared that Iran won the war against the aggressors. He said that negotiations with the US have progressed but far from final agreement. READ MORE

fter Israel targeted civilian infrastructure and crucial road links to south Lebanon, the Lebanese army said that its specialised units have fully reopened the Khardali-Nabatieh road and partially reopened the Burj Rahal-Tyre bridge. “Work is also underway to rehabilitate the Tayr Falsay-Tyre bridge in cooperation with the National Authority for the Litani River, following the damage caused by the Israeli aggression,” an army statement said.

Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has said Iran's navy is ready to inflict "new bitter defeats" on the US and Israel. Read out on state TV on Saturday (April 18), stated "The army stood against the sinister plans of the United States, the remnants of the Pahlavi regime, and separatists who wanted a dismembered Iran, and created epic achievements."

Donald Trump posted on Truth Social 39 times in a short span. This rapid-fire posting occurred after he praised Israel as a "great ally" following these comments. Read more

The two-week ceasefire in the war between the United States and Iran is currently set to expire on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. The initial truce, mediated by Pakistan and effective since April 8. US President Donald Trump has warned he may not extend the ceasefire if a permanent deal is not reached. Iran has said it will not bow down if its demands are not met

No official date has been set for a second round of Pakistan-mediated peace talks between the United States and Iran. While US President Donald Trump previously expressed optimism that negotiations could resume in Islamabad, current diplomatic efforts are stalled

Four people, including two foreign nationals, have been arrested in Iran’s northwest for being part of a “US-Israel-linked espionage network”, the Tasnim news agency reports.

IRGC aerospace commander said Iran had replenished its missile and drone stocks during the ceasefire at a pace even faster than before the war, while saying the other side had failed to rebuild its own munitions.

President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran isn’t seeking war and is acting only in self-defence against the attack by the US and Israel, stressing his country’s commitment to peace and regional stability.

Iran’s intelligence agency says it dismantled “espionage and sabotage networks” linked to the US, Israel and the UK in Kerman City in southeastern Iran.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Sunday (April 19) that Iran was seeking its rights while the United States was trying to deny those rights to Iran.

“They are trying, through bullying, to deny the rights of a nation, of a society. They say they have decided that you must not exercise this right. Why? For what crime? Who are you to decide?” Pezeshkian said.

U.S. President Donald Trump has no justification to deprive Iran of its nuclear rights, the Iranian Student News Agency quoted Pezeshkian as saying on Sunday, as Washington and Tehran continue to face disagreements over nuclear issues.

Ship tracking data from MarineTraffic showed two vessels moving eastbound around the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday (April 19).

The data indicated that only two vessels, Chinese owned LPG tanker G Summer and Indian owned MEDA entered or exited the Gulf after midnight GMT.

Tehran reversed course on Saturday (April 18) to reassert control over the strait, again closing the energy choke point and adding fresh uncertainty to the war, which the U.S. and Israel launched on February 28.

Indian Ships have been advised to keep away from Larak Island and not commence movement through Hormuz till the time clearances are given. Deployment of Indian Navy ships in the region continues as it was earlier.

There are signs that security is being ramped up in the Pakistani capital, though preparations are not at last weekend’s levels.

More police officers were deployed and checkpoints installed around the Serena hotel in Islamabad, the location of the highest-level US-Iran negotiations since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, which ended without agreement.

Pakistan is expected to host the second round of talks between Iran and the US in the coming days.

Lebanon's military said Sunday it had reopened a road and bridge damaged by Israeli strikes in the country's south, as a 10-day truce holds between Hezbollah and Israel.

In a statement, the military said it "fully reopened" a road linking the city of Nabatieh with the Khardali area, and had "partially reopened the Burj Rahal-Tyre bridge".

"Work is also underway to rehabilitate the Tayr Falsay-Tyre bridge... following damage caused by the Israeli aggression," the army added.

According to reporting from CNN-News18, the Iranian Ambassador, Mohammad Fathali, informed Indian officials that the firing was "unintentional." Abdul Majid Hakeem Ilahi, representative of Iran’s Supreme Leader in India, said he has no information about the specific event but emphasised that Iran and India share strong bilateral relations.

India summoned the Iranian Ambassador, Mohammad Fathali, to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in New Delhi to lodge a formal protest. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri conveyed India’s "deep concern and displeasure" over the unprovoked firing.

"This is motor tanker Sanmar Herald… You gave me clearance to go. My name is second on your list. You are firing now. Let me turn back!” the captain of the India-flagged "Sanmar Herald" tanker can be heard saying in the audio widely circulated on social media.

Two Indian ships were targeted at the Strait of Hormuz when they were attempting to pass the passage. They were reportedly fired upon by boats of IRGC. The vessels turned back following the incident. This marks the first time that Iranian forces have fired upon Indian-flagged or owned merchant vessels. The shipping ministry has identified the two vessels as the Sanmar Herald, a crude oil tanker, and the Jag Arnav, a bulk carrier. It must be noted that Iran had allowed India and other nations like China and Pakistan to use the Strait amid the war and blockade. Multiple Indian-flagged ships passed through the strait in recent weeks without incident.

Britain's government is set to announce legislation next month to move the country closer to the European Union, as the Iran war sours the UK's ties with the US with Trump targeting NATO nations including the UK

Israeli forces have said that they have established a “yellow line” in southern Lebanon, similar to an Israeli military measure in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli military said in a statement on Saturday that over the previous 24 hours, its forces “operating south of the Yellow Line in southern Lebanon identified terrorists who violated the ceasefire understandings and approached the forces from north of the Yellow Line in a manner that posed an immediate threat”.

No date has been set for the next round of negotiations between Iran and the United States, Iran's deputy foreign minister said ​on Saturday, adding that a framework of understanding must be agreed first. "We are now focusing on finalising ⁠the framework of understanding between two sides. We don't want to enter into any ​negotiation or meeting which is doomed to fail and which can be a pretext ​for another round of escalation," Saeed Khatibzadeh told reporters on the sidelines of a diplomacy forum in the southern Turkish province of Antalya.

"Until we agree the framework, we cannot set the date... There ​was significant progress made actually. But then the maximalist approach by the other side, ​trying to make Iran an exception from international law prevented us to reach an agreement," he said, ‌referring ⁠to U.S. demands over Iran's nuclear programme. “I have to be very crystal clear that Iran would not accept to be an exception from the international law. Anything that we are going to be committed will be within the international regulations and international law.”

"The other side, the American side, tried to sabotage that by saying that it is open except for Iranians. So that was ⁠the reason ​we said that 'if you are going to violate ​the ceasefire terms and conditions, if Americans are not going to honour their words, there will be repercussions ​for them'," he said.

US President Donald Trump said that Tehran "can't blackmail" the US, while asserting that ongoing talks are "working out really well." He mocked Iran over its move to reimpose closure of the Strait of Hormuz, saying Tehran had “got a little cute” 

Naim Qassem said the 10-day ceasefire with Israel cannot be one-sided, warning Hezbollah will respond to violations. He stressed resistance fighters remain ready, rejected US influence on Lebanon, and called for mutual adherence to the truce amid rising regional tensions. READ MORE

"We warn that no ship, of any kind, should leave its anchorage in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman. Any attempt to approach the Strait of Hormuz will be considered cooperation with the enemy, and the offending vessel will be targeted," the navy of Iran's Revolutionary Guards said in a statement on its official Sepah News website.

Israeli forces on Saturday carried out demolitions in the southern Lebanese town of Bint Jbeil -- about five kilometers from the border -- the scene of intense fighting with Hezbollah prior to the recently agreed 10-day truce, Lebanese state media reported.

"The Israeli enemy is repeating its house detonating operations in the town of Bint Jbeil," Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA) said, also reporting demolitions in other border towns where Israeli troops are present.

Iran's state-run Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs was quoted by the ISNA news agency as saying Saturday that the war with the United States and Israel had killed 3,468 people in the Islamic republic.

Israel’s military said on Sunday that a soldier died during combat in southern Lebanon, where a temporary ceasefire had come into effect. “Lidor Porat, aged 31, from Ashdod, a soldier in the 7106th Battalion, 769th Regional Brigade, fell during combat in southern Lebanon,” the Israeli military said in a statement

A French UN peacekeeper was killed and three others injured in an attack in southern Lebanon. French President Emmanuel Macron blamed Hezbollah, though the group denied involvement. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said on Saturday that French United Nations peacekeepers had been attacked in southern Lebanon, ordering an investigation into the incident. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the attack.

Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, in a national televised address, has delivered a defiant message amid escalating tensions with the United States and Israel, and declared that Iran won the war against the aggressors. He said that negotiations with the US have progressed but far from final agreement. READ MORE

fter Israel targeted civilian infrastructure and crucial road links to south Lebanon, the Lebanese army said that its specialised units have fully reopened the Khardali-Nabatieh road and partially reopened the Burj Rahal-Tyre bridge. “Work is also underway to rehabilitate the Tayr Falsay-Tyre bridge in cooperation with the National Authority for the Litani River, following the damage caused by the Israeli aggression,” an army statement said.

Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has said Iran's navy is ready to inflict "new bitter defeats" on the US and Israel. Read out on state TV on Saturday (April 18), stated "The army stood against the sinister plans of the United States, the remnants of the Pahlavi regime, and separatists who wanted a dismembered Iran, and created epic achievements."

Donald Trump posted on Truth Social 39 times in a short span. This rapid-fire posting occurred after he praised Israel as a "great ally" following these comments. Read more

The two-week ceasefire in the war between the United States and Iran is currently set to expire on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. The initial truce, mediated by Pakistan and effective since April 8. US President Donald Trump has warned he may not extend the ceasefire if a permanent deal is not reached. Iran has said it will not bow down if its demands are not met

No official date has been set for a second round of Pakistan-mediated peace talks between the United States and Iran. While US President Donald Trump previously expressed optimism that negotiations could resume in Islamabad, current diplomatic efforts are stalled