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Write about: Middle East crisis live: Trump says US will blockade the strait of Hormuz immediately | US-Israel war on Iran
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Trump says US to start blockading the strait of Hormuz immediately
The US president, Donald Trump, said the US Navy would immediately start blockading the strait of Hormuz and would also interdict every vessel in international waters that had paid a toll to Iran.
In a lengthy Truth Social post, he said the US is going to start “BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz”.
Trump said that the US Navy is going to start “ destroying the mines the Iranians laid in the straits”, warning that any Iranian who fires at the US or at “peaceful vessels will be blown to hell”.
“No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas,” he said, adding that the blockade – which will involve so far unspecified other countries – will “begin shortly”.
“Iran will not be allowed to profit off this Illegal Act of EXTORTION. They want money and, more importantly, they want Nuclear,” Trump wrote.
Donald Trump has said the US Navy is going to start blockading ships trying to enter or leave the strait of Hormuz. Photograph: Jen Golbeck/SOPA Images/Shutterstock
Key events
In another Truth Social post, Trump also claimed that Iran has “knowingly failed” to make good on its promise to open the strait, causing “anxiety” and “pain” for many countries around the world. He went on to warn that Tehran “better begin the process” of opening the vital waterway and to do it quickly, saying the regime has “violated” every “law in the book”.
Trump said he has been debriefed by his vice president, JD Vance, his special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law/advisor Jared Kushner on the Pakistan talks that failed to produce a breakthrough to bring an end to the war.
He said Saturday’s meeting in Islamabad lasted close to 20 hours. “I could go into great detail, and talk about much that has been gotten but, there is only one thing that matters — IRAN IS UNWILLING TO GIVE UP ITS NUCLEAR AMBITIONS! In many ways, the points that were agreed to are better than us continuing our Military Operations to conclusion, but all of those points don’t matter compared to allowing Nuclear Power to be in the hands of such volatile, difficult, unpredictable people,” Trump wrote.
Trump says US to start blockading the strait of Hormuz immediately
The US president, Donald Trump, said the US Navy would immediately start blockading the strait of Hormuz and would also interdict every vessel in international waters that had paid a toll to Iran.
In a lengthy Truth Social post, he said the US is going to start “BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz”.
Trump said that the US Navy is going to start “ destroying the mines the Iranians laid in the straits”, warning that any Iranian who fires at the US or at “peaceful vessels will be blown to hell”.
“No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas,” he said, adding that the blockade – which will involve so far unspecified other countries – will “begin shortly”.
“Iran will not be allowed to profit off this Illegal Act of EXTORTION. They want money and, more importantly, they want Nuclear,” Trump wrote.
Donald Trump has said the US Navy is going to start blockading ships trying to enter or leave the strait of Hormuz. Photograph: Jen Golbeck/SOPA Images/Shutterstock
Sultan Al Jaber, the chief executive officer of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc), has said the strait of Hormuz has never been Iran’s to close or restrict navigation through.
“Any attempt to do so is not merely a regional issue, but represents a disruption to a global economic lifeline and a direct threat to the energy, food, and health security of all countries in the world,” he said in a post on X.
“This behavior is illegal, dangerous, and unacceptable, and the world cannot bear its consequences or allow it to happen.”
He said at least 22 ships have been targeted and nearly 400 oil tankers stranded since 28 February, when the US and Israel launched their war on Iran by killing the country’s former supreme leader in airstrikes on Tehran.
In response to the attacks, Tehran effectively closed the strait of Hormuz to vessels, only allowing a relatively small number of ships from “friendly” countries like China, Malaysia and Pakistan through.
Iranian authorities have since demanded the right to impose tolls on vessels transiting the vital waterway, where roughly 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas usually passes through, including after the war ends.
Tehran’s 10-point ceasefire plan would reportedly permit Iran and Oman to charge a fee of up to $2m (£1.5m) a ship on vessels moving through the strait.
Reuters reports on some of the victims of Israel’s strikes on Lebanon:
Wrapped in bloodied bandages, Aline Saeed, 7, barely survived the Israeli strike on her home in south Lebanon last week. She was there to bury her father as hopes of a truce spread across the region, but a new strike killed her infant sister and other relatives.
The strike on the Saeed family home in the village of Srifa took place on Wednesday, the first day of a US-Iran ceasefire that many in Lebanon hoped would apply to their country, too. Instead, Israeli strikes killed more than 350 across Lebanon and left the Saeed family with four more relatives to bury.
“They said it was a ceasefire. Like all these people, we went up to the village. We went to the casket to read the prayers and walk home … suddenly we felt like a storm was landing right on us,” said Nasser Saeed, Aline’s 64-year-old grandfather, who also survived.
Heavy bombardment on Lebanon has continued, with nearly 100 people killed on Saturday.
Dr Abbas Attiyeh, head of emergency operations at Tyre’s Jabal Amel hospital, said last week’s bombardment was one of the heaviest in recent years and many of the patients arriving at his hospital were children.
“The challenges we’re facing now are the numbers of wounded that come at the same time, within the same 30 minutes or hour,” Attiyeh said.
Asked about the Srifa incident, the Israeli military said it was looking into the report of the strike.
Iranians reacted with a mixture of disappointment and defiance on Sunday after peace talks with the US failed to reach an agreement, AP reports.
Standing outside a newsstand in the capital, Tehran, Farhad Simia said he had hoped for successful negotiations and an end to the fighting, but stood with Iran despite the failure of the talks. “I’m against war. I think negotiation is the better path,” Simia, 43, said. He blamed “inappropriate demands” by the US for the failure to reach a deal.
Mehdi Hosseini, also 43, agreed: “The fact that the Iranian negotiating team managed to preserve what it achieved in the war, while refusing to back down and surrender, gives reason for hope.”
The streets of Tehran were lined up with large Iranian flags and giant billboards glorifying the country’s leaders and military achievements. One large mural depicted Iranian men in uniform lifting a fishing net out of the sea with a catch of miniature-sized US military aircraft and warships. “The Strait Remains Closed,” the billboard read.
Hamid Haghi, 55, said “America’s overreach” was the reason for the talks’ failure. The US wants “to come to the Strait of Hormuz, which is a legacy from our fathers,” he said. “We can oversee (it) ourselves.”
Like many Iranians, 60-year-old Mohammad Bagher believes Iran should continue to stand strong against the US in what he sees as a war of their own making. “We are a nation of dialogue and negotiation as long as our interests are respected. We have never sought war,” he said. “We will stand firm to the end, we are ready to sacrifice our lives, and will not give them one inch of our land.”
A mural depicted Iranian men in uniform lifting a fishing net with a catch of miniature-sized US military aircraft. Photograph: Majid Asgaripour/Reuters
Summary of the day so far
Here’s a round-up of the key events from the Middle East so far today:
The US failed to gain trust of the Iranian delegation in Pakistan peace talks, Iran’s parliamentary speaker said. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said he stressed before the talks yesterday that Iran had no “trust in the opposing side” after “the experiences of the two previous wars”.
Iran’s foreign ministry downplayed the stalling of negotiations on Sunday. “Naturally, from the beginning we should not have expected to reach an agreement in a single session. No one had such an expectation,” ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said, according to state broadcaster IRIB.
Strait of Hormuz “completely” under Iranian control, deputy parliament speaker said. The Iranian deputy parliament speaker, Haji Babaei, has been quoted by the Mehr news agency as having said that the strait of Hormuz is “completely” under Iranian control, adding that tolls must be paid in the country’s currency, rials.
Saudi Arabia says east-west pipeline, energy facilities restored to “operational capacity” after attacks. “Energy facilities and the east-west pipeline damaged by attacks have recovered and regained their operational capacity, enhancing the reliability of supplies,” the official Saudi Press Agency reported, citing an energy ministry statement.
In a call this morning, the UK’s prime minister, Keir Starmer, and the Sultan of Oman agreed that all sides should avoid “any further escalation” in the US-Israel war on Iran. A Downing Street spokesperson said: “They discussed the peace talks held in Pakistan over the weekend and urged both sides to find a way through. It was vital there was a continuation of the ceasefire, and that all parties avoided any further escalation, the leaders agreed.”
Javad Zarif, a former Iranian foreign minister, said in a post on X this morning that the Pakistan talks failed because Iran is not going to accept terms dictated to it by the US. He said: “No negotiations – at least with Iran – will succeed based on “our/your terms.” The US must learn: you can’t dictate terms to Iran. It’s not too late to learn. Yet.”
Javad Zarif, a former Iranian foreign minister, said in a post on X this morning that the Pakistan talks failed because Iran is not going to accept terms dictated to it by the US.
He said: “No negotiations – at least with Iran – will succeed based on “our/your terms.” The US must learn: you can’t dictate terms to Iran. It’s not too late to learn. Yet.”
Zarif, who was Iran’s top diplomat between 2013 and 2021 in the government of the ‘moderate’ president Hassan Rouhani, was in office when the US reached its nuclear deal with Iran in 2015 under Barack Obama.
Donald Trump exited the agreement three years later by claiming that Iran was building a nuclear program, without providing evidence to support this claim at the time.
In a call this morning, the UK’s prime minister, Keir Starmer, and the Sultan of Oman agreed that all sides should avoid “any further escalation” in the US-Israel war on Iran.
A Downing Street spokesperson said:
They discussed the peace talks held in Pakistan over the weekend and urged both sides to find a way through. It was vital there was a continuation of the ceasefire, and that all parties avoided any further escalation, the leaders agreed.
His majesty updated on the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, and the prime minister thanked him for Oman’s efforts to rescue sailors from vessels in distress in the region.
Reflecting on international efforts to co-ordinate safe passage for shipping in the region, the prime minister said that following meetings convened by the foreign secretary and British military planners, partners continued to work towards restoring freedom of navigation for the long term.
The prime minister also reiterated the UK’s commitment to ensuring Oman’s security and updated on the UK’s work with Ukraine on drone technology. It was clear Ukraine’s expertise had been vital to the region in recent weeks, while Russia appeared to continue to support Iran’s aggression. The leaders agreed to speak again soon.
You can read what the health secretary, Wes Streeting, said this morning about the peace talks held in Pakistan over the weekend here.
William Christou
Iran is unable to find the mines it laid in the strait of Hormuz and does not have the capacity to remove the explosives, preventing Iran from allowing more traffic through the waterway, the New York Times reported, citing US officials.
Iran laid mines in the strait of Hormuz last month after the US and Israel declared war against the country, dropping explosives throughout the waterway with small boats.
The US was mostly unable to monitor the small boats that were mining the strait, leaving the country uncertain about the location and number of mines in the waterway.
Maritime traffic through the strait ground almost to a standstill due to the mines, as well as Iranian drones and missiles that threatened to hit ships. A senior Revolutionary Guards official said on 2 March the country would set ships “ablaze” if they tried to traverse the strait.
Oil tankers and cargo ships in the strait of Hormuz. Photograph: Altaf Qadri/AP
A small number of ships have continued to pass through after being given the go-ahead by Iran, which allowed through vessels from friendly nations that paid tolls.
US officials have said that Iran placed mines in the strait erratically, and may not have marked where it put all of them. Some mines also drifted or moved from their original location, US officials suggested.
Neither Iran nor the US have the capacity to quickly demine the strait, particularly after the US destroyed much of Iran’s navy.
Strait of Hormuz ‘completely’ under Iranian control, deputy parliament speaker says
The Iranian deputy parliament speaker, Haji Babaei, has been quoted by the Mehr news agency as having said that the strait of Hormuz is “completely” under Iranian control, adding that tolls must be paid in the country’s currency, rials.
“250 members of parliament unanimously supported the strait of Hormuz plan, and according to the leadership formula, this strategic waterway is non-negotiable under any circumstances,” he was quoted as having said.
“Despite sanctions, Iran’s oil exports have exceeded 1.6 million barrels, and today our country’s oil has become practically non-sanctionable. The Iranian nation will not back down from its demands even an inch.”
The opening of the strait – a chokepoint for a fifth of the world’s oil supply – for all vessels (not just those deemed friendly by Iran) is a primary demand of the US to end the war and forms a key part of the conditional two-week ceasefire plan agreed with Iran last week.
The virtual closure of the strait has sent fuel prices soaring and threatens to hurt Republican electoral fortunes in the November midterm elections.
US military officials on Saturday announced that their forces “began setting conditions for clearing mines in the strait”, with two navy guided-missile destroyers said to be conducting operations. Iran, which closed the strait in response to the US and Israel attacking the country on 28 February, has denied that the two vessels sailed through the area.
US failed to gain trust of Iranian delegation in Pakistan peace talks, parliamentary speaker says
Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said the US delegation “failed to gain the trust of the Iranian delegation in this round of negotiations”. In a lengthy post on X, the speaker said he stressed before the talks yesterday that Iran had no “trust in the opposing side” after “the experiences of the two previous wars”.
Ghalibaf, who led the Iranian delegation for the Pakistani mediated talks with the US in Islamabad, added that his country’s delegation negotiated in good faith and raised “forward-looking initiatives”, without specifying what these were.
“America has understood our logic and principles, and now it’s time for it to decide whether it can earn our trust or not?” he wrote on social media, as he thanked Pakistan for its mediation efforts.
Iran’s parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf (L) shakes hands with Pakistan’s prime minister Shehbaz Sharif (R) before the US-Iran peace talks in Islamabad on 11 April, 2026. Photograph: Pakistan Prime Minister’s Office/UPI/Shutterstock
Iranian state media reported earlier that major points of disagreement included Iran’s nuclear program and transit through the strait of Hormuz.
The internet blackout in Iran has entered its 44th day, according to internet monitoring group NetBlocks. It said in a social media post:
Network data show Iran’s internet blackout is now in its 44th day, continuing in its seventh week past the 1032 hour mark.
The human and economic impacts of the extended censorship measure continue to pile up, breaking global records for shutdowns in a connected society.
Those without access to Starlink or alternative ways to communicate – which are often expensive – are cut off, not only from the outside world but the blackout also severely curtails Iranian’s ability to communicate with each other, making mobilisation, for example, much more difficult.
An internet blackout imposed by the government in Tehran has stifled almost all communications from the country. Photograph: Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters
The Fars news agency, which is close to the Iranian security services, is reporting that 21 people have been killed and 13 others injured in Israeli attacks on Lebanon since this morning.
Attacks have been reported across southern Lebanon including in the towns of Qana and Maaroub. We have not been able to independently verify this information yet.
Over in the UK, the health secretary, Wes Streeting, has said the failure to reach a deal in the US-Iran peace talks in Pakistan was “disappointing”. He told Sky News this morning:
It’s obviously disappointing that we haven’t yet seen a breakthrough in negotiations and an end to this war in Iran that is a sustainable one.
But as ever in diplomacy, you’re failing until you succeed. So while these talks may not have ended in success, that doesn’t mean there isn’t merit in continuing to try.
Clearly when you look at the impact of the war in Iran on this country, on other countries around the world who have no part in this war, it is in all of our interests for there to be a breakthrough and an end to this war.
The UK, which has been hit hard by rising bills resulting from the economic impact of the war, has been working on a “practical plan” to try to reopen the strait of Hormuz (to all vessels).
Six people have been killed in an Israeli attack on the town of Maaroub in southern Lebanon, according to the country’s national news agency.
The Israeli military has demolished entire villages as part of its invasion of south Lebanon, with airstrikes killing many civilians and damaging civilian infrastructure despite the IDF saying they are only targeting Hezbollah infrastructure.
The renewed Israeli assault on Lebanon was launched on 2 March when Hezbollah, the Iranian backed Lebanese militant group, launched rocket fire at Israel after US-Israeli airstrikes killed former Iranian supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.
The US is due to host talks between Israel and Lebanon next week. Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said he has given “approval” for negotiations on two conditions: Hezbollah dismantling their weapons and “a real peace agreement that will last for generations”.
Saudi says east-west pipeline, energy facilities restored to ‘operational capacity’ after attacks
Saudi Arabia’s energy ministry said on Sunday that its key east-west oil pipeline and other facilities had been restored following attacks by Iran on infrastructure across the Gulf, news agency AFP reports.
“Energy facilities and the east-west pipeline damaged by attacks have recovered and regained their operational capacity, enhancing the reliability of supplies,” the official Saudi Press Agency reported, citing an energy ministry statement.
It added that the attacks had led to a “loss of approximately 700,000 barrels per day of pumping capacity through the east-west pipeline” and work was underway to restore full production capacity at the kingdom’s Khurais oil field.
A satellite view of smoke billowing at a Saudi Aramco oil facility after a reported attack last week. Photograph: European Union/COPERNICUS SENTINEL-2/Reuters
Tehran says no one had expectation of reaching agreement with US in one session: Iran state TV
Iran’s foreign ministry has downplayed the stalling of negotiations on Sunday.
“Naturally, from the beginning we should not have expected to reach an agreement in a single session. No one had such an expectation,” ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaeisaid, according to state broadcaster IRIB.
He said Tehran was “confident that contacts between us and Pakistan, as well as our other friends in the region, will continue”.
You can read more about the abrupt end to the talks here:
‘Everything is gone’
William Christou,Abbas Abdel Karim and Lucy Swan have reported today on Israel destroying entire villages as part of its invasion of southern Lebanon.
The Guardian reviewed three videos posted by the Israeli military and on social media, which showed Israel carrying out mass detonations in the villages of Taybeh, Naqoura and Deir Seryan along the Israel-Lebanon border.
Controlled detonation in Deir Seryan – video
Rights groups fear the tactic of “domicide” trialled in Gaza, where entire areas are made uninhabitable, is being used again.
The Israeli military has said they are targeting Hezbollah infrastructure such as tunnels and military facilities, which it claims the armed group has embedded in civilian homes, through these demolitions.
You can read the full story here:
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Trump says US to start blockading the strait of Hormuz immediately
The US president, Donald Trump, said the US Navy would immediately start blockading the strait of Hormuz and would also interdict every vessel in international waters that had paid a toll to Iran.
In a lengthy Truth Social post, he said the US is going to start “BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz”.
Trump said that the US Navy is going to start “ destroying the mines the Iranians laid in the straits”, warning that any Iranian who fires at the US or at “peaceful vessels will be blown to hell”.
“No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas,” he said, adding that the blockade – which will involve so far unspecified other countries – will “begin shortly”.
“Iran will not be allowed to profit off this Illegal Act of EXTORTION. They want money and, more importantly, they want Nuclear,” Trump wrote.
Donald Trump has said the US Navy is going to start blockading ships trying to enter or leave the strait of Hormuz. Photograph: Jen Golbeck/SOPA Images/Shutterstock
Key events
In another Truth Social post, Trump also claimed that Iran has “knowingly failed” to make good on its promise to open the strait, causing “anxiety” and “pain” for many countries around the world. He went on to warn that Tehran “better begin the process” of opening the vital waterway and to do it quickly, saying the regime has “violated” every “law in the book”.
Trump said he has been debriefed by his vice president, JD Vance, his special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law/advisor Jared Kushner on the Pakistan talks that failed to produce a breakthrough to bring an end to the war.
He said Saturday’s meeting in Islamabad lasted close to 20 hours. “I could go into great detail, and talk about much that has been gotten but, there is only one thing that matters — IRAN IS UNWILLING TO GIVE UP ITS NUCLEAR AMBITIONS! In many ways, the points that were agreed to are better than us continuing our Military Operations to conclusion, but all of those points don’t matter compared to allowing Nuclear Power to be in the hands of such volatile, difficult, unpredictable people,” Trump wrote.
Trump says US to start blockading the strait of Hormuz immediately
The US president, Donald Trump, said the US Navy would immediately start blockading the strait of Hormuz and would also interdict every vessel in international waters that had paid a toll to Iran.
In a lengthy Truth Social post, he said the US is going to start “BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz”.
Trump said that the US Navy is going to start “ destroying the mines the Iranians laid in the straits”, warning that any Iranian who fires at the US or at “peaceful vessels will be blown to hell”.
“No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas,” he said, adding that the blockade – which will involve so far unspecified other countries – will “begin shortly”.
“Iran will not be allowed to profit off this Illegal Act of EXTORTION. They want money and, more importantly, they want Nuclear,” Trump wrote.
Donald Trump has said the US Navy is going to start blockading ships trying to enter or leave the strait of Hormuz. Photograph: Jen Golbeck/SOPA Images/Shutterstock
Sultan Al Jaber, the chief executive officer of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc), has said the strait of Hormuz has never been Iran’s to close or restrict navigation through.
“Any attempt to do so is not merely a regional issue, but represents a disruption to a global economic lifeline and a direct threat to the energy, food, and health security of all countries in the world,” he said in a post on X.
“This behavior is illegal, dangerous, and unacceptable, and the world cannot bear its consequences or allow it to happen.”
He said at least 22 ships have been targeted and nearly 400 oil tankers stranded since 28 February, when the US and Israel launched their war on Iran by killing the country’s former supreme leader in airstrikes on Tehran.
In response to the attacks, Tehran effectively closed the strait of Hormuz to vessels, only allowing a relatively small number of ships from “friendly” countries like China, Malaysia and Pakistan through.
Iranian authorities have since demanded the right to impose tolls on vessels transiting the vital waterway, where roughly 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas usually passes through, including after the war ends.
Tehran’s 10-point ceasefire plan would reportedly permit Iran and Oman to charge a fee of up to $2m (£1.5m) a ship on vessels moving through the strait.
Reuters reports on some of the victims of Israel’s strikes on Lebanon:
Wrapped in bloodied bandages, Aline Saeed, 7, barely survived the Israeli strike on her home in south Lebanon last week. She was there to bury her father as hopes of a truce spread across the region, but a new strike killed her infant sister and other relatives.
The strike on the Saeed family home in the village of Srifa took place on Wednesday, the first day of a US-Iran ceasefire that many in Lebanon hoped would apply to their country, too. Instead, Israeli strikes killed more than 350 across Lebanon and left the Saeed family with four more relatives to bury.
“They said it was a ceasefire. Like all these people, we went up to the village. We went to the casket to read the prayers and walk home … suddenly we felt like a storm was landing right on us,” said Nasser Saeed, Aline’s 64-year-old grandfather, who also survived.
Heavy bombardment on Lebanon has continued, with nearly 100 people killed on Saturday.
Dr Abbas Attiyeh, head of emergency operations at Tyre’s Jabal Amel hospital, said last week’s bombardment was one of the heaviest in recent years and many of the patients arriving at his hospital were children.
“The challenges we’re facing now are the numbers of wounded that come at the same time, within the same 30 minutes or hour,” Attiyeh said.
Asked about the Srifa incident, the Israeli military said it was looking into the report of the strike.
Iranians reacted with a mixture of disappointment and defiance on Sunday after peace talks with the US failed to reach an agreement, AP reports.
Standing outside a newsstand in the capital, Tehran, Farhad Simia said he had hoped for successful negotiations and an end to the fighting, but stood with Iran despite the failure of the talks. “I’m against war. I think negotiation is the better path,” Simia, 43, said. He blamed “inappropriate demands” by the US for the failure to reach a deal.
Mehdi Hosseini, also 43, agreed: “The fact that the Iranian negotiating team managed to preserve what it achieved in the war, while refusing to back down and surrender, gives reason for hope.”
The streets of Tehran were lined up with large Iranian flags and giant billboards glorifying the country’s leaders and military achievements. One large mural depicted Iranian men in uniform lifting a fishing net out of the sea with a catch of miniature-sized US military aircraft and warships. “The Strait Remains Closed,” the billboard read.
Hamid Haghi, 55, said “America’s overreach” was the reason for the talks’ failure. The US wants “to come to the Strait of Hormuz, which is a legacy from our fathers,” he said. “We can oversee (it) ourselves.”
Like many Iranians, 60-year-old Mohammad Bagher believes Iran should continue to stand strong against the US in what he sees as a war of their own making. “We are a nation of dialogue and negotiation as long as our interests are respected. We have never sought war,” he said. “We will stand firm to the end, we are ready to sacrifice our lives, and will not give them one inch of our land.”
A mural depicted Iranian men in uniform lifting a fishing net with a catch of miniature-sized US military aircraft. Photograph: Majid Asgaripour/Reuters
Summary of the day so far
Here’s a round-up of the key events from the Middle East so far today:
The US failed to gain trust of the Iranian delegation in Pakistan peace talks, Iran’s parliamentary speaker said. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said he stressed before the talks yesterday that Iran had no “trust in the opposing side” after “the experiences of the two previous wars”.
Iran’s foreign ministry downplayed the stalling of negotiations on Sunday. “Naturally, from the beginning we should not have expected to reach an agreement in a single session. No one had such an expectation,” ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said, according to state broadcaster IRIB.
Strait of Hormuz “completely” under Iranian control, deputy parliament speaker said. The Iranian deputy parliament speaker, Haji Babaei, has been quoted by the Mehr news agency as having said that the strait of Hormuz is “completely” under Iranian control, adding that tolls must be paid in the country’s currency, rials.
Saudi Arabia says east-west pipeline, energy facilities restored to “operational capacity” after attacks. “Energy facilities and the east-west pipeline damaged by attacks have recovered and regained their operational capacity, enhancing the reliability of supplies,” the official Saudi Press Agency reported, citing an energy ministry statement.
In a call this morning, the UK’s prime minister, Keir Starmer, and the Sultan of Oman agreed that all sides should avoid “any further escalation” in the US-Israel war on Iran. A Downing Street spokesperson said: “They discussed the peace talks held in Pakistan over the weekend and urged both sides to find a way through. It was vital there was a continuation of the ceasefire, and that all parties avoided any further escalation, the leaders agreed.”
Javad Zarif, a former Iranian foreign minister, said in a post on X this morning that the Pakistan talks failed because Iran is not going to accept terms dictated to it by the US. He said: “No negotiations – at least with Iran – will succeed based on “our/your terms.” The US must learn: you can’t dictate terms to Iran. It’s not too late to learn. Yet.”
Javad Zarif, a former Iranian foreign minister, said in a post on X this morning that the Pakistan talks failed because Iran is not going to accept terms dictated to it by the US.
He said: “No negotiations – at least with Iran – will succeed based on “our/your terms.” The US must learn: you can’t dictate terms to Iran. It’s not too late to learn. Yet.”
Zarif, who was Iran’s top diplomat between 2013 and 2021 in the government of the ‘moderate’ president Hassan Rouhani, was in office when the US reached its nuclear deal with Iran in 2015 under Barack Obama.
Donald Trump exited the agreement three years later by claiming that Iran was building a nuclear program, without providing evidence to support this claim at the time.
In a call this morning, the UK’s prime minister, Keir Starmer, and the Sultan of Oman agreed that all sides should avoid “any further escalation” in the US-Israel war on Iran.
A Downing Street spokesperson said:
They discussed the peace talks held in Pakistan over the weekend and urged both sides to find a way through. It was vital there was a continuation of the ceasefire, and that all parties avoided any further escalation, the leaders agreed.
His majesty updated on the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, and the prime minister thanked him for Oman’s efforts to rescue sailors from vessels in distress in the region.
Reflecting on international efforts to co-ordinate safe passage for shipping in the region, the prime minister said that following meetings convened by the foreign secretary and British military planners, partners continued to work towards restoring freedom of navigation for the long term.
The prime minister also reiterated the UK’s commitment to ensuring Oman’s security and updated on the UK’s work with Ukraine on drone technology. It was clear Ukraine’s expertise had been vital to the region in recent weeks, while Russia appeared to continue to support Iran’s aggression. The leaders agreed to speak again soon.
You can read what the health secretary, Wes Streeting, said this morning about the peace talks held in Pakistan over the weekend here.
William Christou
Iran is unable to find the mines it laid in the strait of Hormuz and does not have the capacity to remove the explosives, preventing Iran from allowing more traffic through the waterway, the New York Times reported, citing US officials.
Iran laid mines in the strait of Hormuz last month after the US and Israel declared war against the country, dropping explosives throughout the waterway with small boats.
The US was mostly unable to monitor the small boats that were mining the strait, leaving the country uncertain about the location and number of mines in the waterway.
Maritime traffic through the strait ground almost to a standstill due to the mines, as well as Iranian drones and missiles that threatened to hit ships. A senior Revolutionary Guards official said on 2 March the country would set ships “ablaze” if they tried to traverse the strait.
Oil tankers and cargo ships in the strait of Hormuz. Photograph: Altaf Qadri/AP
A small number of ships have continued to pass through after being given the go-ahead by Iran, which allowed through vessels from friendly nations that paid tolls.
US officials have said that Iran placed mines in the strait erratically, and may not have marked where it put all of them. Some mines also drifted or moved from their original location, US officials suggested.
Neither Iran nor the US have the capacity to quickly demine the strait, particularly after the US destroyed much of Iran’s navy.
Strait of Hormuz ‘completely’ under Iranian control, deputy parliament speaker says
The Iranian deputy parliament speaker, Haji Babaei, has been quoted by the Mehr news agency as having said that the strait of Hormuz is “completely” under Iranian control, adding that tolls must be paid in the country’s currency, rials.
“250 members of parliament unanimously supported the strait of Hormuz plan, and according to the leadership formula, this strategic waterway is non-negotiable under any circumstances,” he was quoted as having said.
“Despite sanctions, Iran’s oil exports have exceeded 1.6 million barrels, and today our country’s oil has become practically non-sanctionable. The Iranian nation will not back down from its demands even an inch.”
The opening of the strait – a chokepoint for a fifth of the world’s oil supply – for all vessels (not just those deemed friendly by Iran) is a primary demand of the US to end the war and forms a key part of the conditional two-week ceasefire plan agreed with Iran last week.
The virtual closure of the strait has sent fuel prices soaring and threatens to hurt Republican electoral fortunes in the November midterm elections.
US military officials on Saturday announced that their forces “began setting conditions for clearing mines in the strait”, with two navy guided-missile destroyers said to be conducting operations. Iran, which closed the strait in response to the US and Israel attacking the country on 28 February, has denied that the two vessels sailed through the area.
US failed to gain trust of Iranian delegation in Pakistan peace talks, parliamentary speaker says
Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said the US delegation “failed to gain the trust of the Iranian delegation in this round of negotiations”. In a lengthy post on X, the speaker said he stressed before the talks yesterday that Iran had no “trust in the opposing side” after “the experiences of the two previous wars”.
Ghalibaf, who led the Iranian delegation for the Pakistani mediated talks with the US in Islamabad, added that his country’s delegation negotiated in good faith and raised “forward-looking initiatives”, without specifying what these were.
“America has understood our logic and principles, and now it’s time for it to decide whether it can earn our trust or not?” he wrote on social media, as he thanked Pakistan for its mediation efforts.
Iran’s parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf (L) shakes hands with Pakistan’s prime minister Shehbaz Sharif (R) before the US-Iran peace talks in Islamabad on 11 April, 2026. Photograph: Pakistan Prime Minister’s Office/UPI/Shutterstock
Iranian state media reported earlier that major points of disagreement included Iran’s nuclear program and transit through the strait of Hormuz.
The internet blackout in Iran has entered its 44th day, according to internet monitoring group NetBlocks. It said in a social media post:
Network data show Iran’s internet blackout is now in its 44th day, continuing in its seventh week past the 1032 hour mark.
The human and economic impacts of the extended censorship measure continue to pile up, breaking global records for shutdowns in a connected society.
Those without access to Starlink or alternative ways to communicate – which are often expensive – are cut off, not only from the outside world but the blackout also severely curtails Iranian’s ability to communicate with each other, making mobilisation, for example, much more difficult.
An internet blackout imposed by the government in Tehran has stifled almost all communications from the country. Photograph: Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters
The Fars news agency, which is close to the Iranian security services, is reporting that 21 people have been killed and 13 others injured in Israeli attacks on Lebanon since this morning.
Attacks have been reported across southern Lebanon including in the towns of Qana and Maaroub. We have not been able to independently verify this information yet.
Over in the UK, the health secretary, Wes Streeting, has said the failure to reach a deal in the US-Iran peace talks in Pakistan was “disappointing”. He told Sky News this morning:
It’s obviously disappointing that we haven’t yet seen a breakthrough in negotiations and an end to this war in Iran that is a sustainable one.
But as ever in diplomacy, you’re failing until you succeed. So while these talks may not have ended in success, that doesn’t mean there isn’t merit in continuing to try.
Clearly when you look at the impact of the war in Iran on this country, on other countries around the world who have no part in this war, it is in all of our interests for there to be a breakthrough and an end to this war.
The UK, which has been hit hard by rising bills resulting from the economic impact of the war, has been working on a “practical plan” to try to reopen the strait of Hormuz (to all vessels).
Six people have been killed in an Israeli attack on the town of Maaroub in southern Lebanon, according to the country’s national news agency.
The Israeli military has demolished entire villages as part of its invasion of south Lebanon, with airstrikes killing many civilians and damaging civilian infrastructure despite the IDF saying they are only targeting Hezbollah infrastructure.
The renewed Israeli assault on Lebanon was launched on 2 March when Hezbollah, the Iranian backed Lebanese militant group, launched rocket fire at Israel after US-Israeli airstrikes killed former Iranian supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.
The US is due to host talks between Israel and Lebanon next week. Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said he has given “approval” for negotiations on two conditions: Hezbollah dismantling their weapons and “a real peace agreement that will last for generations”.
Saudi says east-west pipeline, energy facilities restored to ‘operational capacity’ after attacks
Saudi Arabia’s energy ministry said on Sunday that its key east-west oil pipeline and other facilities had been restored following attacks by Iran on infrastructure across the Gulf, news agency AFP reports.
“Energy facilities and the east-west pipeline damaged by attacks have recovered and regained their operational capacity, enhancing the reliability of supplies,” the official Saudi Press Agency reported, citing an energy ministry statement.
It added that the attacks had led to a “loss of approximately 700,000 barrels per day of pumping capacity through the east-west pipeline” and work was underway to restore full production capacity at the kingdom’s Khurais oil field.
A satellite view of smoke billowing at a Saudi Aramco oil facility after a reported attack last week. Photograph: European Union/COPERNICUS SENTINEL-2/Reuters
Tehran says no one had expectation of reaching agreement with US in one session: Iran state TV
Iran’s foreign ministry has downplayed the stalling of negotiations on Sunday.
“Naturally, from the beginning we should not have expected to reach an agreement in a single session. No one had such an expectation,” ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaeisaid, according to state broadcaster IRIB.
He said Tehran was “confident that contacts between us and Pakistan, as well as our other friends in the region, will continue”.
You can read more about the abrupt end to the talks here:
‘Everything is gone’
William Christou,Abbas Abdel Karim and Lucy Swan have reported today on Israel destroying entire villages as part of its invasion of southern Lebanon.
The Guardian reviewed three videos posted by the Israeli military and on social media, which showed Israel carrying out mass detonations in the villages of Taybeh, Naqoura and Deir Seryan along the Israel-Lebanon border.
Controlled detonation in Deir Seryan – video
Rights groups fear the tactic of “domicide” trialled in Gaza, where entire areas are made uninhabitable, is being used again.
The Israeli military has said they are targeting Hezbollah infrastructure such as tunnels and military facilities, which it claims the armed group has embedded in civilian homes, through these demolitions.
You can read the full story here:
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MISSION
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Trump says US to start blockading the strait of Hormuz immediately
The US president, Donald Trump, said the US Navy would immediately start blockading the strait of Hormuz and would also interdict every vessel in international waters that had paid a toll to Iran.
In a lengthy Truth Social post, he said the US is going to start “BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz”.
Trump said that the US Navy is going to start “ destroying the mines the Iranians laid in the straits”, warning that any Iranian who fires at the US or at “peaceful vessels will be blown to hell”.
“No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas,” he said, adding that the blockade – which will involve so far unspecified other countries – will “begin shortly”.
“Iran will not be allowed to profit off this Illegal Act of EXTORTION. They want money and, more importantly, they want Nuclear,” Trump wrote.
Donald Trump has said the US Navy is going to start blockading ships trying to enter or leave the strait of Hormuz. Photograph: Jen Golbeck/SOPA Images/Shutterstock
Key events
In another Truth Social post, Trump also claimed that Iran has “knowingly failed” to make good on its promise to open the strait, causing “anxiety” and “pain” for many countries around the world. He went on to warn that Tehran “better begin the process” of opening the vital waterway and to do it quickly, saying the regime has “violated” every “law in the book”.
Trump said he has been debriefed by his vice president, JD Vance, his special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law/advisor Jared Kushner on the Pakistan talks that failed to produce a breakthrough to bring an end to the war.
He said Saturday’s meeting in Islamabad lasted close to 20 hours. “I could go into great detail, and talk about much that has been gotten but, there is only one thing that matters — IRAN IS UNWILLING TO GIVE UP ITS NUCLEAR AMBITIONS! In many ways, the points that were agreed to are better than us continuing our Military Operations to conclusion, but all of those points don’t matter compared to allowing Nuclear Power to be in the hands of such volatile, difficult, unpredictable people,” Trump wrote.
Trump says US to start blockading the strait of Hormuz immediately
The US president, Donald Trump, said the US Navy would immediately start blockading the strait of Hormuz and would also interdict every vessel in international waters that had paid a toll to Iran.
In a lengthy Truth Social post, he said the US is going to start “BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz”.
Trump said that the US Navy is going to start “ destroying the mines the Iranians laid in the straits”, warning that any Iranian who fires at the US or at “peaceful vessels will be blown to hell”.
“No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas,” he said, adding that the blockade – which will involve so far unspecified other countries – will “begin shortly”.
“Iran will not be allowed to profit off this Illegal Act of EXTORTION. They want money and, more importantly, they want Nuclear,” Trump wrote.
Donald Trump has said the US Navy is going to start blockading ships trying to enter or leave the strait of Hormuz. Photograph: Jen Golbeck/SOPA Images/Shutterstock
Sultan Al Jaber, the chief executive officer of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc), has said the strait of Hormuz has never been Iran’s to close or restrict navigation through.
“Any attempt to do so is not merely a regional issue, but represents a disruption to a global economic lifeline and a direct threat to the energy, food, and health security of all countries in the world,” he said in a post on X.
“This behavior is illegal, dangerous, and unacceptable, and the world cannot bear its consequences or allow it to happen.”
He said at least 22 ships have been targeted and nearly 400 oil tankers stranded since 28 February, when the US and Israel launched their war on Iran by killing the country’s former supreme leader in airstrikes on Tehran.
In response to the attacks, Tehran effectively closed the strait of Hormuz to vessels, only allowing a relatively small number of ships from “friendly” countries like China, Malaysia and Pakistan through.
Iranian authorities have since demanded the right to impose tolls on vessels transiting the vital waterway, where roughly 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas usually passes through, including after the war ends.
Tehran’s 10-point ceasefire plan would reportedly permit Iran and Oman to charge a fee of up to $2m (£1.5m) a ship on vessels moving through the strait.
Reuters reports on some of the victims of Israel’s strikes on Lebanon:
Wrapped in bloodied bandages, Aline Saeed, 7, barely survived the Israeli strike on her home in south Lebanon last week. She was there to bury her father as hopes of a truce spread across the region, but a new strike killed her infant sister and other relatives.
The strike on the Saeed family home in the village of Srifa took place on Wednesday, the first day of a US-Iran ceasefire that many in Lebanon hoped would apply to their country, too. Instead, Israeli strikes killed more than 350 across Lebanon and left the Saeed family with four more relatives to bury.
“They said it was a ceasefire. Like all these people, we went up to the village. We went to the casket to read the prayers and walk home … suddenly we felt like a storm was landing right on us,” said Nasser Saeed, Aline’s 64-year-old grandfather, who also survived.
Heavy bombardment on Lebanon has continued, with nearly 100 people killed on Saturday.
Dr Abbas Attiyeh, head of emergency operations at Tyre’s Jabal Amel hospital, said last week’s bombardment was one of the heaviest in recent years and many of the patients arriving at his hospital were children.
“The challenges we’re facing now are the numbers of wounded that come at the same time, within the same 30 minutes or hour,” Attiyeh said.
Asked about the Srifa incident, the Israeli military said it was looking into the report of the strike.
Iranians reacted with a mixture of disappointment and defiance on Sunday after peace talks with the US failed to reach an agreement, AP reports.
Standing outside a newsstand in the capital, Tehran, Farhad Simia said he had hoped for successful negotiations and an end to the fighting, but stood with Iran despite the failure of the talks. “I’m against war. I think negotiation is the better path,” Simia, 43, said. He blamed “inappropriate demands” by the US for the failure to reach a deal.
Mehdi Hosseini, also 43, agreed: “The fact that the Iranian negotiating team managed to preserve what it achieved in the war, while refusing to back down and surrender, gives reason for hope.”
The streets of Tehran were lined up with large Iranian flags and giant billboards glorifying the country’s leaders and military achievements. One large mural depicted Iranian men in uniform lifting a fishing net out of the sea with a catch of miniature-sized US military aircraft and warships. “The Strait Remains Closed,” the billboard read.
Hamid Haghi, 55, said “America’s overreach” was the reason for the talks’ failure. The US wants “to come to the Strait of Hormuz, which is a legacy from our fathers,” he said. “We can oversee (it) ourselves.”
Like many Iranians, 60-year-old Mohammad Bagher believes Iran should continue to stand strong against the US in what he sees as a war of their own making. “We are a nation of dialogue and negotiation as long as our interests are respected. We have never sought war,” he said. “We will stand firm to the end, we are ready to sacrifice our lives, and will not give them one inch of our land.”
A mural depicted Iranian men in uniform lifting a fishing net with a catch of miniature-sized US military aircraft. Photograph: Majid Asgaripour/Reuters
Summary of the day so far
Here’s a round-up of the key events from the Middle East so far today:
The US failed to gain trust of the Iranian delegation in Pakistan peace talks, Iran’s parliamentary speaker said. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said he stressed before the talks yesterday that Iran had no “trust in the opposing side” after “the experiences of the two previous wars”.
Iran’s foreign ministry downplayed the stalling of negotiations on Sunday. “Naturally, from the beginning we should not have expected to reach an agreement in a single session. No one had such an expectation,” ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said, according to state broadcaster IRIB.
Strait of Hormuz “completely” under Iranian control, deputy parliament speaker said. The Iranian deputy parliament speaker, Haji Babaei, has been quoted by the Mehr news agency as having said that the strait of Hormuz is “completely” under Iranian control, adding that tolls must be paid in the country’s currency, rials.
Saudi Arabia says east-west pipeline, energy facilities restored to “operational capacity” after attacks. “Energy facilities and the east-west pipeline damaged by attacks have recovered and regained their operational capacity, enhancing the reliability of supplies,” the official Saudi Press Agency reported, citing an energy ministry statement.
In a call this morning, the UK’s prime minister, Keir Starmer, and the Sultan of Oman agreed that all sides should avoid “any further escalation” in the US-Israel war on Iran. A Downing Street spokesperson said: “They discussed the peace talks held in Pakistan over the weekend and urged both sides to find a way through. It was vital there was a continuation of the ceasefire, and that all parties avoided any further escalation, the leaders agreed.”
Javad Zarif, a former Iranian foreign minister, said in a post on X this morning that the Pakistan talks failed because Iran is not going to accept terms dictated to it by the US. He said: “No negotiations – at least with Iran – will succeed based on “our/your terms.” The US must learn: you can’t dictate terms to Iran. It’s not too late to learn. Yet.”
Javad Zarif, a former Iranian foreign minister, said in a post on X this morning that the Pakistan talks failed because Iran is not going to accept terms dictated to it by the US.
He said: “No negotiations – at least with Iran – will succeed based on “our/your terms.” The US must learn: you can’t dictate terms to Iran. It’s not too late to learn. Yet.”
Zarif, who was Iran’s top diplomat between 2013 and 2021 in the government of the ‘moderate’ president Hassan Rouhani, was in office when the US reached its nuclear deal with Iran in 2015 under Barack Obama.
Donald Trump exited the agreement three years later by claiming that Iran was building a nuclear program, without providing evidence to support this claim at the time.
In a call this morning, the UK’s prime minister, Keir Starmer, and the Sultan of Oman agreed that all sides should avoid “any further escalation” in the US-Israel war on Iran.
A Downing Street spokesperson said:
They discussed the peace talks held in Pakistan over the weekend and urged both sides to find a way through. It was vital there was a continuation of the ceasefire, and that all parties avoided any further escalation, the leaders agreed.
His majesty updated on the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, and the prime minister thanked him for Oman’s efforts to rescue sailors from vessels in distress in the region.
Reflecting on international efforts to co-ordinate safe passage for shipping in the region, the prime minister said that following meetings convened by the foreign secretary and British military planners, partners continued to work towards restoring freedom of navigation for the long term.
The prime minister also reiterated the UK’s commitment to ensuring Oman’s security and updated on the UK’s work with Ukraine on drone technology. It was clear Ukraine’s expertise had been vital to the region in recent weeks, while Russia appeared to continue to support Iran’s aggression. The leaders agreed to speak again soon.
You can read what the health secretary, Wes Streeting, said this morning about the peace talks held in Pakistan over the weekend here.
William Christou
Iran is unable to find the mines it laid in the strait of Hormuz and does not have the capacity to remove the explosives, preventing Iran from allowing more traffic through the waterway, the New York Times reported, citing US officials.
Iran laid mines in the strait of Hormuz last month after the US and Israel declared war against the country, dropping explosives throughout the waterway with small boats.
The US was mostly unable to monitor the small boats that were mining the strait, leaving the country uncertain about the location and number of mines in the waterway.
Maritime traffic through the strait ground almost to a standstill due to the mines, as well as Iranian drones and missiles that threatened to hit ships. A senior Revolutionary Guards official said on 2 March the country would set ships “ablaze” if they tried to traverse the strait.
Oil tankers and cargo ships in the strait of Hormuz. Photograph: Altaf Qadri/AP
A small number of ships have continued to pass through after being given the go-ahead by Iran, which allowed through vessels from friendly nations that paid tolls.
US officials have said that Iran placed mines in the strait erratically, and may not have marked where it put all of them. Some mines also drifted or moved from their original location, US officials suggested.
Neither Iran nor the US have the capacity to quickly demine the strait, particularly after the US destroyed much of Iran’s navy.
Strait of Hormuz ‘completely’ under Iranian control, deputy parliament speaker says
The Iranian deputy parliament speaker, Haji Babaei, has been quoted by the Mehr news agency as having said that the strait of Hormuz is “completely” under Iranian control, adding that tolls must be paid in the country’s currency, rials.
“250 members of parliament unanimously supported the strait of Hormuz plan, and according to the leadership formula, this strategic waterway is non-negotiable under any circumstances,” he was quoted as having said.
“Despite sanctions, Iran’s oil exports have exceeded 1.6 million barrels, and today our country’s oil has become practically non-sanctionable. The Iranian nation will not back down from its demands even an inch.”
The opening of the strait – a chokepoint for a fifth of the world’s oil supply – for all vessels (not just those deemed friendly by Iran) is a primary demand of the US to end the war and forms a key part of the conditional two-week ceasefire plan agreed with Iran last week.
The virtual closure of the strait has sent fuel prices soaring and threatens to hurt Republican electoral fortunes in the November midterm elections.
US military officials on Saturday announced that their forces “began setting conditions for clearing mines in the strait”, with two navy guided-missile destroyers said to be conducting operations. Iran, which closed the strait in response to the US and Israel attacking the country on 28 February, has denied that the two vessels sailed through the area.
US failed to gain trust of Iranian delegation in Pakistan peace talks, parliamentary speaker says
Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said the US delegation “failed to gain the trust of the Iranian delegation in this round of negotiations”. In a lengthy post on X, the speaker said he stressed before the talks yesterday that Iran had no “trust in the opposing side” after “the experiences of the two previous wars”.
Ghalibaf, who led the Iranian delegation for the Pakistani mediated talks with the US in Islamabad, added that his country’s delegation negotiated in good faith and raised “forward-looking initiatives”, without specifying what these were.
“America has understood our logic and principles, and now it’s time for it to decide whether it can earn our trust or not?” he wrote on social media, as he thanked Pakistan for its mediation efforts.
Iran’s parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf (L) shakes hands with Pakistan’s prime minister Shehbaz Sharif (R) before the US-Iran peace talks in Islamabad on 11 April, 2026. Photograph: Pakistan Prime Minister’s Office/UPI/Shutterstock
Iranian state media reported earlier that major points of disagreement included Iran’s nuclear program and transit through the strait of Hormuz.
The internet blackout in Iran has entered its 44th day, according to internet monitoring group NetBlocks. It said in a social media post:
Network data show Iran’s internet blackout is now in its 44th day, continuing in its seventh week past the 1032 hour mark.
The human and economic impacts of the extended censorship measure continue to pile up, breaking global records for shutdowns in a connected society.
Those without access to Starlink or alternative ways to communicate – which are often expensive – are cut off, not only from the outside world but the blackout also severely curtails Iranian’s ability to communicate with each other, making mobilisation, for example, much more difficult.
An internet blackout imposed by the government in Tehran has stifled almost all communications from the country. Photograph: Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters
The Fars news agency, which is close to the Iranian security services, is reporting that 21 people have been killed and 13 others injured in Israeli attacks on Lebanon since this morning.
Attacks have been reported across southern Lebanon including in the towns of Qana and Maaroub. We have not been able to independently verify this information yet.
Over in the UK, the health secretary, Wes Streeting, has said the failure to reach a deal in the US-Iran peace talks in Pakistan was “disappointing”. He told Sky News this morning:
It’s obviously disappointing that we haven’t yet seen a breakthrough in negotiations and an end to this war in Iran that is a sustainable one.
But as ever in diplomacy, you’re failing until you succeed. So while these talks may not have ended in success, that doesn’t mean there isn’t merit in continuing to try.
Clearly when you look at the impact of the war in Iran on this country, on other countries around the world who have no part in this war, it is in all of our interests for there to be a breakthrough and an end to this war.
The UK, which has been hit hard by rising bills resulting from the economic impact of the war, has been working on a “practical plan” to try to reopen the strait of Hormuz (to all vessels).
Six people have been killed in an Israeli attack on the town of Maaroub in southern Lebanon, according to the country’s national news agency.
The Israeli military has demolished entire villages as part of its invasion of south Lebanon, with airstrikes killing many civilians and damaging civilian infrastructure despite the IDF saying they are only targeting Hezbollah infrastructure.
The renewed Israeli assault on Lebanon was launched on 2 March when Hezbollah, the Iranian backed Lebanese militant group, launched rocket fire at Israel after US-Israeli airstrikes killed former Iranian supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.
The US is due to host talks between Israel and Lebanon next week. Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said he has given “approval” for negotiations on two conditions: Hezbollah dismantling their weapons and “a real peace agreement that will last for generations”.
Saudi says east-west pipeline, energy facilities restored to ‘operational capacity’ after attacks
Saudi Arabia’s energy ministry said on Sunday that its key east-west oil pipeline and other facilities had been restored following attacks by Iran on infrastructure across the Gulf, news agency AFP reports.
“Energy facilities and the east-west pipeline damaged by attacks have recovered and regained their operational capacity, enhancing the reliability of supplies,” the official Saudi Press Agency reported, citing an energy ministry statement.
It added that the attacks had led to a “loss of approximately 700,000 barrels per day of pumping capacity through the east-west pipeline” and work was underway to restore full production capacity at the kingdom’s Khurais oil field.
A satellite view of smoke billowing at a Saudi Aramco oil facility after a reported attack last week. Photograph: European Union/COPERNICUS SENTINEL-2/Reuters
Tehran says no one had expectation of reaching agreement with US in one session: Iran state TV
Iran’s foreign ministry has downplayed the stalling of negotiations on Sunday.
“Naturally, from the beginning we should not have expected to reach an agreement in a single session. No one had such an expectation,” ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaeisaid, according to state broadcaster IRIB.
He said Tehran was “confident that contacts between us and Pakistan, as well as our other friends in the region, will continue”.
You can read more about the abrupt end to the talks here:
‘Everything is gone’
William Christou,Abbas Abdel Karim and Lucy Swan have reported today on Israel destroying entire villages as part of its invasion of southern Lebanon.
The Guardian reviewed three videos posted by the Israeli military and on social media, which showed Israel carrying out mass detonations in the villages of Taybeh, Naqoura and Deir Seryan along the Israel-Lebanon border.
Controlled detonation in Deir Seryan – video
Rights groups fear the tactic of “domicide” trialled in Gaza, where entire areas are made uninhabitable, is being used again.
The Israeli military has said they are targeting Hezbollah infrastructure such as tunnels and military facilities, which it claims the armed group has embedded in civilian homes, through these demolitions.
You can read the full story here:
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