Middle East conflict

April 23, 2026 9:39 AM

Iran seizes ships in Strait of Hormuz after US calls off renewed attacks

Iran seized two ships in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, tightening its grip on the strategic waterway a day after U.S. President Donald Trump announced he was indefinitely calling off attacks, with no sign of peace talks restarting. The status of a two-week-old ceasefire, due to expire earlier this week, remained unclear. In a sharp about-face hours after threatening renewed violence, Trump made what appeared to be a unilateral announcement on Tuesday that the U.S. would extend a ceasefire ...

April 22, 2026 1:03 PM

EXPLAINER-How the Iran war oil and gas supply shock compares with past disruptions

The U.S.-Israeli war with Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have caused the biggest oil supply disruption on record by daily output lost, though at least one earlier shock had a greater cumulative impact, according to Reuters calculations based on International Energy Agency and U.S. Department of Energy data. The IEA said on Tuesday that the conflict is the worst energy crisis the world has faced, when combined with the tail end of the European gas crisis caused by Russia's invasion...

April 21, 2026 12:58 PM

US positive on Iran deal but talks still uncertain as ceasefire end nears

The United States expressed confidence that peace talks with Iran would go ahead in Pakistan and a senior Iranian official said Tehran was considering joining, but significant hurdles and uncertainty remained as the end of a ceasefire loomed. The two-week truce in the war is set to expire within days and despite Iran earlier ruling out a second round of negotiations this week, a Pakistani source involved in the discussions told Reuters there was momentum for talks to recommence on Wednesday. "...

April 21, 2026 12:55 PM

Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ holds talks with DP World on rebuilding Gaza, FT says

Representatives of U.S. President Donald Trump’s "Board of Peace" have held talks with state-owned Dubai multinational DP World about managing supply chains and infrastructure projects in Gaza, the Financial Times said on Tuesday. Rehabilitation of Gaza, where two years of Israeli bombardment have destroyed four-fifths of buildings, has been projected by global institutions to cost around $70 billion. Citing three people familiar with the matter, the paper said the talks centred on prospects...

April 21, 2026 12:53 PM

Trump cites defense production act to sign energy-related memorandums

President Donald Trump invoked the Defense Production Act on Monday to sign a series of energy-related presidential memorandums, the White House announced, as his administration aims to tackle rising fuel prices as a result of U.S. and Israel's war on Iran. * Trump signed memorandums on coal supply chains, domestic petroleum production, natural gas transmission and liquefied natural gas capacity. * The U.S. president also signed memorandums on grid infrastructure and other energy-related infra...

April 21, 2026 12:52 PM

Trump: New deal with Iran will be better than old one

President Donald Trump said on Monday he believed a nuclear deal the U.S. is currently negotiating with Iran will be better than a 2015 international agreement to curb Tehran's nuclear program. "The DEAL that we are making with Iran will be FAR BETTER than the JCPOA, commonly referred to as 'The Iran Nuclear Deal',” Trump wrote in a social media post after concerns expressed by Democrats and some nuclear experts that he is rushing negotiations on a highly complex topic. During his first Whit...

April 21, 2026 12:49 PM

Trump: Israel never talked me into war with Iran

President Donald Trump said on Monday that Israel did not persuade him to attack Iran, after news reports that Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu influenced the U.S. president's decision and criticism from right-wing commentators. "Israel never talked me into the war with Iran, the results of Oct. 7th, added to my lifelong opinion that IRAN CAN NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON, did," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. Trump also said "the results in Iran will be amazing" in the post, which came as ...

April 17, 2026 7:45 PM

2,447 Indian seafarers repatriated, LPG supply stable amid West Asia tensions: Govt

Amid evolving geopolitical developments in West Asia, the government on Friday said over 2,447 Indian seafarers have been safely repatriated from the Gulf region so far, including 30 in the past 24 hours, while domestic LPG supplies remain stable with more than 50.5 lakh cylinders delivered in a single day. At an inter-ministerial media briefing held at the National Media Centre, officials from key ministries outlined measures to ensure energy security, safeguard Indian nationals abroad, and ma...

April 17, 2026 7:22 PM

Trump says blockade on Iran ‘in full force’ until deal is reached

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that the naval blockade on Iran will "remain in full force" until a deal with Tehran is struck. "The Strait of Hormuz is completely open and ready for business and full passage, but the naval blockade will remain in full force and effect as it pertains to Iran, only, until such time as our transaction with Iran is 100% complete," he wrote on Truth Social in all caps. His comments came after Iran said the Strait of Hormuz was open to all vessels follow...

April 17, 2026 7:19 PM

Iran says Hormuz Strait open after Lebanon deal, Trump expects Iran deal ‘soon’

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said the Strait of Hormuz was open following a ceasefire accord agreed in Lebanon, while U.S. President Donald Trump said he believed a deal to end the Iran war would come "soon", although the timing remains unclear. Araqchi said in a post on X the Strait was open for all commercial vessels for the remainder of the U.S.-brokered 10-day truce between Israeli forces and Iran-backed Hezbollah agreed between Israel and Lebanon. He said the passage of ships wo...