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April 30, 2026 10:42 PM

Pivotal US-Iran war deadline approaches with no end in sight for conflict

U.S. President Donald Trump faces a deadline on Friday to end the Iran war or make the case to Congress for extending it, but the date is most likely to pass without altering the course of a conflict that has lapsed into a standoff over shipping routes. Ending the war appears highly unlikely. Instead, analysts and congressional aides said they expect Trump to either notify Congress that he plans a 30-day extension or disregard the deadline, with his administration arguing that a current ceasef...

April 30, 2026 10:40 PM

Man accused in Trump assassination attempt agrees to remain in custody

The man accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump at a black-tie press gala in Washington agreed on Thursday to remain in custody while his case moves forward. The suspect, Cole Allen, 31, would not immediately contest prosecutors' arguments that he was a danger to the community and should remain in jail, his attorney, Tezira Abe, said during a court hearing. Allen allegedly stormed a security checkpoint and fired a shotgun outside the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on ...

April 30, 2026 10:39 PM

Iran threatens painful response if US resumes attacks, oil prices seesaw

Iran said on Thursday it would respond with "long and painful strikes" on U.S. positions if Washington renewed attacks, and also reasserted its control over the Strait of Hormuz, complicating U.S. plans for a coalition to reopen the waterway. Two months into the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, the vital sea channel remains closed, choking off 20% of the world's oil and gas supplies. That has sent global energy prices surging and heightened concerns about the risks of an economic downturn. Efforts ...

April 30, 2026 10:37 PM

Trump criticizes Germany’s Merz, tells him to stop interfering over Iran

U.S. President Donald Trump criticized German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday, saying he should focus on trying to end the Russia-Ukraine war and spend "less time on interfering" with the effort to tackle "the Iran nuclear threat". Trump has been sparring with Merz over the war in Iran in recent days. On Tuesday, he said Merz didn't know what he was talking about after the German leader said the Iranians were humiliating the U.S. in talks to end the two-month-old war. Trump made...

April 30, 2026 10:35 PM

Iranian economic collapse may come too late for Trump

Weeks of conflict have aggravated Iran's dire economic problems, risking calamity after the war, but the Islamic Republic looks able to survive a standoff in the Gulf for now, despite a U.S. blockade that has cut off energy exports. With major fighting paused by an April 8 truce, Iran is locked in a stalemate with the U.S. and Israel, with talks for a lasting ceasefire stalled while Tehran keeps the Strait of Hormuz shut and Washington blockades Iranian Gulf ports. Despite bad damage to infras...

April 30, 2026 2:40 PM

Trump welcomes United Arab Emirates exit from OPEC

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday welcomed the United Arab Emirates' move to pull out of OPEC and said he thinks the move could help lower oil prices. "I think it's great," Trump said when asked by reporters at the White House what he thought of the UAE's decision. The UAE - one of the group's biggest producers - said on Tuesday it was quitting OPEC, dealing a blow to the group as an unprecedented energy crisis caused by the Iran war exposes discord among Gulf nations. "I think ultimat...

April 29, 2026 10:23 PM

Pentagon’s Hegseth defends Iran war, says not a quagmire

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sought to defend the Iran war in fiery remarks to Congress on Wednesday, saying it was not a quagmire and attacking Democratic lawmakers as "feckless" for criticizing the unpopular conflict. Hegseth was testifying before Congress for the first time since the U.S. and Israel launched a war against Iran on February 28 that has led to a surge in gasoline prices. Trump's popularity has taken a pounding since the conflict began and just 34% of Americans approv...

April 29, 2026 10:21 PM

Hormuz shipping traffic remains at a trickle as US-Iran deadlock deepens

At least six ships - a fraction of the usual traffic - have crossed the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours, shipping data showed on Wednesday, while the U.S. and Iran remain deadlocked over coming to terms that would re-open the crucial waterway. The vessel traffic was mainly through Iranian waters and included the Vast Plus chemical tanker, which is subject to US sanctions, according to Kpler ship-tracking data and satellite analysis from SynMax. Most of the ships were dry bulk carriers, a...

April 29, 2026 10:24 PM

Germany’s Merz says relations with Trump are good despite spat over Iran

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Wednesday his relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump remained good despite a row between the two men over the Iran war, but he reiterated his worries over the economic impact of the conflict. The spat reflects diverging views between the Trump administration and its European NATO allies on Iran and other issues, including the Ukraine conflict. "From my perspective, my personal relationship with the U.S. President remains good. I simply had doubts...

April 29, 2026 10:24 PM

US to issue passports bearing Trump’s image

The U.S. State Department said on Tuesday it would produce a limited number of commemorative passports bearing a portrait of Donald Trump, the latest example of the administration attaching the president's likeness or name to official property. The passports will be released as part of celebrations for the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Declaration of Independence in July, State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement, which did not mention that the passports would contain Trump...