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Thursday briefing: ​Why the US president is losing support from crucial allies

seized two ships](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/22/iranian-forces-ships-seized-strait-of-hormuz-us-peace-talks) in the strait of Hormuz as the US and Iran doubled down on imposing separate blockades of the shipping waterway. 3. ***West Bank*** | Two Palestinians, including a [14-year

Tensions rise in two ceasefires in the Middle East. And, the Navy secretary ousted

news you need to start your day.* ### Today's top stories **Tensions are rising in the two ceasefires in the Middle East.** Iran has [not officially recognized](https://one.npr.org/?sharedMediaId=nx-s1-5796726:x) the ceasefire that President Trump

U.S.-Iran peace talks still in limbo after Iran seizes ships in the Strait of Hormuz

seized two commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, with no signs the two sides were close to resuming negotiations. [![People at the Kapikoy border crossing between Turkey and Iran, in eastern Van province, Turkey

U.S. seizes Iranian cargo ship. And, tariff refund portal launches

news you need to start your day.* ### Today's top stories **U.S. forces seized an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz,** President Trump said in a post on social media. U.S. Central

Ships attacked in Strait of Hormuz after ceasefire extension

Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, putting the possibility of any peace talks in jeopardy, after a senior Iranian official said that President Trump's last-minute ceasefire extension "means nothing." The first ship was attacked

Iran-US war: Four scenarios for what’s next as talks stumble

Strait of Hormuz. Iran has fired at ships trying to transit through the vital shipping route. And early on Monday, the US shot at and then seized an Iranian vessel trying to pass through

Middle East crisis live: Iran weighs Pakistan talks with US, and claims it has ‘new cards for battlefield’

strait of Hormuz – bringing home the economic gravity of these talks for south Asian countries. Neighbouring Bangladesh warned this week that its mobile network would soon face a shutdown as they were running

Middle East crisis live: US and Iran in blockade stalemate as Washington’s navy secretary leaves office ‘immediately’

news agency – the first time Iran has seized ships since the war began in late February. In other key developments: - **Trump was “satisfied” with the US naval blockade and “understands Iran is in a very

Iran war: What is happening on day 53 of the US-Israel conflict?

news”. ## In Israel: - Israel has been demanding the Lebanese government disarm Hezbollah, using its continued presence in southern Lebanon as leverage, despite concerns this could trigger wider instability. - Amnesty International has accused Israel of contributing

Peace talks in doubt as U.S. seizes Iranian ship

seized one of its cargo ships in the Strait of Hormuz as part of Washington's blockade on Iranian vessels in the vital waterway, and just two days before the ceasefire is set to expire

Iran war: What is happening on day 52 of the US-Israeli conflict?

ships in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday. - ⁠Iran’s ⁠armed forces turned back two tankers attempting ⁠to transit the Strait ⁠of Hormuz on Sunday after issuing warnings. The semi-official Tasnim ‌news agency said

Oil prices surge amid mixed signals on US-Iran peace talks

Hormuz and conflicting messages about the prospect of renewed negotiations between the United States and Iran. Brent crude futures, the primary benchmark for global prices, jumped more than 7 percent in Asia on Monday

Push to bring US and Iran together for peace talks as ceasefire deadline looms

seized an Iranian cargo vessel](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/19/trump-us-seizes-iran-flagged-cargo-ship). US forces then escalated the campaign on Tuesday, boarding an oil tanker previously sanctioned for smuggling Iranian crude oil in Asia. Ship-tracking data showed the vessel

Strait of Hormuz is hosting gunboat diplomacy as US and Iran vie for most effective blockade

Hormuz more effectively than the other. It has become a form of gunboat diplomacy brought to life in the most significant geopolitical waterway in the world. Iran, by firing at and seizing commercial ships trying

US forces detain Iran-linked tanker Tifani with ceasefire talks on edge

news agency report citing the energy intelligence firm Kpler, the vessel loaded about 2 million barrels of crude on Iran’s Kharg Island on April 5 and passed through the [Strait of Hormuz](/video/featured-documentaries/2026/4/21/strait-of-hormuz-how-a-threat-became-a-playbook

Who is John Phelan, the US Navy Secretary fired by Pete Hegseth?

ships and military equipment. He was appointed in 2024 as a political ally of Trump, despite having no prior military or defence leadership experience. Before entering government, Phelan was a businessman and investment executive

Cloud over US-Iran talks: What are the key sticking points?

seized an Iran-linked tanker on Sunday, further heightening tensions between the longtime adversaries. ## What has the US said? On Sunday, Trump announced that US negotiators would travel to the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, on Monday

Middle East crisis live: ceasefire under pressure and talks in doubt as Iran threatens to ‘retaliate’ to US seizure of ship

seized an Iranian cargo ship that tried to run its blockade, and Iran said it would retaliate. Efforts to build a more lasting peace in the region likewise appeared to be on uncertain ground

US intercepts and seizes Iranian-flagged cargo ship, Trump says

seized by the US Navy after failing to respond to a warning to stop. Iran has not yet commented on the incident. The announcement came after the White House confirmed US Vice-President JD Vance

Trump says US will not lift Hormuz blockade until deal made with Iran

seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c75kg0vdxyro) for the first time in the conflict, after it tried to get through the blockade on Sunday. Videos shared by Centcom were said to show