Middle East Crisis Iran War

Keir Starmer: “I will not back down”

Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for not contributing to the war against Iran.

In an interview earlier on Wednesday, the president told Sky News that the relationship between the United States and Britain has improved, and that the trade agreement between the countries could change.

– We gave them a very good trade deal, much better than necessary. And that can always change, he said.

But Keir Starmer is sticking to his line, writes Sky News.

– Britain will not be drawn into this war. I will not back down. It is not in our national interest to participate, and we will not do that, he said in parliament on Wednesday.

US feels Iran is under pressure: "They are broke"

The US is convinced that Donald Trump's blockade of Iranian ports will pressure the regime in Tehran into a deal, sources told Axios. One of them says that the US move is having an effect on the country, which exports oil worth more than a billion kronor daily.

- Iran has no money. They are broke. We know it, and they know we know it, the source says.

According to the site's information, progress is being made in efforts to reach an extended ceasefire. This is confirmed by a source in the mediating country Pakistan.

Middle East Crisis  Strait of Hormuz
Trump: Opening Hormuz for China

"China is very happy that I am permanently opening the Strait of Hormuz. I am doing it for them," President Donald Trump wrote in a post on his own social media platform. He also promised that the current situation will never be repeated. The president also expects a "big, fat hug" from Chinese President Xi Jinping as a thank you.

The post comes after he also claimed that the war is nearing an end.

 

More British drones to Ukraine

TT

Published 17.13

          

British Defense Secretary John Healey surrounded by Ukrainian counterpart Mykhailo Fedorov and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at a meeting in Berlin on Wednesday. Photo: Kay Nietfeld/AP/TT

The UK is pledging 120,000 new drones in yet another aid package for Ukraine.

– Drones have shaped this war and will be crucial to how it ends. That is why today I am announcing Britain's largest drone aid this year, says Defense Secretary John Healey at the press conference after yet another meeting of the so-called Contact Group for Ukraine's Defense.

The British support follows new German promises on Tuesday. Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov also thanks Belgium, Bulgaria, Norway and Estonia for recent contributions.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius also believes that the EU's billion-euro loan to Ukraine will soon become a reality.

- After the elections in Hungary, I expect that the blockade in the EU will soon be lifted. Ukraine can count on us, says Pistorius after the meeting in Berlin.

Starmer: Will not bow to Trump

TT

Published 17.44

           

          British Prime Minister Keir Starmer outside Downing Street on Wednesday. Photo: Kirsty                          Wigglesworth/AP/TT

Keir Starmer will not bow to Donald Trump, he says in the British Parliament after new threats from the American president.

– I will not change my mind. I will not bow down. It is not in our national interest to enter this war, and we will not do it, says the Prime Minister according to the BBC.

He is referring to the Iran war and Trump's new statement on Tuesday, in which the US president threatened to tear up the trade agreement between the countries.

– It is not our war. I have had a lot of pressure on me to take a different line, that includes what happened yesterday, says Starmer.

 

Keir Starmer kommer inte att vika för Donald Trump, det säger han i det brittiska parlamentet efter nya hot från den amerikanske presidenten.

– Jag kommer inte att ändra mig. Jag kommer inte att vika ned mig. Det är inte i vårt nationella intresse att gå in i det här kriget, och vi kommer inte att göra det, säger premiärministern enligt BBC.

Han syftar på Irankriget och Trumps nya uttalande på tisdagen, där USA:s president hotade att riva upp handelsavtalet länderna emellan.

– Det är inte vårt krig. Jag har fått mycket press på mig att inta en annan linje, det inkluderar det som hände i går, säger Starmer.

 

Trump's spat with the Pope

Meloni and Trump in a verbal spat about the Pope: "You're the one who's unacceptable"

Donald Trump's spat with the Pope is spreading, and now seems to have created a rift in the relationship with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, one of the president's closest European allies, writes The Guardian.

The other day, Meloni called Trump's criticism of the Pope "unacceptable", and on Tuesday the president hit back in an interview in Corriere della Sera.

- Unacceptable? You're the one who's unacceptable!

Trump was also critical of Meloni for not being "brave" enough to participate in the US war against Iran.

Meloni himself, however, believes that the exchange of words has been given too much space.

- When you are friends and allies [...] you also have to have the courage to speak out when you disagree, Meloni tells Corriere TV.

Vance joins Trump's criticism of the Pope

US Vice President JD Vance, who is Catholic, agrees with Donald Trump's criticism of Pope Leo's stance on the Iran war. During a stage conversation in Georgia, Vance questioned the expression that "God never stands on the side of those who once swung the sword and today drop bombs".

He points out that he understands that one of the Pope's roles is to be anti-war, but when he asks himself whether God was on the side of the Americans when they liberated France from the Nazis, the answer for him is obviously yes.

- I think it is very important that the Pope be careful when he speaks about theological issues, Vance continued.

Pope Leo has consistently criticized the Iran war and said on Monday that he is not afraid of the Trump administration or of "clearly proclaiming the message of the Gospel". 

Trump launches new attack on the Pope: "Totally unacceptable"

Donald Trump launches a renewed attack on Pope Leo XIV after the conflicts of recent days.

"Can someone tell Pope Leo that Iran has killed at least 42,000 innocent, completely unarmed protesters in the last two months, and that it is completely unacceptable that Iran should have a nuclear weapon".

The Pope has repeatedly criticized the US war in Iran. Donald Trump has vented his irritation with the leader of the Catholic world several times recently.

 

Canada-Europe Relations

Stubb and Carney on the ice: “We’ll start by working on my backhand”

Finnish President Alexander Stubb is on a state visit to Canada where he is meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney. One of the first meetings took place on the ice when the two leaders attended the Ottawa Chargers hockey team’s practice.

– It’s really fun to be here. Mark and I send each other messages almost every day. Sometimes it’s about hockey, sometimes about the Blue Jays, but most often about NATO, Ukraine or Iran, says Alexander Stubb.

– We’ll start by working on my backhand, and then we’ll solve the world’s problems, replies Mark Carney.

Stubb can imagine a future EU with Canada

A future EU with Canada as a member? Finnish President Alexander Stubb can see that.

– Canada, seen as a whole and its values, is very close to the European Union. The least we can do is create a really close strategic partnership, he says in an interview with Canada's CBC.

- I can imagine a much larger EU, whether Canada becomes part of it or not is up to Canada to decide, he continues.

Since Donald Trump took office for his second term, Canada has tried to diversify and develop its trade relations with countries such as India, China and the Nordic countries.

Prime Minister Mark Carney has been critical of Trump, saying that his use of trade as a political tool through tariffs has meant a rupture in the global order.

 

 

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Task: Iran received Chinese help to aim

TT

Published 08.48

            

           The Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait was subjected to one of several attacks that Iran reportedly               carried out using a Chinese surveillance satellite. This photo of American forces on the base was                 taken in August 2022. Photo: Staff Sgt. Dalton Williams/U.S. Military Via AP/TT

Iran has been able to better aim when attacking American targets in the war with the help of a spy satellite from China, reports the Financial Times.

The newspaper claims to have seen secret military documents from Iran that show that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard secretly took over an advanced Chinese surveillance satellite in late 2024, after it was launched into orbit by a company in China.

In March of this year, during the war against the US and Israel, the satellite was positioned to monitor US targets at military bases in Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. The satellite took images before and after Iranian attacks.

Coordinates and images show that it has also monitored a base in Djibouti, Africa, on the Red Sea, and an airport in Oman.

Middle East Crisis Iran War

Sources: US sending thousands of troops to pressure Iran

US President Donald Trump continues to hammer home the message that the war in Iran is almost over.

– I think it's almost over, yes, Trump answers a straightforward question in an interview with Fox Business.

Sources in several media outlets suggest that new negotiations are underway between the US and Iran, but nothing has been confirmed.

At the same time, the US is significantly stepping up its military presence in the Middle East, writes the Washington Post, citing sources. The Pentagon is reportedly sending an additional 10,000 troops to the region, including via an aircraft carrier and a Marine Corps force, as part of a strategy to pressure Iran into negotiations. 

Iran used Chinese satellite to target US targets

Iran has used a Chinese spy satellite to better target attacks on US targets in the Middle East, according to a review by the Financial Times. The TEE-01B satellite, which was built and launched by China's Earth Eye, was taken over by the Revolutionary Guard's space force after its launch from China.

According to the newspaper, leaked Iranian military documents show that the satellite monitored US bases in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bahrain and Iraq, among others, in connection with drone and missile attacks in March. Images were taken both before and after the attacks, according to the information.

China's embassy in Washington dismisses the information as "speculative and insinuating disinformation," writes the FT.

Iran threatens to expand blockade – unless US backs down

Iran will expand its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz to include the Red Sea and the Gulf of Oman unless the US stops “creating insecurity” for Iranian ships in the area. This is stated by the Iranian military in a statement, according to Reuters.

– The powerful armed forces of the Islamic Republic will not allow any exports or imports, says spokesman Ali Abdollahi.

Iran began a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz after being attacked by Israel and the US on February 28. The US responded the other day by imposing its own blockade of the strait, the aim of which is said to be to prevent transport to and from Iranian ports.

IAEA: North Korea's nuclear weapons capacity is increasing

TT

Updated 08.51 | Published 08.33

            

           IAEA Director Rafael Grossi in the South Korean capital Seoul on Wednesday. Photo: Kim Hong-             Ji /AP/TT

North Korea is showing a "very serious increase" in its capacity to produce nuclear weapons, IAEA Director Rafael Grossi said.

The statement concerns the Yongbyon nuclear reactor.

- In our periodic assessments, we have been able to confirm that there is a rapid increase in activities, Grossi said at a press conference in Seoul.

- All this points to a very serious increase in North Korea's nuclear weapons production capacity, which is estimated at a few dozen warheads.

South Korea's intelligence service estimates that the isolated North Korea is operating several uranium enrichment facilities, which is a crucial step in producing nuclear warheads.

North Korea has announced that it will never give up its nuclear weapons.

Europe sketches Hormuz plan – without the US

TT

Published 2026-04-14 21.48

           

           French President Emmanuel Macron. Archive photo. Photo: Tom Nicholson/AP/TT

European countries are sketching a plan for how a broad coalition of countries should secure shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

But one country is excluded from the plan: the US, sources tell The Wall Street Journal.

Minesweeper ships and other naval vessels are expected to be sent to the important waterway between Iran and Oman in the operation.

French President Emmanuel Macron is said to have said on Tuesday that none of the belligerent countries – the US, Israel and Iran – can be included. European diplomats with insight into the discussions tell The Wall Street Journal that the European warships involved will therefore not be under American command.

The goal of the plan is to enable shipping companies to safely and securely resume traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

“The mission can only be staged when calm has been restored and hostilities have ceased,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said on Tuesday about a possible Hormuz operation.

It is already known that Macron, together with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, has invited around 40 countries to a video conference on Friday to discuss the situation. The United States will not participate, but China and India have been invited, according to The Wall Street Journal.

According to the newspaper’s sources, Germany is said to be ready to take a key role, which would give an operation unexpected financial muscle and also important military capability.

New friend fight: Destroys everything in two minutes

Johan Edgar

Updated 00.01 | Published 2026-04-14 23.59

           

          Donald Trump is fighting with his friends. Photo: Alex Brandon/AP

First the supporters.

Now Donald Trump is fighting with his allies.

– She shocks me, says the president.

Three things have created serious friction between Trump and his previously loyal base recently:

The war in Iran, criticism of the Pope and the image of Jesus.

The internal battles became so great that the president was accused of “radiating the spirit of Antichrist” by a conservative writer who is a personal friend of JD Vance, writes the Wall Street Journal.

Attacks Meloni

Now the fight has become something of an international conflict with another old friend.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni finally came out on Monday to criticize Trump for the attacks on Pope Leo XIV and his peace statements after great pressure from the opposition.

– I believe that President Trump's statements about the Holy Father are unacceptable, said Meloni.

– The Pope is the head of the Catholic Church, and it is right and proper that he calls for peace and condemns all forms of war.

          

          Giorgia Meloni has finally come out and criticized Trump. Photo: Alamy Stock Photo

The words really upset the American president and he attacked in an interview with the Italian press.

– She shocks me. I thought she was brave, but I was wrong, Trump tells Corriere della Sera.

“Destroys in two minutes”

– She is the one who is unacceptable because she doesn’t care if Iran has nuclear weapons and would destroy Italy in two minutes if they had the chance.

          

         Meloni is Trump’s last close ally in the EU. Photo: Evan Vucci / AP

Less than a year ago, Trump called Meloni a “fantastic woman” and “a great leader”. After Orbán’s loss in the Hungarian election, Meloni is his last close ally in the EU.

The fight between Trump and the Pope has put Meloni, who has been one of the president’s closest allies and has said she hopes he will one day receive the Nobel Peace Prize, in a difficult position.

          

          Pope Leo XIV has been attacked by Trump. Photo: Andrew Medichini /AP/TT

In an article titled “Donald Trump Gives Giorgia Meloni a Problem from Hell,” Politico reports on the massive criticism in Italy following Trump’s attacks on Pope Leo XIV.

Carlo Calenda, leader of the Azione party, called Meloni’s failure to defend the pope “embarrassing” over the weekend.

Weak and terrible

The opposition politician said it showed Meloni’s political weakness and described her as subservient to Trump, while also saying that the relationship has not brought any benefits to Italy.

“The government still has not understood that the pro-Russian, pro-Trump right is poisoned and on the verge of losing,” Calenda told Politico.

It was over the weekend that Donald Trump wrote a long post on Truth Social in which he called the pope “weak on crime and terrible on foreign affairs.”

“I don’t want a pope who thinks it’s okay for Iran to have nuclear weapons,” the president wrote.

      

         The AI-generated Jesus image was not well received. Photo: Truth Social

Later, he published the AI ​​image that depicted himself as a kind of Jesus figure who healed a sick man – and which created a storm among the Christian right in the US.

The explanation: Me as a doctor

Half a day later, the image was removed from his account.

– It is supposed to be me as a doctor, who makes people healthier. And I make people healthier. I make people much healthier, Trump explained to reporters at the White House on Monday.

           

         Trump published the AI ​​image of himself as Pope last year. Photo: Truth Social

Last year, Trump published an AI image of himself as Pope.

The controversy surrounding the president's posts on social media could cost Republicans in the midterm elections, writes the Wall Street Journal.

In three straight elections, Trump has won a majority of Catholic voters.

But now many of them are angry — and disappointed.

Disrespectful

“We’re a little off balance,” John Yep, CEO of Catholics for Catholics, a nonprofit organization that has organized gatherings at Mar-a-Lago and has close ties to the White House, told the Wall Street Journal.

Yep was having dinner with friends after a church visit on Sunday when he began receiving a flood of messages about Trump’s image of Jesus.

He told the WSJ that the feeling around the table “was one of sadness, because we were really confused about this president after Catholics gave him such overwhelming support, and yet he’s treating our faith with such disrespect right now.”

 

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Situation in the Strait of Hormuz

Saudi Arabia reportedly pressures the US to lift the blockade

Saudi Arabia is pressuring the US to lift the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and return to the negotiating table. This is because the country fears that the blockade could lead to Iran closing the other important strait, Bab el-Mandeb, Saudi officials told the Wall Street Journal.

According to the newspaper's sources in the region, Iran is pressuring the Houthi rebels in Yemen, who control a long stretch of coastline near the strait, to block traffic.

- If Iran wants to close Bab el-Mandeb, the Houthis are an obvious partner, says Middle East expert Adam Baron.

The Houthi rebels themselves have previously said that a blockade is a possible option.

The strait, which is located in the Red Sea between Ethiopia and Yemen, is crucial for Saudi Arabia's remaining oil exports.

Sources: European countries outline plan for the Strait of Hormuz – without the US

European countries are outlining a plan to ensure free passage through the Strait of Hormuz after the war – without the US, sources told the WSJ.

According to the sources, the plan involves a broad coalition of countries coming together to achieve three goals: to ensure that the hundreds of ships stuck in the strait are released, to clear the mines and to establish regular military escorts through the strait so that commercial ships will dare to use it.

The European ships will not be under American command, according to the sources.

French President Emmanuel Macron said during the day that the plan is that the warring parties (i.e. the US, Iran and Israel) will not be involved in the mission in the Strait of Hormuz.

Several countries will participate in a virtual meeting on Friday, where they will discuss how the strait will be controlled after the war is over. The US will not participate. 

Economy

Russian invasion  Oil market
Oil traffic increases in Öresund: level with the Suez Canal

Oil tanker traffic through the Great Belt and Öresund has increased sharply, reports TT with reference to Danske Rederier.

During the first half of 2025, 4.9 million barrels of oil passed through the Great Belt and Öresund daily, which is an increase of 58 percent since 2021. This is also the same amount of oil that passed through the Suez Canal during the same period.

The Swedish Coast Guard does not have its own calculations but confirms a sharp increase in oil transports from Russian oil ports, reports SVT Skåne.

Chinese economy
China's battery exports rose sharply in the first quarter

China's lithium battery exports surged 50 percent at an annual rate in the first quarter, when the country's exports otherwise slowed down and rose by 2.5 percent in March, reports Bloomberg.

The increase was likely driven by earlier deliveries ahead of the country's export tax rebate to be phased out, along with increased demand for alternative energy sources due to the war in the Middle East, said Wang Jun, head of the customs authority.

The rising battery exports were followed by double-digit percentage growth in other green technologies, including electric cars and wind power.

Middle East crisis  Economic effects
IMF adjusts global growth forecast down

The momentum of the global economy is stalling due to the war in Iran. The right policies and stronger global cooperation are now needed to limit the damage, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) says in its global economic forecast.

“The final extent of the shock depends on the duration and scale of the conflict, and how quickly energy production and transport are normalized when the fighting ends,” writes IMF Chief Economist Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas.

The IMF expects global GDP to increase by 3.1 percent this year and 3.2 percent next year. This is a downward revision of 0.2 percentage points for both years. For Sweden, the IMF predicts an increase of 2.0 percent this year.

Despite major trade disruptions and political uncertainty, last year ended positively, the IMF writes. 

Saab sales
Information: Saab loses Gripen deal in Peru

Peru will choose the US and Lockheed Martin's F-16 instead of Sweden and Saab's Jas Gripen, reports the defense website defensa.com. It is expected to be announced on Tuesday.

The deal concerns 24 fighter planes.

Sweden and Saab have long worked to make the deal happen, writes EFN, and points to Wallenberg's visit to the country and a move of the Swedish embassy to the Peruvian capital Lima.

Saab: We have not received information about a decision

Saab has not received any official information that Peru would have chosen American fighter jets instead of buying Saab's Jas Gripen, reports DI. The Swedish defense giant has, however, been reached by the media reports.

"We are of course following the process further," writes press officer Mattias Rådström to DI.

The South American countries Brazil and Colombia have previously chosen Saab as a supplier of fighter jets. Argentina, Chile and Venezuela have turned to the American Lockheed Martin.

 

The fight against HIV

Norwegian man cured of HIV – siblings had rare mutation

A 63-year-old man in Oslo has been cured of HIV after a stem cell transplant from his brother, AFP reports. The man, who had been living with HIV since 2006, received a transplant from his older brother in 2020 to treat a blood cancer. Doctors then discovered that the brother carried a rare genetic mutation that blocks HIV.

After the transplant, the patient was able to stop taking HIV medications, and researchers found no traces of the virus in his blood, intestines or bone marrow. The man is now said to be feeling well and has a lot of energy.

– He feels like he has won the lottery twice. He was cured of his bone marrow disease, which can be fatal, and now he is most likely also cured of HIV, Marius Trøseid, one of the study's authors, told Live Science.

The case, described in the journal Nature Microbiology, is one of about ten in the world where a person has recovered from HIV after a stem cell transplant. The researchers emphasize that the method is not practically possible in most cases, but that the results may provide clues to future treatments.

Hospital reused syringes – linked to HIV outbreak

A hospital in Taunsa, Pakistan, is linked to an HIV outbreak among children, reports the BBC. The BBC Eye program has filmed how hospital staff systematically deviate from guidelines to reduce the spread of infection. Among other things, syringes were reused on about ten occasions – in four cases, medicine from the same bottle was given to different children. Staff also gave injections without sterile gloves.

The hospital’s medical director refuses to recognize the footage as authentic and claims that the hospital is safe for children.

Over 300 children have tested positive for HIV in the city between November 2024 and October 2025. Up to 70 of them are reported to have been treated at the hospital in question before receiving their diagnosis.

 

Nigeria investigates deadly market attack

TT

Published 21.38

          

         Injured civilians receive treatment at a hospital in the state capital Damaturu after the weekend                   airstrike. Photo: Micheal Abu/AP/TT

The Nigerian government will investigate the Nigerian military's airstrike this weekend on a bustling marketplace that killed at least 56 people, many of them civilians.

The investigation is described in a statement as "full and independent". The aim is to review "intelligence, objectives and execution".

"We will address any shortcomings and ensure accountability," said the country's Information Minister Mohammed Idris in the statement.

According to Amnesty International, around 100 people may have been killed in the airstrike in Yobe state in Nigeria's violence-ridden northeast.

The target of the attack was reportedly a “logistics center” belonging to the jihadist group Iswap in the area, according to a previous statement from the military. But something seems to have gone wrong in the planning, leading to the deaths of many civilians.

Trump clashes with Meloni: "Thought she was brave"

TT

Published 18.38

          

          US President Donald Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The picture is a montage.              Photo: Alex Brandon/Andrew Medichini/AP/TT

There has been a spat between Donald Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

- I'm shocked. I thought she was brave, but I was wrong, says the US president to Corriere della Sera.

Trump recently harshly criticized the American Pope Leo XIV, after he called for an end to the fighting.

Giorgia Meloni said on Monday that it is only "right and normal" that the Pope "wants peace and condemns war in all its forms" and called the president's statement "unacceptable".

– She is the one who is unacceptable, because she doesn't care if Iran gets nuclear weapons and would blow up Italy in two minutes if they only had the chance, Trump says in the interview according to Politico.

Meloni has been one of Trump's closest European leaders and has been seen as a mediator between Europe and the United States.

 

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Latest news

EU-China relations
Xi warns of “law of the jungle” in meeting with Pedro Sánchez

Chinese leader Xi Jinping raised a warning finger against allowing the world to return to “law of the jungle” during a meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. This is reported by Chinese state television according to AFP.

Xi also said that Spain and China should strengthen their cooperation, as the world faces “global chaos”. The countries should therefore seize the opportunity to cooperate in trade, new energy and technology, he said.

– Both China and Spain are countries that stand up for justice, he said.

Sánchez also spoke in favor of increasing cooperation between the countries.

China and Spain can “contribute to finding solutions” to trade tensions, geopolitical difficulties and climate challenges, he said.

During a press conference, Sánchez also said that he believes China is the only key global player that can resolve the conflict in Iran and the Strait of Hormuz.

Middle East Crisis  Peace Talks
Trump: There Could Be New Talks in Next Two Days

Additional talks with Iran could take place in the next two days, Donald Trump suggests in a conversation with the New York Post.

In a brief phone call with the newspaper, Trump says the reporter should stay in Pakistan.

ends.

Middle East Crisis  Oil Market
Secretary warns of continued rising energy prices in the US

Energy prices in the US will likely continue to rise until “significant” traffic through the Strait of Hormuz resumes, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said, according to Reuters.

Wright added that it would likely happen within “a few weeks”.

During the day, the US has begun a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, stopping all traffic to and from Iranian

Reactions to the Hungarian election
Kremlin plays down Orbán's loss: "We were never friends"

Russia's closest partner in Europe, Hungary's Viktor Orbán, has lost the election and will be replaced by the significantly more pro-EU Péter Magyar. Yesterday, the Kremlin refused to congratulate the winner, describing Hungary as an "unfriendly country".

Now Moscow seems to be playing down the relationship with Orbán, writes The Guardian.

- We were never friends with Orbán, says Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

He further says that the Kremlin will "wait and see", and appreciates that Magyar seems open to "pragmatic dialogue" between the countries.

- Because something could happen over the next two days, and we are more inclined to go there, he says.

Situation in the Strait of Hormuz

USA: 10,000 military personnel participating in the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz

More than 10,000 military personnel are participating in the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the US Central Command Centcom states according to Reuters.

The US also believes that about ten warships and about ten aircraft are participating.

Centcom has previously said that ships not traveling to or from Iranian ports are not allowed to pass through the strait.

The military also claims that no ships got past the US blockade during the first day. Six ships on their way from Iranian ports were stopped, according to Centcom, and had to turn back.

However, tracking data shows that at least two ships from Iranian ports have passed through the strait during Monday.

China on the US blockade: “Dangerous and irresponsible”

China calls the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz a “dangerous and irresponsible” act that risks increasing tensions in the region, reports CNBC.

– China urges all parties to take concrete measures to reduce tensions in the region and restore normal traffic in the strait as soon as possible, says Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun at a press conference.

Beijing urges all parties to abide by the ceasefire and focus on peace negotiations.

Data shows several Iran-linked ships passing through Hormuz

At least nine ships with links to Iran have passed through the Strait of Hormuz since the US began its blockade. This is shown by tracking data from the intelligence and analysis platform Kpler, according to CNN.

Several of the ships that Kpler said have passed through the strait are subject to US sanctions due to links to Iran.

According to the US Central Command, Centcom, the blockade only applies to ships traveling from or to Iranian ports. Other ships are allowed to pass through the strait.

Centcom also claimed earlier in the day that no ships had passed through the strait in the past 24 hours, and that six commercial ships from Iranian ports had been stopped and turned back.

 

Middle East crisis Israel-Hezbollah

Talks between Israel and Lebanon have begun in Washington

Talks between Israel and Lebanon have begun in the US capital Washington DC, reports Reuters.

– Not all the complexities will be resolved in the next six hours, but we can start to move forward and create a framework, says US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is hosting the meeting.

It is the first direct diplomatic talks between the countries in more than 30 years, according to the AP. Participating are Israel's ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter and his Lebanese counterpart Nada Hamadeh Moawad.

Lebanon's president hopes the talks will be "the beginning of the end of the country's suffering," he says, according to AFP.

Israel's military IDF says it expects the Iran-backed militia group Hezbollah to increase its attacks along the border between Israel and Lebanon ahead of the meeting. Hezbollah has previously urged the Lebanese government to cancel the meeting.

Lebanon and Israel to Meet for First Talks in Decades

Lebanon and Israel are set to meet today for the first direct diplomatic talks between the countries in over 30 years, several media outlets report.

The talks will take place in the US capital, Washington, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will attend. The Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors to the US, Yechiel Leiter and Nada Hamadeh Moawad, respectively, will participate.

During the day, foreign ministers from 17 countries have urged Israel and Lebanon to "seize the opportunity." According to sources to CNN, Beirut expects the negotiations to be a "long, complicated process."

The Hezbollah militia group will not participate in the talks. Hezbollah leader Wafiq Safa has announced that the group will not adhere to any agreements reached during the talks.

Hezbollah says it has launched attacks on 13 cities in northern Israel shortly after talks began.

Sources: Lebanon's goal is ceasefire - Israel's peace deal

Lebanon will try to reach a ceasefire agreement as a condition for further negotiations with Israel during talks in Washington, a Lebanese source told CNN.

According to the source, the Lebanese side will present a framework for further talks, which will involve Israeli forces leaving Lebanese territory in exchange for the Iranian-backed militia group Hezbollah disarming.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last week that Israel has two goals for the talks: to disarm Hezbollah and to conclude a historic peace deal with Lebanon.

However, according to Israeli sources to CNN, it could be difficult. Among other things, because Israel insists on continuing the attacks against Hezbollah, which are directed at Lebanese territory, and that negotiations must continue while the firefights continue.

 

Heavy issues when the EU meets in Cyprus

TT

Published 15.27

           

           EU Council President António Costa will gather the heads of state and government of the member             states for an informal summit in Cyprus on 23-24 April. Archive photo. Photo: Geert Vanden                       Wijngaert/AP/TT

Ukraine, Iran, the energy crisis and the next long-term budget – all will be discussed when the heads of state and government of the EU countries gather for a summit next week.

“Our meeting in Cyprus comes at a crucial time,” states Council President António Costa in his invitation to Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and the other participants.

The idea is to start on Thursday evening, April 23, with a report from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and a discussion on the war situation around Iran and the Middle East, where the energy situation will also be addressed.

On Friday morning, April 24, the meeting will continue with discussions on the EU's long-term budget for the years 2028-2034, followed by a working lunch on the Middle East, with the participation of specially invited leaders in the region.

Ukraina, Iran, energikris och nästa långtidsbudget – allt ska avhandlas när EU-ländernas stats- och regeringschefer samlas till toppmöte i nästa vecka.

”Vårt möte på Cypern kommer i ett avgörande läge”, konstaterar rådsordförande António Costa i sin inbjudan till statsminister Ulf Kristersson och de andra deltagarna.

Tanken är att inleda på torsdagskvällen den 23 april med en avrapportering från Ukrainas president Volodymyr Zelenskyj och en diskussion om krigsläget kring Iran och Mellanöstern, där även energisituationen tas upp.

På fredagsmorgonen den 24 april fortsätter man sedan med att diskutera arbetet med EU:s långtidsbudget för åren 2028-2034, följt av en arbetslunch om Mellanöstern, med deltagande även från särskilt inbjudna ledare i regionen.

 

Ships made it through the Strait of Hormuz – despite the US blockade

Isaac Turner

Published 14.54

          

         Photo: /AP/TT / AP

The US is to stop Iran-linked ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

Despite this, several have made it through.

– It is not so easy to block completely, says expert Jan Hallenberg.

Quick version

• The US's attempt to block Iran-linked ships in the Strait of Hormuz has proven difficult to implement comprehensively, according to security policy expert Jan Hallenberg.
• Despite blockade measures, several ships, including Chinese-sanctioned and Iran-based, have been able to pass through the strait.
• Experts believe that the US's actions are part of a diplomatic game, where the risk of escalating violence is assessed as low, while the rhetoric is stronger than the actual actions.

Peace negotiations between Iran and the US stalled this weekend. Immediately afterwards, President Donald Trump issued a sharp message:

“The United States Navy, the best in the world, will immediately begin the process of blocking all ships attempting to enter or leave the Strait of Hormuz,” he wrote on Truth Social.

But despite this, a Chinese sanctioned ship and two ships that left Iranian ports have made it through the strait – so far.

“To really block the strait, it takes a lot of ships, and there are not enough of them. But you can probably see it as the American blockade gradually tightening,” says security policy expert Jan Hallenberg.  

         

         Jan Hallenberg. Photo: Jessica Gow/TT

Iranian McDonald’s mockery

The Chinese ship “Rich Starry” is Malawi-flagged, had a Chinese crew and was transporting methanol, according to Reuters.

When it got through, Trump was mocked.

“We are now told that the blockade only applies to countries that the US is not afraid of. That list used to be long. Now it will be on Trump’s McDonald’s receipt, delivered via DoorDash,” writes the Iranian embassy in Ghana on X.

The Liberian-flagged ship “Christianna” left the Iranian port of Bandar and made it through the strait overnight without any cargo. The other, “Elpis”, has been sanctioned since earlier and left the port of Bushehr loaded with methanol, according to the New York Times.

“Then things could go badly”

According to data from Vesselfinder, several other ships, which are not sanctioned, also made it through the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday.

Jan Hallenberg believes that the US is being cautious in how they act.

– Trump’s rhetoric has gone much further than what is happening in reality. It is part of a diplomatic fencing and I do not believe in any major war without markings for the negotiation round, he says.

And it is seen as unlikely that the US would start shooting at ships.

– If one of the parties starts shooting, then things could go badly. Then it will be a spiral that is difficult to fix. But they could board and put their men on board, says Jan Hallenberg.