Middle East crisis live: Trump vows that ships approaching US blockade of Iran’s ports will be ‘eliminated’, after sparring with pope

Trump vows that ships approaching US blockade of Iran’s ports will be ‘eliminated’

US president Donald Trump has claimed to have “obliterated” 158 Iranian ships as part of the US blockade of Iranian shores. “Iran’s navy is laying at the bottom of the sea,” he wrote on social media platform Truth Social.

He says that what they have not hit are Iran’s “fast attack ships”, because they are not considered “much of a threat” to the US blockade. He threatened to take down these ships using the same “system of kill” used against “drug dealers on boats”.

“Warning: If any of these ships come anywhere close to our blockade, they will be immediately eliminated, using the same system of kill that we use against the drug dealers on boats at Sea. It is quick and brutal,” he wrote – capitalising the words “blockade” and “eliminated”.

He added at the end: “P.S. 98.2% of Drugs coming into the U.S. by Ocean or Sea have stopped! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”

US president Donald Trump. Photograph: Andrew Leyden/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

Donald Trump said Iran wants to make a deal and that he will not come to any agreement that allows Tehran to have a nuclear weapon.

“,”elementId”:”c505a2c6-c8f0-4f6f-8c94-addefb00ffe6″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Trump said that talks had hit a roadblock related to nuclear issues and that a “blockade” of ships transiting the strait of Hormuz had begun.

“,”elementId”:”f5591a8d-0365-4332-b7e7-20ecf1ecd391″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

He said that Iran had “called this morning” and that “they’d like to work a deal.” Reuters could not immediately verify the claim.

“,”elementId”:”fb00787a-e7d3-4f0a-bd8b-8d99efb55fa7″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

“Iran will not have a nuclear weapon,” Trump told reporters during an impromptu press conference at the White House on Monday. “We can’t let a country blackmail or extort the world.”

“,”elementId”:”c31091b1-a5db-409a-ac8a-99ab5210b9ff”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

When asked if oil tankers will be operating in the strait of Hormuz, he said: “A lot of tankers are going in empty and out full, we have a great capacity of taking care of that.”

“,”elementId”:”4e1f1382-4196-43b3-94a9-cb70c5e8542d”}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1776099638000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”13.00 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1776100426000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”13.13 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1776099650000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”13.00 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”13.00″,”title”:”Donald Trump claims Iran wants ‘to work a deal’ and claims oil tankers are operating in strait of Hormuz”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Mon 13 Apr 2026 13.13 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Sun 12 Apr 2026 22.15 EDT”},{“id”:”69dd1c578f0823a7954da98e”,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Here is a summary of the day so far

“,”elementId”:”25ec4478-04c7-4f74-a2ff-73af1b691511″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

n
The US blockade of all Iranian Gulf ports and coastal areas has begun. Seafarers and the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations have received notices warning that the blockade will apply to all vessel traffic, regardless of flag.

n
Donald Trump vows that ships approaching US blockade of Iran’s ports will be ‘eliminated’. “Iran’s navy is laying at the bottom of the sea,” he wrote on social media platform Truth Social.

n
Nato allies said on Monday they would not get involved in US president Donald Trump’s plan to blockade the strait of Hormuz, proposing instead to intervene only once fighting ends, in a move likely to anger Trump and increase strains in the alliance.

n
Trump lashed out on social media at Pope Leo XIV, who, over the weekend, had called for an end to war without directly mentioning the conflict in Iran. The US president posted a more than 300-word diatribe on Truth Social accusing the pope of catering to the “Radical Left” and being “terrible” for foreign policy.

n
The pope on Monday told reporters that he has “no intention to debate” with Trump over Iran – but went on to say that he will “continue to speak out loudly against war, looking to promote peace, promoting dialogue and multilateral relationships among the states to look for just solutions to problems.”

“,”elementId”:”82153a7d-b3b9-4870-8c15-bae56c0f8b5f”}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:false,”summary”:true},”blockCreatedOn”:1776098391000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”12.39 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1776098572000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”12.42 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1776098573000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”12.42 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”12.42″,”title”:”Summary of the day so far”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Mon 13 Apr 2026 13.13 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Sun 12 Apr 2026 22.15 EDT”},{“id”:”69dd0c7c8f080251b73be9fb”,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Nato allies said on Monday they would not get involved in US president Donald Trump’s plan to blockade the strait of Hormuz, proposing instead to intervene only once fighting ends, in a move likely to anger Trump and increase strains in the alliance.

“,”elementId”:”e332fe6c-f708-48aa-b846-dec8de0c1896″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

This comes as the US president said the country’s military would work with other countries to block all maritime traffic in the waterway, after weekend talks failed to reach an agreement to end the six-week conflict with Iran. However, now leaders from countries who are part of Nato are saying they will not get involved.

“,”elementId”:”e729839d-285c-402b-a06d-edabd2ad0807″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

“We’re not supporting the blockade,” British prime minister Keir Starmer told the BBC. “My decision has been very clearly that whatever the pressure, and there’s been some considerable pressure, we’re not getting dragged into the war,” he said.

“,”elementId”:”e411ff3a-9df8-4a9a-a967-7053ae0ce15c”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Germany, Spain, Italy, Poland, and Greece have all ruled out sending naval forces to support the blockade.

“,”elementId”:”8eba50ab-4f9f-4ea6-93cf-e4d629778092″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

However, France will organise a conference with Britain and other countries to create a multinational mission to restore navigation in the strait, French President Emmanuel Macron said on X on Monday.

“,”elementId”:”23927b58-fc1b-4161-9951-deefa07ad32b”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

“This strictly defensive mission, distinct from the belligerents, will be deployed as soon as the situation allows,” Macron said.

“,”elementId”:”c2ca21e2-cedc-4660-9b6f-533e7df46701″}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1776094332000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”11.32 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1776096402000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”12.06 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1776096402000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”12.06 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”12.06″,”title”:”NATO allies refuse to join Trump’s strait of Hormuz blockade”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Mon 13 Apr 2026 13.13 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Sun 12 Apr 2026 22.15 EDT”},{“id”:”69dd05668f080251b73be980″,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

“,”elementId”:”6522898d-6123-4f4d-af57-b670dd3ccb8e”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

“,”elementId”:”d7b7e7f9-e658-4666-a390-5cc0aa32d1ac”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

“,”elementId”:”612c0691-d563-44d7-a23c-56ebbc68e3c4″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

He added at the end: “P.S. 98.2% of Drugs coming into the U.S. by Ocean or Sea have stopped! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”

“,”elementId”:”e429a688-dd24-47b8-8962-e4a380fde728″},{“displayCredit”:true,”_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement”,”role”:”inline”,”media”:{“allImages”:[{“index”:0,”fields”:{“aspectRatio”:”5:4″,”height”:”2060″,”width”:”2575″},”mediaType”:”Image”,”mimeType”:”image/jpeg”,”url”:”https://media.guim.co.uk/f9868bfbe52b8011b1e80c231bb1773611627818/897_475_2575_2060/2575.jpg”},{“index”:1,”fields”:{“aspectRatio”:”5:4″,”isMaster”:”true”,”height”:”2060″,”width”:”2575″},”mediaType”:”Image”,”mimeType”:”image/jpeg”,”url”:”https://media.guim.co.uk/f9868bfbe52b8011b1e80c231bb1773611627818/897_475_2575_2060/master/2575.jpg”},{“index”:2,”fields”:{“aspectRatio”:”5:4″,”height”:”1600″,”width”:”2000″},”mediaType”:”Image”,”mimeType”:”image/jpeg”,”url”:”https://media.guim.co.uk/f9868bfbe52b8011b1e80c231bb1773611627818/897_475_2575_2060/2000.jpg”},{“index”:3,”fields”:{“aspectRatio”:”5:4″,”height”:”800″,”width”:”1000″},”mediaType”:”Image”,”mimeType”:”image/jpeg”,”url”:”https://media.guim.co.uk/f9868bfbe52b8011b1e80c231bb1773611627818/897_475_2575_2060/1000.jpg”},{“index”:4,”fields”:{“aspectRatio”:”5:4″,”height”:”400″,”width”:”500″},”mediaType”:”Image”,”mimeType”:”image/jpeg”,”url”:”https://media.guim.co.uk/f9868bfbe52b8011b1e80c231bb1773611627818/897_475_2575_2060/500.jpg”},{“index”:5,”fields”:{“aspectRatio”:”5:4″,”height”:”112″,”width”:”140″},”mediaType”:”Image”,”mimeType”:”image/jpeg”,”url”:”https://media.guim.co.uk/f9868bfbe52b8011b1e80c231bb1773611627818/897_475_2575_2060/140.jpg”}]},”elementId”:”d9507713-5e92-416c-8413-522759ac16e2″,”imageSources”:[{“weighting”:”inline”,”srcSet”:[{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f9868bfbe52b8011b1e80c231bb1773611627818/897_475_2575_2060/master/2575.jpg?width=620&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=e6ef056f35dff64e095bf8987d6f92dc”,”width”:620},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f9868bfbe52b8011b1e80c231bb1773611627818/897_475_2575_2060/master/2575.jpg?width=620&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=7f85a9aa3bf1cc2147e463e53eefe499″,”width”:1240},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f9868bfbe52b8011b1e80c231bb1773611627818/897_475_2575_2060/master/2575.jpg?width=605&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=d304edc3b205f99f8ba76f476d6efbaf”,”width”:605},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f9868bfbe52b8011b1e80c231bb1773611627818/897_475_2575_2060/master/2575.jpg?width=605&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=cd9bbeb33dd099408f47cd38940dcbb4″,”width”:1210},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f9868bfbe52b8011b1e80c231bb1773611627818/897_475_2575_2060/master/2575.jpg?width=445&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=b4f1a4e945c99a6986efca607212358b”,”width”:445},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f9868bfbe52b8011b1e80c231bb1773611627818/897_475_2575_2060/master/2575.jpg?width=445&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=45d5101dcfc79601a6bd3f1991139a74″,”width”:890}]},{“weighting”:”thumbnail”,”srcSet”:[{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f9868bfbe52b8011b1e80c231bb1773611627818/897_475_2575_2060/master/2575.jpg?width=140&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=75547df536fd37767e370c105b778058″,”width”:140},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f9868bfbe52b8011b1e80c231bb1773611627818/897_475_2575_2060/master/2575.jpg?width=140&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=4e4771e988c521ea9df057505da89c98″,”width”:280},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f9868bfbe52b8011b1e80c231bb1773611627818/897_475_2575_2060/master/2575.jpg?width=120&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=8dade6731d58143393c7754dea3207fe”,”width”:120},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f9868bfbe52b8011b1e80c231bb1773611627818/897_475_2575_2060/master/2575.jpg?width=120&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=80cbc39893575def721b4a4e09102e62″,”width”:240}]},{“weighting”:”supporting”,”srcSet”:[{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f9868bfbe52b8011b1e80c231bb1773611627818/897_475_2575_2060/master/2575.jpg?width=380&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=8a90dd461e9dd605dbd990cfade38695″,”width”:380},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f9868bfbe52b8011b1e80c231bb1773611627818/897_475_2575_2060/master/2575.jpg?width=380&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=be1baebb06c09de4d73e37ff5aeeecb1″,”width”:760},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f9868bfbe52b8011b1e80c231bb1773611627818/897_475_2575_2060/master/2575.jpg?width=300&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=cfc1a73a457e7f35fc96ff93b54ce448″,”width”:300},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f9868bfbe52b8011b1e80c231bb1773611627818/897_475_2575_2060/master/2575.jpg?width=300&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=1037bef3782e21e549135a9665a4638b”,”width”:600},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f9868bfbe52b8011b1e80c231bb1773611627818/897_475_2575_2060/master/2575.jpg?width=620&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=e6ef056f35dff64e095bf8987d6f92dc”,”width”:620},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f9868bfbe52b8011b1e80c231bb1773611627818/897_475_2575_2060/master/2575.jpg?width=620&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=7f85a9aa3bf1cc2147e463e53eefe499″,”width”:1240},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f9868bfbe52b8011b1e80c231bb1773611627818/897_475_2575_2060/master/2575.jpg?width=605&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=d304edc3b205f99f8ba76f476d6efbaf”,”width”:605},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f9868bfbe52b8011b1e80c231bb1773611627818/897_475_2575_2060/master/2575.jpg?width=605&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=cd9bbeb33dd099408f47cd38940dcbb4″,”width”:1210},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f9868bfbe52b8011b1e80c231bb1773611627818/897_475_2575_2060/master/2575.jpg?width=445&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=b4f1a4e945c99a6986efca607212358b”,”width”:445},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f9868bfbe52b8011b1e80c231bb1773611627818/897_475_2575_2060/master/2575.jpg?width=445&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=45d5101dcfc79601a6bd3f1991139a74″,”width”:890}]},{“weighting”:”showcase”,”srcSet”:[{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f9868bfbe52b8011b1e80c231bb1773611627818/897_475_2575_2060/master/2575.jpg?width=860&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=bef9572d0bb8811a0aae1696b0c621c0″,”width”:860},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f9868bfbe52b8011b1e80c231bb1773611627818/897_475_2575_2060/master/2575.jpg?width=860&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=687550c0f11bedb1fbde4ddaf41a5f6f”,”width”:1720},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f9868bfbe52b8011b1e80c231bb1773611627818/897_475_2575_2060/master/2575.jpg?width=780&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=e55f730575184f73b25931c15eb3e0ad”,”width”:780},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f9868bfbe52b8011b1e80c231bb1773611627818/897_475_2575_2060/master/2575.jpg?width=780&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=83f6c71fa60d03c79a025d6650651f39″,”width”:1560},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f9868bfbe52b8011b1e80c231bb1773611627818/897_475_2575_2060/master/2575.jpg?width=620&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=e6ef056f35dff64e095bf8987d6f92dc”,”width”:620},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f9868bfbe52b8011b1e80c231bb1773611627818/897_475_2575_2060/master/2575.jpg?width=620&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=7f85a9aa3bf1cc2147e463e53eefe499″,”width”:1240},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f9868bfbe52b8011b1e80c231bb1773611627818/897_475_2575_2060/master/2575.jpg?width=605&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=d304edc3b205f99f8ba76f476d6efbaf”,”width”:605},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f9868bfbe52b8011b1e80c231bb1773611627818/897_475_2575_2060/master/2575.jpg?width=605&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=cd9bbeb33dd099408f47cd38940dcbb4″,”width”:1210},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f9868bfbe52b8011b1e80c231bb1773611627818/897_475_2575_2060/master/2575.jpg?width=445&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=b4f1a4e945c99a6986efca607212358b”,”width”:445},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f9868bfbe52b8011b1e80c231bb1773611627818/897_475_2575_2060/master/2575.jpg?width=445&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=45d5101dcfc79601a6bd3f1991139a74″,”width”:890}]},{“weighting”:”halfwidth”,”srcSet”:[{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f9868bfbe52b8011b1e80c231bb1773611627818/897_475_2575_2060/master/2575.jpg?width=620&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=e6ef056f35dff64e095bf8987d6f92dc”,”width”:620},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f9868bfbe52b8011b1e80c231bb1773611627818/897_475_2575_2060/master/2575.jpg?width=620&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=7f85a9aa3bf1cc2147e463e53eefe499″,”width”:1240},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f9868bfbe52b8011b1e80c231bb1773611627818/897_475_2575_2060/master/2575.jpg?width=605&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=d304edc3b205f99f8ba76f476d6efbaf”,”width”:605},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f9868bfbe52b8011b1e80c231bb1773611627818/897_475_2575_2060/master/2575.jpg?width=605&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=cd9bbeb33dd099408f47cd38940dcbb4″,”width”:1210},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f9868bfbe52b8011b1e80c231bb1773611627818/897_475_2575_2060/master/2575.jpg?width=445&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=b4f1a4e945c99a6986efca607212358b”,”width”:445},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f9868bfbe52b8011b1e80c231bb1773611627818/897_475_2575_2060/master/2575.jpg?width=445&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=45d5101dcfc79601a6bd3f1991139a74″,”width”:890}]},{“weighting”:”immersive”,”srcSet”:[{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f9868bfbe52b8011b1e80c231bb1773611627818/897_475_2575_2060/master/2575.jpg?width=1900&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=0f0d677a2560d5f55eda4aa8923db74e”,”width”:1900},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f9868bfbe52b8011b1e80c231bb1773611627818/897_475_2575_2060/master/2575.jpg?width=1900&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=dacd3cb32cb69382e696c25d33c7c1a4″,”width”:3800},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f9868bfbe52b8011b1e80c231bb1773611627818/897_475_2575_2060/master/2575.jpg?width=1300&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=c4872944cb7b9183fff7dfcc41ae5c5e”,”width”:1300},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f9868bfbe52b8011b1e80c231bb1773611627818/897_475_2575_2060/master/2575.jpg?width=1300&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=7163c6ff92a3f68dd11aeb3c1384283c”,”width”:2600},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f9868bfbe52b8011b1e80c231bb1773611627818/897_475_2575_2060/master/2575.jpg?width=1140&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=20edabe8bc2e633ee0b898b27ed0aad6″,”width”:1140},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f9868bfbe52b8011b1e80c231bb1773611627818/897_475_2575_2060/master/2575.jpg?width=1140&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=ad78edcbb7cf429bc141fb5976872ffb”,”width”:2280},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f9868bfbe52b8011b1e80c231bb1773611627818/897_475_2575_2060/master/2575.jpg?width=980&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=601b8f07207689b5fdbae180fc1456b1″,”width”:980},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f9868bfbe52b8011b1e80c231bb1773611627818/897_475_2575_2060/master/2575.jpg?width=980&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=ef72a26264e3e53f47d613dd5098f07c”,”width”:1960},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f9868bfbe52b8011b1e80c231bb1773611627818/897_475_2575_2060/master/2575.jpg?width=740&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=26fcf8f7bd2a57a1a0531205b924a1b4″,”width”:740},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f9868bfbe52b8011b1e80c231bb1773611627818/897_475_2575_2060/master/2575.jpg?width=740&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=3c05d01e3ebf8ddcf423bdf70582dc8b”,”width”:1480},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f9868bfbe52b8011b1e80c231bb1773611627818/897_475_2575_2060/master/2575.jpg?width=660&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=72b72f3ddd82233e24eb5ac551335a43″,”width”:660},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f9868bfbe52b8011b1e80c231bb1773611627818/897_475_2575_2060/master/2575.jpg?width=660&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=beeda3450623e4a781a040aa403db04f”,”width”:1320},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f9868bfbe52b8011b1e80c231bb1773611627818/897_475_2575_2060/master/2575.jpg?width=480&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=cb15bf02bd61c9b75bf19e6218658f96″,”width”:480},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f9868bfbe52b8011b1e80c231bb1773611627818/897_475_2575_2060/master/2575.jpg?width=480&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=919b4d586fa17eb2ef026a684030f675″,”width”:960}]}],”data”:{“alt”:”US president Donald Trump.”,”caption”:”US president Donald Trump.”,”credit”:”Photograph: Andrew Leyden/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock”}}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:true,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1776092518000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”11.01 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1776093396000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”11.16 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1776093272000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”11.14 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”11.14″,”title”:”Trump vows that ships approaching US blockade of Iran’s ports will be ‘eliminated’”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Mon 13 Apr 2026 13.13 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Sun 12 Apr 2026 22.15 EDT”},{“id”:”69dcf7068f080251b73be89d”,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

US Central Command said it would begin a blockade of all Iranian Gulf ports and coastal areas on Monday at 10am ET (5.30pm in Iran and 1400 GMT), meaning the operation should have kicked off as of now.

“,”elementId”:”97b3f376-0e2c-4faf-af34-85a709b2c261″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

As previously reported, seafarers and the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations have received notices warning that the blockade will apply to all vessel traffic, regardless of flag.

“,”elementId”:”c49140ed-b8e3-4d02-8d27-8e6b1f2308df”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

The UKMTO notice said that the transit passage through the strait to or from non-Iranian destinations should not be affected by these restrictions, but UKMTO warned that vessels attempting to do so were likely to encounter a military presence.

“,”elementId”:”60cbf642-2e79-45d6-b978-af60d404596e”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

We’ll bring you more details as they come in – stay tuned.

“,”elementId”:”cf5f6391-342a-476b-816d-708a5f42fb5e”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Here’s what we know about the blockade so far:

“,”elementId”:”14bfd14a-7e74-499b-8baf-41b8d155028a”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement”,”prefix”:”Related: “,”text”:”Why is the US threatening to block Iranian ports and how would it work?”,”elementId”:”4cf1f842-1ec3-429e-b786-0b58b6beb1ba”,”role”:”thumbnail”,”url”:”https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/13/strait-of-hormuz-blockade-what-why-explained-navy-trump-iran”}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1776088838000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”10.00 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1776089331000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”10.08 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1776089195000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”10.06 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”10.06″,”title”:”US blockade on Iranian ports begins”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Mon 13 Apr 2026 13.13 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Sun 12 Apr 2026 22.15 EDT”},{“id”:”69dcf5088f08aa81602c83fa”,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Monday that it has received a notice of maritime restrictions on the entire Iranian coastline, including on ports and energy infrastructure.

“,”elementId”:”00a2e165-995a-4f0c-8adc-2f234fa4c157″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

UKMTO posted about the restrictions minutes before the US blockade was set to begin.

“,”elementId”:”b0b6962b-a761-4196-9492-979ca080e56d”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

The notice that the UKMTO received echoes much the note sent by US military to seafarers that warned that the blockade east of the strait of Hormuz would apply to all vessel traffic, regardless of flag.

“,”elementId”:”cc9ded03-7e39-4e83-8ea1-f3bc1de99a1b”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

“,”elementId”:”cdfc486c-d7fd-4e2a-8686-0f6087f07872″}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1776088328000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”09.52 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1776089205000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”10.06 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1776088817000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”10.00 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”10.00″,”title”:”UKMTO receives notice warning of maritime restrictions on entire Iranian coastline”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Mon 13 Apr 2026 13.13 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Sun 12 Apr 2026 22.15 EDT”},{“id”:”69dcd7b88f080251b73be75f”,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

The EU needs to intensify the shift to “homegrown” and “reliable” renewable and nuclear energy, after the war in the Middle East added €22bn to its energy-import bill, the head of the European Commission said Monday.

“,”elementId”:”47d76fd4-fef5-44ff-9e9f-25e443027491″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Speaking to reporters in Brussels, Ursula von der Leyen promised a strategy next Wednesday outlining how the EU could contain the economic fallout from 44 days of turmoil in the Middle East, which began when the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran in late February.

“,”elementId”:”05061df5-0ea7-4442-aa2d-514e339ad170″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Reflecting the uncertainty after the weekend’s inconclusive talks between the US and Iran – and Donald Trump’s subsequent social media posts – von der Leyen observed that “negotiations have been stalled now and we have to say how things go”.

“,”elementId”:”a333ede0-2d5f-46e2-9bdf-0448a3a9a00b”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Any agreement, she said, would have to address concerns raised by Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programme and the strait of Hormuz, as she said “the restoration of the freedom of navigation is of paramount importance for us”.

“,”elementId”:”7e6f07bd-1b96-4588-a13f-3b7c56744646″},{“displayCredit”:true,”_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement”,”role”:”inline”,”media”:{“allImages”:[{“index”:0,”fields”:{“aspectRatio”:”5:4″,”height”:”2718″,”width”:”3398″},”mediaType”:”Image”,”mimeType”:”image/jpeg”,”url”:”https://media.guim.co.uk/319e7803542205e4a8e8556e9ba30abd9f4a1da2/509_0_3398_2718/3398.jpg”},{“index”:1,”fields”:{“aspectRatio”:”5:4″,”isMaster”:”true”,”height”:”2718″,”width”:”3398″},”mediaType”:”Image”,”mimeType”:”image/jpeg”,”url”:”https://media.guim.co.uk/319e7803542205e4a8e8556e9ba30abd9f4a1da2/509_0_3398_2718/master/3398.jpg”},{“index”:2,”fields”:{“aspectRatio”:”5:4″,”height”:”1600″,”width”:”2000″},”mediaType”:”Image”,”mimeType”:”image/jpeg”,”url”:”https://media.guim.co.uk/319e7803542205e4a8e8556e9ba30abd9f4a1da2/509_0_3398_2718/2000.jpg”},{“index”:3,”fields”:{“aspectRatio”:”5:4″,”height”:”800″,”width”:”1000″},”mediaType”:”Image”,”mimeType”:”image/jpeg”,”url”:”https://media.guim.co.uk/319e7803542205e4a8e8556e9ba30abd9f4a1da2/509_0_3398_2718/1000.jpg”},{“index”:4,”fields”:{“aspectRatio”:”5:4″,”height”:”400″,”width”:”500″},”mediaType”:”Image”,”mimeType”:”image/jpeg”,”url”:”https://media.guim.co.uk/319e7803542205e4a8e8556e9ba30abd9f4a1da2/509_0_3398_2718/500.jpg”},{“index”:5,”fields”:{“aspectRatio”:”5:4″,”height”:”112″,”width”:”140″},”mediaType”:”Image”,”mimeType”:”image/jpeg”,”url”:”https://media.guim.co.uk/319e7803542205e4a8e8556e9ba30abd9f4a1da2/509_0_3398_2718/140.jpg”}]},”elementId”:”cc801a69-1acc-46b6-9b93-ed53633b9bfe”,”imageSources”:[{“weighting”:”inline”,”srcSet”:[{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/319e7803542205e4a8e8556e9ba30abd9f4a1da2/509_0_3398_2718/master/3398.jpg?width=620&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=8bcf358efdf12c3b9c688dd0901063d6″,”width”:620},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/319e7803542205e4a8e8556e9ba30abd9f4a1da2/509_0_3398_2718/master/3398.jpg?width=620&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=5d031883b75310e52325a7f7fcbf33d3″,”width”:1240},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/319e7803542205e4a8e8556e9ba30abd9f4a1da2/509_0_3398_2718/master/3398.jpg?width=605&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=3b7dd981e7a180fedeba01edc4ce93bb”,”width”:605},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/319e7803542205e4a8e8556e9ba30abd9f4a1da2/509_0_3398_2718/master/3398.jpg?width=605&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=911da44318b88ac65a8a57a632a29749″,”width”:1210},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/319e7803542205e4a8e8556e9ba30abd9f4a1da2/509_0_3398_2718/master/3398.jpg?width=445&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=97a044bf0c00ab458b9ea8cbf68910d6″,”width”:445},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/319e7803542205e4a8e8556e9ba30abd9f4a1da2/509_0_3398_2718/master/3398.jpg?width=445&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=f53f50f3a11343367bf51c39bc9714b5″,”width”:890}]},{“weighting”:”thumbnail”,”srcSet”:[{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/319e7803542205e4a8e8556e9ba30abd9f4a1da2/509_0_3398_2718/master/3398.jpg?width=140&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=de56f4696b29c041b71c4a872d9a99b9″,”width”:140},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/319e7803542205e4a8e8556e9ba30abd9f4a1da2/509_0_3398_2718/master/3398.jpg?width=140&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=555392ebdaef1383fd72ef73b871f6b9″,”width”:280},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/319e7803542205e4a8e8556e9ba30abd9f4a1da2/509_0_3398_2718/master/3398.jpg?width=120&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=e406150641a2fcc82fde3e1f8d3d3c33″,”width”:120},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/319e7803542205e4a8e8556e9ba30abd9f4a1da2/509_0_3398_2718/master/3398.jpg?width=120&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=c74cf364ad906540a310bab66ea4682e”,”width”:240}]},{“weighting”:”supporting”,”srcSet”:[{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/319e7803542205e4a8e8556e9ba30abd9f4a1da2/509_0_3398_2718/master/3398.jpg?width=380&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=af4d08b559ec5c4830c95067230018bf”,”width”:380},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/319e7803542205e4a8e8556e9ba30abd9f4a1da2/509_0_3398_2718/master/3398.jpg?width=380&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=2c4cbc22a1d1887f386646a280887095″,”width”:760},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/319e7803542205e4a8e8556e9ba30abd9f4a1da2/509_0_3398_2718/master/3398.jpg?width=300&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=2631a51f4650a696b181d914823980ff”,”width”:300},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/319e7803542205e4a8e8556e9ba30abd9f4a1da2/509_0_3398_2718/master/3398.jpg?width=300&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=04acc72ebfcd6278e4665d2eed48cb53″,”width”:600},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/319e7803542205e4a8e8556e9ba30abd9f4a1da2/509_0_3398_2718/master/3398.jpg?width=620&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=8bcf358efdf12c3b9c688dd0901063d6″,”width”:620},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/319e7803542205e4a8e8556e9ba30abd9f4a1da2/509_0_3398_2718/master/3398.jpg?width=620&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=5d031883b75310e52325a7f7fcbf33d3″,”width”:1240},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/319e7803542205e4a8e8556e9ba30abd9f4a1da2/509_0_3398_2718/master/3398.jpg?width=605&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=3b7dd981e7a180fedeba01edc4ce93bb”,”width”:605},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/319e7803542205e4a8e8556e9ba30abd9f4a1da2/509_0_3398_2718/master/3398.jpg?width=605&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=911da44318b88ac65a8a57a632a29749″,”width”:1210},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/319e7803542205e4a8e8556e9ba30abd9f4a1da2/509_0_3398_2718/master/3398.jpg?width=445&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=97a044bf0c00ab458b9ea8cbf68910d6″,”width”:445},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/319e7803542205e4a8e8556e9ba30abd9f4a1da2/509_0_3398_2718/master/3398.jpg?width=445&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=f53f50f3a11343367bf51c39bc9714b5″,”width”:890}]},{“weighting”:”showcase”,”srcSet”:[{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/319e7803542205e4a8e8556e9ba30abd9f4a1da2/509_0_3398_2718/master/3398.jpg?width=860&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=e47b48e318848913ee1b3cd0fb0924a4″,”width”:860},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/319e7803542205e4a8e8556e9ba30abd9f4a1da2/509_0_3398_2718/master/3398.jpg?width=860&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=8461042f398b7f2e2ae2f5f196d4a64a”,”width”:1720},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/319e7803542205e4a8e8556e9ba30abd9f4a1da2/509_0_3398_2718/master/3398.jpg?width=780&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=7a14920d1a19c601328e7b1e03a0d2b5″,”width”:780},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/319e7803542205e4a8e8556e9ba30abd9f4a1da2/509_0_3398_2718/master/3398.jpg?width=780&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=36c9c9b752158911028bd2792e2e123a”,”width”:1560},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/319e7803542205e4a8e8556e9ba30abd9f4a1da2/509_0_3398_2718/master/3398.jpg?width=620&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=8bcf358efdf12c3b9c688dd0901063d6″,”width”:620},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/319e7803542205e4a8e8556e9ba30abd9f4a1da2/509_0_3398_2718/master/3398.jpg?width=620&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=5d031883b75310e52325a7f7fcbf33d3″,”width”:1240},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/319e7803542205e4a8e8556e9ba30abd9f4a1da2/509_0_3398_2718/master/3398.jpg?width=605&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=3b7dd981e7a180fedeba01edc4ce93bb”,”width”:605},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/319e7803542205e4a8e8556e9ba30abd9f4a1da2/509_0_3398_2718/master/3398.jpg?width=605&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=911da44318b88ac65a8a57a632a29749″,”width”:1210},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/319e7803542205e4a8e8556e9ba30abd9f4a1da2/509_0_3398_2718/master/3398.jpg?width=445&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=97a044bf0c00ab458b9ea8cbf68910d6″,”width”:445},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/319e7803542205e4a8e8556e9ba30abd9f4a1da2/509_0_3398_2718/master/3398.jpg?width=445&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=f53f50f3a11343367bf51c39bc9714b5″,”width”:890}]},{“weighting”:”halfwidth”,”srcSet”:[{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/319e7803542205e4a8e8556e9ba30abd9f4a1da2/509_0_3398_2718/master/3398.jpg?width=620&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=8bcf358efdf12c3b9c688dd0901063d6″,”width”:620},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/319e7803542205e4a8e8556e9ba30abd9f4a1da2/509_0_3398_2718/master/3398.jpg?width=620&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=5d031883b75310e52325a7f7fcbf33d3″,”width”:1240},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/319e7803542205e4a8e8556e9ba30abd9f4a1da2/509_0_3398_2718/master/3398.jpg?width=605&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=3b7dd981e7a180fedeba01edc4ce93bb”,”width”:605},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/319e7803542205e4a8e8556e9ba30abd9f4a1da2/509_0_3398_2718/master/3398.jpg?width=605&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=911da44318b88ac65a8a57a632a29749″,”width”:1210},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/319e7803542205e4a8e8556e9ba30abd9f4a1da2/509_0_3398_2718/master/3398.jpg?width=445&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=97a044bf0c00ab458b9ea8cbf68910d6″,”width”:445},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/319e7803542205e4a8e8556e9ba30abd9f4a1da2/509_0_3398_2718/master/3398.jpg?width=445&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=f53f50f3a11343367bf51c39bc9714b5″,”width”:890}]},{“weighting”:”immersive”,”srcSet”:[{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/319e7803542205e4a8e8556e9ba30abd9f4a1da2/509_0_3398_2718/master/3398.jpg?width=1900&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=b52684dff56e3c23fdc16b99705a6bd5″,”width”:1900},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/319e7803542205e4a8e8556e9ba30abd9f4a1da2/509_0_3398_2718/master/3398.jpg?width=1900&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=6d9a04aea7cf042de593e4bf04641717″,”width”:3800},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/319e7803542205e4a8e8556e9ba30abd9f4a1da2/509_0_3398_2718/master/3398.jpg?width=1300&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=e6e03da39d42219f6218725f3f72b780″,”width”:1300},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/319e7803542205e4a8e8556e9ba30abd9f4a1da2/509_0_3398_2718/master/3398.jpg?width=1300&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=885cc5e2476ffb314cb8b509a09c66bd”,”width”:2600},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/319e7803542205e4a8e8556e9ba30abd9f4a1da2/509_0_3398_2718/master/3398.jpg?width=1140&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=8561e5178605236fa556428eabaf5587″,”width”:1140},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/319e7803542205e4a8e8556e9ba30abd9f4a1da2/509_0_3398_2718/master/3398.jpg?width=1140&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=3ccc6dd6d15b8cc71bbdb255a99deafb”,”width”:2280},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/319e7803542205e4a8e8556e9ba30abd9f4a1da2/509_0_3398_2718/master/3398.jpg?width=980&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=de6c938c2606621c070c0320422305e8″,”width”:980},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/319e7803542205e4a8e8556e9ba30abd9f4a1da2/509_0_3398_2718/master/3398.jpg?width=980&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=61e3bef120fe663dce50ada712752167″,”width”:1960},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/319e7803542205e4a8e8556e9ba30abd9f4a1da2/509_0_3398_2718/master/3398.jpg?width=740&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=360c31b024359206fee6525fe387488e”,”width”:740},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/319e7803542205e4a8e8556e9ba30abd9f4a1da2/509_0_3398_2718/master/3398.jpg?width=740&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=dcdd456993758fcd501ff77b118bfcde”,”width”:1480},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/319e7803542205e4a8e8556e9ba30abd9f4a1da2/509_0_3398_2718/master/3398.jpg?width=660&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=ae73dca7fa1f3e73fd1f1e786fd354ee”,”width”:660},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/319e7803542205e4a8e8556e9ba30abd9f4a1da2/509_0_3398_2718/master/3398.jpg?width=660&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=2510cc53d3082137ce049ddf8c68361f”,”width”:1320},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/319e7803542205e4a8e8556e9ba30abd9f4a1da2/509_0_3398_2718/master/3398.jpg?width=480&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=0b85b557cda0d8e65f88d482bd2444a4″,”width”:480},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/319e7803542205e4a8e8556e9ba30abd9f4a1da2/509_0_3398_2718/master/3398.jpg?width=480&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=7373fb485e09a4428ac4a5a1b85a57b1″,”width”:960}]}],”data”:{“alt”:”Ursula von der Leyen.”,”caption”:”Ursula von der Leyen.”,”credit”:”Photograph: Omar Havana/AP”}},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

EU leaders remain concerned about Israel’s attacks on Lebanon and she called on “all parties” to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and to implement a complete cessation of hostilities. “You cannot have stability in the Middle East or the Gulf while Lebanon is in flames.”

“,”elementId”:”5ffeec01-6cca-4976-b4b8-0239ae2d362e”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Most of her remarks were focused on the EU’s internal agenda in response to soaring energy prices. Von der Leyen said that during 44 days the EU’s import bill for fossil fuels had increased by more than €22bn, with “not a single molecule of energy in addition”.

“,”elementId”:”69cb8519-91b9-47c9-81fd-732fa0de8e61″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

She said the EU was paying “a high price for our over-dependency on fossil fuels” but went on to say that Europe had assets.

“,”elementId”:”eb1efa77-257a-4e0d-a0a5-29b639ddf85d”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

“We have the electricity that is produced in Europe, from renewables and from nuclear. And therefore our strategy to decarbonise has not only been confirmed in the last years, but is growing in importance day by day. And our objective is very clear. We need to scale up the homegrown, affordable, reliable energy,” von der Leyen said.

“,”elementId”:”2c56a699-7b70-4eeb-a614-61e02529094d”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

She said the EU’s 27 member states need to coordinate on gas storage filling and releasing oil stocks. The European Commission would consult countries on greater flexibility in state aid, rules governing subsidies and other support. She urged faster progress to agree on an EU draft law on grids that would help the shift to renewable energy, while also promising an electrification strategy and calling for governments to implement more energy-saving measures.

“,”elementId”:”eb676cd2-a7c7-43be-8cc3-b152027913f1″}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1776080824000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”07.47 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1776082851000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”08.20 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1776082852000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”08.20 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”08.20″,”title”:”EU must scale up ‘homegrown’ renewable energy as war in Iran continues, European Commission president says”,”contributors”:[{“name”:”Jennifer Rankin”,”imageUrl”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/uploads/2017/12/26/Jennifer-Rankin.jpg?width=300&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=c0ebd8938a45421b4873cc414bdf05a7″,”largeImageUrl”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/uploads/2017/12/26/Jennifer_Rankin,_L.png?width=300&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=e12882f2580d0f8384b06b108a89b53f”}],”primaryDateLine”:”Mon 13 Apr 2026 13.13 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Sun 12 Apr 2026 22.15 EDT”},{“id”:”69dcd2058f0823a7954da5c7″,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Here is a summary of today’s events so far:

“,”elementId”:”0832faa2-9128-40bf-9065-ba63b53337f3″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

n
World leaders have been reacting to Donald Trump’s earlier declaration that the US Navy would start blockading the Hormuz strait and also prohibit every vessel in international waters that had paid a toll to Iran. UK prime minister Keir Starmer was adamant that the UK does not support the blockade and that “we are not getting dragged into the war”. Meanwhile, Ursula ⁠⁠von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said that restoration ⁠⁠of freedom of navigation in the strait of ⁠⁠Hormuz is of “paramount” importance.

n
US Central Command said it would begin a blockade of all Iranian Gulf ports and coastal areas on Monday at 10am ET (5.30pm in Iran and 1400 GMT), effectively seizing control of maritime traffic in the strait of Hormuz. Reuters reports that the US military has sent a note to seafarers warning that the blockade will apply to all vessel traffic, regardless of flag.

n
Trump lashed out on social media at Pope Leo XIV, who, over the weekend, had called for an end to war without directly mentioning the conflict in Iran. The US president posted a more than 300-word diatribe on Truth Social accusing the pope of catering to the “Radical Left” and being “terrible” for foreign policy.

n
The pope on Monday told reporters that he has “no intention to debate” with Trump over Iran – but went on to say that he will “continue to speak out loudly against war, looking to promote peace, promoting dialogue and multilateral relationships among the states to look for just solutions to problems.”

n
Oil prices rose in early market trading after Trump’s blockade announcement. The price of US crude oil rose 8% to $104.24 a barrel and Brent crude oil – the international standard – rose 7% to $102.29. Australia’s share market dropped sharply on Monday morning.

n
Iran’s parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf taunted Trump on X, saying in a post: “Enjoy the current pump figures. With the so-called ‘blockade’, Soon you’ll be nostalgic for $4–$5 gas.” Earlier he said Trump’s new threats would have no effect on the Iranian nation: “If you fight, we will fight … We will not bow to any threats.”

“,”elementId”:”52707c9a-b2a3-4526-9e89-2fd999e3070f”}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:false,”summary”:true},”blockCreatedOn”:1776079365000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”07.22 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1776093363000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”11.16 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1776082615000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”08.16 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”08.16″,”title”:”Today so far”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Mon 13 Apr 2026 13.13 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Sun 12 Apr 2026 22.15 EDT”},{“id”:”69dcd9a28f0823a7954da62a”,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

The US military has sent a note to seafarers warning that the blockade east of the strait of Hormuz will apply to all vessel traffic, regardless of flag, Reuters reports.

“,”elementId”:”d09f3493-3140-4ddd-9706-ebf7e564c317″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

The blockade is scheduled to go into effect on Monday at 10am ET (5.30pm in Iran and 1400 GMT).

“,”elementId”:”bc1dd311-9504-4247-aa1a-79d90c0eab31″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

“Any vessel entering or departing the blockaded area without authorization is subject to interception, diversion, and capture,” the note said. “The blockade will not impede neutral transit passage through the strait of Hormuz to or from non-Iranian destinations.”

“,”elementId”:”41a6b189-9f0a-4a07-8464-e5ee55f15150″}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1776081314000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”07.55 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1776082225000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”08.10 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1776081659000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”08.00 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”08.00″,”title”:”US naval blockade will apply to all vessel traffic east of Hormuz strait”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Mon 13 Apr 2026 13.13 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Sun 12 Apr 2026 22.15 EDT”},{“id”:”69dcd2878f080251b73be723″,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, said on Monday that Israel supports Donald Trump’s decision to impose a naval blockade on Iran and Tel Aviv is coordinating with Washington on the situation, AFP reports.

“,”elementId”:”7e8ef54e-10aa-4bfe-90ce-39a11f778ea7″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

“Iran violated the rules (of the peace talks in Pakistan), President Trump decided to impose a naval blockade,” Netanyahu said at a cabinet meeting, according to a video statement released by his office.

“,”elementId”:”f6ce4ec0-d4cf-4362-a53d-a0692bb9f5d4″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

“We, of course, support this firm position, and we are in constant coordination with the United States.”

“,”elementId”:”f22d11c8-672c-4176-a3c6-8c2272011fe5″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

US Central Command said it would begin a blockade of all Iranian Gulf ports and coastal areas on Monday at 10am ET (5.30pm in Iran and 1400 GMT), effectively seizing control of maritime traffic in the strait of Hormuz.

“,”elementId”:”c96bbff2-31f5-4485-8cc6-adc4b010e6e9″}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1776079495000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”07.24 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1776080790000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”07.46 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1776080790000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”07.46 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”07.46″,”title”:”Netanyahu: Israel supports Trump’s naval blockade of Iran”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Mon 13 Apr 2026 13.13 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Sun 12 Apr 2026 22.15 EDT”},{“id”:”69dcb4a48f08ff62487f8452″,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Pope Leo XIV on Monday told reporters that he has “no intention to debate” with Donald Trump after the US president posted a more than 300-word diatribe on social media accusing the pope of catering to the “Radical Left” and being “terrible” for foreign policy, AFP reports.

“,”elementId”:”b5330820-607f-4e4c-8bd2-0a96de1d854d”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Over the weekend, Leo, the first US-born pope, entered the international political arena when he said prayer for peace is “a bulwark against that delusion of omnipotence that surrounds us and is becoming increasingly unpredictable and aggressive.”

“,”elementId”:”7424c25f-97ff-43aa-bec9-a5bbd42fcce3″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

On Monday, the pope had a simple message for reporters aboard the papal plane as they headed to Algeria for the pontiff’s first visit to Africa: “I am not a politician.”

“,”elementId”:”54c8f933-f089-47cb-b246-304d2d08c305″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

“I have no intention to debate with (Trump),” Leo said. “The message is the same: to promote peace.”

“,”elementId”:”26fe8115-fe23-44b5-ac7e-ccc0491abead”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

On Sunday night, Trump posted on Truth Social that Leo was “Weak on Crime, Weak on Nuclear Weapons”.

“,”elementId”:”010da74b-ac92-4884-8fdd-6bd030b9db57″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

“I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon. I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s terrible that America attacked Venezuela…And I don’t want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because I’m doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do,” Trump said.

“,”elementId”:”026731ab-0578-4a2b-a386-2777fd6479b2″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

In the same post, Trump added: “If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican.” An hour after the intial statement, Trump posted an AI-generated image portraying him as Jesus, blessing an elderly man on a bed while a nurse and soldier gaze up at him in awe.

“,”elementId”:”175301ee-d01f-4954-bada-492e25384a97″}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1776071844000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”05.17 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1776072847000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”05.34 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1776072797000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”05.33 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”05.33″,”title”:”Pope Leo says he has ‘no intention to debate’ with Trump over Iran”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Mon 13 Apr 2026 13.13 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Sun 12 Apr 2026 22.15 EDT”},{“id”:”69dca6dc8f08ff62487f83f4″,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

When pushed on Monday, UK prime minister Keir Starmer refused to take a harder stance on the conflict and speak out against Donald Trump.

“,”elementId”:”5ec8b1c8-094d-4b72-a0af-77146f20c81e”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

When asked by BBC’s 5Live Breakfast on whether he held Trump responsible for the rising energy costs caused by the closure of the strait of Hormuz, Starmer said he blamed Iran, which began preventing ships and tankers from traversing the waterway in response to the US and Israel striking thousands of targets and killing dozens of the country’s most senior leaders.

“,”elementId”:”c1731174-af94-4345-af92-5ddb2771d968″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

“Where the blame lies, it’s Iran that has caused the restriction on traffic and vessels through the Gulf and they’re doing that in breach of international law,” Starmer said.

“,”elementId”:”fedf8ca1-7853-4f9c-b8e1-3e73211d8ec9″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

On Sunday Trump once again lashed out at the UK’s actions during the conflict and repeated a jibe that appeared to compare Starmer to Neville Chamberlain, who has long been criticised for following a policy of appeasement toward Adolf Hitler.

“,”elementId”:”a93e29db-fc31-4ca5-b746-326cbff17567″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

But Starmer refrained on Monday from responding to Trump’s jibes and instead reiterated his position that any UK action in the conflict will remain purely defensive and in protection of British lives and interest.

“,”elementId”:”a21aa8e7-5cdd-4129-b9a5-522bc75502da”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

“My decision has been very clear that whatever the pressure – and there has been some considerable pressure – we are not getting dragged into the war. The UK is not getting dragged into the war,” Starmer said. “That is not in our national interest because I’m not going to act unless there’s a clear lawful basis and a clear thought-through plan.”

“,”elementId”:”ff23f110-80bb-42c0-9173-fa161e41f125″}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1776068316000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”04.18 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1776069882000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”04.44 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1776069882000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”04.44 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”04.44″,”title”:”‘We are not getting dragged into the war’, says British PM”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Mon 13 Apr 2026 13.13 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Sun 12 Apr 2026 22.15 EDT”},{“id”:”69dca1218f08a86a0e564a41″,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

UK prime minister Keir Starmer on Monday reiterated his government’s position that the UK will not be involved in a blockade of the strait of Hormuz.

“,”elementId”:”29e5929d-1c01-42b6-94cb-cdfb1063858f”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

In an interview with BBC’s 5Live Breakfast, Starmer said all British efforts at the moment are focused on getting the strait fully open.

“,”elementId”:”336c6a99-c269-4028-88b6-9a2af4bb0920″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

“All the time the strait is shut or not free for navigation in the way it should be, that means oil and gas is not getting to market, that means the price is going up and everybody listening to this is facing higher energy bills,” Starmer said. “I don’t want that to happen. I want their energy bills to be stablised and lower.”

“,”elementId”:”ef8f7fef-c3e0-43d7-9b28-1ad020cb20ac”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Donald Trump had previously said on Fox News that “it won’t take long to clean out the strait” and that “numerous countries are going to be helping us”, adding that the UK and other nations were sending minesweepers.

“,”elementId”:”6a3ff4e1-82ca-4951-a8d4-001eaedfcc70″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Starmer confirmed that while the UK does have minesweeping capability in the region, “all of the marshalling diplomatically, politically…that’s all focused on geting the strait fully open.”

“,”elementId”:”74ed3457-3e96-4808-a5c4-b2a65e0161ed”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

For more, follow here for live updates on UK politics.

“,”elementId”:”e003625b-01fd-4c09-9730-c1e643604fe3″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement”,”prefix”:”Related: “,”text”:”Starmer confirms UK will not support US blockade of strait of Hormuz – UK politics live”,”elementId”:”25f49ca2-5496-4920-8385-9ee3f483f4ff”,”role”:”thumbnail”,”url”:”https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2026/apr/13/iran-war-keir-starmer-brexit-trump-strait-hormuz-oil-fuel-southport-latest-news-updates”}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1776066849000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”03.54 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1776068936000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”04.28 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1776068272000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”04.17 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”04.17″,”title”:”UK’s Starmer: ‘We’re not supporting the blockade'”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Mon 13 Apr 2026 13.13 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Sun 12 Apr 2026 22.15 EDT”},{“id”:”69dc8cd68f08dd48307751ac”,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

President Donald Trump has delivered an extraordinary broadside against Pope Leo XIV, saying he didn’t think the US-born leader of the Catholic church was “doing a very good job” and that he was “a very liberal person”, while also suggesting the pontiff should “stop catering to the Radical Left”.

“,”elementId”:”56d811e7-6175-450f-8038-657607147e91″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Flying back to Washington from Florida on Sunday night, Trump used a lengthy social media post to sharply criticise Leo, then kept it up in comments on the tarmac to reporters.

“,”elementId”:”a82686f6-7d9e-471a-bbad-e34c966f82d2″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

“I’m not a fan of Pope Leo,” he said.

“,”elementId”:”f868a6d9-539a-4b65-8c07-cb251ec1d2e7″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Trump’s comments came after Leo suggested over the weekend that a “delusion of omnipotence” was fuelling the US-Israel war in Iran. While it’s not unusual for popes and presidents to be at cross-purposes, it’s exceedingly rare for the pope to criticise a US leader – and Trump’s stinging response is equally uncommon.

“,”elementId”:”dd9942a1-0487-42da-92ae-b33419b9b1f2″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

“Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy,” the president wrote in his post, adding: “I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon.”

“,”elementId”:”1b14e920-be05-46e2-a176-c9733cf716d1″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

You can read our full report here:

“,”elementId”:”c90ceb8c-0158-45a3-b5e1-da227ca56409″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement”,”prefix”:”Related: “,”text”:”Donald Trump launches extraordinary attack on Pope Leo calling him ‘weak’ and ‘terrible’”,”elementId”:”accfb8c4-d4ef-4110-b993-0bfad1ef6325″,”role”:”thumbnail”,”url”:”https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/13/donald-trump-pope-leo”}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1776061654000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”02.27 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1776061744000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”02.29 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1776061744000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”02.29 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”02.29″,”title”:”Donald Trump launches extraordinary attack on Pope Leo calling him ‘weak’ and ‘terrible’”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Mon 13 Apr 2026 13.13 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Sun 12 Apr 2026 22.15 EDT”},{“id”:”69dc89f48f08a86a0e5649bf”,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Donald Trump’s threat to impose a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz has driven the oil price back over $100 a barrel again, as hopes of an end to the conflict soon take another knock.

“,”elementId”:”496183c3-86aa-4fa4-b316-cfd99dc91007″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

My colleagues on the business desk are covering the impact over in our business live blog.

“,”elementId”:”f72c424b-50ec-4106-a7a4-7fcd1c6722ba”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

You can read their coverage here:

“,”elementId”:”afd8da81-b4d9-4421-925c-f7e47f73c24c”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement”,”prefix”:”Related: “,”text”:”Oil price rises back over $100 a barrel after Trump announces naval blockade of strait of Hormuz – business live”,”elementId”:”00320abb-dacc-443f-8d2b-8d9ce08972b9″,”role”:”thumbnail”,”url”:”https://www.theguardian.com/business/live/2026/apr/13/oil-price-barrel-trump-naval-blockade-strait-of-hormuz-stock-markets-ftse-latest-news-updates”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

We also have this explainer here:

“,”elementId”:”b3a61369-e068-4d92-aa72-2581e429e44e”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement”,”prefix”:”Related: “,”text”:”Strait of Hormuz blockade explained: why is Trump threatening it now and will it increase the price of oil?”,”elementId”:”23e80b30-a8d4-49ba-acca-2c9cb2b5a10b”,”role”:”thumbnail”,”url”:”https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/13/strait-of-hormuz-blockade-what-why-explained-navy-trump-iran”}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1776060916000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”02.15 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1776061027000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”02.17 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1776061027000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”02.17 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”02.17″,”title”:”Oil price rises back over $100 a barrel after Trump announces naval blockade of strait of Hormuz”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Mon 13 Apr 2026 13.13 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Sun 12 Apr 2026 22.15 EDT”},{“id”:”69dc68468f08a86a0e56491d”,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

If you’re just tuning in to today’s live coverage of the US-Israel war on Iran, here’s the latest to bring you up to speed. It’s 9.30am in Tehran, 9am in Tel Aviv and Beirut and 2am in Washington DC.

“,”elementId”:”58366152-322a-4b92-aac2-9896c46cb2dd”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

n
Donald Trump has said he doesn’t care if Iran comes back to negotiations with the US after the weekend talks in Pakistan ended without a deal. “I don’t care if they come back or not,” Trump told reporters in Maryland on Sunday. “If they don’t come back, I’m fine.”

n
Trump said earlier that the US Navy would start blockading the Hormuz strait and also prohibit every vessel in international waters that had paid a toll to Iran. US Central Command said later it would begin a blockade of all Iranian Gulf ports and coastal areas on Monday at 10am ET (5.30pm in Iran and 1400 GMT), effectively seizing control of maritime traffic in the strait of Hormuz.

n
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned that “approaching military vessels to the strait of Hormuz is considered a violation of the ceasefire”.

n
Oil prices rose in early market trading after Trump’s blockade announcement. The price of US crude oil rose 8% to $104.24 a barrel and Brent crude oil – the international standard – rose 7% to $102.29. Australia’s share market dropped sharply on Monday morning.

n
Iran’s parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf taunted Trump on X, saying in a post: “Enjoy the current pump figures. With the so-called ‘blockade’, Soon you’ll be nostalgic for $4–$5 gas.” Earlier he said Trump’s new threats would have no effect on the Iranian nation: “If you fight, we will fight … We will not bow to any threats.”

n
Trump and his advisers are looking at resuming limited military strikes in Iran in addition to the US blockade of the Hormuz strait, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing officials and people familiar with the situation.

n
Trump launched a scathing attack on Pope Leo XIV, saying he was “weak on crime and terrible for foreign policy”, was catering to the left and was “hurting the Catholic church”. Leo should “focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician”, the president said on Truth Social. The attack came after Leo denounced a “delusion of omnipotence” as fuelling the US-Israel war in Iran and urged political leaders to stop and negotiate peace.

“,”elementId”:”1f4eb20c-463f-411d-9013-c7c490caf177″},{“displayCredit”:true,”_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement”,”role”:”inline”,”media”:{“allImages”:[{“index”:0,”fields”:{“aspectRatio”:”5:4″,”height”:”2667″,”width”:”3333″},”mediaType”:”Image”,”mimeType”:”image/jpeg”,”url”:”https://media.guim.co.uk/3db63dbae184443ae9093ef0f9894dfc18073b94/575_0_3333_2667/3333.jpg”},{“index”:1,”fields”:{“aspectRatio”:”5:4″,”isMaster”:”true”,”height”:”2667″,”width”:”3333″},”mediaType”:”Image”,”mimeType”:”image/jpeg”,”url”:”https://media.guim.co.uk/3db63dbae184443ae9093ef0f9894dfc18073b94/575_0_3333_2667/master/3333.jpg”},{“index”:2,”fields”:{“aspectRatio”:”5:4″,”height”:”1600″,”width”:”2000″},”mediaType”:”Image”,”mimeType”:”image/jpeg”,”url”:”https://media.guim.co.uk/3db63dbae184443ae9093ef0f9894dfc18073b94/575_0_3333_2667/2000.jpg”},{“index”:3,”fields”:{“aspectRatio”:”5:4″,”height”:”800″,”width”:”1000″},”mediaType”:”Image”,”mimeType”:”image/jpeg”,”url”:”https://media.guim.co.uk/3db63dbae184443ae9093ef0f9894dfc18073b94/575_0_3333_2667/1000.jpg”},{“index”:4,”fields”:{“aspectRatio”:”5:4″,”height”:”400″,”width”:”500″},”mediaType”:”Image”,”mimeType”:”image/jpeg”,”url”:”https://media.guim.co.uk/3db63dbae184443ae9093ef0f9894dfc18073b94/575_0_3333_2667/500.jpg”},{“index”:5,”fields”:{“aspectRatio”:”5:4″,”height”:”112″,”width”:”140″},”mediaType”:”Image”,”mimeType”:”image/jpeg”,”url”:”https://media.guim.co.uk/3db63dbae184443ae9093ef0f9894dfc18073b94/575_0_3333_2667/140.jpg”}]},”elementId”:”57013956-e4b1-4d29-95d4-791f118c1e2b”,”imageSources”:[{“weighting”:”inline”,”srcSet”:[{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/3db63dbae184443ae9093ef0f9894dfc18073b94/575_0_3333_2667/master/3333.jpg?width=620&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=46a15381031050d12fec61799518d158″,”width”:620},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/3db63dbae184443ae9093ef0f9894dfc18073b94/575_0_3333_2667/master/3333.jpg?width=620&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=863c59e0965fa1730204c65c5b428c4b”,”width”:1240},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/3db63dbae184443ae9093ef0f9894dfc18073b94/575_0_3333_2667/master/3333.jpg?width=605&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=f0bda027636a3e3c7f526df5ebf2688b”,”width”:605},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/3db63dbae184443ae9093ef0f9894dfc18073b94/575_0_3333_2667/master/3333.jpg?width=605&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=4776856ca82fdc81fe96252e16620b37″,”width”:1210},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/3db63dbae184443ae9093ef0f9894dfc18073b94/575_0_3333_2667/master/3333.jpg?width=445&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=e974aa0213334901fd0c81c528108dff”,”width”:445},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/3db63dbae184443ae9093ef0f9894dfc18073b94/575_0_3333_2667/master/3333.jpg?width=445&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=32dc0aba1da4bc51263c12a3b7172ddb”,”width”:890}]},{“weighting”:”thumbnail”,”srcSet”:[{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/3db63dbae184443ae9093ef0f9894dfc18073b94/575_0_3333_2667/master/3333.jpg?width=140&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=31cb1025573c4dbea05a716d85430264″,”width”:140},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/3db63dbae184443ae9093ef0f9894dfc18073b94/575_0_3333_2667/master/3333.jpg?width=140&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=6123d905062d53899a19e4cd9d492b3d”,”width”:280},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/3db63dbae184443ae9093ef0f9894dfc18073b94/575_0_3333_2667/master/3333.jpg?width=120&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=ab84babfcbabfad861c078bd6ec474dc”,”width”:120},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/3db63dbae184443ae9093ef0f9894dfc18073b94/575_0_3333_2667/master/3333.jpg?width=120&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=d1edcef91a7d1f92a77d9f0a693d975c”,”width”:240}]},{“weighting”:”supporting”,”srcSet”:[{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/3db63dbae184443ae9093ef0f9894dfc18073b94/575_0_3333_2667/master/3333.jpg?width=380&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=9461d6cea8155535de87325d94ee7909″,”width”:380},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/3db63dbae184443ae9093ef0f9894dfc18073b94/575_0_3333_2667/master/3333.jpg?width=380&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=2b9a14286cf6d4155c587caaf7f73d3f”,”width”:760},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/3db63dbae184443ae9093ef0f9894dfc18073b94/575_0_3333_2667/master/3333.jpg?width=300&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=2ba1042b7337395688c8d05e3af341f8″,”width”:300},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/3db63dbae184443ae9093ef0f9894dfc18073b94/575_0_3333_2667/master/3333.jpg?width=300&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=aa59b1e3661f2227257935a6d2dc207d”,”width”:600},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/3db63dbae184443ae9093ef0f9894dfc18073b94/575_0_3333_2667/master/3333.jpg?width=620&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=46a15381031050d12fec61799518d158″,”width”:620},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/3db63dbae184443ae9093ef0f9894dfc18073b94/575_0_3333_2667/master/3333.jpg?width=620&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=863c59e0965fa1730204c65c5b428c4b”,”width”:1240},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/3db63dbae184443ae9093ef0f9894dfc18073b94/575_0_3333_2667/master/3333.jpg?width=605&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=f0bda027636a3e3c7f526df5ebf2688b”,”width”:605},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/3db63dbae184443ae9093ef0f9894dfc18073b94/575_0_3333_2667/master/3333.jpg?width=605&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=4776856ca82fdc81fe96252e16620b37″,”width”:1210},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/3db63dbae184443ae9093ef0f9894dfc18073b94/575_0_3333_2667/master/3333.jpg?width=445&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=e974aa0213334901fd0c81c528108dff”,”width”:445},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/3db63dbae184443ae9093ef0f9894dfc18073b94/575_0_3333_2667/master/3333.jpg?width=445&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=32dc0aba1da4bc51263c12a3b7172ddb”,”width”:890}]},{“weighting”:”showcase”,”srcSet”:[{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/3db63dbae184443ae9093ef0f9894dfc18073b94/575_0_3333_2667/master/3333.jpg?width=860&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=162e117b92cc72435b13baca81bb1d6b”,”width”:860},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/3db63dbae184443ae9093ef0f9894dfc18073b94/575_0_3333_2667/master/3333.jpg?width=860&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=5e886631d2888491a41459cc617c235a”,”width”:1720},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/3db63dbae184443ae9093ef0f9894dfc18073b94/575_0_3333_2667/master/3333.jpg?width=780&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=a5427621f8c176b60e19a7ed158aa7ae”,”width”:780},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/3db63dbae184443ae9093ef0f9894dfc18073b94/575_0_3333_2667/master/3333.jpg?width=780&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=e8df30635527034d32b5c1d42dd2e41d”,”width”:1560},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/3db63dbae184443ae9093ef0f9894dfc18073b94/575_0_3333_2667/master/3333.jpg?width=620&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=46a15381031050d12fec61799518d158″,”width”:620},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/3db63dbae184443ae9093ef0f9894dfc18073b94/575_0_3333_2667/master/3333.jpg?width=620&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=863c59e0965fa1730204c65c5b428c4b”,”width”:1240},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/3db63dbae184443ae9093ef0f9894dfc18073b94/575_0_3333_2667/master/3333.jpg?width=605&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=f0bda027636a3e3c7f526df5ebf2688b”,”width”:605},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/3db63dbae184443ae9093ef0f9894dfc18073b94/575_0_3333_2667/master/3333.jpg?width=605&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=4776856ca82fdc81fe96252e16620b37″,”width”:1210},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/3db63dbae184443ae9093ef0f9894dfc18073b94/575_0_3333_2667/master/3333.jpg?width=445&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=e974aa0213334901fd0c81c528108dff”,”width”:445},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/3db63dbae184443ae9093ef0f9894dfc18073b94/575_0_3333_2667/master/3333.jpg?width=445&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=32dc0aba1da4bc51263c12a3b7172ddb”,”width”:890}]},{“weighting”:”halfwidth”,”srcSet”:[{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/3db63dbae184443ae9093ef0f9894dfc18073b94/575_0_3333_2667/master/3333.jpg?width=620&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=46a15381031050d12fec61799518d158″,”width”:620},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/3db63dbae184443ae9093ef0f9894dfc18073b94/575_0_3333_2667/master/3333.jpg?width=620&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=863c59e0965fa1730204c65c5b428c4b”,”width”:1240},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/3db63dbae184443ae9093ef0f9894dfc18073b94/575_0_3333_2667/master/3333.jpg?width=605&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=f0bda027636a3e3c7f526df5ebf2688b”,”width”:605},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/3db63dbae184443ae9093ef0f9894dfc18073b94/575_0_3333_2667/master/3333.jpg?width=605&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=4776856ca82fdc81fe96252e16620b37″,”width”:1210},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/3db63dbae184443ae9093ef0f9894dfc18073b94/575_0_3333_2667/master/3333.jpg?width=445&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=e974aa0213334901fd0c81c528108dff”,”width”:445},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/3db63dbae184443ae9093ef0f9894dfc18073b94/575_0_3333_2667/master/3333.jpg?width=445&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=32dc0aba1da4bc51263c12a3b7172ddb”,”width”:890}]},{“weighting”:”immersive”,”srcSet”:[{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/3db63dbae184443ae9093ef0f9894dfc18073b94/575_0_3333_2667/master/3333.jpg?width=1900&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=74c9bf7734c403450cafa4db41e30089″,”width”:1900},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/3db63dbae184443ae9093ef0f9894dfc18073b94/575_0_3333_2667/master/3333.jpg?width=1900&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=70408f89b807227f7403413d79c2ee30″,”width”:3800},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/3db63dbae184443ae9093ef0f9894dfc18073b94/575_0_3333_2667/master/3333.jpg?width=1300&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=921fb953c551424f0f8b8659db70a174″,”width”:1300},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/3db63dbae184443ae9093ef0f9894dfc18073b94/575_0_3333_2667/master/3333.jpg?width=1300&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=7d3a810792d8feb1caaf65fc80199038″,”width”:2600},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/3db63dbae184443ae9093ef0f9894dfc18073b94/575_0_3333_2667/master/3333.jpg?width=1140&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=7752598687e270765c86f21e2e4f3972″,”width”:1140},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/3db63dbae184443ae9093ef0f9894dfc18073b94/575_0_3333_2667/master/3333.jpg?width=1140&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=fce2dee133bddcb0a15aa56dc656f0bd”,”width”:2280},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/3db63dbae184443ae9093ef0f9894dfc18073b94/575_0_3333_2667/master/3333.jpg?width=980&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=9c7da3e8e80d9ff940df4b50c52aab11″,”width”:980},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/3db63dbae184443ae9093ef0f9894dfc18073b94/575_0_3333_2667/master/3333.jpg?width=980&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=5945d5d403ad3e5bc7afa861ae669d15″,”width”:1960},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/3db63dbae184443ae9093ef0f9894dfc18073b94/575_0_3333_2667/master/3333.jpg?width=740&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=92c8693ee68fb372a0870a14860bdb78″,”width”:740},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/3db63dbae184443ae9093ef0f9894dfc18073b94/575_0_3333_2667/master/3333.jpg?width=740&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=ac0591d8c5ae899ebc025e5bf3029b11″,”width”:1480},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/3db63dbae184443ae9093ef0f9894dfc18073b94/575_0_3333_2667/master/3333.jpg?width=660&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=d5f2e2b2134eba9d014a6d8f17c702cb”,”width”:660},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/3db63dbae184443ae9093ef0f9894dfc18073b94/575_0_3333_2667/master/3333.jpg?width=660&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=0a11f1b29dd6ed5a06c8b6270bcbdcf2″,”width”:1320},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/3db63dbae184443ae9093ef0f9894dfc18073b94/575_0_3333_2667/master/3333.jpg?width=480&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=4eb5ed82bbe3473c8ac6d2e154522241″,”width”:480},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/3db63dbae184443ae9093ef0f9894dfc18073b94/575_0_3333_2667/master/3333.jpg?width=480&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=e2a2ff131986b6c1a7aa199f8c2c7415″,”width”:960}]}],”data”:{“alt”:”Pope Leo presides over the vigil for peace service at St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican on Saturday”,”caption”:”Pope Leo presides over the vigil for peace service at St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican on Saturday. “,”credit”:”Photograph: Stefano Costantino/SOPA Images/Shutterstock”}},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

n
Lloyd’s List Intelligence said “all traffic” through the strait of Hormuz stopped after Trump announced the US naval blockade. It said two vessels that were leaving the strait turned around after the post.

n
Trump’s threatened blockade could boost oil prices by $5 to $10 a barrel, estimates Michael Lynch, a distinguished fellow at the Energy Policy Research Foundation.

n
More than 32 million people worldwide could be plunged into poverty by the economic fallout from the Iran war, with developing countries expected to be hit hardest. The UN Development Programme said in a report that the world was facing a “triple shock” involving energy, food and weaker economic growth, reports Richard Partington.

n
Trump reiterated his threat to destroy Iran’s power plants and other civilian energy infrastructure if no deal was reached to end the war.

n
Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese said negotiations to stop the war should resume quickly, as the country called for the full reopening of the Hormuz strait and free navigation for all nations.

“,”elementId”:”2f82d536-dba1-4987-b92c-75d4ce004cf8″}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1776052295000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”23.51 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1776062483000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”02.41 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1776060042000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”02.00 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”02.00″,”title”:”Interim summary”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Mon 13 Apr 2026 13.13 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Sun 12 Apr 2026 22.15 EDT”},{“id”:”69dc6c1f8f08a86a0e56492d”,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

More than 32 million people worldwide could be plunged into poverty by the economic fallout from the Iran war, with developing countries expected to be hit hardest.

“,”elementId”:”6a717d74-fa62-4c6b-b3fb-176b41d364a6″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

In a report issued amid doubts over a fragile ceasefire, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) said the world was facing a “triple shock” involving energy, food and weaker economic growth, reports the Guardian’s Richard Partington.

“,”elementId”:”2c111e25-65f7-45e5-aa2f-7e5f5c7ff75d”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

The agency tasked with tackling poverty said the conflict was reversing gains in international development, with the impact expected be felt unevenly across regions.

“,”elementId”:”e4c57bf0-5ea4-49b7-9b02-e408e2315e81″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Alexander De Croo, administrator of the UNDP and former prime minister of Belgium, said:

“,”elementId”:”e7152531-ecf9-4921-9fa1-b87da2747ac2″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.BlockquoteBlockElement”,”html”:”

n

A conflict like this is development in reverse. Even if the war stops, and a ceasefire is obviously very very welcome, but the impact is already there.

n

You will see an enduring impact, especially in the poorer countries, where you push people back into poverty.”

n

“,”elementId”:”6d6175c0-cff1-425f-8fa6-d4910dde4fa9″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Energy prices have surged since the first US-Israeli airstrikes on Tehran, and Iran’s closure of the strait of Hormuz has choked global oil and gas supplies to the world economy. With a knock-on impact on fertiliser supplies and global shipping, experts warn that a “food security timebomb” has been set for the developing world.

“,”elementId”:”7193904c-dde3-44e9-859c-a1df28319ec0″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

See the full report here:

“,”elementId”:”6b1128e6-b450-451d-90a0-5c5d56959940″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement”,”prefix”:”Related: “,”text”:”Iran war could plunge 32 million into poverty, says United Nations”,”elementId”:”c8a7763a-b7f5-4ae1-bedb-27ec63f089d7″,”role”:”thumbnail”,”url”:”https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/apr/13/iran-conflict-poverty-united-nations-development-reverse”}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1776053279000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”00.07 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1776054361000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”00.26 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1776054072000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”00.21 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”00.21″,”title”:”Iran war could plunge 32 million into poverty, says UN”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Mon 13 Apr 2026 13.13 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Sun 12 Apr 2026 22.15 EDT”},{“id”:”69dc62b78f08ff62487f8293″,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Reports indicate that the reopening of the strait was one of the major sticking points in the weekend negotiations between the US and Iran. Tehran has indicated it would like to retain control of the waterway after the war has finished, and has floated a plan to charge a fee of up to $2m a ship to transit through the waterway. Donald Trump and other world leaders have rejected such a plan as an attack on “freedom of navigation”.

“,”elementId”:”0cb55d2f-5c97-4e83-ad9f-45320460ce81″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Despite the US president’s claims that reopening the waterway is not his responsibility, he is under pressure to resolve the issue before the continued closure of the strait unleashes an even greater crisis for the global economy.

“,”elementId”:”4ba2fef5-ffd4-447f-908e-9ccb78299050″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

If Trump’s strategy succeeds, he will eliminate Iran’s greatest point of leverage in negotiations and clear the strait again for global trade, potentially lowering oil prices.

“,”elementId”:”5b1954e6-0c54-489f-ab4f-a02648e96208″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

The US military has not offered many details yet, including how many warships will enforce it, whether warplanes will be used and whether any Gulf allies will assist in the effort.

“,”elementId”:”08150d6d-3f05-47cf-8172-953494af9983″},{“displayCredit”:true,”_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement”,”role”:”inline”,”media”:{“allImages”:[{“index”:0,”fields”:{“aspectRatio”:”5:4″,”height”:”3024″,”width”:”3780″},”mediaType”:”Image”,”mimeType”:”image/jpeg”,”url”:”https://media.guim.co.uk/856a6492ec98c0d28e0cec8263cea7571efe444d/106_0_3780_3024/3780.jpg”},{“index”:1,”fields”:{“aspectRatio”:”5:4″,”isMaster”:”true”,”height”:”3024″,”width”:”3780″},”mediaType”:”Image”,”mimeType”:”image/jpeg”,”url”:”https://media.guim.co.uk/856a6492ec98c0d28e0cec8263cea7571efe444d/106_0_3780_3024/master/3780.jpg”},{“index”:2,”fields”:{“aspectRatio”:”5:4″,”height”:”1600″,”width”:”2000″},”mediaType”:”Image”,”mimeType”:”image/jpeg”,”url”:”https://media.guim.co.uk/856a6492ec98c0d28e0cec8263cea7571efe444d/106_0_3780_3024/2000.jpg”},{“index”:3,”fields”:{“aspectRatio”:”5:4″,”height”:”800″,”width”:”1000″},”mediaType”:”Image”,”mimeType”:”image/jpeg”,”url”:”https://media.guim.co.uk/856a6492ec98c0d28e0cec8263cea7571efe444d/106_0_3780_3024/1000.jpg”},{“index”:4,”fields”:{“aspectRatio”:”5:4″,”height”:”400″,”width”:”500″},”mediaType”:”Image”,”mimeType”:”image/jpeg”,”url”:”https://media.guim.co.uk/856a6492ec98c0d28e0cec8263cea7571efe444d/106_0_3780_3024/500.jpg”},{“index”:5,”fields”:{“aspectRatio”:”5:4″,”height”:”112″,”width”:”140″},”mediaType”:”Image”,”mimeType”:”image/jpeg”,”url”:”https://media.guim.co.uk/856a6492ec98c0d28e0cec8263cea7571efe444d/106_0_3780_3024/140.jpg”}]},”elementId”:”1bc2b121-7b54-4310-9246-fb1a22d73c63″,”imageSources”:[{“weighting”:”inline”,”srcSet”:[{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/856a6492ec98c0d28e0cec8263cea7571efe444d/106_0_3780_3024/master/3780.jpg?width=620&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=dc6553675c74792ae9ad07ae038e18b3″,”width”:620},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/856a6492ec98c0d28e0cec8263cea7571efe444d/106_0_3780_3024/master/3780.jpg?width=620&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=867a904e94e6550ef0ca44235a2feda3″,”width”:1240},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/856a6492ec98c0d28e0cec8263cea7571efe444d/106_0_3780_3024/master/3780.jpg?width=605&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=6537aa89dacf50935e8b052911f6b4f0″,”width”:605},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/856a6492ec98c0d28e0cec8263cea7571efe444d/106_0_3780_3024/master/3780.jpg?width=605&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=dbea1fef2302a639382ab211e0606d62″,”width”:1210},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/856a6492ec98c0d28e0cec8263cea7571efe444d/106_0_3780_3024/master/3780.jpg?width=445&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=7df59686801151b245d9dc68e821f9ff”,”width”:445},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/856a6492ec98c0d28e0cec8263cea7571efe444d/106_0_3780_3024/master/3780.jpg?width=445&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=7b819eb5387fe93b5a4a2091583eac37″,”width”:890}]},{“weighting”:”thumbnail”,”srcSet”:[{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/856a6492ec98c0d28e0cec8263cea7571efe444d/106_0_3780_3024/master/3780.jpg?width=140&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=73b4dbcb8937151df8719bb9096ac47f”,”width”:140},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/856a6492ec98c0d28e0cec8263cea7571efe444d/106_0_3780_3024/master/3780.jpg?width=140&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=36f3ba64c4df4acf94b8b4b52b04e0b2″,”width”:280},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/856a6492ec98c0d28e0cec8263cea7571efe444d/106_0_3780_3024/master/3780.jpg?width=120&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=a420f7126dc0e6d962ac1478d9cf00a0″,”width”:120},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/856a6492ec98c0d28e0cec8263cea7571efe444d/106_0_3780_3024/master/3780.jpg?width=120&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=5a265e580c42fea4dad64397e8e5ea4d”,”width”:240}]},{“weighting”:”supporting”,”srcSet”:[{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/856a6492ec98c0d28e0cec8263cea7571efe444d/106_0_3780_3024/master/3780.jpg?width=380&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=07f7f8a8a3b821b439714fed1e36cf7b”,”width”:380},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/856a6492ec98c0d28e0cec8263cea7571efe444d/106_0_3780_3024/master/3780.jpg?width=380&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=304ac88e3cc9d0d1b3aba078600173f5″,”width”:760},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/856a6492ec98c0d28e0cec8263cea7571efe444d/106_0_3780_3024/master/3780.jpg?width=300&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=a875a212d0e49d8451996ea8b2820500″,”width”:300},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/856a6492ec98c0d28e0cec8263cea7571efe444d/106_0_3780_3024/master/3780.jpg?width=300&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=6e62ca3e39b58d0235203fb1880c0da9″,”width”:600},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/856a6492ec98c0d28e0cec8263cea7571efe444d/106_0_3780_3024/master/3780.jpg?width=620&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=dc6553675c74792ae9ad07ae038e18b3″,”width”:620},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/856a6492ec98c0d28e0cec8263cea7571efe444d/106_0_3780_3024/master/3780.jpg?width=620&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=867a904e94e6550ef0ca44235a2feda3″,”width”:1240},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/856a6492ec98c0d28e0cec8263cea7571efe444d/106_0_3780_3024/master/3780.jpg?width=605&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=6537aa89dacf50935e8b052911f6b4f0″,”width”:605},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/856a6492ec98c0d28e0cec8263cea7571efe444d/106_0_3780_3024/master/3780.jpg?width=605&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=dbea1fef2302a639382ab211e0606d62″,”width”:1210},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/856a6492ec98c0d28e0cec8263cea7571efe444d/106_0_3780_3024/master/3780.jpg?width=445&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=7df59686801151b245d9dc68e821f9ff”,”width”:445},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/856a6492ec98c0d28e0cec8263cea7571efe444d/106_0_3780_3024/master/3780.jpg?width=445&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=7b819eb5387fe93b5a4a2091583eac37″,”width”:890}]},{“weighting”:”showcase”,”srcSet”:[{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/856a6492ec98c0d28e0cec8263cea7571efe444d/106_0_3780_3024/master/3780.jpg?width=860&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=53737a4a183dc3401a310f4f70a2941a”,”width”:860},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/856a6492ec98c0d28e0cec8263cea7571efe444d/106_0_3780_3024/master/3780.jpg?width=860&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=26711e76ec7a021357bc8c0d64b97b29″,”width”:1720},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/856a6492ec98c0d28e0cec8263cea7571efe444d/106_0_3780_3024/master/3780.jpg?width=780&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=0ed99d6fdc8e7a7e2c511b0e55a9a31d”,”width”:780},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/856a6492ec98c0d28e0cec8263cea7571efe444d/106_0_3780_3024/master/3780.jpg?width=780&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=34c2513143d8ffda38a07662daca1f0b”,”width”:1560},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/856a6492ec98c0d28e0cec8263cea7571efe444d/106_0_3780_3024/master/3780.jpg?width=620&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=dc6553675c74792ae9ad07ae038e18b3″,”width”:620},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/856a6492ec98c0d28e0cec8263cea7571efe444d/106_0_3780_3024/master/3780.jpg?width=620&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=867a904e94e6550ef0ca44235a2feda3″,”width”:1240},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/856a6492ec98c0d28e0cec8263cea7571efe444d/106_0_3780_3024/master/3780.jpg?width=605&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=6537aa89dacf50935e8b052911f6b4f0″,”width”:605},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/856a6492ec98c0d28e0cec8263cea7571efe444d/106_0_3780_3024/master/3780.jpg?width=605&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=dbea1fef2302a639382ab211e0606d62″,”width”:1210},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/856a6492ec98c0d28e0cec8263cea7571efe444d/106_0_3780_3024/master/3780.jpg?width=445&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=7df59686801151b245d9dc68e821f9ff”,”width”:445},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/856a6492ec98c0d28e0cec8263cea7571efe444d/106_0_3780_3024/master/3780.jpg?width=445&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=7b819eb5387fe93b5a4a2091583eac37″,”width”:890}]},{“weighting”:”halfwidth”,”srcSet”:[{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/856a6492ec98c0d28e0cec8263cea7571efe444d/106_0_3780_3024/master/3780.jpg?width=620&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=dc6553675c74792ae9ad07ae038e18b3″,”width”:620},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/856a6492ec98c0d28e0cec8263cea7571efe444d/106_0_3780_3024/master/3780.jpg?width=620&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=867a904e94e6550ef0ca44235a2feda3″,”width”:1240},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/856a6492ec98c0d28e0cec8263cea7571efe444d/106_0_3780_3024/master/3780.jpg?width=605&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=6537aa89dacf50935e8b052911f6b4f0″,”width”:605},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/856a6492ec98c0d28e0cec8263cea7571efe444d/106_0_3780_3024/master/3780.jpg?width=605&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=dbea1fef2302a639382ab211e0606d62″,”width”:1210},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/856a6492ec98c0d28e0cec8263cea7571efe444d/106_0_3780_3024/master/3780.jpg?width=445&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=7df59686801151b245d9dc68e821f9ff”,”width”:445},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/856a6492ec98c0d28e0cec8263cea7571efe444d/106_0_3780_3024/master/3780.jpg?width=445&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=7b819eb5387fe93b5a4a2091583eac37″,”width”:890}]},{“weighting”:”immersive”,”srcSet”:[{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/856a6492ec98c0d28e0cec8263cea7571efe444d/106_0_3780_3024/master/3780.jpg?width=1900&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=5d935dc5ab36a61983c64bcf862e77a6″,”width”:1900},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/856a6492ec98c0d28e0cec8263cea7571efe444d/106_0_3780_3024/master/3780.jpg?width=1900&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=7624be627330ffe221d5ef7d39151582″,”width”:3800},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/856a6492ec98c0d28e0cec8263cea7571efe444d/106_0_3780_3024/master/3780.jpg?width=1300&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=f0cf9c7730ccf90d4ebc1b8432f0b97e”,”width”:1300},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/856a6492ec98c0d28e0cec8263cea7571efe444d/106_0_3780_3024/master/3780.jpg?width=1300&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=8a19d4f8ee3c7ed1443835a0b361a3a8″,”width”:2600},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/856a6492ec98c0d28e0cec8263cea7571efe444d/106_0_3780_3024/master/3780.jpg?width=1140&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=8e4d627fde10e3c432826ccf3115844e”,”width”:1140},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/856a6492ec98c0d28e0cec8263cea7571efe444d/106_0_3780_3024/master/3780.jpg?width=1140&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=2fffa2194f1f74fa94f19968a9b076fd”,”width”:2280},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/856a6492ec98c0d28e0cec8263cea7571efe444d/106_0_3780_3024/master/3780.jpg?width=980&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=4d279cb49f12f75ef4d6b26f4f0edc2e”,”width”:980},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/856a6492ec98c0d28e0cec8263cea7571efe444d/106_0_3780_3024/master/3780.jpg?width=980&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=a3e6f93ccff499500ad0bf8312ed5a04″,”width”:1960},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/856a6492ec98c0d28e0cec8263cea7571efe444d/106_0_3780_3024/master/3780.jpg?width=740&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=1bbc3e80b185f5340e49bd775038c410″,”width”:740},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/856a6492ec98c0d28e0cec8263cea7571efe444d/106_0_3780_3024/master/3780.jpg?width=740&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=6296a8b9a5f294b7c97edf50dc425d54″,”width”:1480},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/856a6492ec98c0d28e0cec8263cea7571efe444d/106_0_3780_3024/master/3780.jpg?width=660&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=57b5d1414a0975a043aea9aeea573005″,”width”:660},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/856a6492ec98c0d28e0cec8263cea7571efe444d/106_0_3780_3024/master/3780.jpg?width=660&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=99df530efcafc9536353323387ec48d2″,”width”:1320},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/856a6492ec98c0d28e0cec8263cea7571efe444d/106_0_3780_3024/master/3780.jpg?width=480&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=31ae53e5e123221b263a6b12fb2b6023″,”width”:480},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/856a6492ec98c0d28e0cec8263cea7571efe444d/106_0_3780_3024/master/3780.jpg?width=480&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=c840f5a9599a1a31e11694dfaa34efe0″,”width”:960}]}],”data”:{“alt”:”A map of the the strait of Hormuz”,”caption”:”‘Difficult’ mission: the strait of Hormuz. “,”credit”:”Photograph: Andre M Chang/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock”}},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Experts say it’s unlikely the US military will fire missiles or other weapons at vessels, given the risk of an environmental disaster. The most likely option is the US navy will try to force them to change course through threats – and if that doesn’t work, they will launch armed boarding parties to take physical control of the ships, experts say.

“,”elementId”:”487d74c5-38d8-480f-b3b3-174b4d43f920″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

“Trump wants a quick fix,” says Dana Stroul, a former senior Pentagon official during the Biden administration and now at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

“,”elementId”:”07156b55-cfcd-4244-8311-0523a8f971d2″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.BlockquoteBlockElement”,”html”:”

n

The reality is, this mission is difficult to execute alone and likely unsustainable over the medium to long-term.”

n

“,”elementId”:”d151585d-5074-4f17-ac5f-2b63ffa78362″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement”,”prefix”:”Related: “,”text”:”Strait of Hormuz blockade explained: why is Trump threatening it now and will it increase the price of oil?”,”elementId”:”03a8b5e3-005f-40a2-ba7d-3377b5e893e4″,”role”:”thumbnail”,”url”:”https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/13/strait-of-hormuz-blockade-what-why-explained-navy-trump-iran”}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1776050871000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”23.27 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1776052124000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”23.48 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1776052124000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”23.48 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”23.48″,”title”:”Strait of Hormuz blockade explained: why is Trump threatening it now and how will it work?”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Mon 13 Apr 2026 13.13 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Sun 12 Apr 2026 22.15 EDT”},{“id”:”69dc542e8f08a86a0e5648cd”,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Donald Trump has said he doesn’t care if Iran comes back to negotiations with the US after the weekend talks in Pakistan ended without a deal.

“,”elementId”:”7a8f3fcc-845d-4df5-8810-629a3284aa92″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

“I don’t care if they come back or not,” Trump was quoted as telling reporters on Sunday at Joint Base Andrews military base in Maryland on his return from Florida.

“,”elementId”:”982e1c93-8095-4e75-b0e1-300cb8521309″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.BlockquoteBlockElement”,”html”:”

n

If they don’t come back, I’m fine.”

n

“,”elementId”:”3f41dd09-75ae-44e8-bc7c-d289813d6415″}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1776047150000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”22.25 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1776048737000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”22.52 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1776048738000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”22.52 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”22.52″,”title”:”Trump: ‘I don’t care’ if Iran doesn’t return to negotiations”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Mon 13 Apr 2026 13.13 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Sun 12 Apr 2026 22.15 EDT”},{“id”:”69dc288b8f08ff62487f8171″,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Welcome to the Guardian’s continuing coverage of the US-Israel war on Iran and its consequences for the wider region, the world and the global economy.

“,”elementId”:”f62c50ea-aa2c-466a-92e9-107e7c94b411″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Here are the main developments:

“,”elementId”:”ade31401-3ec6-43be-84c0-312813c43579″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

n
Trump said the US Navy would start blockading the Hormuz strait and would also interdict every vessel in international waters that had paid a toll to Iran. In a lengthy post on his Truth Social platform, the president said the US was going to start “BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz”.

n
In another post Trump also claimed Iran had “knowingly failed” to make good on its promise to open the strait, causing “anxiety” and “pain” for many countries around the world.

“,”elementId”:”6cd19ba0-87ec-415c-8076-b2a06e25118d”},{“displayCredit”:true,”_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement”,”role”:”inline”,”media”:{“allImages”:[{“index”:0,”fields”:{“aspectRatio”:”5:4″,”height”:”3333″,”width”:”4164″},”mediaType”:”Image”,”mimeType”:”image/jpeg”,”url”:”https://media.guim.co.uk/7c7ecdfd1f77f6783563a5cf4146aed5f004306b/836_0_4164_3333/4164.jpg”},{“index”:1,”fields”:{“aspectRatio”:”5:4″,”isMaster”:”true”,”height”:”3333″,”width”:”4164″},”mediaType”:”Image”,”mimeType”:”image/jpeg”,”url”:”https://media.guim.co.uk/7c7ecdfd1f77f6783563a5cf4146aed5f004306b/836_0_4164_3333/master/4164.jpg”},{“index”:2,”fields”:{“aspectRatio”:”5:4″,”height”:”1601″,”width”:”2000″},”mediaType”:”Image”,”mimeType”:”image/jpeg”,”url”:”https://media.guim.co.uk/7c7ecdfd1f77f6783563a5cf4146aed5f004306b/836_0_4164_3333/2000.jpg”},{“index”:3,”fields”:{“aspectRatio”:”5:4″,”height”:”800″,”width”:”1000″},”mediaType”:”Image”,”mimeType”:”image/jpeg”,”url”:”https://media.guim.co.uk/7c7ecdfd1f77f6783563a5cf4146aed5f004306b/836_0_4164_3333/1000.jpg”},{“index”:4,”fields”:{“aspectRatio”:”5:4″,”height”:”400″,”width”:”500″},”mediaType”:”Image”,”mimeType”:”image/jpeg”,”url”:”https://media.guim.co.uk/7c7ecdfd1f77f6783563a5cf4146aed5f004306b/836_0_4164_3333/500.jpg”},{“index”:5,”fields”:{“aspectRatio”:”5:4″,”height”:”112″,”width”:”140″},”mediaType”:”Image”,”mimeType”:”image/jpeg”,”url”:”https://media.guim.co.uk/7c7ecdfd1f77f6783563a5cf4146aed5f004306b/836_0_4164_3333/140.jpg”}]},”elementId”:”4c90f222-df51-4f0b-bd10-54760a3f211f”,”imageSources”:[{“weighting”:”inline”,”srcSet”:[{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/7c7ecdfd1f77f6783563a5cf4146aed5f004306b/836_0_4164_3333/master/4164.jpg?width=620&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=66202050c021905684a81ad56a5d1362″,”width”:620},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/7c7ecdfd1f77f6783563a5cf4146aed5f004306b/836_0_4164_3333/master/4164.jpg?width=620&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=0d2b5e38bdc4e940bd1f004d6a2ed50a”,”width”:1240},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/7c7ecdfd1f77f6783563a5cf4146aed5f004306b/836_0_4164_3333/master/4164.jpg?width=605&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=43ed17fec503a570e3902a2095f7acb6″,”width”:605},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/7c7ecdfd1f77f6783563a5cf4146aed5f004306b/836_0_4164_3333/master/4164.jpg?width=605&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=df35bcbf3c1195428384a7a77f3a3ae2″,”width”:1210},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/7c7ecdfd1f77f6783563a5cf4146aed5f004306b/836_0_4164_3333/master/4164.jpg?width=445&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=68dbca548faac58fbe9fac4776524359″,”width”:445},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/7c7ecdfd1f77f6783563a5cf4146aed5f004306b/836_0_4164_3333/master/4164.jpg?width=445&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=85022552bf83ff78f728467d4740a9c0″,”width”:890}]},{“weighting”:”thumbnail”,”srcSet”:[{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/7c7ecdfd1f77f6783563a5cf4146aed5f004306b/836_0_4164_3333/master/4164.jpg?width=140&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=cb2d8b8c9a4655b120b9d9db7220ee15″,”width”:140},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/7c7ecdfd1f77f6783563a5cf4146aed5f004306b/836_0_4164_3333/master/4164.jpg?width=140&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=a430c9af5f8609a4274f635faf381040″,”width”:280},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/7c7ecdfd1f77f6783563a5cf4146aed5f004306b/836_0_4164_3333/master/4164.jpg?width=120&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=d188faec54a8b3f65e41a07d197bfeb2″,”width”:120},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/7c7ecdfd1f77f6783563a5cf4146aed5f004306b/836_0_4164_3333/master/4164.jpg?width=120&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=456bd90c028f97dfe8bee60b90b0686f”,”width”:240}]},{“weighting”:”supporting”,”srcSet”:[{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/7c7ecdfd1f77f6783563a5cf4146aed5f004306b/836_0_4164_3333/master/4164.jpg?width=380&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=040f531ad9a554407ce4570c6ee16697″,”width”:380},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/7c7ecdfd1f77f6783563a5cf4146aed5f004306b/836_0_4164_3333/master/4164.jpg?width=380&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=eb78cc8280309eb38d5a5de77f642d5d”,”width”:760},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/7c7ecdfd1f77f6783563a5cf4146aed5f004306b/836_0_4164_3333/master/4164.jpg?width=300&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=35c6ffcf1416c9e470815112fbadb007″,”width”:300},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/7c7ecdfd1f77f6783563a5cf4146aed5f004306b/836_0_4164_3333/master/4164.jpg?width=300&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=90f0c531628cb78bd9bdf09d57fedc09″,”width”:600},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/7c7ecdfd1f77f6783563a5cf4146aed5f004306b/836_0_4164_3333/master/4164.jpg?width=620&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=66202050c021905684a81ad56a5d1362″,”width”:620},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/7c7ecdfd1f77f6783563a5cf4146aed5f004306b/836_0_4164_3333/master/4164.jpg?width=620&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=0d2b5e38bdc4e940bd1f004d6a2ed50a”,”width”:1240},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/7c7ecdfd1f77f6783563a5cf4146aed5f004306b/836_0_4164_3333/master/4164.jpg?width=605&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=43ed17fec503a570e3902a2095f7acb6″,”width”:605},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/7c7ecdfd1f77f6783563a5cf4146aed5f004306b/836_0_4164_3333/master/4164.jpg?width=605&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=df35bcbf3c1195428384a7a77f3a3ae2″,”width”:1210},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/7c7ecdfd1f77f6783563a5cf4146aed5f004306b/836_0_4164_3333/master/4164.jpg?width=445&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=68dbca548faac58fbe9fac4776524359″,”width”:445},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/7c7ecdfd1f77f6783563a5cf4146aed5f004306b/836_0_4164_3333/master/4164.jpg?width=445&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=85022552bf83ff78f728467d4740a9c0″,”width”:890}]},{“weighting”:”showcase”,”srcSet”:[{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/7c7ecdfd1f77f6783563a5cf4146aed5f004306b/836_0_4164_3333/master/4164.jpg?width=860&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=d577ba3e144a61905264f2b2a603e747″,”width”:860},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/7c7ecdfd1f77f6783563a5cf4146aed5f004306b/836_0_4164_3333/master/4164.jpg?width=860&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=08c8bd3d08ed8b2a5346f4a237609815″,”width”:1720},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/7c7ecdfd1f77f6783563a5cf4146aed5f004306b/836_0_4164_3333/master/4164.jpg?width=780&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=531374cb4b819209ac52d0352ed2ac8f”,”width”:780},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/7c7ecdfd1f77f6783563a5cf4146aed5f004306b/836_0_4164_3333/master/4164.jpg?width=780&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=413deb57427c99261688a7c30648522a”,”width”:1560},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/7c7ecdfd1f77f6783563a5cf4146aed5f004306b/836_0_4164_3333/master/4164.jpg?width=620&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=66202050c021905684a81ad56a5d1362″,”width”:620},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/7c7ecdfd1f77f6783563a5cf4146aed5f004306b/836_0_4164_3333/master/4164.jpg?width=620&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=0d2b5e38bdc4e940bd1f004d6a2ed50a”,”width”:1240},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/7c7ecdfd1f77f6783563a5cf4146aed5f004306b/836_0_4164_3333/master/4164.jpg?width=605&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=43ed17fec503a570e3902a2095f7acb6″,”width”:605},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/7c7ecdfd1f77f6783563a5cf4146aed5f004306b/836_0_4164_3333/master/4164.jpg?width=605&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=df35bcbf3c1195428384a7a77f3a3ae2″,”width”:1210},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/7c7ecdfd1f77f6783563a5cf4146aed5f004306b/836_0_4164_3333/master/4164.jpg?width=445&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=68dbca548faac58fbe9fac4776524359″,”width”:445},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/7c7ecdfd1f77f6783563a5cf4146aed5f004306b/836_0_4164_3333/master/4164.jpg?width=445&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=85022552bf83ff78f728467d4740a9c0″,”width”:890}]},{“weighting”:”halfwidth”,”srcSet”:[{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/7c7ecdfd1f77f6783563a5cf4146aed5f004306b/836_0_4164_3333/master/4164.jpg?width=620&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=66202050c021905684a81ad56a5d1362″,”width”:620},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/7c7ecdfd1f77f6783563a5cf4146aed5f004306b/836_0_4164_3333/master/4164.jpg?width=620&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=0d2b5e38bdc4e940bd1f004d6a2ed50a”,”width”:1240},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/7c7ecdfd1f77f6783563a5cf4146aed5f004306b/836_0_4164_3333/master/4164.jpg?width=605&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=43ed17fec503a570e3902a2095f7acb6″,”width”:605},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/7c7ecdfd1f77f6783563a5cf4146aed5f004306b/836_0_4164_3333/master/4164.jpg?width=605&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=df35bcbf3c1195428384a7a77f3a3ae2″,”width”:1210},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/7c7ecdfd1f77f6783563a5cf4146aed5f004306b/836_0_4164_3333/master/4164.jpg?width=445&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=68dbca548faac58fbe9fac4776524359″,”width”:445},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/7c7ecdfd1f77f6783563a5cf4146aed5f004306b/836_0_4164_3333/master/4164.jpg?width=445&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=85022552bf83ff78f728467d4740a9c0″,”width”:890}]},{“weighting”:”immersive”,”srcSet”:[{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/7c7ecdfd1f77f6783563a5cf4146aed5f004306b/836_0_4164_3333/master/4164.jpg?width=1900&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=ed5e8a36f45289092be5264b0845b5f6″,”width”:1900},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/7c7ecdfd1f77f6783563a5cf4146aed5f004306b/836_0_4164_3333/master/4164.jpg?width=1900&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=a22ec22ac11fef9c951eb5cc2875b497″,”width”:3800},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/7c7ecdfd1f77f6783563a5cf4146aed5f004306b/836_0_4164_3333/master/4164.jpg?width=1300&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=9eb6db79a9dcecea6c43b5e83903ce53″,”width”:1300},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/7c7ecdfd1f77f6783563a5cf4146aed5f004306b/836_0_4164_3333/master/4164.jpg?width=1300&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=326e40953ce8d07d1e78bb4545b6a28d”,”width”:2600},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/7c7ecdfd1f77f6783563a5cf4146aed5f004306b/836_0_4164_3333/master/4164.jpg?width=1140&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=1e9e856a94666baa70808242209c1b5e”,”width”:1140},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/7c7ecdfd1f77f6783563a5cf4146aed5f004306b/836_0_4164_3333/master/4164.jpg?width=1140&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=6e512c9269cb4d1210cee2caf470cf51″,”width”:2280},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/7c7ecdfd1f77f6783563a5cf4146aed5f004306b/836_0_4164_3333/master/4164.jpg?width=980&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=11aa213d5a5804de44d16b913bd8ed48″,”width”:980},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/7c7ecdfd1f77f6783563a5cf4146aed5f004306b/836_0_4164_3333/master/4164.jpg?width=980&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=521557504a95eab2c5894369b3edfa6b”,”width”:1960},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/7c7ecdfd1f77f6783563a5cf4146aed5f004306b/836_0_4164_3333/master/4164.jpg?width=740&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=2b5620ca5a33c72843143e6e8d86a8a5″,”width”:740},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/7c7ecdfd1f77f6783563a5cf4146aed5f004306b/836_0_4164_3333/master/4164.jpg?width=740&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=76d54cec1de4f40904ac62c3e346b18b”,”width”:1480},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/7c7ecdfd1f77f6783563a5cf4146aed5f004306b/836_0_4164_3333/master/4164.jpg?width=660&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=c3de0d66bfb0700d9f2b71a7c5240e6e”,”width”:660},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/7c7ecdfd1f77f6783563a5cf4146aed5f004306b/836_0_4164_3333/master/4164.jpg?width=660&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=b3dacfb8bc06a52115bee8f42299ce97″,”width”:1320},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/7c7ecdfd1f77f6783563a5cf4146aed5f004306b/836_0_4164_3333/master/4164.jpg?width=480&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=4d0d92933202eb152de3e94bed77174f”,”width”:480},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/7c7ecdfd1f77f6783563a5cf4146aed5f004306b/836_0_4164_3333/master/4164.jpg?width=480&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=b7ca48bb4bc0351f8691476f48b4b26f”,”width”:960}]}],”data”:{“alt”:”Donald Trump talks to reporters on the White House south lawn before boarding a US helicopter at the weekend”,”caption”:”Donald Trump talks to reporters on the White House south lawn before boarding a US helicopter at the weekend. “,”credit”:”Photograph: Andrew Leyden/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock”}},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

n
US Central Command (Centcom) announced it would begin its blockade of the strait beginning Monday morning. “Centcom forces will begin implementing a blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports on April 13 at 10am ET [1400 GMT], in accordance with the president’s proclamation.”

n
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned that “approaching military vessels to the strait of Hormuz is considered a violation of the ceasefire”.

n
Oil prices rose in early market trading after Trump’s blockade announcement. The price of US crude oil rose 8% to $104.24 a barrel and Brent crude oil – the international standard – rose 7% to $102.29. Australia’s share market dropped sharply on Monday morning.

n
Donald Trump and his advisers are looking at resuming limited military strikes in Iran in addition to the US blockade of the strait of Hormuz, the Wall Street Journal is reporting, citing officials and people familiar with the situation.

n
Trump launched a scathing attack on Pope Leo XIV, saying he was “weak on crime and terrible for foreign policy” and was hurting the Catholic church. “Leo should get his act together as Pope,” the president said on Truth Social. The attack came after Leo denounced the “delusion of omnipotence” as fuelling the US-Israel war in Iran and demanded political leaders stop and negotiate peace.

n
Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese said his government had not been asked to participate in any US blockade of the strait of Hormuz and that he wanted to see negotiations between the US and Iran continue.

n
Trump reiterated his threat to destroy Iran’s power plants and other civilian energy infrastructure if no deal was reached to end the war, which he started with Israel in what is widely seen as an illegal and unprovoked attack. “I could take out Iran in one day,” he told Fox News on Sunday.

n
Trump also said the US didn’t need the strait. “We don’t get our oil from there. We have so much oil,” he told Fox. “We have boats pouring up to the United States … We don’t need the strait.”

n
Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who led the Tehran side in the US talks, said Trump’s new threats would have no effect on the Iranian nation. “If you fight, we will fight, and if you come forward with logic, we will deal with logic. We will not bow to any threats.” He later taunted Trump on X, posting: “Enjoy the current pump figures. With the so-called ‘blockade’, Soon you’ll be nostalgic for $4–$5 gas.”

“,”elementId”:”ac07a476-3a4e-44ff-a14a-116c532c1da2″}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:false,”summary”:true},”blockCreatedOn”:1776046538000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”22.15 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1776063861000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”03.04 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1776046538000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”22.15 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”22.15″,”title”:”Opening summary”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Mon 13 Apr 2026 13.13 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Sun 12 Apr 2026 22.15 EDT”}],”filterKeyEvents”:false,”id”:”key-events-carousel-mobile”,”renderingTarget”:”Web”,”serverTime”:1776100691767}”>

Key events

Show key events only

Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature

Donald Trump claims Iran wants ‘to work a deal’ and claims oil tankers are operating in strait of Hormuz

Donald Trump said Iran wants to make a deal and that he will not come to any agreement that allows Tehran to have a nuclear weapon.

Trump said that talks had hit a roadblock related to nuclear issues and that a “blockade” of ships transiting the strait of Hormuz had begun.

He said that Iran had “called this morning” and that “they’d like to work a deal.” Reuters could not immediately verify the claim.

“Iran will not have a nuclear weapon,” Trump told reporters during an impromptu press conference at the White House on Monday. “We can’t let a country blackmail or extort the world.”

When asked if oil tankers will be operating in the strait of Hormuz, he said: “A lot of tankers are going in empty and out full, we have a great capacity of taking care of that.”

US president Donald Trump claims that 34 ships went through the strait of Hormuz on Sunday, saying that would be the highest number since the “foolish closure” began.

Summary of the day so far

Here is a summary of the day so far

The US blockade of all Iranian Gulf ports and coastal areas has begun. Seafarers and the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations have received notices warning that the blockade will apply to all vessel traffic, regardless of flag.
Donald Trump vows that ships approaching US blockade of Iran’s ports will be ‘eliminated’. “Iran’s navy is laying at the bottom of the sea,” he wrote on social media platform Truth Social.
Nato allies said on Monday they would not get involved in US president Donald Trump’s plan to blockade the strait of Hormuz, proposing instead to intervene only once fighting ends, in a move likely to anger Trump and increase strains in the alliance.
Trump lashed out on social media at Pope Leo XIV, who, over the weekend, had called for an end to war without directly mentioning the conflict in Iran. The US president posted a more than 300-word diatribe on Truth Social accusing the pope of catering to the “Radical Left” and being “terrible” for foreign policy.
The pope on Monday told reporters that he has “no intention to debate” with Trump over Iran – but went on to say that he will “continue to speak out loudly against war, looking to promote peace, promoting dialogue and multilateral relationships among the states to look for just solutions to problems.”

Israel has summoned Italy’s ambassador on Monday to protest after foreign minister Antonio Tajani condemned Israel’s “unacceptable attacks” on civilians in Lebanon during a visit to Beirut, an Italian diplomatic source said.

This comes as Tajani wrote on X that he was in Beirut to “convey Italy’s solidarity following Israel’s unacceptable attacks against the civilian population.”

He called for dialogue between Lebanon and Israel and a “necessary and lasting ceasefire” adding: “Another escalation like in Gaza must be avoided at all costs.”

Tajani was in talks with Lebanese president Joseph Aoun and foreign minister Youssef Raggi.

Italy's minister for foreign affairs Antonio Tajani visits Lebanon. — Italy’s minister for foreign affairs Antonio Tajani visits Lebanon. Photograph: Lebanese Presidency Press Office Handout/EPA

Lebanon was pulled into the Middle East war when Iran-backed group Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel on 2 March. Israel then responded with large-scale strikes and a ground invasion.

Italy’s government summoned Israel’s ambassador last week after saying Israeli forces fired warning shots at a convoy of Italian UN peacekeepers in Lebanon, damaging at least one vehicle but causing no injuries.

NATO allies refuse to join Trump’s strait of Hormuz blockade

Germany, Spain, Italy, Poland, and Greece have all ruled out sending naval forces to support the blockade.

“This strictly defensive mission, distinct from the belligerents, will be deployed as soon as the situation allows,” Macron said.

Trump vows that ships approaching US blockade of Iran’s ports will be ‘eliminated’

He added at the end: “P.S. 98.2% of Drugs coming into the U.S. by Ocean or Sea have stopped! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”

Iran’s president Masoud Pezeshkian has condemned US president Donald Trump’s attack on Pope Leo XIV “on behalf of the great nation of Iran,” adding that the desecration of “Jesus, the prophet of peace and brotherhood,” is not acceptable to “any free person”.

This comes after Trump launched an attack on Truth Social on the pope, calling him “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy”.

He added: “I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon. I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s terrible that America attacked Venezuela, a Country that was sending massive amounts of Drugs into the United States and, even worse, emptying their prisons, including murderers, drug dealers, and killers, into our Country.”

US blockade on Iranian ports begins

As previously reported, seafarers and the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations have received notices warning that the blockade will apply to all vessel traffic, regardless of flag.

We’ll bring you more details as they come in – stay tuned.

Here’s what we know about the blockade so far:

UKMTO receives notice warning of maritime restrictions on entire Iranian coastline

UKMTO posted about the restrictions minutes before the US blockade was set to begin.

Here are some images coming out of the Middle East today:

A woman in black and a black hijab cries as she looks at photos arranged in a memorial outside a building that was destroyed in a US-Israeli airstrike. The photos are all of victims killed in that airstrike. — A woman mourns in front of the building where her daughter was killed in a US-Israeli airstrike. Photograph: Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA

A wide shot of the building that was damaged in a US-Israeli airstrike, in front of which someone has placed photos of the airstrike's victims in a makeshift memorial. — People gather to view photographs of people killed in a US-Israeli airstrike on a residential building. Photograph: Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA

Smoke rises above a green landscape, into a grey-blue sky. — Smoke rises following an airstrike in southern Lebanon, as seen from northern Israel, on 13 April 2026. Photograph: Florion Goga/Reuters

Two men sit on a grey couch in front of rubble and wreckage. — People sit among the wreckage of cars in Corniche el Mazraa, one of the areas hit during a massive wave of Israeli airstrikes, in Beirut, Lebanon on 13 April 2026. Photograph: Wael Hamzeh/EPA

Two women in black hijabs cry with their heads pressed together. — Ahlam Badawi, 51, left, the mother of 31-year-old Hassan Ali Badawi, a Lebanese Red Cross paramedic who was killed in a Israeli strike, cries during his funeral in Choueifat, Lebanon on 13 April 2026. Photograph: Emilio Morenatti/AP

An object swoops through a blue sky, leaving behind a cloud trail. — Israeli anti-missile system operates for an interception over the Israel-Lebanon border, as seen from northern Israel, on 13 April 2026. Photograph: Florion Goga/Reuters

A fighter jet flies against a grey-blue sky, a flare lit behind it. — An Israeli F15 jet releases a flare while flying over southern Lebanon, as seen from northern Israel, on 13 April 2026. Photograph: Florion Goga/Reuters

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has said it is deeply concerned about attacks on medical workers in Lebanon after a Red Cross centre was struck by Israel on Monday, and the killing of a health worker on Sunday.

“The loss of those who dedicate their lives to saving others is gravely concerning, given the impact on the civilians who depend on their help,” said Agnes Dhur, head of delegation of the ICRC in Lebanon.

“Saving lives must never cost a life. Humanitarian and medical personnel must be protected. They must be allowed to reach and help the wounded and return unharmed.”

The ICRC called on all parties to the fighting to “uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law”.

Red Cross paramedic Hassan Badawi was killed in an Israeli strike on Sunday. His funeral has taken place, and his colleagues are mourning.

Colleagues of Red Cross paramedic Hassan Badawi, who was killed in an Israeli strike on Sunday, mourn following his funeral, in Bechamoun, Lebanon. — Colleagues of Red Cross paramedic Hassan Badawi, who was killed in an Israeli strike on Sunday, mourn after his funeral, in Bechamoun, Lebanon. Photograph: Mohamed Azakir/Reuters

Pope Leo XIV has further defended his position of seeking peace, after US president Donald Trump criticised him for “catering to the Radical Left”.

“I have no fear of the Trump administration or speaking out loudly of the message of the Gospel, which is what I believe I am here to do, what the church is here to do,” the pontiff said.

“We are not politicians, we don’t deal with foreign policy with the same perspective (as) he might understand it,” he continued. “But I do believe in the message of the Gospel, as a peacemaker.”

Pope Leo XIV. Photograph: Guglielmo Mangiapane/EPA

This comes after Leo suggested over the weekend that “delusion of omnipotence” was fuelling the US-Israel war in Iran. In response, Trump said he thinks the pontiff is not “doing a very good job”.

Both Trump and Pete Hegseth, his defence secretary, have invoked God and religious language in public messaging during the conflict. Hegseth has even framed the war effort as divinely supported, a sentiment that the pope has repeatedly refuted.

“Jesus is the king of peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war,” he said on Palm Sunday. “He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war but rejects them.”

EU must scale up ‘homegrown’ renewable energy as war in Iran continues, European Commission president says

Jennifer Rankin

Ursula von der Leyen. Photograph: Omar Havana/AP

She said the EU was paying “a high price for our over-dependency on fossil fuels” but went on to say that Europe had assets.

Today so far

Here is a summary of today’s events so far:

World leaders have been reacting to Donald Trump’s earlier declaration that the US Navy would start blockading the Hormuz strait and also prohibit every vessel in international waters that had paid a toll to Iran. UK prime minister Keir Starmer was adamant that the UK does not support the blockade and that “we are not getting dragged into the war”. Meanwhile, Ursula ⁠⁠von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said that restoration ⁠⁠of freedom of navigation in the strait of ⁠⁠Hormuz is of “paramount” importance.
US Central Command said it would begin a blockade of all Iranian Gulf ports and coastal areas on Monday at 10am ET (5.30pm in Iran and 1400 GMT), effectively seizing control of maritime traffic in the strait of Hormuz. Reuters reports that the US military has sent a note to seafarers warning that the blockade will apply to all vessel traffic, regardless of flag.
Trump lashed out on social media at Pope Leo XIV, who, over the weekend, had called for an end to war without directly mentioning the conflict in Iran. The US president posted a more than 300-word diatribe on Truth Social accusing the pope of catering to the “Radical Left” and being “terrible” for foreign policy.
The pope on Monday told reporters that he has “no intention to debate” with Trump over Iran – but went on to say that he will “continue to speak out loudly against war, looking to promote peace, promoting dialogue and multilateral relationships among the states to look for just solutions to problems.”
Oil prices rose in early market trading after Trump’s blockade announcement. The price of US crude oil rose 8% to $104.24 a barrel and Brent crude oil – the international standard – rose 7% to $102.29. Australia’s share market dropped sharply on Monday morning.
Iran’s parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf taunted Trump on X, saying in a post: “Enjoy the current pump figures. With the so-called ‘blockade’, Soon you’ll be nostalgic for $4–$5 gas.” Earlier he said Trump’s new threats would have no effect on the Iranian nation: “If you fight, we will fight … We will not bow to any threats.”

US naval blockade will apply to all vessel traffic east of Hormuz strait

The US military has sent a note to seafarers warning that the blockade east of the strait of Hormuz will apply to all vessel traffic, regardless of flag, Reuters reports.

The blockade is scheduled to go into effect on Monday at 10am ET (5.30pm in Iran and 1400 GMT).

Netanyahu: Israel supports Trump’s naval blockade of Iran

“We, of course, support this firm position, and we are in constant coordination with the United States.”

A poll from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has found that nearly two-thirds of Israelis oppose the Iran ceasefire, Reuters reports.

This poll was the first national survey of Israelis conducted after the US and Iran agreed last week to a two-week ceasefire brokered by Pakistan. According to the poll, more than 61 percent of Israelis believe that the ceasefire should not extend to the fighting with Hezbollah. Although Iran and Pakistan have asserted that the ceasefire includes Lebanon, Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has said there was “no ceasefire in Lebanon”.

The poll found the public to be divided on whether Israel should respect the two-week truce or resume attacks on Iran – 39 percent said Israel should ‌continue ⁠attacks, 41 percent said their country should respect the ceasefire and 19 percent said they weren’t sure.

Though Pope Leo said he has “no intention to debate” Donald Trump on Iran, he also said he plans on continuing to “speak out loudly against war”, Reuters reports.

“I will continue to speak out loudly against war, looking to promote peace, promoting dialogue and multilateral relationships among the states to look for just solutions to problems,” Leo told Reuters aboard a papal flight to Algiers for the pontiff’s first official trip to Africa.

“Too many people are suffering in the world today,” he said. “Too many innocent people are being killed. And I think someone has to stand up and say there’s a better way.“

Middle East crisis live: Trump vows that ships approaching US blockade of Iran’s ports will be ‘eliminated’, after sparring with pope

Trump vows that ships approaching US blockade of Iran’s ports will be ‘eliminated’

Donald Trump claims Iran wants ‘to work a deal’ and claims oil tankers are operating in strait of Hormuz

Summary of the day so far

NATO allies refuse to join Trump’s strait of Hormuz blockade

Trump vows that ships approaching US blockade of Iran’s ports will be ‘eliminated’

US blockade on Iranian ports begins

UKMTO receives notice warning of maritime restrictions on entire Iranian coastline

EU must scale up ‘homegrown’ renewable energy as war in Iran continues, European Commission president says

Today so far

US naval blockade will apply to all vessel traffic east of Hormuz strait

Netanyahu: Israel supports Trump’s naval blockade of Iran

Subscribe

Related articles

Iran-Linked Ships Slow or Stop as U.S. Navy Enforces Strait of Hormuz Blockade

Johnson backs Trump, Vance in criticism of pope

Wyden urges Democrats to back FISA privacy amendments

Inside Pakistan’s turnaround with Trump

Trump makes last-minute plea for GOP to ‘stick together’ on key surveillance powers vote

About us

Company

Must Read

Iran-Linked Ships Slow or Stop as U.S. Navy Enforces Strait of Hormuz Blockade

Johnson backs Trump, Vance in criticism of pope

Wyden urges Democrats to back FISA privacy amendments

Subscribe