Benjamin Netanyahu

Iran is seeking to end war ‘with dignity,’ says President Pezeshkian

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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian delivers a speech during an inspection visit to the Ministry of Sports and Youth in Tehran, Iran on April 19, 2026. [Iranian Presidency – Anadolu Agency]

Iran is seeking to end the war with the US and Iran “with dignity,” the country’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said Sunday, arguing that US President Donald Trump has no right to deprive Tehran of its nuclear rights, Anadolu reports.

“Trump says Iran should not use its nuclear rights, but does not explain what crime Iran has committed,” Pezeshkian said during a visit to Iran’s Sports and Youth Ministry, the ISNA news agency reported.

He also called for the nation to stand “firm against a bloodthirsty and brutal enemy.”

Iran must manage the current atmosphere in a way that “does not portray us as war-mongers” as “we are defending ourselves,” he added.

“Our girls in Australia have delivered a strong blow to the enemy. Those two dear girls who were misled by the enemies are always welcome back whenever they return; our arms are open to them,” Pezeshkian added, referring to the Australian Women Football Team’s performance at last month’s Asian Cup, as well as two of its players who sought asylum.

On Feb. 28, the U.S. and Israel launched a joint offensive on Iran, and Tehran retaliated with strikes on Israel and other regional countries hosting U.S. assets.

The war has been on hold since April 8, when Pakistan mediated a two-week ceasefire.

Washington and Tehran held talks in Pakistan last weekend towards a lasting peace, and efforts for another session in Islamabad are underway.

US military prepares to board Iran-linked ships in coming days: Report

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Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don't need people to join wars after they've already won. He's challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don’t need people to join wars after they’ve already won. He’s challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Donald Trump sings and dances, says that it's fun to kill everyone ...
Donald Trump sings and dances, says that it’s fun to kill everyone …

Continue ReadingIran is seeking to end war ‘with dignity,’ says President Pezeshkian

Brazil urges UN Security Council to end ‘war madness’

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Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva deliver a joint statement during their appearance before the media following bilateral meetings held as part of the Spanish-Brazilian summit on April 17, 2026, in Barcelona, Spain. [Lorena Sopena Lopez – Anadolu Agency]

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Saturday called on the UN Security Council to halt what he described as “war madness,” urging world powers to take immediate action to end ongoing conflicts, particularly in the Middle East, Anadolu reports.

Speaking at an event in Barcelona, Spain, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva addressed the five permanent members of the Security Council – the US, China, Russia, France, and the UK – calling on them to fulfill their responsibility to maintain global peace.

“Fulfill your obligations to guarantee peace in the world, hold a meeting, and put an end to this war madness, because the world can no longer bear it,” Lula said.

He also cited a 2010 diplomatic initiative involving Brazil, India, and Türkiye aimed at limiting Iran’s uranium enrichment program.

“When we published the agreement, I imagined they would praise us because Iran would not enrich uranium. What happened?

“The EU and the US did not accept the agreement, and now they are again spreading the idea that Iran is building an atomic bomb,” he said, referring to one of US President Donald Trump’s justifications for the war on Iran launched with Israel on Feb. 28.

READ: Iran is seeking to end war ‘with dignity,’ says President Pezeshkian

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. 

Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don't need people to join wars after they've already won. He's challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don’t need people to join wars after they’ve already won. He’s challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Donald Trump sings and dances, says that it's fun to kill everyone ...
Donald Trump sings and dances, says that it’s fun to kill everyone …

Continue ReadingBrazil urges UN Security Council to end ‘war madness’

Israel preparing to strike energy facilities if Iran truce collapses: Report

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Hundreds of pro-Iranian demonstrators take streets to protest against Israeli-US attacks on Iran and Middle East, in San Francisco, California, United States on April 8, 2026. [Tayfun Coşkun – Anadolu Agency]

Israel, along with its ally the US, is preparing for a possible collapse of the ceasefire with Iran, with energy facilities could be potential targets, local media reported on Sunday, Anadolu reports.

“There is close coordination between the two sides, and if fighting resumes, the targets will also include Iranian energy facilities,” the Israeli newspaper Maariv said, citing a senior unnamed Israeli military official.

“Iran insists on its previous position regarding its right to uranium enrichment, and there is no optimism among mediators” in talks between Washington and Tehran, the report claimed.

On Feb. 28, the US and Israel launched a joint offensive on Iran, killing more than 3,300 people. Tehran retaliated with strikes on Israel and other regional countries hosting US assets.

The war was brought to a halt on April 8 under a two-week ceasefire mediated by Pakistan.

Washington and Tehran held rare direct talks in Pakistan last weekend, but the talks ended without any agreement. Mediators are seeking to hold another round of discussions in Islamabad.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said Sunday that major differences remain between Tehran and Washington despite progress in negotiations.

READ: Iran is seeking to end war ‘with dignity,’ says President Pezeshkian

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. 

Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don't need people to join wars after they've already won. He's challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don’t need people to join wars after they’ve already won. He’s challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Donald Trump sings and dances, says that it's fun to kill everyone ...
Donald Trump sings and dances, says that it’s fun to kill everyone …

Continue ReadingIsrael preparing to strike energy facilities if Iran truce collapses: Report

Lebanese army reopens key routes disrupted by Israeli attacks

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Tens of thousands of displaced Lebanese have started returning to their homes after being forced to flee due to Israeli strikes, following the implementation of a 10-day temporary ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon announced by U.S. President Donald Trump in April 18, 2026. [Elif Öztürk – Anadolu Agency]

Following damage caused by weeks of Israeli strikes, the Lebanese army said its specialized units have fully reopened the Khardali–Nabatieh road in southern Lebanon and partially restored access to the Burj Rahal–Tyre bridge, Anadolu reports.

Restoration work on the Tayr Falsah–Tyre bridge is also ongoing in coordination with the National Litani River Authority, the army said in a statement carried by Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency.

It added that efforts to reopen roads, dismantle barriers, and uphold internal security are continuing.

Since March 2, Israel has waged an offensive on Lebanon that has killed some 2,300 people, wounded over 7,500, and displaced over 1 million, according to the latest official figures from Lebanon.

A 10-day temporary ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon that took effect last Thursday has been followed by reported violations.

READ: Protesters in Swedish capital condemn Israel’s West Bank annexation plans, strikes on Lebanon

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. 

Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don't need people to join wars after they've already won. He's challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don’t need people to join wars after they’ve already won. He’s challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Donald Trump sings and dances, says that it's fun to kill everyone ...
Donald Trump sings and dances, says that it’s fun to kill everyone …

Continue ReadingLebanese army reopens key routes disrupted by Israeli attacks

Ceasefire Collapsing as Iran Shuts Down Strait of Hormuz Again, Accusing US of ‘Piracy’

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Original article by Stephen Prager republished form Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

Iranians walk past a large billboard referring to the Strait of Hormuz in Tehran’s Vanak Square on April 15, 2026. (Photo by AFP via Getty Images)

Trump’s recent actions have convinced Tehran that the US is not “a trustworthy partner for any kind of deal,” according to one Iranian professor.

The ceasefire between the US and Iran is in grave peril after Iran announced on Saturday that, in response to the continued US blockade, it would once again impose travel restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz after briefly reopening it on Friday.

Iran has used the strait—through which about 20% of the world’s oil passes—as a chokepoint on Western commerce in response to the illegal US-Israeli war launched in February, and it has been the linchpin of the two-week ceasefire between the two sides, which is scheduled to end Wednesday.

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Tehran announced Friday that the strait was “completely open” again in response to a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, which had taken effect. That agreement is also already falling apart following a slew of apparent violations by Israel, which has continued shelling southern Lebanon and demolishing homes even as displaced civilians return.

Iranian officials said they opted to reimpose their blockade of the strait because they believe that by continuing its own naval blockade of Iranian ports and vessels, which began over the past weekend, the US is not upholding its end of the deal.

According to a social media post from US Central Command on Saturday, the US military has already turned around at least 23 ships near the strait since its blockade began on April 13.

US President Donald Trump claimed Friday that Iran had agreed to reopen the strait without conditions, but that the US blockade would “remain in full force” until a broader deal was reached surrounding Iran’s nuclear program.

But Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh said during a panel Saturday that “That is not the term we agreed on.”

Iran’s military headquarters later issued a formal statement declaring that it would begin limiting travel through the strait.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran, following previous agreements met in the negotiations conducted in good faith, agreed to manage the passage of a limited number of oil and commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz,” the statement said. “Unfortunately, the Americans, with their repeated breaches of trust that are part of their history, continue their acts of piracy and maritime theft under the pretext of a so-called blockade.”

“This strategic waterway is under strict management and control by the armed forces,” it continued. “As long as the United States does not end the complete freedom of movement for vessels from Iran to their destinations and back, the situation in the Strait of Hormuz will remain under strict control and will remain as it was before.”

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) gunboats later opened fire on an oil tanker traveling through the strait on Saturday. No injuries were reported.

As Al Jazeera reporter Ali Hashem described, talks between the US and Iran have been brought “back to square one.”

The gap appears increasingly unlikely to be bridged by Wednesday, as Trump continues to demand that Iran allow the US to remove all its enriched uranium, which Iran has said is a nonstarter.

US and Israeli strikes in Iran have already killed more than 1,700 civilians, according to the US-based Human Rights Activist News Agency, and more than 3 million Iranians have been displaced since the war began, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency.

Trump said Friday that perhaps he “won’t extend” the ceasefire and that “the blockade is going to remain. If an agreement is not reached by Wednesday, he said, ”unfortunately, we’ll have to start dropping bombs again.“

The president said that Iran “got a little cute” on Saturday by closing the strait again, but said Iran “can’t blackmail us.”

Shutting the waterway has, however, proven to be one of Iran’s most effective points of leverage against the US. It has caused gas prices to soar above $4 and inflation to ripple through the entire Western economy, further tanking Trump’s already grim approval ratings as the US midterm elections approach.

Jennifer Parker, an adjunct fellow in naval studies at the University of New South Wales, told Al Jazeera that the US blockade of the strait does not have the ability to cripple Iran in the same way Iran can cripple the US.

“It is not the US blockade on Iranian ports that is impacting the majority of shipping going through that strait. It is the attacks the Iranian navy and IRGC have undertaken on civilian ships,” she said. “To solve the problem in the Strait of Hormuz, there either needs to be an agreement for Iran to stop attacking vessels, or a forcible military intervention that stops them from attacking vessels, and then general reassurance across the strait that it is clear of mines and that if the IRGC start trying to attack merchant ships, they will be defended… We are a long way from all of that.”

Iranian professor Mostafa Khoshcheshm said that Trump’s contradictory statements surrounding the ceasefire have convinced Tehran that the United States is not “a trustworthy partner for any kind of deal,” and that, as Trump continues to behave erratically, “Iran will continue the war.”

He told Al Jazeera: “Iran believes it has the upper hand and that this must be established in any future confrontation.”

Original article by Stephen Prager republished form Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
UK Labour Party government ministers Keir Starmer, Angela Rayner and Rachel Reeves explain that they are partners complicit in Israel's Gaza genocide. The UK has provided Israel with arms, military and air force support. They explain that they don't do gas chambers but do do forced marches, starvation, destroy hospitals, mass-murders of journalists and healthcare workers.
UK Labour Party government ministers Keir Starmer, Angela Rayner and Rachel Reeves explain that they are partners complicit in Israel’s Gaza genocide. The UK has provided Israel with arms, military and air force support. They explain that they don’t do gas chambers but do do forced marches, starvation, destroy hospitals, mass-murders of journalists and healthcare workers.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.

Continue ReadingCeasefire Collapsing as Iran Shuts Down Strait of Hormuz Again, Accusing US of ‘Piracy’