Iran war

Germany’s Merz says US has ‘no exit strategy’ in Iran war, calls Tehran ‘skilled negotiator’

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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz holds a press conference at the Chancellery to address current issues in Berlin, Germany, on April 9, 2026. [Halil Sağırkaya – Anadolu Agency]

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Monday criticized the US for lacking an “exit strategy” in the Iran war, while saying the Iranians are “very skilled” negotiators, Anadolu reports.

“The problem with such conflicts is always this: You don’t just have to get in; you also have to get out. We saw that very painfully in Afghanistan, for 20 years. We saw it in Iraq,” Merz said during a discussion with high school students in the western town of Marsberg.

The US “clearly went into this war in Iran without any strategy at all,” German Press Agency DPA quoted the chancellor as saying, adding that this is why it is all the more difficult to end the conflict now.

Merz said he did not believe the US could end the war in Iran quickly “because the Iranians are obviously stronger than expected, and the Americans clearly don’t have a truly convincing strategy in the negotiations either.”

“Especially since the Iranians are obviously very skilled at negotiating — or, rather, very skilled at not negotiating,” the chancellor said. “An entire nation is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership,” he added.

READ: Germany calls on UN to take responsibility for settling Iran conflict

Merz also warned that the US war in Iran has deeply affected his country’s economic performance.

“It’s a rather tricky situation at the moment and it’s costing us a great deal of money. This conflict, this war against Iran, has a direct impact on our economic performance.”

Last week, Europe’s economic powerhouse slashed its growth forecast for this year and next, squarely blaming the US-Israeli war on Iran.

The conservative-led coalition of Merz now expects the economy to grow only 0.5% this year, down from a prior estimate of 1.0%. For 2027, it likewise lowered its forecast to 0.9% from 1.3%.

Earlier this month, a poll conducted by the Sunday daily Bild am Sonntag newspaper found that 70% of eligible voters are dissatisfied with Merz’s performance, while only 21% are satisfied. Seventy-three percent of those surveyed are dissatisfied with the center-right coalition of Christian Democrats and Social Democrat, while only 20% are satisfied.

READ: Top diplomats of Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia discuss efforts for ceasefire with US

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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/
Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.
Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.
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 ReadingGermany’s Merz says US has ‘no exit strategy’ in Iran war, calls Tehran ‘skilled negotiator’

Iranian Group Submits Evidence of US-Israeli War Crimes to International Criminal Court

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Article by Jake Johnson republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). 

Representatives from more than a dozen foreign diplomatic missions, United Nations offices, and the media view damage at sites bombed by the US and Israel on April 20, 2026 in Tehran, Iran. (Photo by Majid Saeedi/Getty Images)

“All cases of attacks on civilians are being legally pursued based on the Geneva Conventions,” said the head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society.

The head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society said Saturday that his organization has submitted evidence of US-Israeli war crimes to the International Criminal Court and other global bodies, seeking accountability for massive attacks on civilian infrastructure and other violations.

“The ICC prosecutor announced that the documents provided by the IRCS are accepted as official evidence,” said Pir-Hossein Koulivand, the head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society. “All cases of attacks on civilians are being legally pursued based on the Geneva Conventions.”

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The IRCS estimates that US and Israeli airstrikes have destroyed more than 132,000 civilian structures throughout Iran, including hospitals, apartment buildings, universities, research facilities, and bridges. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to destroy all of Iran’s bridges and power plants if the country’s leadership does not succumb to his administration’s demands in negotiations to end the war.

Luis Moreno Ocampo, the founding chief prosecutor of the ICC, said earlier this month that Trump could be indicted if he follows through on his threats.

“My suggestion: You read the indictment of the Russians, change the name, and it is very similar,” said Ocampo, referring to ICC arrest warrants issued against senior Russian officials in 2024 for alleged war crimes in Ukraine.

In a series of social media posts on Saturday, the IRCS provided video footage and photographic evidence of what the group described as war crimes committed by the US and Israeli militaries.

“Among the most bitter war crimes of America and Israel in Iran is the attack on the home of 19-month-old Helma in Tabriz, in which four members of her family were martyred,” the IRCS wrote Saturday. “The only survivor of this family is Helma.”

The ICC is tasked with investigating and prosecuting individuals for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and other grave violations of international law. Iran is not currently a party to the Rome Statute, which established the ICC—so the court does not have jurisdiction over war crimes committed on Iranian territory.

Human rights organizations and advocates have implored Iran to grant the ICC jurisdiction to pursue justice for war crimes committed during the illegal US-Israeli assault that began on February 28. On the first day of the war, the US bombed an elementary school in southern Iran.

“From the killing of over 150 students and teachers to strikes on hospitals full of newborns, every day more and more evidence emerges pointing to the commission of grave war crimes in Iran since the start of the war,” said Omar Shakir, executive director of DAWN. “Victims deserve justice. The mechanisms exist, and the US has no veto over them.”

Kenneth Roth, former executive director of Human Rights Watch, wrote earlier this month that “the Iranian government could join the court now and grant it retroactive jurisdiction, similar to what Ukraine did to allow prosecution of Russian war crimes.”

Last month, the IRCS formally requested that the ICC initiate “an investigation into war crimes arising from attacks by the United States of America and the Israeli regime against civilian objects.”

“According to field reports from relief workers, operational documentation, and data recorded by the Iranian Red Crescent Society, a wide range of residential areas, medical facilities, schools, humanitarian facilities, vital urban infrastructure, and public places were directly or indiscriminately targeted during the recent military attacks,” the group wrote in a letter to the ICC’s top prosecutor.

Article by Jake Johnson republished from 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/
Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.
Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.

Continue ReadingIranian Group Submits Evidence of US-Israeli War Crimes to International Criminal Court

Iran has ‘high’ incentive to maintain ceasefire, US forces remain ‘postured’: US defense chief

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United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth speaks during the press conference held by The United States President Donald Trump in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on April 6, 2026, in Washington DC, United States. [Celal Güneş – Anadolu Agency ]

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Thursday that Iran’s “motivation” to maintain the ceasefire is “very high,” while warning that US forces remain “maximally postured” to resume war if Tehran rejects a deal, Anadolu reports.

“Our forces are maximally postured to restart combat operations, should this new Iranian regime choose poorly and not agree to a deal,” Hegseth said during a Pentagon briefing.

He urged Iran to “choose wisely,” warning its military leadership that Washington is closely “watching” their actions.

Hegseth said Iran’s command and control capabilities are “highly degraded,” limiting its ability to coordinate operations, but noted that its “motivation to want to stay in the ceasefire is very high.”

“They understand that a violation of that ceasefire means a commencement,” he continued.

“We are reloading with more power than ever before, and better intelligence, even more importantly, better intelligence than ever before,” said Hegseth. “As you expose yourself with your movement to our watchful eye, we are locked and loaded on your critical dual-use infrastructure, on your remaining power generation and on your energy industry.”

“We’d rather not have to do it, but we’re ready to go at the command of our president and at the push of a button,” he added.

READ: Iran and US deny reports of preliminary ceasefire extension agreement

Strait of Hormuz

Hegseth also said the US Navy controls traffic in and out of the Strait of Hormuz, enforcing a blockade with “less than 10%” of America’s naval power.

Separately, Joint Chiefs Chair Dan Caine said the blockade applies to all vessels heading to or from Iranian ports, regardless of nationality, but stressed it does not constitute a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz itself.

The remarks came as the US and Iran have been holding negotiations to extend a two-week ceasefire announced last week, which is set to expire on April 22.

Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has been severely disrupted since the US-Israeli war against Iran began Feb. 28, and a US naval blockade announced Monday, after Washington said talks last weekend failed to yield a deal.

About 20% of global oil supply passes through the strait daily, and heightened insecurity has driven up oil prices as well as shipping and insurance costs.

READ: Iran supreme leader’s adviser threatens to sink US ships in Strait of Hormuz

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

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 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.
Orcas discuss how Trump was re-elected and him being an obviously insane, xenophobic Fascist.
Orcas discuss how Trump was re-elected and him being an obviously insane, xenophobic Fascist.

Continue ReadingIran has ‘high’ incentive to maintain ceasefire, US forces remain ‘postured’: US defense chief

‘Designed-to-Backfire’: Trump Slammed for Closure of Hormuz Strait as Iran Talks Falter

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Original article by Brett Wilkins republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

US Vice President JD Vance, exhausted after fruitless marathon negotiations with Iran, prepares to board Air Force Two on April 12, 2026 in Islamabad, Pakistan. (Photo by Jacquelyn Martin/Pool/Getty Images)

“Blocking the Strait of Hormuz to unblock the Strait of Hormuz is peak Trump foreign policy,” said one observer.

US President Donald Trump on Sunday announced a military blockade of the Strait of Hormuz as Vice President JD Vance’s negotiating team failed to gain the trust of their Iranian counterparts, who have been burned by the United States before and are loath to surrender sovereignty over their nuclear program.

Trump announced in an early morning post on his Truth Social network that, “effective immediately,” the Strait of Hormuz—which was open before the president launched his illegal war of choice—would be closed to all shipping. Around 20% of the world’s oil passed through the waterway before the war.

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“At some point, we will reach an ‘ALL BEING ALLOWED TO GO IN, ALL BEING ALLOWED TO GO OUT’ basis, but Iran has not allowed that to happen by merely saying, ‘There may be a mine out there somewhere,’ that nobody knows about but them,” Trump wrote. “THIS IS WORLD EXTORTION, and Leaders of Countries, especially the United States of America, will never be extorted.”

Blocking the Strait of Hormuz to unblock the Strait of Hormuz is peak Trump foreign policy.

— Eliot Higgins (@eliothiggins.bsky.social) 2026-04-12T13:11:09.062Z

“I have also instructed our Navy to seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran,” the president continued, referring to one of the concessions reportedly in the cease-fire agreement with Iran that he approved last week. “No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas. We will also begin destroying the mines the Iranians laid in the Straits. Any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceful vessels, will be BLOWN TO HELL!”

“Iran will not be allowed to profit off this Illegal Act of EXTORTION,” Trump added. “They want money and, more importantly, they want Nuclear. Additionally and, at an appropriate moment, we are fully ‘LOCKED AND LOADED,’ and our Military will finish up the little that is left of Iran!”

Responding to Trump’s post, Medea Benjamin, co-founder of the peace group CodePink, said: “So get this. Trump wants to open the Strait of Hormuz by closing the Strait of Hormuz. Blow up the world economy to punish Iran. Make sense?”

Ryan Costello, policy director at the National Iranian American Council, also took to social media, writing that “a blockade is an act of war, so Trump is announcing he will reenter the US into a war has been illegal under domestic and international law and has been disastrous for US interests, regional security, and the people of Iran.”

In a social media post, journalist Séamus Malekafzali said: “I have legitimately never heard of a more insane, designed-to-backfire policy under this administration; maybe ever. Not only attempting to blockade Iranian ships, but ANY ship that goes through the Strait of Hormuz by paying the toll.”

While Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio attended a UFC match in Miami, Vance was left with the task of marathon negotiations with Iranian officials in Islamabad, Pakistan. It was the first direct high-level talks between the two countries since 1979.

“We need to see an affirmative commitment that [Iran] will not seek a nuclear weapon, and they will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon,” Vance told reporters after the talks. “That is the core goal of the president of the United States, and that’s what we’ve tried to achieve through these negotiations.”

Iran’s government was willing to make unprecedented concessions regarding its nuclear program up until the US and Israel began bombing the country on February 28. Every US administration since that of former President George W. Bush—including Trump’s—has concluded that Iran is not seeking to develop nuclear weapons.

Iran gave its assurance that it would not build nukes in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action it signed in 2015 during the presidency of Barack Obama. Trump unilaterally scrapped the agreement, which was also called the Iran nuclear deal, during his first term despite—some say because of—Iran’s full compliance.

So the Trump administration’s two goals in peace talks with Iran are:1. A commitment by Iran not to develop a nuke (This was part of the Obama deal that Trump canceled)2. Opening the Strait of Hormuz. (Was open before war.)

— Judd Legum (@juddlegum.bsky.social) 2026-04-12T11:20:25.523Z

Iranian Parliamentary ⁠Speaker Mohammad ⁠Baqer Ghalibaf blamed the US for the breakdown in talks.

“My colleagues on the Iranian delegation Minaab168 raised forward-looking initiatives, but the opposing side ultimately failed to gain the trust of the Iranian delegation in this round of negotiations,” Ghalibaf said in a social media post. The Iranian delegation was named after the town where 168 children and staff at an elementary school were massacred in a US cruise missile strike on the first day of the war.

“Before the negotiations, I emphasized that we have the necessary good faith and will, but due to the experiences of the two previous wars, we have no trust in the opposing side,” Ghalibaf explained.

Just hours before Trump announced his decision to bomb Iran in February, Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, the mediator of talks between the US and Iranian governments, said that a “peace deal is within our reach,” prompting Iranian officials and others to accuse the Americans of acting in bad faith. Similar accusations were leveled when the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran in the summer of 2025 amid ongoing nuclear negotiations.

“America has understood our logic and principles,” said Ghalibaf, “and now it’s time for it to decide whether it can earn our trust or not?”

The US and Israel have been bombing Iran for 43 days. They have bombed more than 13,000 targets, assassinated senior political and military figures—including the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei—and, according to Iranian medical officials, killed more than 3,000 people, including hundreds of women and children. Israel’s concurrent bombing of Lebanon has also killed hundreds of civilians.

Trump has vowed to bomb Iran “back to the Stone Ages” and destroy Iranian civilization, a genocidal threat that comes amid Israel’s killing and maiming of over 250,000 Palestinians in Gaza in a war for which it is facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice and its prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes.

Iran, while weakened militarily, appears to be in a position of strategic strength. But to hear Trump say it, Iran is “LOSING, and LOSING BIG!”

“The Iranians don’t seem to realize they have no cards, other than a short term extortion of the World by using International Waterways,” he wrote on Truth Social as Vance headed to Pakistan. “The only reason they are alive today is to negotiate!”

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei advised patience, asserting that a diplomatic breakthrough was highly unlikely after just one round of talks.

“Naturally, from the beginning we should not have expected to reach an agreement in a single session,” Baghaei said. “No one had such an expectation.”

Original article by Brett Wilkins republished from 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/
Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.
Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.
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.
Continue Reading‘Designed-to-Backfire’: Trump Slammed for Closure of Hormuz Strait as Iran Talks Falter

Trump announces Hormuz blockade as US and Iran fail to reach a deal

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/trump-announces-hormuz-blockade-us-and-iran-fail-reach-deal

 President Donald Trump waves after arriving on Air Force One at Miami International Airport, April 11, 2026, in Miami

US PRESIDENT Donald Trump ramped up tensions even further in the Middle East today, announcing that the US navy would “immediately” begin a blockade to stop ships from entering or leaving the Strait of Hormuz.

This followed Iranian and US negotiators leaving the Pakistani capital Islamabad after failing to reach a deal in marathon peace talks to end the illegal and unprovoked war on Iran launched by the US and Israel.

In his first public comments after the 21-hour talks, the far-right US president sought to assume control over the waterway thorough which 20 per cent of global oil supplies passed before the war began, hoping to eliminate Iran’s key source of leverage.

The prospect of a US blockade is likely to further alarm global energy markets and send oil and gas prices soaring. 

It was not immediately clear how a blockade might be carried out, but Mr Trump said the goal was to ensure that all ships could use the strait.

“It’s going to be all or none and that’s the way it is,” he insisted.

Mr Trump said he has “instructed our navy to seek and interdict every vessel in international waters that has paid a toll to Iran. No-one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas.” 

…

Article continues at https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/trump-announces-hormuz-blockade-us-and-iran-fail-reach-deal

Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.
Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.
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/
Continue ReadingTrump announces Hormuz blockade as US and Iran fail to reach a deal