{"id":415202,"date":"2026-04-24T12:48:17","date_gmt":"2026-04-24T12:48:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/415202\/"},"modified":"2026-04-24T12:48:17","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T12:48:17","slug":"iran-warns-us-of-eye-for-an-eye-over-oil-strikes-israel-lebanon-ceasefire-to-be-extended-says-trump-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/415202\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran warns US of \u2018eye for an eye\u2019 over oil strikes; Israel-Lebanon ceasefire to be extended, says Trump \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

Main PointsUS president Donald Trump<\/a> \u200bon Thursday said \u2060the \u200bceasefire between \u200bIsrael \u200cand Lebanon \u200bwould be \u2060extended \u2060by \u200bthree weeks.Trump also said the US is going to work with Lebanon to help it \u201cprotect itself\u201d from Hizbullah<\/a>Trump said \u201cI don\u2019t want to rush myself\u201d on a deal with IranIDF and Hizbullah accuse each other of violating ceasefire<\/a>US<\/a>–Iran<\/a> peace talks that were slated to resume this week in Pakistan have been thrown into doubtOil prices resumed their rise<\/a> this morningKey ReadsThe US Capitol police officer swept up<\/a> in a January 6th conspiracy theoryAnalysis:<\/a> Iran war has drained US supplies of critical and costly weaponsExplainer<\/a>: Iran\u2019s hardliners are winning out over pragmatists<\/p>\n

Ronan McGreevy – 1 hour ago<\/p>\n

Germany rallies to Spain\u2019s defence <\/p>\n

European allies have been pushing back against claims that the US is seeking the expulsion of Spain from NATO. <\/p>\n

A German government spokesperson \u200csaid on Friday that Spain\u2019s \u200bNATO membership was not in question.<\/p>\n

The spokesperson \u200bwas responding to \u2060a journalist\u2019s question about \u200ca \u200cReuters \u200breport citing an \u2060internal \u200bPentagon email which lists \u200bSpain\u2019s suspension \u200cfrom the alliance \u200bas an option \u2060under consideration.<\/p>\n

\u201cSpain \u2060is \u200ba member of NATO. And I see no reason why \u200cthat should change,\u201d \u2060the spokesperson said during a \u200cregular news conference in \u200bBerlin.” <\/p>\n

Spanish prime minister Pedro S\u00e1nchez said he brushed off a report that US officials are considering suspending his country from the alliance for its stance on the Iran war.<\/p>\n

Spain doesn\u2019t \u201cwork based on emails, but on official documents and positions issued by the US government,\u201d S\u00e1nchez told reporters as European leaders gathered for a summit in Cyprus on Friday. <\/p>\n

Ronan McGreevy – 1 hour ago<\/p>\n

Could the US pull support for the UK territorial claim to the Falkland Islands? <\/p>\n

The UK insisted the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands was \u201cnot in question\u201d after reports the US administration could review its position on the South Atlantic territory in retaliation for Sir Keir Starmer\u2019s lack of support for the war in Iran.<\/p>\n

An internal Pentagon email set out options for Donald Trump\u2019s administration to punish Nato allies for refusing to join the US-Israeli strikes against Iran.<\/p>\n

The memo, first reported by Reuters, suggests reassessing US \u200cdiplomatic support for \u201cimperial possessions\u201d such as the Falklands.<\/p>\n

The potential for a shift in the US position has been considered in the Foreign Office although it has been treated as a \u201chypothetical scenario\u201d.<\/p>\n

Downing Street said the UK\u2019s stance on the Falklands was not going to change.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Falkland Islands have previously voted overwhelmingly in favour of remaining a UK overseas territory, and we\u2019ve always stood behind the islanders\u2019 right to self-determination and the fact that sovereignty rests with the UK,\u201d a No 10 spokesman said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe question of the Falkland Islands and the UK\u2019s sovereignty and the islanders\u2019 right to self-determination is not in question, and we\u2019ve expressed that position clearly and consistently.\u201d<\/p>\n

The row is the latest sign of the strains in the US-UK relationship as the King and Queen prepare for their state visit on Monday.<\/p>\n

The No 10 spokesman said: \u201cWe are absolutely confident the state visit will showcase the very best of the UK-US bilateral relationship, from security to our economic ties, and our people to people relationships.\u201d<\/p>\n

Argentina has long claimed sovereignty over the Falkland Islands and invaded them in 1982 before being defeated in a short but bloody war.<\/p>\n

The US president is an ally of Argentina\u2019s president Javier Milei and Mr Trump\u2019s relationship with Sir Keir has deteriorated dramatically since the start of the Iran crisis.<\/p>\n

The Prime Minister has refused to give the US free rein in its use of British military bases to conduct the bombing campaign against Iran.<\/p>\n

Limited permission was granted for bases \u2013 including RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and Diego Garcia in the British Indian Ocean Territory \u2013 to be used in defensive actions against Iran\u2019s missile sites and installations threatening the Strait of Hormuz, but only after Tehran\u2019s retaliatory actions began.<\/p>\n

The US state department describes the Falklands as \u201cadministered by the United Kingdom, claimed by Argentina\u201d and uses the Spanish name Islas Malvinas alongside the English name.<\/p>\n

Ben Judah, who was a special adviser to former foreign secretary David Lammy, said \u201cthe Milei issue is actually a concern\u201d.<\/p>\n

Responding to the reports from the US, he said: \u201cThis was a then still hypothetical scenario I had concerns about when I was working in the Foreign Office on the UK\u2019s overseas territories.\u201d<\/p>\n

He suggested converting them from overseas territories to overseas kingdoms, represented by MPs elected to Westminster.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf this were already the case, His Majesty would be visiting Washington to see Trump this week as King of the Kingdom of the Falklands.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Pentagon email expressed frustration at Nato allies\u2019 reluctance to grant access, basing and overflight (ABO) rights for the Iran war.<\/p>\n

It suggested Spain could be suspended from the Nato alliance over its refusal to allow bases or airspace to be used to attack Iran.<\/p>\n

Downing Street backs Spain\u2019s membership of the \u201cabsolutely critical\u201d alliance.<\/p>\n

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said the US stance was \u201cabsolute nonsense\u201d.<\/p>\n

She said: \u201cWe need to make sure that we back the Falklands. They are British territory.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know what Donald Trump is talking about. This sounds like the sort of thing he was saying when it came to Greenland.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ronan McGreevy – 2 hours ago<\/p>\n

Will oil price rises make staycations inevitable? <\/p>\n

The plans of many holiday-makers are up in the air with war in the Middle East<\/a>, airline upheaval, jet fuel supply fears and a fresh cost-of-living<\/a> crisis casting a long shadow over the summer and beyond.<\/p>\n

Uncertainty has seen many who routinely travel overseas hold off on bookings while many who come to Ireland from elsewhere are equally reticent to commit.<\/p>\n

The unease has raised the prospect of a staycation<\/a> once again for some and another challenging year for hoteliers<\/a> who struggle to survive on domestic business alone.<\/p>\n

Last weekend Aer Lingus started cutting hundreds of flights from its schedule because of \u201cmandatory maintenance\u201d, while Ryanair has been talking up the risk of fuel shortages. <\/p>\n

Our consumer affairs correspondent Conor Pope has more.<\/a> <\/p>\n

\"IraniansIranians stand on a pavement along a street next to a billboard depicting Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, in Tehran on April 24, 2026. (Photo by AFP via Getty Images) \/ <\/p>\n

Ronan McGreevy – 3 hours ago<\/p>\n

Islamabad waits for the talks that are not happening<\/p>\n

For nearly a week, Pakistan\u2019s capital has been waiting for peace talks between the US and Iran to take place \u200cthere, and although there is no sign the two sides will meet, large parts of the city remain sealed off by authorities.<\/p>\n

Key roads leading into Islamabad are shut down and a strict security cordon \u200benvelops the administrative centre, the so-called \u201cRed Zone\u201d. <\/p>\n

In the adjacent \u201cBlue Area\u201d, cafes have run out of fruit, markets are deserted and with no service at bus terminals, weekend commuters are struggling to get home.<\/p>\n

Government officials say the measures are not ending any time soon and that they are ever ready for delegates, including US president Donald Trump, to show up at a moment\u2019s notice.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have been told \u200bthat the talks could be held any day,\u201d one official said.<\/p>\n

The current lockdown is the second in two weeks. Islamabad was first sealed off for talks between US and Iranian delegations on April 11 \u2060that ended without a deal. <\/p>\n

The city briefly reopened, then locked down again as Pakistan waits to host a second round that has yet to \u200cmaterialise.<\/p>\n

For \u200cresidents, \u200buncertainty has become the hardest part. Islamabad is a city of transients, where many residents work during the week and return to family homes at the weekend. Now, that pattern has been interrupted – (Reuters)<\/p>\n

Lebanese MP Najat Saliba praises Israel-Lebanon ceasefire extension<\/p>\n

Lebanese MP Najat Saliba has praised the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire extension, saying it will help many people in the area. <\/p>\n

Speaking to Newsday on the BBC World Service, Saliba said: \u201cEverybody is relieved that the ceasefire is going to continue for another three weeks. This is going to help a lot of people go back to their homes, check out their homes and get going with their lives.\u201d <\/p>\n

When asked about how Hizbullah could respond to the ceasefire extension agreement, she said \u201cwe don\u2019t expect things to go forward very smoothly\u201d. But she added the Lebanese government is \u201cvery firm about going forward with the discussion in order for us to find a common ground that will relieve the people from all the bombing and killing\u201d. – The Guardian<\/p>\n

Norway should use wealth fund for aid, Refugee Council says<\/p>\n

Norway should use \u200csome of the income from its $2.2 trillion (\u20ac1.8tn) sovereign wealth fund, the world\u2019s largest, to help civilians suffering from the war in Iran, like it did for Ukraine, \u200bthe head of the Norwegian Refugee Council aid group said.<\/p>\n

The NRC is one of the world\u2019s leading non-governmental aid organisations focused on displacement.<\/p>\n

After Moscow\u2019s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Norway set up a long-term aid plan for Kyiv, with the backing of all parties in parliament, amounting to some $28 \u200bbillion (\u20ac24bn) between 2023 and 2030, among Ukraine\u2019s most generous backers per capita.<\/p>\n

Jan Egeland, who was the top UN humanitarian official from 2003 to 2006 and a \u2060deputy Norwegian foreign minister in the 1990s, said Norway should do the same in the wake of the \u200cIran war.<\/p>\n

\u201cNorway \u200chas \u200bnow given enormous sums to Ukraine. And one of the arguments is that we earned a lot of money on oil and gas prices going through the roof. Why not say \u2060the same here?,\u201d he told foreign reporters at \u200bNRC headquarters in Oslo.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s give to the Lebanese and the \u200bIranians and the other victims of this war, direct and indirect, because the oil prices are now $100 (\u20ac85.55) per barrel.\u201d – Reuters<\/p>\n

Here are some of the latest images documenting the impact of the conflict in the Middle East:<\/p>\n

\"MournersMourners carry the coffin of Amal Khalil, a journalist who was killed by an Israeli strike, during her funeral procession in Baisariyeh, Lebanon, on Thursday. Photograph by Daniel Berehulak\/The New York Times
\n \"TheThe aftermath of an Israeli airstrike where 30 people died in Tyre, Lebanon, is pictured on Thursday. Photograph by Adri Salido\/Getty Images \"PeoplePeople carrying empty LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) cylinders run to stand in a queue before buying refilled gas cylinders in a village on the outskirts of Jewar, India, on Friday. Photograph by Arun Sankar\/AFP via Getty Images \"WomenWomen chant at a pro-government demonstration in Enghelab Square in Tehran, Iran, on Wednesday. Photograph by Arash Khamooshi\/The New York Times
\n Hegseth to host Iran press conference<\/p>\n

US defence secretary Pete Hegseth and chair of the joint chiefs of staff Dan Caine, the highest-ranking military officer in the United States, will host a press conference on Operation Epic Fury, the bombing of Iran, at 1pm Irish time. We will bring you updates from the event later.<\/p>\n

German business sentiment falls in April to lowest level since 2020<\/p>\n

German business \u200bmorale fell more than expected in April, as the Iran war \u200bmade companies more pessimistic and threatened the \u2060long-awaited recovery of Europe\u2019s biggest economy.<\/p>\n

The \u200cIfo \u200cinstitute \u200bsaid on Friday its business climate index fell \u2060to \u200b84.4 in April \u200bfrom 86.3 in March, \u200cposting the lowest reading since \u200bMay 2020.<\/p>\n

Analysts polled by Reuters \u2060had forecast \u2060a \u200bslight decline to 85.5.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Iran crisis is hitting the German economy hard,\u201d said Clemens Fuest, president of the Ifo institute<\/p>\n

Assessments of \u200cthe current \u2060situation fell to 85.4 from 86.7 in the previous month, \u200cwhile expectations declined to 83.3 \u200bfrom 85.9 in March. – Reuters <\/p>\n

Taoiseach says US military personnel landing in Shannon Airport were \u2018commercial flights\u2019<\/p>\n

Taoiseach Miche\u00e1l Martin has said, unlike many other European countries, Ireland did not host any US military bases on its territory, reports Europe Correspondent Jack Power.<\/p>\n

Aircraft carrying US military personnel landing in Shannon Airport were \u201ccommercial flights\u201d, he said. <\/p>\n

Martin was responding to reporting in The Irish Times showing the number of US troops travelling through Ireland has increased by almost 80 per cent<\/a> before and during US attacks on Iran. <\/p>\n

Soldiers transiting through the airport in Co Clare are typically armed with personnel weapons. Foreign governments are required to seek prior permission to transport weapons through Ireland. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t have a [US] military base, good, bad or indifferent, never have had, unlike other European member states who do,\u201d Martin said. \u201cWe do not have military bases in Ireland, [we] need to make that point very clearly.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Taoiseach was speaking on Friday morning in Nicosia, Cyprus, where he was attending the second day of an EU leaders\u2019 summit. <\/p>\n

\u201cFor years American soldiers coming back from bases in Europe or elsewhere have come through Shannon. So I think we need to be cautious in terms of interpreting those figures and we need to get a more comprehensive assessment of that,\u201d Martin said. <\/p>\n

Many of the troops involved in the war in Iran had travelled to the region aboard US \u201caircraft carriers and so on\u201d, he said. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe have very clear frameworks in terms of both planes that transit through Shannon and land in Shannon for refueling on the way back to America or to various other locations, and also in terms of overflights,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

Message from the Editor<\/p>\n

\"RuadhanIrish Times Editor Ruadh\u00e1n Mac Cormaic <\/p>\n

Thanks for reading. If you\u2019re interested in world news, The Irish Times has the largest network of foreign correspondents of any Irish news organisation. <\/p>\n

Our team provides sharp reporting, in-depth analysis and thought-provoking commentary. Receive our Global Briefing newsletter<\/a> in your inbox every morning to enjoy Denis Staunton\u2019s guide to understanding world events; what\u2019s happening, why it matters and how it affects you.<\/p>\n

At The Irish Times, our journalism is free of any personal, political or commercial control. Unlike most publishers, we have no shareholders to satisfy, no media baron owner in the background telling us what we can and cannot publish.<\/p>\n

We are owned by a Trust that mandates us to uphold a set of public-interest values. Those values describe a worldview that is outward-looking, tolerant, curious, interested in divergent views and attentive to the needs of minorities.<\/p>\n

Our watchwords are fairness and accuracy. Our goal is to enable you to make informed and independent judgments. And any profit we make goes towards supporting our journalism. <\/p>\n

Ruadh\u00e1n Mac Cormaic<\/p>\n

Editor <\/p>\n

To join Ireland\u2019s biggest community of news subscribers, sign up here<\/a>Iran\u2019s \u2018eye for an eye\u2019 warning to US over oil strikes <\/p>\n

Iran\u2019s deputy president has warned the US of \u201can eye for an eye\u201d over oil strikes, the Mehr news agency has reported. <\/p>\n

According to the outlet, Esmaeil Saqab Esfahani said: \u201cIf the enemy makes another mistake, our strategy will be an eye for an eye. If any of our oil wells are hit, one of the oil [facilities] of the countries from whose soil we are attacked will be targeted.\u201d <\/p>\n

He added that Tehran\u2019s negotiation team has \u201cgrabbed the enemy\u2019s collar at the negotiating table\u201d. <\/p>\n

Esfahani also said Iranians shouldn\u2019t worry about their energy supply as the \u201cnecessary arrangements\u201d have been made. <\/p>\n

This comes after US president Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to strike oil plants in the area, as well as threatening to \u201cobliterate\u201d Iran\u2019s power stations and fresh water plants. – The Guardian <\/p>\n

Hapag-Lloyd says one ship has crossed Strait of Hormuz<\/p>\n

A Hapag-Lloyd spokesperson said \u200con Friday that one \u200bof its ships has crossed the Strait \u200bof Hormuz but did \u2060not have any \u200cinformation \u200con \u200bthe circumstance or timing.<\/p>\n

The \u2060spokesperson \u200bfor the \u200bGerman company \u200csaid that \u200bfour out of initially \u2060six \u2060ships now \u200bremain in the Gulf, after one ship\u2019s charter agreement expired, meaning \u200cit no \u2060longer belongs to the Hapag-Lloyd fleet. – Reuters<\/p>\n

Iran deal must include nuclear experts, says EU foreign chief<\/p>\n

The EU\u2019s foreign chief has said that talks with Iran should include nuclear experts, otherwise \u201cwe will end up with a more dangerous Iran\u201d.<\/p>\n

Speaking on Friday ahead of an informal summit of EU leaders in Cyprus, EU\u2019s foreign chief Kaja Kallas said: \u201cIf … there are no nuclear experts around the table, then we will end up with an agreement that is weaker than the JCPOA was.\u201d <\/p>\n

(The JCPOA refers to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, more commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal, an international agreement to limit the Iranian nuclear programme in return for relief from sanctions.)<\/p>\n

Kallas continued: \u201cAnd (if) the problems in the region, missile programmes, their support to proxies, also hybrid and cyber activities in Europe are not addressed, we will end up with a more dangerous Iran.\u201d – The Guardian<\/p>\n

Europe\u2019s relationship with Israel must be put under microscope – Taoiseach \"TaoiseachTaoiseach Miche\u00e1l Martin arrives for an informal meeting of the European Council in Nicosia on Friday. Photograph by Nicolas Tucat\/AFP via Getty Images <\/p>\n

Taoiseach Miche\u00e1l Martin said Europe\u2019s relationship with Israel had to be put under microscope, in light of its \u201creckless\u201d bombing of civilian infrastructure in Lebanon, reports Europe Correspondent Jack Power. <\/p>\n

EU leaders are meeting for the second day of a summit in Cyprus where the war in Iran and the resulting energy crisis is high on the agenda. <\/p>\n

Speaking on Friday morning in Nicosia, the capital of the Mediterranean island, Martin said Israel\u2019s attacks on civilian infrastructure in Lebanon during the war it launched against Hizbullah militants was \u201cabsolutely disproportionate\u201d and \u201cunacceptable\u201d. <\/p>\n

\u201cThere has been a lot of displacement of civilian populations, significant consequences can flow from that, but fundamentally we welcome the fact now that there\u2019s a ceasefire that has been extended in Lebanon,\u201d he sad. <\/p>\n

However, the Taoiseach said the international community \u201ccan\u2019t be overly confident\u201d that the further three-week halt to the fighting between Israel and Hizbullah militants would hold up. <\/p>\n

Martin said he told his fellow EU leaders there had to be further scrutiny of the union\u2019s relationship with Israel, \u201cnotwithstanding the provocations from Hizbullah and the continuing firing of rockets by Hizbullah into Israel, which has to stop\u201d.<\/p>\n

US troop numbers passing through Shannon soar 80%\"AnAn American Transair Boeing 757 troop charter aircraft at Shannon Airport in December 2006. Photograph: Matt Kavanagh <\/p>\n

The number of United States<\/a> troops travelling through Ireland has increased by almost 80 per cent before and during US attacks on Iran<\/a>, figures obtained by The Irish Times show.<\/p>\n

In January, 2,012 troops passed through Shannon<\/a> Airport. The following month, as the US and Israel<\/a> prepared for war, that figure rose to 2,602. In March, after the start of the conflict, it increased to 3,604.<\/p>\n

In total, 8,218 US troops transited through Shannon, according to figures provided by Shannon Airport Group<\/a>. The March figure represents a 79 per cent increase on the numbers arriving in January.<\/p>\n

Read the full report by Conor Gallagher and Mark Weiss here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

China rejects Trump accusation that intercepted Iran ship was \u2018gift from China\u2019<\/p>\n

China\u2019s foreign \u200cministry has rejected \u200ban accusation by US president Donald \u2060Trump that an Iranian-flagged \u200ccargo \u200cship \u200bintercepted by \u2060US \u200bforces was \u200ba \u201cgift from \u200cChina\u201d.<\/p>\n

Trump on Tuesday told \u2060CNBC the \u200bship was \u201ca gift \u200cfrom China, perhaps, I don\u2019t know”.<\/p>\n

China\u2019s \u200bforeign ministry rejected the comments. \u201cChina opposes any \u2060accusations and associations \u2060that \u200black a factual basis,\u201d ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told reporters in Beijing on Friday.<\/p>\n

\u201cNormal international trade relations between countries should not be subject to interference and disruption,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

The container ship Touska, which was boarded \u200cand seized by US \u2060forces on Sunday, is likely to have what Washington deems dual-use items that \u200ccould be used by the military on board, maritime security \u200bsources said on Monday. – Reuters<\/p>\n

FTSE 100 opens lower <\/p>\n

The London stock market is dropping in early trading, as investors digest the lack of progress towards ending the Iran war. <\/p>\n

The FTSE 100 share index is down 48 points, or 0.46 per cent, at 10,408 points. Mondi (-5.8%) is the top faller, after the packaging group warned this morning that the Middle East conflict was pushing up its costs. <\/p>\n

Mondi is lifting its prices to offset higher costs amid ongoing tough trading that has seen it close factories and cut jobs across Europe. The group \u2013 headquartered in Surrey, England \u2013 said 450 jobs were being axed this year after plans announced earlier this month to shut another three factories in Hungary, Poland and Germany. – The Guardian and PA<\/p>\n

Iran war has drained US supplies of critical and costly weapons\"TheThe US military has fired off more than 1,000 Tomahawk cruise missiles, roughly 10 times the number it currently buys each year. Photograph: US Navy via Getty Images <\/p>\n

Since the Iran<\/a> war began in late February, the United States<\/a> has burned through around 1,100 of its long-range stealth cruise missiles built for a war with China<\/a>, close to the total number remaining in the US stockpile. The military has fired off more than 1,000 Tomahawk cruise missiles, roughly 10 times the number it currently buys each year.<\/p>\n

The Pentagon used more than 1,200 Patriot interceptor missiles in the war, at more than $4 million (\u20ac3.4bn) a pop, and more than 1,000 \u201cprecision strike\u201d and ground-based missiles, leaving inventories worrisomely low, according to internal US defense department estimates and congressional officials.<\/p>\n

The Iran war has significantly drained much of the US military\u2019s global supply of munitions, and forced the Pentagon to rush bombs, missiles and other hardware to the Middle East from commands in Asia and Europe. The drawdowns have left these regional commands less ready to confront potential adversaries such as Russia and China, and it has forced the United States to find ways to scale up production to address the depletions, Trump administration and congressional officials say.<\/p>\n

Read the full report here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Japan\u2019s Nikkei closes at record high<\/p>\n

Japan\u2019s Nikkei \u200cset a closing record high on Friday, capping a third consecutive weekly gain, as enthusiasm over \u200ctechnology sector earnings offset uncertainty over a potential peace deal in the Middle East.<\/p>\n

The benchmark Nikkei \u200b225 Index rose 0.97 per cent to close at an unprecedented 59,716.18. The gauge rose 2.1 per cent on the week. The broader Topix eked out a 0.01 per cent advance to end at 3,716.59.<\/p>\n

The Nikkei \u200bbriefly broke through the psychologically key 60,000 mark for the first time on Thursday, more than \u2060recouping all its losses since the war broke out in Iran almost \u200ctwo \u200cmonths ago \u200band spread around the region.<\/p>\n

South Korea has secured 74.62 million barrels of crude oil for May, equivalent \u200cto about 87 per cent of its average monthly imports last year, the presidential Blue House said on \u200bFriday, as Seoul seeks to stabilise energy supplies amid conflct in the Middle East.<\/p>\n

The country has also reduced its reliance on crude imports from the Middle East to 56 per cent, down from \u200bfrom 69 per cent, by increasing shipments from the United States and Africa, presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik \u2060said.<\/p>\n

Kang said the government viewed stronger-than-expected first quarter economic growth as \u200cevidence \u200cof \u200bSeoul\u2019s resilience despite geopolitical risks from the Middle East conflict, citing robust gains in semiconductor production and exports as \u2060well as swift government efforts \u200bto cushion energy supply disruptions. – Reuters<\/p>\n

IDF and Hizbullah accuse each other of violating ceasefire<\/p>\n

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Hizbullah have accused each other of violating ceasefire agreements. <\/p>\n

The IDF earlier said it had intercepted several projectiles launched from Lebanon, with sirens sounding in the Shtula area. Then, Hizbullah said on Telegram it targeted the area in a rocket attack. <\/p>\n

\u2b55\ufe0f OVERNIGHT RECAP: Northern Israel<\/p>\n

\u25aa\ufe0fSirens sounded in Shtula following launches from Lebanon. The IDF intercepted the rockets & struck the launcher used to fire, along with an additional ready-to-launch launcher.<\/p>\n

\u25aa\ufe0f3 Hezbollah terrorists were eliminated after unsuccessfully\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2014 Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) April 24, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Writing on X, the IDF said three members of Hizbullah were \u201celiminated\u201d following \u201cblatant violations of the ceasefire understandings\u201d.<\/p>\n

Last night, Hizbullah said it had fired rockets at northern Israel in response to an Israeli \u201cviolation of the ceasefire\u201d. – The Guardian<\/p>\n

How Tucker Carlson soured on Donald Trump\"TuckerTucker Carlson, pictured with Donald Trump in 2024, has said he will long be ‘tormented’ by his role in helping Trump return to the White House. Photograph by Kenny Holston\/The New York Times <\/p>\n

Conservative broadcaster Tucker Carlson has expressed remorse for supporting Donald Trump, saying he will long be \u201ctormented\u201d by his role in helping Trump return to the White House.<\/p>\n

Washington Correspondent Keith Duggan has taken a look at how Carlson, who worked at Fox News from 2009 to 2023, soured on Trump. He writes:<\/p>\n

Within the hierarchy of the Maga voices of influence, it was akin to a papal renunciation. For weeks, Tucker Carlson<\/a>\u2019s frustration with president Donald Trump<\/a>\u2019s \u201cwar of choice\u201d with Iran<\/a> had been simmering. But in his Monday podcast, while in conversation with his brother Buckley, also a disenchanted Trumpian with an endless array of Brooks Brothers plaid and gingham, Carlson reviewed, in long-lens elegy, his entire relationship with Trump.<\/p>\n

He\u2019d called the entire project wrong, he admitted, and issued a rueful apology for his role in helping to unleash a political force he has now come to see as ruinous and volatile.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou and I and everyone who supported him … we\u2019re implicated in this, for sure,\u201d Carlson told his brother in a funereal tone towards the end of a two-hour broadcast.<\/p>\n

Read the full analysis here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Pentagon email floats suspending Spain from Nato over Iran rift<\/p>\n

An internal Pentagon email outlines options for the United States to punish Nato<\/a> allies it believes failed to support US operations \u200cin the war with Iran<\/a>, including suspending Spain from the alliance and reviewing the US<\/a> position on Britain\u2019s claim to the Falkland Islands, a US official told Reuters.<\/p>\n

The policy options are detailed in a note expressing frustration at some allies\u2019 perceived reluctance or refusal \u200bto grant the United States access, basing and overflight rights \u2013 known as ABO \u2013 for the Iran war, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the email.<\/p>\n

The email stated that ABO is \u201cjust the absolute baseline for Nato\u201d, according to the official, who added that the options were circulating at high levels in the Pentagon. <\/p>\n

One option in the email envisions suspending \u201cdifficult\u201d countries from important or prestigious positions at Nato, the official said.<\/p>\n

Read the full report here<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Iranian team can attend World Cup, says Rubio\"USUS secretary of state Marco Rubio listens as US president Donald Trump speaks to the media in the Oval Office at the White House on Thursday. Photograph by Will Oliver\/EPA <\/p>\n

Iran\u2019s soccer team would be allowed to enter the United States to play in the World Cup this summer, but the Trump administration would deny entry to Iranians with ties to the country\u2019s military, secretary of state Marco Rubio said on Thursday.<\/p>\n

The United States is co-hosting the 48-team World Cup this year with Canada and Mexico, starting on June 11th. The Iranian team qualified for the tournament last year but its participation was thrown into considerable doubt after the United States and Israel launched their war against Iran in February.<\/p>\n

During an event at the White House<\/a> on Thursday, Rubio and US president Donald Trump both suggested that Iranian soccer players coming to the United States for the tournament would be welcome.<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing from the US has told them they can\u2019t come,\u201d Rubio told reporters. \u201cIf they decide not to come on their own, it\u2019s because they decided not to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Rubio said that anyone with ties to Iran\u2019s Revolutionary Guard would not be allowed in.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat they can\u2019t bring is a bunch of IRGC terrorists into our country and pretend that they are journalists and athletic trainers,\u201d he said, using an acronym for the Iranian paramilitary organisation.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe would not want to affect the athletes,\u201d Trump quickly added. – The New York Times<\/p>\n

Russia could attack Nato members, says Tusk<\/p>\n

Poland\u2019s prime minister questioned whether the US would be \u201cloyal\u201d to its Nato commitment to defend Europe in the event of a Russian attack, and urged the EU to become a \u201creal alliance\u201d in protecting the continent.<\/p>\n

Donald Tusk told the Financial Times<\/a> that Europe\u2019s \u201cbiggest, most important question is if the United States is ready to be as loyal as it is described in our [Nato] treaties\u201d, as he warned that Russia could attack an alliance member in \u201cmonths\u201d.<\/p>\n

There is growing uncertainty on the topic in Europe after US president Donald Trump\u2019s threats and oscillating commitment to the continent\u2019s defence.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor the whole eastern flank, my neighbours\u2009.\u2009.\u2009.\u2009the question is if Nato is still an organisation ready, politically and also logistically, to react, for example against Russia if they try to attack,\u201d Tusk said.<\/p>\n

Global shares swing between gains and losses<\/p>\n

Global shares swung between gains and losses on Friday and oil prices resumed their rise, as a shaky ceasefire in the Middle East war and \u200cstalled US-Iran peace talks gave investors little to cheer and dampened the market mood.<\/p>\n

Futures pointed to a dour opening in Europe, as Euro Stoxx 50 futures slid 0.7 per cent and FTSE futures lost 0.76 per cent, while DAX futures eased 0.25 per cent.<\/p>\n

MSCI\u2019s \u200bbroadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan reversed early losses to rise 0.46 per cent and was set to end the week with a roughly 1 per cent gain. Japan\u2019s Nikkei added 0.85 per cent, stocks in South Korea and China fell, while those in Hong Kong were little changed.<\/p>\n

Nasdaq futures gained 0.4 per cent while S&P 500 futures were flat.<\/p>\n

The mixed showing underscored the tense market mood as investors this week seesawed between hope for an imminent end to the \u200bwar and fear that it might not come soon. \u2013 Reuters<\/p>\n

A US-sanctioned supertanker laden with Iranian oil appeared to be attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, with traffic through the waterway otherwise at a virtual standstill.<\/p>\n

The Yuri, carrying two million barrels of crude loaded from Kharg Island, reappeared on ship-tracking platforms Kpler and Vortexa off Sirri Island earlier this week, after having stopped signalling its location for days. The tanker then began heading toward Hormuz late Thursday, and has just sailed past Larak Island.<\/p>\n

The progress of the very-large crude carrier suggests that Tehran is still keen to test Washington\u2019s resolve to maintain its blockade of the strait. American forces intercepted two Iranian oil tankers earlier this week, while the US Central Command said in a social-media post that 33 vessels had been redirected since the start of its blockade.<\/p>\n

Iran has also been seeking to strengthen its grip on the strait, shooting at commercial ships and seizing at least two vessels. – Bloomberg<\/p>\n

Israel-Lebanon ceasefire extended by three weeks <\/p>\n

The ceasefire between Israel<\/a> and Lebanon<\/a> has been extended for three weeks following a meeting at the White House brokered by US president Donald Trump<\/a>, who said he was \u200cprepared to wait for \u201cthe best deal\u201d to end his conflict with Iran. <\/p>\n

Fighting between Israel and Iranian-backed Hizbullah militants in Lebanon has been one of a number of sticking points to resolving the wider eight-week regional conflict, \u200balong with Iran<\/a>\u2019s nuclear ambitions and control of the crucial Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n

Trump said he was in no rush to reach a peace agreement and wanted it to be \u201ceverlasting\u201d, while continuing to assert that the US had a clear upper hand in the naval stand-off in the Strait.<\/p>\n

A day after Iran flaunted its tightened grip over the key shipping corridor, Trump dismissed the threat posed by Iran\u2019s \u201clittle wise-guy ships\u201d and \u200bsaid he believed Tehran was hamstrung from making a deal because its leadership was in turmoil.<\/p>\n

On Thursday, he said the US navy has orders to \u201cshoot and kill\u201d Iranian boats laying mines in the strait and the \u2060US could knock out in a day any refurbishing of weapons that Iran may have made during a ceasefire in place since April 8th. But navigation in \u200cthe \u200cpassage \u200bremained effectively blocked, and the Iranian capture of two huge cargo ships was a reminder that the US struggles to keep control of the strait and Tehran continued to cause trouble for oil markets and pose major strains to the global economy. <\/p>\n

The US president later said that he had \u201ctotal control over the strait of Hormuz\u201d, adding that Iran\u2019s leadership was so hobbled by infighting that it was unclear who was in charge.<\/p>\n

But Trump\u2019s claim seemed questionable in the face of the seizure of two container ships by Iranian commandos and a US report warning it could take six months to clear the strait of mines.<\/p>\n

Trump\u2019s comments on Thursday came after US special forces boarded a stateless oil tanker in the Indian Ocean, which the Pentagon claimed was carrying Iranian crude oil.<\/p>\n

The military operation took place hours after Iran\u2019s seizure of the two container ships, with the two sides continuing to impose competing blockades on the strait, keeping global oil prices at about $100 (\u20ac85.60) a barrel. – Reuters<\/p>\n