{"id":423165,"date":"2026-04-29T09:15:13","date_gmt":"2026-04-29T09:15:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/423165\/"},"modified":"2026-04-29T09:15:13","modified_gmt":"2026-04-29T09:15:13","slug":"trump-rejects-irans-strait-of-hormuz-proposal-irish-fuel-support-plan-to-be-revealed-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/423165\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump \u2018rejects\u2019 Iran\u2019s Strait of Hormuz proposal; Irish fuel support plan to be revealed \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

Main PointsUS<\/a> president Donald Trump<\/a> is unhappy with the latest proposal from Iran<\/a>Iran says\u00a0it needs \u201ccredible guarantees\u201d\u00a0against more US-Israeli attacks before it can ensure security in the GulfThe\u00a0UAE is \u200cquitting Opec, a heavy blow to the group of oil-exporting countries amid the ongoing conflict in the regionKing Charles, in a state visit to the US, stressed the importance of Nato\u00a0and other alliances in a \u201ccontested world\u201dWith the US and Iran sides seemingly far apart on a possible peace deal, oil prices continued to rise, with Brent crude up to around $111 a barrelGlobal oil prices have risen around 50 per cent since the US and Israel invaded Iran Best reads<\/p>\n

Naomi O\u2019Leary – 14 minutes ago<\/p>\n

Trump threatens Iran in early morning social media post<\/p>\n

It has just turned 5am in Washington, DC, and United States President Donald Trump has begun the day by posting a threatening message on his social media platform Truth Social.<\/p>\n

\u201cIran can\u2019t get their act together. They don\u2019t know how to sign a nonnuclear deal. They better get smart soon!\u201d Trump wrote.<\/p>\n

The text was published with an image of Trump holding an assault rifle in front of a town being hit by explosions, with the text \u201cno more Mr. Nice Guy!\u201d<\/p>\n

Naomi O\u2019Leary – 19 minutes ago<\/p>\n

Energy credits can\u2019t \u2018be ruled out\u2019, Simon Harris says<\/p>\n

T\u00e1naiste and Minister for Finance Simon Harris has said that energy credits next winter cannot be ruled out.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it would be a foolish and arrogant government that would rule out anything right now,\u201d he told Newstalk\u2019s Claire Byrne show.<\/p>\n

The T\u00e1naiste suggested that the crisis was unlikely to be resolved in the short term.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I thought this crisis was going to end today, tomorrow, next week, next month, of course we could have different conversations on what to do in the here and now,\u201d Harris said. \u201cBut I have to be honest with people about the winter.\u201d<\/p>\n

He defended the government\u2019s support package for the sectors impacted by fuel price rises in the wake of the conflict in the middle east.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt does make sense to target in the first instance the sectors that are most dependent on fuel, not just for those sectors, but actually for the broader benefit of the Irish economy, because there\u2019s a huge, huge, huge link between the cost of fuel and the level of inflation,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Naomi O\u2019Leary – 43 minutes ago<\/p>\n

The EU should use \u20ac95 billion to electrify transport, industry and heating, von der Leyen urges<\/p>\n

Of funds allocated to energy in the current EU budget, \u20ac95 billion is still unspent and should be used to electrify the continent, European Commission President has told the European Parliament.<\/p>\n

Let us use this to make the switch now to electricity, not just in transport but also in industry and in heating,” von der Leyen said. <\/p>\n

\u201cThis is not only a matter of affordability and competitiveness. This is also, as we learned in this crisis, a matter of economic security.\u201d<\/p>\n

She warned national governments against rolling out blanket fuel subsidies, saying supports must be targeted towards \u201cthe most vulnerable households and industries\u201d to avoid pushing up demand for oil and gas.<\/p>\n

Some \u20ac350 billion was spent on untargeted measures during the last crisis, with only a quarter going towards the most vulnerable, she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis had a huge impact on member state finances, and it also undermined the measures to protect those most in need, so let\u2019s not make the same mistake again and let\u2019s focus our support where it matters most,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

She has urged EU countries to coordinate on purchases of diesel and jet fuel to avoid competing against each other and inadvertently driving the price up higher.<\/p>\n

Flights resume from Tehran\u2019s main airport<\/p>\n

International flights have resumed from Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport in the Iranian capital after a shutdown of 57 days due to the war.<\/p>\n

International flight tracking data shows that flights departed this morning and yesterday to Istanbul and Beijing.<\/p>\n

Arrival flights are scheduled today from Dubai, Iraq, Thailand, and a number of Chinese cities. Though running on a much reduced schedule, it\u2019s a sign of how the ceasefire is allowing some measure of normality to resume.<\/p>\n

Naomi O\u2019Leary – 51 minutes ago<\/p>\n

EU countries with more clean energy are less affected by the crisis, von der Leyen says<\/p>\n

The surge in oil and gas prices has had an uneven effect across the European Union, punishing countries that have a heavy dependency on fossil fuels <\/p>\n

\u201cMember states with more low carbon sources in their energy mix are less impacted by the crisis,\u201d European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has told the European Parliament.<\/p>\n

She gave the example of Sweden, where if the gas price increases by \u20ac1 per megawatt hour, the electricity price increases by only \u20ac0.04 per megawatt hour \u201cbecause almost all of Sweden\u2019s electricity comes from renewables and nuclear.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cThis is how we insulate ourselves from future shocks, and this is the path to independence for Europe,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Naomi O\u2019Leary – 1 hour ago<\/p>\n

Europe\u2019s bill imported fossil fuel bill rose \u20ac27 billion in 60 days<\/p>\n

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has presented a price tag for the United States and Israel\u2019s decision to go to war with Iran to the European Parliament: \u20ac27 billion.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s how the European Union\u2019s bill for importing fossil fuels rose in the 60 days since the war began.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the second energy crisis within four years, and the message should be very clear. Our over-dependency on imported fossil fuels makes us vulnerable,\u201d von der Leyen told MEPs.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe way forward is obvious. We must reduce our overdependency on imported fossil fuels. We must boost our homegrown affordable clean energy supply, from renewables to nuclear.\u201d<\/p>\n

All EU member states want a lasting ceasefire and a return to freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, with no tolls, she said. But things may not be returning to how they were for some time.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a harsh reality we all need to face. The consequence of this conflict may echo for months or even years to come,\u201d von der Leyen told the parliament.<\/p>\n

European stocks rise as earnings take centre stage<\/p>\n

European shares ticked higher on Wednesday, after three \u200bstraight sessions of declines, as investors turned their focus to a busy run of corporate earnings, while US-Iran talks remained at \u200ban impasse.<\/p>\n

The pan-European STOXX 600 rose 0.2 per cent to 607.54 points \u2060shortly after 8am Irish time. European equities remain almost \u200c5 per cent \u200cbelow pre-war \u200blevels, lagging US peers and global markets, which have rebounded, partly driven by \u2060gains in \u200bAI and tech stocks.<\/p>\n

On the earnings front, Adidas advanced 8.2 per cent after the German sportwear maker reported better-than-expected first-quarter operating profit.<\/p>\n

UBS gained 5 per cent after the Swiss bank posted first-quarter net profit above expectations despite market turbulence due \u200cto the Middle \u2060East war.<\/p>\n

Deutsche Bank reported its largest-ever profit under CEO Christian Sewing and upgraded its 2026 \u200cinvestment bank revenue outlook. However, its shares fell 2.8 per cent. – Reuters <\/p>\n

Von der Leyen says impact of Iran war may be felt for years to come\"EuropeanEuropean Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, pictured yesterday, said the EU should focus on clean energy supply. Photography by Ronald Wittek\/EPA <\/p>\n

The European Union needs to reduce its overdependency on imported fossil fuels, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has said.<\/p>\n

In a speech to EU lawmakers on Wednesday morning, von der Leyen said the bloc should focus on clean energy supply.<\/p>\n

On the Middle East, she said the EU wants the ceasefires in Iran and Lebanon \u201cto hold\u201d with urgent need to \u201cre-establish peace and stability through diplomatic means\u201d.<\/p>\n

But she warned: \u201cThe consequences of this conflict may echo for months or even years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

She continued: \u201cThis is the second energy crisis within four years, and the lesson should be very clear. Our overdependency on imported fossil fuels makes us vulnerable…<\/p>\n

\u201cWe must reduce our overdependency on imported fossil fuels and boost our home-grown, affordable, clean energy supply. From renewables to nuclear, in full respect of technology neutrality.\u201d<\/p>\n

Von der Leyen also said the EU needs to \u201cprotect consumers and businesses\u201d but should target \u201cthe most vulnerable households and industries only\u201d. – The Guardian<\/p>\n

Government to announce details of fuel support scheme\"FuelFuel protesters blocking the oil depot at the port in Galway on April 11th. Photograph by Chris Maddaloni\/The Irish Times <\/p>\n

The Government is due to announce details of its fuel support scheme later today. The measures are aimed at supporting agriculture, transport and other sectors.<\/p>\n

The scheme was drawn up in response to the fuel protests<\/a> earlier this month. The \u20ac505 million package<\/a> was larger than expected and involves an extension of and increase to excise duty cuts on petrol and diesel.<\/p>\n

Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon and Minister for Transport Darragh O\u2019Brien will outline more details at a press conference at Government Buildings today.<\/p>\n

EU agri-food groups call for critical status, priority energy access amid Middle East crisis<\/p>\n

European farming, \u200cfood and retail associations on Tuesday called \u200cfor the EU agri-food chain to be formally recognised \u200bas critical infrastructure, urging policymakers to grant operators priority access to energy and key \u200binputs at affordable and competitive rates.<\/p>\n

Middle \u2060East instability is increasing volatility \u200cin energy, \u200clogistics \u200band input markets vital to Europe\u2019s food production and \u2060distribution, \u200bCEJA, Copa-Cogeca, CELCAA, FoodDrinkEurope and \u200bEuroCommerce said<\/p>\n

The groups said \u200ccosts for energy, \u200bfertilisers, freight, packaging and agricultural raw materials \u2060are already \u2060rising across \u200bthe value chain, risking higher grocery prices and weaker food affordability without urgent EU action.<\/p>\n

The associations urged EU and national authorities to guarantee farmers, processors, \u200ctraders, retailers \u2060and wholesalers secure and predictable access to energy and key inputs.<\/p>\n

They \u200csaid targeted, temporary and EU-coordinated measures may be \u200bneeded for the most \u200bexposed actors. – Reuters<\/p>\n

Heathrow Airport warns Iran war will hit 2026 passenger numbers<\/p>\n

Heathrow \u200cAirport on Wednesday \u200csaid its passenger numbers for the \u200brest of year are likely to \u200bbe impacted by the \u2060Iran war, despite \u200ctemporarily \u200cabsorbing \u200bdemand from elsewhere following airspace \u2060closures \u200bin the \u200bregion. <\/p>\n

The UK\u2019s \u200cbiggest airport reiterated \u200ban uncertain outlook \u2060for \u2060the year, but \u200bsaid 18.9 million passengers travelled through the west London hub in \u200cthe first \u2060quarter, a 3.7 per cent increase from \u200ca year ago. – Reuters<\/p>\n

Trump \u2018rejects\u2019 interim Hormuz deal proposed by Iran<\/p>\n

Trump on Tuesday said Iran had asked the US to lift the naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n

Tehran wants the critical waterway for oil and gas shipments open \u201cas soon as possible, as they try to figure out their leadership situation\u201d, Trump said on Truth Social<\/a>. Iran has said it\u2019s in a \u201cState of Collapse\u201d, he added.<\/p>\n

\"IranIran has said it\u2019s in a \u201cState of Collapse\u201d, Trump said on Truth Social. <\/p>\n

Iran has signalled it may be willing to accept an interim deal to reopen the strait in exchange for Washington ending its blockade of Iranian ports, while postponing more complex negotiations over the country\u2019s nuclear programme. It is insisting on keeping some control over shipping through the strait, which Washington is unlikely to accept.<\/p>\n

Trump rejected that offer from Iran, according to the Wall Street Journal, and told aides it showed that Iran wasn\u2019t negotiating in good faith. Mediators in Pakistan expect Iran will submit a revised proposal to end the war in the next few days, CNN reported on Tuesday, citing sources close to the mediation process. – Bloomberg<\/p>\n

Oil prices rise to about $111 a barrel<\/p>\n

Oil was steady as investors focused on the next steps for peace talks over the Iran war, with the near-closure of the crucial Strait of Hormuz prolonging disruptions that have upended global markets.<\/p>\n

Brent traded near $111 (\u20ac94.90) a barrel after rising 2.8 per cent on Tuesday, and West Texas Intermediate was above $99 (\u20ac84.60). <\/p>\n

US president Donald Trump said Iran has asked the US to lift a naval blockade of the strait while the two sides negotiate an end to hostilities that have choked off energy supplies from the Middle East. – Reuters <\/p>\n

King Charles stresses importance of Nato \"Britain'sBritain’s King Charles with US vice president JD Vance, US House Speaker Mike Johnson and Queen Camilla during a joint address to Congress at the US Capitol in Washington on Tuesday. Photograph by Daniel Heuer\/Bloomberg <\/p>\n

Britain\u2019s King Charles has extolled the importance of UK\u2019s \u201cspecial relationship\u201d with the US in a speech to Congress that made pointed reference to the importance of Nato, the defence of Ukraine and the climate crisis.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom the depths of the Atlantic to the disastrously melting ice-caps of the Arctic, the commitment and expertise of the United States armed forces and its allies lie at the heart of Nato, pledged to each other\u2019s defence, protecting our citizens and interests, keeping North Americans and Europeans safe from our common adversaries,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

In a speech that will be read as a veiled plea to Donald Trump to return to the US\u2019s traditional European alliances and restore his country\u2019s role as a defender of liberal values, Charles said: \u201cAmerica\u2019s words carry weight and meaning, as they have since independence. The actions of this great nation matter even more.\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles\u2019s appearance before the joint session of Congress \u2013 the first such royal address in 35 years \u2013 was billed as the centrepiece of his four-day state visit to the United States. – The Guardian<\/p>\n

Trump tells aides to prep for lengthy Hormuz blockade<\/p>\n

US president Donald Trump told his aides to prepare for an extended US naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the Wall Street Journal reported, as the US looks to intensify economic pressure on Iran as the war enters its third month.<\/p>\n

The US president, in meetings with top aides, decided to continue putting pressure on Iran\u2019s ability to export oil by stopping any vessel heading to or from the Islamic Republic\u2019s ports, the newspaper reported on Tuesday night. Trump determined that was a less risky option than resuming bombing or extracting the US from the conflict entirely, the outlet said.<\/p>\n

The decision suggests that the US could be moving into a lengthy period with the fighting largely halted, but no durable resolution to the conflict, and the status of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz still uncertain.<\/p>\n

The US has been blocking ships going to and from Iranian ports to try to squeeze the country of oil revenue, while Iran keeps the strait closed to almost all other traffic. – The New York Times<\/p>\n

European airlines facing biggest challenge since pandemic<\/p>\n

European airlines are facing their biggest challenge since the \u200cCovid-19 pandemic as the Iran war pushes up jet fuel prices and buffets travel through the Middle East, casting a shadow over the summer holiday season. <\/p>\n

Carriers have been largely riding out the crisis with hedges that \u200bhave tamed costs even as the price of jet fuel has risen nearly 84 per cent since the start of the conflict on February 28th, but they could face shortages if the war does not end soon. <\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a risk that we\u2019ll see rationing of fuel supply, particularly in Asia and Europe,\u201d Willie Walsh, head of the International Air Transport Association, told Reuters on Tuesday, while adding that supply \u200bremained robust for now.<\/p>\n

Irishman Walsh said, however, that the situation was not yet as bad as the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, which led to travel demand plummeting and hundreds of billions \u2060of dollars in losses for the aviation sector.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think Covid was on a completely different scale,\u201d Walsh added. \u201cWhat we\u2019re seeing here is, in effect, a \u200ccost \u200cissue \u200bfor the airlines. The underlying demand for aviation remains robust, and that\u2019s a positive.\u201d – Reuters <\/p>\n

Trump says Charles agrees Iran should not have nuclear weapons \"USUS president Donald Trump has said Britain\u2019s King Charles agrees with him that Iran should never be allowed nuclear weapons. Photograph by Aaron Chown\/PA Wire <\/p>\n

Good morning. We\u2019ll be bringing you the latest updates on the conflict in the Middle East throughout the day.<\/p>\n

First up, here\u2019s a roundup of what happened at the state dinner between the Trumps and the Mountbatten-Windsors last night.<\/p>\n

US president Donald Trump insisted that Britain\u2019s King Charles agrees with him that Iran should never be allowed nuclear weapons.<\/p>\n

Trump made the remarks at the White House event on Tuesday night, saying he had \u201cmilitarily defeated that particular opponent\u201d.<\/p>\n

Trump in his toast at the grand event in honour of Charles and Queen Camilla said: \u201cWe\u2019re doing a little Middle East work right now \u2026 and we\u2019re doing very well.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have militarily defeated that particular opponent, and we\u2019re never going to let that opponent ever, Charles agrees with me even more than I do, we\u2019re never going to let that opponent have a nuclear weapon.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey know that, and they\u2019ve known it right now, very powerfully.\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles told the dinner guests, who included Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and golfer Rory McIlroy: \u201cAnd yes, we have had our moments of difficulty even in more recent history.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen my mother visited in 1957, not the least of her tasks was to help put the \u2018special\u2019 back into our relationship after a crisis in the Middle East.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some of the guests laughed when Charles said: \u201cNearly seventy years on, it is hard to imagine anything like that happening today.\u201d – Press Association <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Main PointsUS president Donald Trump is unhappy with the latest proposal from IranIran says\u00a0it needs \u201ccredible guarantees\u201d\u00a0against more…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":423166,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[42,94860,151033,43,20673,150177,40,38,41,39],"class_list":["post-423165","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-headlines","tag-iran-news","tag-iran-war","tag-news","tag-oil-prices","tag-strait-of-hormuz","tag-top-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topnews","tag-topstories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/423165","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=423165"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/423165\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/423166"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=423165"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=423165"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=423165"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}