![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/people-chant-slogans-carrying-posters-1072616642.jpg\")
Demonstrators hold placard of Hassan Nasrallah, the assassinated leader of Hezbollah<\/p>\n\t\t\t12.55am
\n\t\t\tApril 11<\/p>\n
\t\tIran still has \u2018thousands of ballistic missiles\u2019\n <\/p>\n
US intelligence has assessed that Iran still has thousands of ballistic missiles it could use by retrieving launchers from underground storage depots, the Wall Street Journal reported.<\/p>\n
The assessment clashes with what Pete Hegseth, the defence secretary, told reporters this week.<\/p>\n
He said that Iran\u2019s missile programme is \u201cfunctionally destroyed\u201d with launchers and missiles \u201cdepleted and decimated and almost completely ineffective\u201d. If Iran retains significant strike capabilities it adds to Tehran\u2019s leverage during negotiations over a permanent ceasefire.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t12.26am
\n\t\t\tApril 11<\/p>\n
\t\tIran has no trust in the US, says negotiator\n <\/p>\n
Upon arrival in Islamabad ahead of peace talks, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran\u2019s parliamentary Speaker, said the US had shown itself untrustworthy in previous negotiations.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnfortunately, our experience of negotiating with the Americans has always been accompanied by failure and breaches of commitments,\u201d Ghalibaf said, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency.<\/p>\n
\u201cTwice within less than a year, in the middle of negotiations, despite the goodwill of the Iranian side, they attacked us and committed multiple war crimes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ghalibaf did, however, express hope that the talks would be productive this time.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have goodwill,\u201d he was quoted as saying. \u201cBut we do not have trust.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\t\t11.57pm
\n\t\t\tApril 10<\/p>\n
\t\tTribute paid to Iranian schoolgirls\n <\/p>\n
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran\u2019s parliamentary Speaker, paid tribute to schoolgirls killed in a US missile strike ahead of crucial talks between the countries.<\/p>\n
Ghalibaf posted a picture on X showing him looking at portraits of four children killed in the strike in February during the opening stages of the war.<\/p>\n
Iran said 168 people, many of them children, were killed when a school was targeted.<\/p>\n
Ghalibaf said the children were his companions on a flight to Pakistan for peace talks.<\/p>\n
A preliminary US military investigation said outdated intelligence likely led to the school attack.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t10.59pm
\n\t\t\tApril 10<\/p>\n
\t\tIsrael refuses to discuss Hezbollah truce despite \u2018pressure from US\u2019\n <\/p>\n
Israel refused to discuss a ceasefire with Hezbollah, but has agreed to begin formal peace negotiations with Lebanon on Tuesday, Israel\u2019s ambassador to the US said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Lebanese government and the Trump administration have asked Israel for a \u201cpause\u201d in its attacks against Hezbollah before direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon begin next week, Axios reported.<\/p>\n
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t10.44pm
\n\t\t\tApril 10<\/p>\n
\t\tTrump: US will not allow Iran to toll Strait of Hormuz\n <\/p>\n
President Trump told reporters the United States will have the Strait of Hormuz \u201copen fairly soon\u201d.<\/p>\n
Speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force One, Trump said the strait would open \u201cautomatically\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re going to open up the gulf with or without them \u2026 or the strait as they call it. I think it\u2019s going to go pretty quickly, and if it doesn\u2019t, we\u2019ll be able to finish it off,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t use the strait, other countries use the strait,\u201d he added. <\/p>\n
Trump went on to say he would not allow Iran to charge passing ships a toll fee. \u201cWe\u2019re not going to let that [happen] \u2026 it\u2019s international waters\u201d<\/p>\n
Trump also wished JD Vance luck ahead of the ceasefire talks in Pakistan. \u201cI wish him well,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t9.56pm
\n\t\t\tApril 10<\/p>\n
\t\tProtest held in Beirut against Israel-Lebanese negotiations: In pictures\n <\/p>\n
Demonstrators hold placard of Hassan Nasrallah, the assassinated leader of Hezbollah<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/51206f56-124e-43d6-a470-79e8fb5393b5.jpg\")
Adnan Abidi\/Reuters<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/c6e543af-ef0a-40ce-abb8-2ea15c0d6812.jpg\")
Adnan Abidi\/Reuters<\/p>\n
\t\t\t9.33pm
\n\t\t\tApril 10<\/p>\n
\t\tIsrael and Lebanon to meet in Washington\n <\/p>\n
Lebanon\u2019s President Aoun said an agreement was reached between Israel and Lebanon to hold its first meeting next Tuesday in Washington, in a post on X.<\/p>\n
\u201cAgreement was reached to hold the first meeting next Tuesday at the US Department of State headquarters to discuss the announcement of a ceasefire and the date for starting negotiations between Lebanon and Israel under American sponsorship,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
A presidency statement said that a first telephone call was held on Friday evening between the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to Washington and the US ambassador to Lebanon, who was in the US.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t9.22pm
\n\t\t\tApril 10<\/p>\n
\t\tNegotiations will begin after US accepts preconditions, Iran says\n <\/p>\n
An Iranian negotiating delegation led by the parliament speaker Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf arrived in Islamabad on Friday for peace talks with the US, Iranian media reported, adding that negotiations would begin if Washington accepted Tehran\u2019s \u201cpreconditions\u201d.<\/p>\n
The delegation included senior political, military and economic officials, including the Iranian foreign minister, defence council secretary, central bank governor and several members of parliament.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t9.03pm
\n\t\t\tApril 10<\/p>\n
\t\tIsrael kills at least 180 Hezbollah militants\n <\/p>\n
The Israeli military said on Friday that the airstrikes it carried out in Lebanon two days earlier killed more than 180 Hezbollah militants.<\/p>\n
\u201cFollowing an initial intelligence assessment \u2026 it can be determined that the IDF eliminated more than 180 militants from the Hezbollah terrorist organisation. The count is still ongoing,\u201d the military said.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t8.42pm
\n\t\t\tApril 10<\/p>\n
\t\tIran and US to be at Islamabad peace talks\n <\/p>\n
Shehbaz Sharif, the prime minister of Pakistan, said on Friday that leaders of both Iran and the United States would attend ceasefire talks set to take place in Islamabad.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn response to my sincere invitation, the leaderships of both countries are coming to Islamabad. There, negotiations will be held for the establishment of peace,\u201d Sharif said in an address to the nation.<\/p>\n
JD Vance, the US vice-president, was on his way to Pakistan, but Tehran has said certain conditions must be met before negotiations can occur, casting some doubt on the process.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t8.24pm
\n\t\t\tApril 10<\/p>\n
\t\tNo US in UK talk with allies on unblocking the Strait of Hormuz\n <\/p>\n
The UK will host talks with allies on how to unblock the Strait of Hormuz next week, according to reports. The talks will not include the US.<\/p>\n
Representatives from 41 countries are due to convene for the first time since President Trump announced a ceasefire with Iran earlier this week, Politico reported, citing a British official with knowledge of the plans.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t8.06pm
\n\t\t\tApril 10<\/p>\n
\t\tWednesday\u2019s Israeli strikes kill 357 in Lebanon\n <\/p>\n
Lebanon\u2019s health ministry said on Friday that the death toll from Israeli strikes across the country two days earlier was 357, up from a previous count of 303, while 1,223 more people were wounded.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe toll is still not final, due to the ongoing removal of rubble and the presence of a large amount of human remains\u201d requiring DNA testing, the ministry statement said, after Israel\u2019s massive strikes on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The ministry also raised the overall toll in Lebanon since war erupted between Israel and Hezbollah on March 2 to 1,953 dead and 6,303 wounded.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t7.45pm
\n\t\t\tApril 10<\/p>\n
\t\tStarmer thanks Pakistan PM for ceasefire\n <\/p>\n
Sir Keir Starmer has thanked the his Pakistani counterpart for his \u201ccritical role\u201d in securing a two-week ceasefire in the Middle East. <\/p>\n
A Downing Street readout of Friday\u2019s call said: \u201cThe prime minister spoke to the prime minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif, this afternoon. The prime minister said that the ceasefire was very welcome and thanked Sharif for Pakistan\u2019s critical role.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey agreed that the upcoming talks were vital to progress the ceasefire towards lasting peace and to ensure the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. <\/p>\n
\u201cRecognising that it was still early days, the prime minister was clear that the UK was supportive of this process and hoped it would pave the way to a long-term resolution of the conflict. They recognised the long and deep ties between the UK and Pakistan, and agreed to stay in touch going forward.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\t\t7.26pm
\n\t\t\tApril 10<\/p>\n
\t\tPakistan PM: US-Iran talks are make or break for ceasefire\n <\/p>\n
The prime minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif, said on Friday that the US-Iran talks in Islamabad slated to begin on Saturday were \u201cmake or break\u201d to achieve a permanent ceasefire in the weeks-long Middle East conflict.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t7.18pm
\n\t\t\tApril 10<\/p>\n
\t\tKuwait National guard members injured by drones\n <\/p>\n
Kuwait\u2019s defence ministry said several members of its National Guard have been wounded, after the country\u2019s air defences responded to a drone attack the previous day.<\/p>\n
In a statement on Friday, the ministry said that \u201cIranian aggression\u201d had targeted several vital installations belonging to the National Guard, injuring some members. They were said to be in a stable condition and receiving treatment.<\/p>\n
The statement added that the armed forces had \u201cdetected and intercepted, over the past 24 hours, seven hostile drones in Kuwaiti airspace\u201d.<\/p>\n
The National Guard specified on X that some of its members had been wounded \u201cin the line of duty at one of their sites\u201d while others were wounded \u201cwhile taking part in extinguishing a fire started by the drone attack\u201d.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t6.48pm
\n\t\t\tApril 10<\/p>\n
\t\tPro-Hezbollah protestors take to streets of Beirut\n <\/p>\n
Dozens of Hezbollah supporters took to the streets in central Beirut on Friday afternoon to protest the plans for direct talks with Israel.<\/p>\n
Protesters gathered outside the office of the Lebanese prime minister Nawaf Salam. Some waved flags depicting Hassan Nasrallah, the former leader of the Iran-backed group killed by Israel in 2024.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t6.04pm
\n\t\t\tApril 10<\/p>\n
\t\t\u2018I feel like someone on death row\u2019\n <\/p>\n
It was 2am and Fatemah was unable to fall asleep. If the end of civilisation was coming, as President Trump had warned, the 39-year-old human resources manager living in northern Iran would not be unprepared for the dying of the light.<\/p>\n
She had bought supplies of drinking water and candles, charged her mobile phone and electronic devices and had taken\u00a0the precaution of\u00a0fleeing Tehran, the scene of the most savage destruction, with her three-year-old son. And yet Fatemeh still could not sleep.<\/p>\n
What happened next should have left her jubilant. \u00a0Trump\u2019s reprieve, 90 minutes before his deadline to agree terms for a ceasefire, had spared Iranians yet another round of suffering. Relief, though, was soon replaced by a realisation for many Iranians: the future may not be so bright after all.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like someone on death row who has been taken back to her cell at dawn and does not know when the noose will be put around her neck,\u201d Fatemeh said.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t5.38pm
\n\t\t\tApril 10<\/p>\n
\t\tIran has no cards in negotiations, says Trump\n <\/p>\n
President Trump has said that Iran had \u201cno cards\u201d in the negotiations with the US except its\u00a0control of the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n
In two Truth Social posts in quick succession, he wrote: \u201cThe Iranians don\u2019t seem to realize they have no cards, other than a short term extortion of the World by using International Waterways. The only reason they are alive today is to negotiate!<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Iranians are better at handling the Fake News Media, and \u2018Public Relations\u2019, than they are at fighting!\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\t\t5.34pm
\n\t\t\tApril 10<\/p>\n
\t\tTrump: Our ships will strike Iran if no deal is made\n <\/p>\n
US warships were being reloaded with weaponry to strike Iran if talks in Pakistan failed to produce a deal, President Trump told the New York Post on Friday.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a reset going. We\u2019re loading up the ships with the best ammunition, the best weapons ever made \u2014 even better than what we did previously and we blew them apart,\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd if we don\u2019t have a deal, we will be using them, and we will be using them very effectively.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\t\t5.24pm
\n\t\t\tApril 10<\/p>\n
\t\tHezbollah fires on northern Israel\n <\/p>\n
Hezbollah, the Shia militant group backed by Iran, fired some 30 projectiles from Lebanon into Israel on Friday, the Israeli military said.<\/p>\n
Air raid sirens were activated across northern Israel, near the Lebanese border, where Israeli forces and militants have continued to exchange fire despite a truce in the broader conflict involving Iran.<\/p>\n
Israeli emergency services reported a strike in Safed, where a direct hit damaged several vehicles.<\/p>\n
The emergency services reported strikes in the Galilee region, including in Baana and Deir al-Asad, where a building was hit.<\/p>\n
Clashes between Hezbollah and Israeli forces began on March 2, two days after the militants fired rockets over the border in retaliation for US-Israeli strikes on Iran.<\/p>\n
Israel, which said Lebanon was not covered by the truce agreed this week between Washington and Tehran, carried out strikes on Wednesday that killed more than 300 people in Lebanon.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t5.12pm
\n\t\t\tApril 10<\/p>\n
\t\tNetanyahu asks to postpone trial testimony\n <\/p>\n
Binyamin Netanyahu has asked to postpone giving testimony in his corruption trial citing the security situation in the region, his lawyer said in a court filing.<\/p>\n
The trial was set to resume on Sunday after Israel lifted a state of emergency it had imposed owing to its war with Iran following Wednesday\u2019s ceasefire announcement.<\/p>\n
\u201cDue to classified security and diplomatic reasons connected \u2026 to the dramatic events that have taken place in the State of Israel and throughout the Middle East, the prime minister will not be able to testify in the proceeding for at least the next two weeks,\u201d the filing to the Jerusalem district court said.<\/p>\n
Netanyahu, the first sitting Israeli prime minister to be charged with a crime, denies charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust brought in 2019.<\/p>\n
His trial, which began in 2020 and could lead to jail sentences, has been repeatedly delayed because of his official commitments, with no end date.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t4.56pm
\n\t\t\tApril 10<\/p>\n
\t\t\u2018Start creating a European army tomorrow at the latest\u2019\n <\/p>\n
Pedro Sanchez, Spain\u2019s prime minister, has called for the formation of a European army. \u201cWe are ready to make progress toward the creation of a unified European army as soon as possible,\u201d he said. \u201cNot in ten years or two years, but now. Starting tomorrow at the latest.\u201d <\/p>\n
The US has criticised Spain frequently over its response to the Iran war and contributions to the Nato budget.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t4.40pm
\n\t\t\tApril 10<\/p>\n
\t\tEU ministers: Tax energy windfall profits\n <\/p>\n
The EU has been urged to levy a windfall tax on energy companies\u2019 profits to ease the burden on consumers as the Iran war causes prices to surge. <\/p>\n
The finance ministers of Spain, Austria, Germany, Italy and Portugal put their concerns in in a letter published last week.<\/p>\n
Paula Pinho, spokeswoman for the European Commission, said on Friday that \u201ca whole range of measures\u201d were on the table, including some that had been adopted in the past.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to see what were the efficient, effective measures that were taken and that would still be suitable, what were those which maybe we should adjust, make more targeted, more limited in time,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
A similar emergency tax was implemented in 2022 to address soaring energy prices after Russia invaded Ukraine.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t4.35pm
\n\t\t\tApril 10<\/p>\n
\t\tIsraeli strike kills 13 in Lebanon\n <\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/7fbdebdf-2902-46e0-b1f8-fd6991158d64.gif\")
Israel strikes the city of Nabatieh in Lebanon<\/p>\n
The death toll in an Israeli strike on a governmental building in the southern Lebanese city of Nabatieh has risen to 13, President Aoun has said.<\/p>\n
He condemned continued Israeli attacks and said targeting state institutions would not deter Lebanon in the defence of its sovereignty.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t4.03pm
\n\t\t\tApril 10<\/p>\n
\t\tLebanon ceasefire before talks, Iran says\n <\/p>\n
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran\u2019s parliamentary Speaker, has set a ceasefire in Lebanon and the \u201crelease of Iran\u2019s blocked assets\u201d as preconditions for the start of negotiations with the United States.<\/p>\n
\u201cTwo of the measures mutually agreed upon between the parties have yet to be implemented: a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of Iran\u2019s blocked assets prior to the commencement of negotiations,\u201d he wrote, in English, on X. \u201cThese two matters must be fulfilled before negotiations begin.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\t\t3.50pm
\n\t\t\tApril 10<\/p>\n
\t\tBritons are flocking back to Dubai\n <\/p>\n
![\"People](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/e7872f93-993e-423e-9799-fd0acb2744ee.jpg\")
Dubai remains a tax-free havenGetty images<\/p>\n
When the former Manchester United footballer Rio Ferdinand and his influencer wife, Kate, decided to move to Dubai, they settled on a \u00a36.5 million mansion in the lush community of Al Barari, a popular destination for British millionaires and self-help gurus.<\/p>\n
That was in August 2025. A few months later, the couple packed their bags and fled the \u201chappy and vibrant\u201d city, as Rio Ferdinand had described it, to escape the sounds of missiles and drones that Iran began launching at its neighbour. <\/p>\n
Now in the Maldives, Kate Ferdinand, who had previously expressed misgivings about moving to Dubai, said that the trip was a \u201cnervous system reset\u201d.<\/p>\n
The couple, who left Dubai alongside thousands of other Britons, are in no hurry to return to the city. Others, however, are starting to head back after sitting out the war, saying they had grown too used to the ease of life among the riches and sunshine.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t3.31pm
\n\t\t\tApril 10<\/p>\n
\t\tTrump: WORLD\u2019S MOST POWERFUL RESET!!!\n <\/p>\n
President Trump has taken to social media for the first time today to claim on Truth Social, somewhat opaquely, \u201cWORLD\u2019S MOST POWERFUL RESET!!!\u201d. There were no further details in the message he posted before the peace talks in Pakistan.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t3.25pm
\n\t\t\tApril 10<\/p>\n
\t\tNetanyahu: Spain has chosen to stand against Israel\n <\/p>\n
Binyamin Netanyahu, Israel\u2019s prime minister, has accused Spain of waging a diplomatic campaign against Israel after he barred Madrid from taking part in the work of a US-led centre created to help stabilise postwar Gaza.<\/p>\n
Relations between Israel and Spain have deteriorated significantly since Madrid recognised a Palestinian state in 2024. Both countries have withdrawn since their ambassadors.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have instructed today to remove Spain\u2019s representatives from the coordination centre in Kiryat Gat, after Spain has chosen repeatedly to stand against Israel,\u201d Netanyahu said in a video statement.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose who attack the State of Israel instead of confronting terrorist regimes will not be our partners in shaping the region\u2019s future.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\t\t3.21pm
\n\t\t\tApril 10<\/p>\n
\t\tUS to ask for release of detainees in Iran\n <\/p>\n
US negotiators intend to request the release of Americans detained in Iran as part of talks aimed at ending the war, the Washington Post reported.<\/p>\n
At least four Americans are thought to have been detained. They include Kamran Hekmati, 61, and Reza Valizadeh, 49, who are thought to have been held in the notorious Evin Prison, the same facility where the British couple Lindsay and Craig Foreman have spent 15 months.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t3.05pm
\n\t\t\tApril 10<\/p>\n
\t\tAirports \u2018face fuel shortages within weeks\u2019\n <\/p>\n
European airports could experience fuel shortages within weeks, an industry body has warned.<\/p>\n
ACI Europe, which represents airports within the EU, wrote in a letter to the bloc\u2019s transport commissioner that: \u201cIf the passage through the Strait of Hormuz does not resume in any significant and stable way within the next three weeks, systemic jet fuel shortage is set to become a reality.\u201d<\/p>\n
That, it said, would \u201cseverely disrupt airport operations and connectivity\u201d. <\/p>\n
\t\t\t2.50pm
\n\t\t\tApril 10<\/p>\n
\t\tFact or fiction? The CIA \u2018Ghost Murmur\u2019 tool that found US airman\n <\/p>\n
![\"Illustration](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1f711d38-1427-486f-807a-b3fff10b85f6.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
The colonel, one of a two-man crew of an F-15E Strike Eagle shot down by an Iranian shoulder-launched missile, had spent two days trying to conceal his location from enemy search parties, while letting his would-be rescuers know where he was.<\/p>\n
Apart from intermittent radio contact, all he had was his personal \u201ccome-and-get-me\u201d beacon signal. And he dared switch that on only occasionally, for the Iranians would surely be monitoring the conventional means of rescuing him.<\/p>\n
What ultimately led to salvation, however, was far from conventional. One of the most intriguing secrets of Operation Epic Fury is how, using an \u201cexquisite\u201d piece of classified technology, the CIA succeeded in finding the injured airman<\/a> in Iran by detecting his heartbeat, the tiniest evidence of human life concealed in a narrow crevice up a 7,000ft mountain ridge.<\/p>\n \t\t\t2.47pm \t\tIsraeli strikes \u2018kill Lebanese state security members\u2019\n <\/p>\n Lebanese official media said Israeli strikes on Friday in the southern city of Nabatieh killed eight members of the country\u2019s state security agency.<\/p>\n The state-run National News Agency said \u201cenemy warplanes launched a series of heavy strikes\u201d on the city, including one in the vicinity of the Nabatieh government building that hit the nearby state security office.<\/p>\n \t\t\t2.42pm \t\tPope Leo: God does not bless any conflict\n <\/p>\n \u201cAnyone who is a disciple of Christ, the Prince of Peace, is never on the side of those who once wielded the sword and today drop bombs,\u201d the Pope has written on X. \u201cMilitary action will not create space for freedom or times of #Peace, which comes only from the patient promotion of coexistence and dialogue among peoples.\u201d<\/p>\n The Pope, who was born in the US, has clashed with the President Trump and there were reports this week that he would not return home while he remained in the Oval Office.<\/p>\n Trump has been asked if God approved of the war in Iran, answering: \u201cI do, because God is good \u2014 because God is good and God wants to see people taken care of.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t2.29pm \t\t\u2018Don\u2019t underestimate Iran in peace talks\u2019\n <\/p>\n Iran are \u201ctough negotiators\u201d and \u201cit would be wrong to underestimate them\u201d, Sir Simon Fraser, a former Foreign Office chief, told BBC Radio 4\u2019s The World at One. <\/p>\n As peace talks are expected in Islamabad between Iranian and US delegations, Fraser said: \u201cThe Iranians are \u2026 very experienced in negotiation and they have a lot of expertise, and they are tough negotiators, so it would be wrong to underestimate them, and I think that you need to engage in such a negotiation with a lot of seriousness.\u201d<\/p>\n Fraser, who negotiated with Iran in 2011, said issues such as Iran\u2019s nuclear programme, sanctions and control of the Strait of Hormuz were technical and could not \u201cbe decided on the back of an envelope\u201d. <\/p>\n \u201cI do think the signs are that both sides would prefer this negotiation to get under way, and that is a cause for cautious optimism,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n \t\t\t2.20pm \t\tUS inflation surges to 3.3%\n <\/p>\n Inflation in the US has jumped to 3.3 per cent because of the surge in energy costs caused by the war in Iran, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said on Friday, putting pressure on President Trump to find a way to open up the Strait of Hormuz and reverse elevated oil prices.<\/p>\n The Consumer Price Index for March was up 0.9 points on February\u2019s 2.4 per cent annualised inflation rate, the highest monthly increase since the peak of the post-pandemic inflation surge in June 2022.<\/p>\n Americans are paying 40 per cent more for a gallon of petrol than they were in late February, and in Thursday prices at the pump hit an average of $4.15 (about \u00a33). Fuel increases have caused price rises across the economy from airlines to food delivery companies.<\/p>\n \t\t\t2.15pm \t\tIsrael-Lebanon talks to take place next week\n <\/p>\n Talks between Israel and Lebanon are set to take place in Washington next week between Yechiel Leiter, the Israeli ambassador to the US, and his Lebanese counterpart, Nada Hamadeh Moawad.<\/p>\n Binyamin Netanyahu, Israel\u2019s prime minister, said on Thursday he had authorised direct negotiations with Lebanon \u201cas soon as possible\u201d.<\/p>\n That prompted a warning from Naim Qassem, the Hezbollah chief, who told the Lebanese government to stop giving \u201cfree concessions\u201d to Israel.<\/p>\n \u201cWe will not accept a return to the previous situation, and we call on officials to stop offering free concessions,\u201d Qassem said in a written message broadcast on the party\u2019s Al-Manar TV, in which he also denounced the \u201cbloody criminality\u201d when Israeli strikes killed more than 300 people in Lebanon.<\/p>\n \t\t\t2.10pm \t\tUK has \u2018done more than any other European nation\u2019\n <\/p>\n The UK has done more to help the US during the Iran war than any other European nation, Lord Darroch of Kew, a former UK ambassador to the US, told Times Radio.<\/p>\n Darroch, who worked with both the Trump and Obama administrations, said President Trump\u2019s threat to audit Nato allies remained \u201cominous\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have actually done more than any other European [nation]\u2026 We\u2019ve deployed planes to the region, we\u2019re shooting down drones, or assisting our Gulf partners to shoot down drones,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n However, he warned that the Trump administration could take a different view, and that its \u201cweird\u201d audit was likely to be more \u201cimpressionistic\u201d than \u201cforensic\u201d.<\/p>\n \t\t\t2.00pm \t\tVance warns Iran not to \u2018play\u2019 US in talks\n <\/p>\n JD Vance, the US vice-president, said he was looking forward to negotiations but warned Iran not to \u201cplay us\u201d.<\/p>\n Speaking before leaving Washington for Pakistan, he said: \u201cAs the president of the United States said, if the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith, we\u2019re certainly willing to extend the open hand.\u201d<\/p>\n He added: \u201cIf they\u2019re going to try to play us, then they\u2019re going to find the negotiating team is not that receptive.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t1.35pm \t\tThe oil price in Europe isn\u2019t a big concern, investment firm boss says\n <\/p>\n Global markets have shown \u201cperspective\u201d in the face of the Middle East energy crisis, an investment firm boss told Times Radio.<\/p>\n Ben Kumar, the head of equity strategy at Seven Investment Management, said European oil constraints \u201c[aren\u2019t] really a big concern\u201d for tech investors.<\/p>\n Kumar said that \u201cyear-to-date, the FTSE 100\u2019s up 7 per cent\u2026 the US market is about flat for the year, European markets are doing OK.\u201d<\/p>\n He added that \u201cas long as oil stays below\u2026 $100 or $110 a barrel, it\u2019s not existential for most of the main companies, the big companies around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not too big a problem, especially if you\u2019re investing for the next ten or fifteen years in a company like Microsoft, for example. The oil price in Europe isn\u2019t really a big concern.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t1.19pm \t\tUAE to assess regional allies it can rely on\n <\/p>\n A senior diplomatic figure in the UAE has said that after the war, the Emirati government will study future international ties and \u201cdetermine who can be relied upon\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cWith the confidence of one who has triumphed over a perfidious assault, we will scrutinise the map of our regional and international relations with precision, and determine who can be relied upon, including the structuring of an economy and financial system that bolsters the resilience of our model,\u201d Anwar Gargash said on X.<\/p>\n The UAE has come under constant ballistic missile and drone attack from Iran during the war.<\/p>\n \t\t\t1.03pm \t\tUN warns of rising food insecurity in Lebanon\n <\/p>\n The United Nations has warned that food insecurity was on the rise in Lebanon. As Israel has continued military strikes on the country, prices have been surging and supply chains disrupted.<\/p>\n The UN\u2019s World Food Programme (WFP) said the entire food system in Lebanon was reeling from the conflict, especially since Israel launched its heaviest strikes on the country this week. More than a million people have been displaced in Lebanon by the conflict, and Israel has launched a ground invasion in the south.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat we\u2019re witnessing is not just a displacement crisis: it is rapidly becoming a food security crisis,\u201d Allison Oman, the WFP\u2019s country director in Lebanon, said. \u201cWe\u2019re already seeing clear signs of rising food prices across Lebanon. In just one month, the price of vegetables has surged by more than 20 per cent, bread prices have increased by 17 per cent.<\/p>\n \t\t\t12.50pm \t\tHezbollah targets Israeli naval base\n <\/p>\n Hezbollah has said it fired missiles at Israel\u2019s Ashdod naval base, two days after more than 300 people died in Israeli airstrikes on Beirut.<\/p>\n \u201cIn response to the enemy\u2019s violation of the ceasefire and its repeated attacks on Beirut, and after the Resistance adhered to the ceasefire while the enemy did not, the fighters of the Islamic Resistance targeted\u2026 the naval base in the port of Ashdod with missiles,\u201d the group said.<\/p>\n \t\t\t12.35pm \t\t\u2018No ceasefire with Hezbollah\u2019, Israelis say\n <\/p>\n Binyamin Netanyahu\u2019s chief foreign policy adviser refused to say that Israel was scaling back its military operation in Lebanon despite President Trump\u2019s directive to keep it more \u201clow-key\u201d.<\/p>\n Ophir Falk told NBC that Trump and Netanyahu are in \u201ccomplete agreement\u201d, but added: \u201cThere was no real need to ask Israel to scale back because the hit yesterday was the hardest hit since the pager operation. We took out hundreds of Hezbollah fighters. Clearly we\u2019re going to be hitting different places. As the prime minister said, there is no ceasefire with Hezbollah.\u201d<\/p>\n In a phone call on Wednesday, Trump asked Netanyahu to pull back on the strikes to help ensure the success of the negotiations. Trump confirmed that conversation in his interview with NBC News on Thursday, saying the Israelis were \u201cscaling back\u201d operations in Lebanon.<\/p>\n \u201cI spoke with Bibi and he\u2019s going to low-key it. I just think we have to be sort of a little more low-key,\u201d Trump said. Falk said late on Thursday: \u201cWell the president and prime minister have great cooperation. We\u2019re partners in war and partners in peace.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t12.20pm \t\tEx-British ambassador to Israel: Iran unlikely to give up nuclear programme\n <\/p>\n Iran is \u201ctrying it on\u201d with its demand to levy tolls on Strait of Hormuz tankers, a former British ambassador to Israel has said.<\/p>\n Matthew Gould told Times Radio that Iran were \u201cextremely tough negotiators\u201d who \u201calways put maximalist demands on the table\u201d.<\/p>\n But he told the presenter Rosie Wright that the regime would not see the issue as \u201cexistential\u201d. He said: \u201cThe Iranian regime will be looking at the events of the last few weeks and thinking, actually, one of the lessons they draw from it is their best guarantee of survival into the future is precisely to allow themselves room to continue a nuclear programme.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t12.10pm \t\tPeace talks to create \u2018gaps between Washington and Jerusalem\u2019\n <\/p>\n US-Iran peace talks will create \u201cenormous tension\u201d between Washington and Israel, a former British ambassador to Israel has said.<\/p>\n Matthew Gould told Times Radio that Binyamin Netanyahu will be \u201cstraining every sinew\u201d to ensure that Trump does not leave him in a \u201cdifficult position\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s where you start to see some really serious gaps opening up between Washington and Jerusalem,\u201d he said, pointing to discussions around Iran\u2019s nuclear enrichment programme. \u201cNetanyahu is very clear that you cannot trust the Iranian regime. So he wanted to see the nuclear programme completely obliterated.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think President Trump had the same clarity of objective\u2026 so I think that question is going to be a source of enormous tension between the two governments as the peace talks unfold.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t12.05pm \t\tMore than 125,000 civilians \u2018damaged\u2019, according to Iranian organisation\n <\/p>\n A total of 125,630 civilian units have been damaged across Iran in US-Israeli attacks, including 857 schools, according to the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS).<\/p>\n Its head, Pirhossein Kolivand, said 23,500 of the damaged sites are commercial centres and places of business, in comments to Iran\u2019s IRNA news agency.<\/p>\n The IRCS said 857 schools and 32 universities sustained damage during the 39-day period before the truce. He added that 339 medical facilities were also struck \u2014 these include hospitals, pharmacies, laboratories, health centres and emergency rooms.<\/p>\n The IRCS did not provide casualty figures.<\/p>\n \t\t\t12.02pm \t\tEscort missions in Strait would not help, editor says\n <\/p>\n Naval escorts would do little to unplug the \u201cparalysis\u201d in the Strait of Hormuz, a maritime publication editor has told Times Radio.<\/p>\n Richard Meade estimated that, even if western allies led escort missions to help stranded tankers, transport would remain 90 per cent below normal levels.<\/p>\n \u201cThe reality is, if you were doing this on an escort basis with convoys of five to ten vessels, because that is realistically what you could squeeze through to offer the maximum security, that doesn\u2019t help,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cPrior to the conflict, you were looking at around 120 to 150 vessels transiting the strait today. You would essentially be getting barely 10 per cent of that if you were doing that under a naval escort system.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t11.59am \t\tStarmer: Ceasefire has to involve Gulf states\n <\/p>\n Sir Keir Starmer has said he used his call with President Trump to lay out the views of the Gulf states.<\/p>\n Starmer spoke to Trump yesterday, and they mainly discussed a \u201cpractical plan\u201d to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n The prime minister today shed more light on their discussions, telling broadcasters: \u201c[I] set out to him the views of the region here, these Gulf states are the neighbours of Iran, and therefore, if the ceasefire is to hold \u2014 and we hope it will \u2014 it has to involve them.<\/p>\n \u201cThey have very strong views on the Strait of Hormuz. We spent most of the time on the call talking about the practical plan that\u2019s going to be needed to get navigation through the strait and the role that the UK is playing.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t11.55am \t\tCeasefire remains fragile, Starmer says\n <\/p>\n Sir Keir Starmer said that the ceasefire in the Middle East remains \u201cfragile\u201d, as he left Qatar at the end of his trip to the region.<\/p>\n The prime minister said: \u201cObviously, the discussion moved very quickly to the ceasefire, a sense that it\u2019s fragile, that more work is needed, that the Strait of Hormuz has to be part of the solution, a very strong sense that there can\u2019t be tolling or restrictions on that navigation.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd so we come away from here with a real desire on their part to work more closely with us on defence resilience, on economic resilience \u2014 that\u2019s really important to us, because this is impacting us back at home, on our economy\u2026 It\u2019s a big opportunity as well for the United Kingdom.\u201d<\/p>\n He added that the \u201cconflict is going to define us for a generation and we must respond, and we will respond, with strength\u201d.<\/p>\n \t\t\t11.45am \t\tZelensky urges UK to reconsider EU exit\n <\/p>\n President Zelensky has called on Britain to rejoin the European Union and play a central role in the continent\u2019s security.<\/p>\n Speaking to The Rest is Politics podcast, the Ukrainian leader said Britain should reconsider its position given America could potentially withdraw from Nato \u2014 and said other countries, including his own, should also sign up to the EU.<\/p>\n \u201cIf the United States truly thinks about withdrawing from Nato, then European security will be based solely on the European Union,\u201d he said. \u201cBut not in its current form. I think that the EU is in a situation where it needs more countries. The UK, Ukraine, Turkey, and Norway. These are four strong countries, which are part of Europe.<\/p>\n Together, the UK, Ukraine, and Turkey have armies that are stronger than Russia\u2019s army. Without Ukraine and Turkey, Europe can\u2019t match Russia. With the four countries on board you can wrest control of the seas, have secure skies and the largest land forces.\u201d<\/p>\n He added that \u201cEurope has to think about security and how to preserve its independence\u201d.<\/p>\n \t\t\t11.37am \t\tStarmer: We need to do more in Nato\n <\/p>\n Sir Keir Starmer has said European allies must \u201cdo more\u201d in Nato after President Trump stepped up threats to quit the alliance.<\/p>\n The prime minister said: \u201cWe\u2019re very strong supporters of Nato and I\u2019ve been making the argument for some considerable time that we need to do more. It\u2019s the single most effective military alliance the world has ever known. <\/p>\n \u201cDo we Europeans need to do more? Yes, I\u2019ve been making that argument for the best part of two years, to our European partners as much as anybody else.\u201d<\/p>\n He added: \u201cIt is in America\u2019s interests, it\u2019s in European interests. Nato is a defensive alliance, which for decades has kept us much safer than we would otherwise have been\u2026 We\u2019ll always be strong supporters of Nato. Do I think this will be a stronger European element to Nato? Yes, and I think we should step into that space.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t11.29am \t\tIran charging $2 million to pass through Strait, editor says\n <\/p>\n Iran is already charging tankers $2 million to pass through the Strait of Hormuz and proceeds are going straight to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to the editor of a major shipping publication.<\/p>\n Richard Meade, editor-in-chief at Lloyd\u2019s List, told Times Radio: \u201cThere is effectively this informal Tehran tollbooth system in place, where essentially ships are being asked to part with around $100 a barrel, so in the region of around $2 million for a large tanker, in cryptocurrency or settle in yuan. And that\u2019s going via the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, and the payments are being made direct.\u201d<\/p>\n He added that while the \u201cmajority of ships have stopped moving due to the security risks\u201d, countries with \u201cnegotiated diplomatic settlements with Tehran\u201d were avoiding the levies.<\/p>\n \u201cIndia, Pakistan, Malaysia, they have all had ships move in without necessarily having to pay direct fees,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \t\t\t11.23am \t\tJohn Healey not worried about potential Trump punishment\n <\/p>\n The defence secretary does not expect Trump to punish the UK for disappointing him with its position on the Iran war.<\/p>\n There have been reports that the US president will audit allies\u2019 levels of co-operation during the conflict, amid concerns that Washington could withdraw its troops from British bases.<\/p>\n Asked if he was worried, John Healey told Sky News: \u201cNo, I\u2019m not for two reasons. One, this is rightly, consistent with what President Trump and US have been saying, which is that they want to see each and every Nato member stepping up and doing more in Nato, on Ukraine, on defence spending.<\/p>\n \u201cSecondly, our actions in support of our forces, our allies, and in some of the operations [such as] the US strikes on Iranian missile sites, have been an important part of seeing this conflict reach this point.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\tHealey says US \u2018absolutely locked\u2019 into Nato\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t11.13am \t\tIsrael tells WHO it will not target Beirut hospitals\n <\/p>\n The World Health Organisation says it has received assurances that two hospitals in Beirut featured in an Israeli evacuation order will not be targeted.<\/p>\n The estimated 450 patients inside the Rafik Hariri University Hospital and Al Zahraa Hospital in Beirut have not been evacuated because it was not feasible, Abdinasir Abubakar, the WHO\u2019s representative in Lebanon, said.<\/p>\n \t\t\t11.03am \t\tClose to 600 children killed or injured in Lebanon\n <\/p>\n Nearly 600 children have been killed or injured in Lebanon since the outbreak of the latest Israel and Hezbollah war in a little more than a month, Unicef has said.<\/p>\n The death toll increased as 33 children were killed in a barrage of Israeli attacks on Wednesday, the UN\u2019s children\u2019s agency said.<\/p>\n \u201cUnicef is receiving reports of children being pulled from under the rubble, while others remain missing and separated from their families. Many are experiencing trauma, having lost loved ones, their homes, and any sense of safety,\u201d Unicef said.<\/p>\n It called on all parties to respect international law. \u201cInternational humanitarian law is clear: civilians, including children, must be protected at all times,\u201d it added.<\/p>\n \t\t\t10.48am \t\tHow far is the US willing to concede?\n <\/p>\n Analysis by Samer Al-Atrush<\/p>\n The war that was meant to push Iran over the edge instead has restored its deterrence power in the region, while disabusing the US and Israel of any hopes for a military victory against the regime. <\/p>\n But if it were to think past the short term, Tehran still has every reason to reach an agreement with the US that would lift the crippling sanctions on the country, which guarantee continued domestic unrest and opposition to the regime.<\/p>\n What terms it will accept remains to be seen, but given its performance over the war, it is unlikely to budge on its missile arsenal, or what it calls its \u201cright\u201d to enrich uranium. The question now is how far the US is willing to concede.<\/p>\n \t\t\t10.39am \t\tIran will seek to cement its gains in talks\n <\/p>\n Analysis by Samer Al-Atrush<\/p>\n The last time American negotiators faced off with their Iranian counterparts, the threat of war loomed over Tehran, which was then led by a zealous yet careful despot.<\/p>\n More than five weeks later, the US faces a very different Iran, one emboldened by having stood up to a combined US and Israeli attack while remaining in control of one of the world\u2019s key oil trade routes. This time, it is led by a new, and more radicalised, government, headed by Ayatollah Khamenei\u2019s vengeful son. It is difficult to imagine why Iran would attend today\u2019s talks in Pakistan in the mood for compromise.<\/p>\n Instead, Iran will be seeking to cement the gains it made during the war. For three years, Tehran and its regional allies have been decimated by Israeli and American airstrikes, and it appeared ready to collapse after a nationwide uprising in January.<\/p>\n \t\t\t10.31am \t\tJohn Healey warns increased defence spending means cuts elsewhere\n <\/p>\n The government must persuade the British public to accept that increased defence spending will mean cuts elsewhere, the defence secretary has said.<\/p>\n John Healey told the London Defence Conference: \u201cFundamentally, if we want to see this increasing in government, in public investment, in what we do and what we believe is needed, then we\u2019ve got a job to be able to gain the acceptance \u2014 maintain the acceptance and understanding \u2014 of the public to support investments in defence.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause to some extent, they will always come at the expense of other areas that people would like to see action.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t10.25am \t\t\u2018I came back after five minutes and the building was not there\u2019\n <\/p>\n At a site in west Beirut where an entire building had been razed to the ground in the wave of attacks on Wednesday morning, locals say the building was used as a storage centre with aid for displaced people from the south of the country (Jack Clover writes).<\/p>\n At least nine were killed in the strike. Israel claims it was linked to Hezbollah.<\/p>\n Nappies and tins of fish lie strewn on the floor, smoke and dust rises. Cars are overturned.<\/p>\n \u201cI was eating with them, I left for five minutes, I came back and the building is not there\u201d a 62-year-old man, who was a supervisor at the centre, said.<\/p>\n \t\t\t10.21am \t\tIran war will define us for a generation, Starmer says\n <\/p>\n Sir Keir Starmer has said that the Iran war is a \u201cline in the sand\u201d that \u201cwill define us for a generation\u201d.<\/p>\n Writing in The Guardian<\/a>, the prime minister outlined his foreign policy approach, including pushing for de-escalation, defensive actions against Iranian military capabilities and \u201csustained\u201d defence investment.<\/p>\n He also acknowledged war\u2019s domestic impact, writing: \u201cThe same instability that threatens global security drives up energy prices, disrupts supply chains and puts pressure on family finances here in Britain.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t10.13am \t\tSpain condemns \u2018unacceptable\u2019 Israeli strikes on Lebanon\n <\/p>\n Spain\u2019s foreign minister Jose Manuel Albares has described Israel\u2019s attacks on Lebanon as \u201ca disgrace on the conscience of humanity\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201c[The offensive against] Lebanon is a disgrace on the conscience of humanity. The level of violence, the violation of international law and international humanitarian law by Israel is unacceptable,\u201d Albares said.<\/p>\n It is the latest criticism from Madrid of Israel. Earlier this week, Spain\u2019s prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, said Binyamin Netanyahu\u2019s \u201ccontempt for life and international law \u200bis intolerable\u201d, after attacks on Beirut which left hundreds dead.<\/p>\n \t\t\t10.07am \t\tJohn Healey: Judge the UK on its actions, not Trump\u2019s words\n <\/p>\n The UK should be judged on its actions in the Middle East rather than President Trump\u2019s social media posts, the defence secretary said.<\/p>\n John Healey told the London Defence Conference: \u201cIn the end I\u2019d rather our actions spoke for themselves. And if you look, even in this current conflict, the basing permissions that we in the UK have agreed with the US have been invaluable to their military operations.\u201d<\/p>\n After it was put to him that Trump was furious that the UK did not give permission to use British bases earlier, Healey said \u201csure\u201d, but added: \u201cIn northern Iraq, our RAF regiment has been, almost daily, taking down drones and jointly protecting US forces and that joint base we\u2019ve got with them.<\/p>\n \u201cIf we focus on our actions rather than just simply the exchange of words and social media posts, then the fundamentals for me remain.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t10.05am \t\tDefence minister praises Royal Navy\n <\/p>\n Luke Pollard, a defence minister, has denied President Trump\u2019s claims that the Royal Navy is made up of \u201cold\u201d aircraft carriers that \u201cdon\u2019t work\u201d and are \u201ctoys\u201d.<\/p>\n Asked on BBC Breakfast whether there is \u201can element of truth in that\u201d, Pollard said: \u201cNo. No, we\u2019ve got a strong Royal Navy. HMS Sutherland, the Type-23 frigate behind me here, is crewed by brilliant men and women. We\u2019ve got a globally deployed navy at the moment. We\u2019re adding to that navy with new autonomous capabilities, creating a hybrid navy.\u201d<\/p>\n He added: \u201cSo our Royal Navy is working, it is deployed, and yes, we are also dealing with the hollowing out and the underfunding of the navy that we inherited from the previous government. That\u2019s why the shipyards in Glasgow and in Rosyth are building the brand new Royal Navy frigates.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t9.58am \t\tUK\u2019s survival depends on freedom of seas, foreign secretary says\n <\/p>\n Yvette Cooper stated that Britain\u2019s survival depends on maritime freedoms, in a speech yesterday.<\/p>\n The foreign secretary, speaking at the annual Easter banquet in Mansion House, central London, said: \u201cHere in Britain, the importance of this runs deep in our history. Because we\u2019re an island nation, a maritime economy. 95 per cent of our trade is carried by sea, 40 per cent of our food is imported, and it was Victorian Britain that pioneered the freedom of the seas, the maritime law made piracy a crime of universal jurisdiction.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd today we know, more than ever, that freedom of navigation is the underpinning of global trade, and it matters for every sea, every ocean, every strait, every country has a stake in this.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t9.53am \t\t\u2018Turbulence is now the new normal\u2019\n <\/p>\n The foreign secretary yesterday warned Britons that \u201cinstability and volatility\u201d are \u201cthe new normal\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cEvents in the Middle East weigh heavily on us, and it might be tempting or even comforting to think that the Iran crisis is a once in a generation shock,\u201d Yvette Cooper said at her Mansion House speech to the City of London.<\/p>\n \u201cBut this is the third time in six years that international events have sent economic tidal waves around the globe, hitting Britain\u2019s shores. The Covid pandemic, the invasion of Ukraine, and now the Iran conflict.<\/p>\n \u201cInstability and volatility are becoming increasingly chronic, and turbulence is now the new normal.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t9.48am \t\tYvette Cooper says closer ties with Europe are needed\n <\/p>\n The UK is emerging from \u201can era of complacency\u201d and must forge deeper ties with Europe, the foreign secretary has said.<\/p>\n Yvette Cooper said yesterday: \u201cFor too long, the UK clung to the prevailing security assumptions of the last two decades. Our country had planned for a post-Cold War peace dividend. Instead, we have an aggressive expansionist Russia that menaces our continent. Instead, we\u2019ve seen instability, inequality and rising protectionism threaten economic security.\u201d<\/p>\n Addressing, the increasing pressure on Nato, she said the US remained \u201cindispensable\u201d, but that closer ties with Europe are also needed.<\/p>\n She hailed foreign policy moves including \u201ca landmark bilateral treaty with Germany\u201d, \u201cdeeper nuclear security co-operation with France\u201d, and closer ties with the European Union on defence and trade.<\/p>\n \t\t\t9.42am \t\tIsrael \u2018not in a ceasefire\u2019 with Lebanon\n <\/p>\n Israel\u2019s military is in a \u201cstate of war and not in a ceasefire\u201d, its chief of staff has said.<\/p>\n Eyal Zamir added in a video released this morning while meeting troops that Israeli forces are continuing their combat operations in southern Lebanon.<\/p>\n During a visit near Bint Jbeil in southern Lebanon, Zamir said: \u201cWe continue to fight here in this sector, this is our main fighting sector. In Iran, we are in a ceasefire, and we can return to fighting there at any moment, and in a very powerful way,\u201d the Times of Israel reported.<\/p>\n \t\t\t9.28am \t\tIslamabad holds its breath ahead of talks\n <\/p>\n Pavements in Islamabad are receiving fresh coats of paint, a strong security presence is being intensified, and a sense of anticipation fills the air as the Pakistani capital prepares for the meeting between US and Iranian negotiators (Haroon Janjua writes).<\/p>\n The city is on high alert with large convoys of black SUVs driving through the streets. Police and military roadblocks have sprung up on key roads. Paramilitary rangers guard government buildings, and shipping containers have been used to block roads.<\/p>\n There is increased security around Islamabad\u2019s diplomatic and administrative sector, the Red Zone. Several highways have been shut, surrounding schools have switched to remote learning, and critical government agencies have declared temporary closures to facilitate traffic.<\/p>\n \u201cIt feels like the city is holding its breath,\u201d Osama Malik, a resident, said. \u201cThis is a major event hosted by Pakistan, but I am not sure the war will end anytime soon.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t9.21am \t\tYvette Cooper: No place for tolls on international waterway\n <\/p>\n \t\tYvette Cooper says reopening Strait won\u2019t end global turbulence<\/p>\n Yvette Cooper has said that passage through the Strait of Hormuz must not be \u201csold off to individual bidders\u201d.<\/p>\n The foreign secretary, making an annual policy speech in the City of London yesterday, said: \u201cFreedoms of the seas must not be unilaterally withdrawn or sold off to individual bidders. And nor can there be any place for tolls on an international waterway. Freedom of navigation means navigation must be free.\u201d<\/p>\n Her comments came following reports that Iran could levy $2 million per vessel, to be shared with Oman.<\/p>\n On Monday, Trump suggested that the US could charge tolls too, telling reporters: \u201cWhat about us charging tolls\u2026 I\u2019d rather do that then let them have them, right?\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t9.14am \t\tOil heads for biggest weekly fall in nine months\n <\/p>\n The oil price is on track for its biggest weekly fall in nine months ahead of US-Iran ceasefire talks despite rising in early trading in London.<\/p>\n The price has fallen by about 11 per cent so far this week, after dropping as much as 16 per cent on Tuesday after President Trump\u2019s surprise ceasefire announcement.\u00a0It is the biggest weekly decline since June 2025, when the previous Israeli-US strikes on Iran were halted.<\/p>\n Brent crude was up 1.5 per cent at $97.42 a barrel this morning with analysts saying that even if there is a permanent ceasefire and the Strait of Hormuz reopens, the damage to oil and gas infrastructure will keep supply tight and prices high for months.<\/p>\n \t\t\t9.11am \t\tRussian shadow fleet taking \u2018long way round the UK\u2019\n <\/p>\n Luke Pollard, the defence minister, has said that Russian shadow tankers are \u201ctaking the long way round the UK\u201d thanks to the actions of Britain\u2019s armed forces.<\/p>\n The UK has authorised the Royal Navy to board sanctioned ships if they enter British waters and Putin responded by enlisting a warship to escort sanctioned vessels through the Channel.<\/p>\n Pollard told Sky News: \u201cHaving to have a Russian frigate escort one of their vessels shows how vulnerable they now are.\u201d<\/p>\n He added: \u201cWe now know they\u2019re taking the long way round the United Kingdom because of the actions that we are taking and, thanks to the new powers that the UK armed forces have, we reserve the right, at a time of our choosing, to interdict a Russian vessel ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n The Telegraph, however, has reported that the UK has not been seizing sanctioned Russian vessels over fears of breaching maritime law.<\/p>\n \t\t\t9.04am \t\tWe don\u2019t know what Trump wants, German politician says\n <\/p>\n A senior German politician has criticised President Trump\u2019s rhetoric in the Iran war and said it wasn\u2019t clear what goals he was pursuing.<\/p>\n Armin Laschet, the Christian Democrat chair of the Bundestag\u2019s foreign affairs committee, told Deutschlandfunk radio: \u201cGermany has made clear we will not be part of his war. We don\u2019t know what he wants. We don\u2019t know what he\u2019s negotiating. We do not even know why, a few days ago, he backed down from his ultimatum at 2am to wipe out Iranian civilisation. Just imagine that language.<\/p>\n \u201cI cannot see what actually led him, one hour before the ultimatum expired, to back down from this annihilation of the civilisation. We are unaware of any concessions Iran has made. The Strait of Hormuz is still not as open as it should be. The missile programme has not ended, the nuclear programme has not ended, and regime change has not taken place.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t9.01am \t\tIranian foreign minister urged to participate in peace talks in good faith\n <\/p>\n Spain\u2019s foreign minister said he had spoken with his Iranian counterpart and urged him to negotiate in good faith during talks with the United States in Islamabad.<\/p>\n \u201cI encourage Iran \u2014 this is what I conveyed to the Iranian foreign minister \u2014 to take part in those negotiations and to participate in good faith,\u201d Jose Manuel Albares told the press, adding that he had spoken with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, \u201cthe day before yesterday\u201d and had also asked him to halt \u201call missile and drone launches\u201d.<\/p>\n \t\t\t8.53am \t\tDefence minister downplays Trump\u2019s Nato audit comments\n <\/p>\n Luke Pollard sought to downplay reports that Trump was set to punish Nato allies who had disappointed him during the Iran war.<\/p>\n The minister for defence readiness and industry told Times Radio that it was \u201cnot an activity that we recognise\u201d, adding: \u201cWe\u2019ve been very clear that the war in Iran is not our war.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t8.39am \t\tUK to announce multi-million-pound missile contract today\n <\/p>\n The government will announce a multi-million-pound missile contract for drone interceptors today, the defence minister Luke Pollard has said.<\/p>\n \u201cToday, we\u2019re announcing a new multi-million-pound missile contract for drone interceptors to help shoot down Iranian drones and other threats to our forces,\u201d Pollard told Sky News.<\/p>\n Asked whether the UK would send military assets to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, he said Britain has already \u201cpre-deployed\u201d autonomous Royal Navy minehunters.<\/p>\n He added that reopening the strait \u201cmeans a freedom of navigation for all vessels and no tolls to pay, as Iran may be hinting at\u201d.<\/p>\n \t\t\t8.31am \t\tStarmer\u2019s strongest criticism of Trump yet\n <\/p>\n
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A house damaged during Israeli strikes in BeirutAdnan Abidi\/Reuters<\/p>\n
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The nuclear programme, on the other hand, is paramount.<\/p>\n
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Sir Keir Starmer leaving QatarAlastair Grant\/Getty Images<\/p>\n
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A Lebanese soldier after an Israeli airstrike in BeirutWael Hamzeh\/EPA<\/p>\n
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The site of an Israeli airstrike in the village of Habbouch, southern LebanonAbbas FAKIH\/Getty Images<\/p>\n
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An Israeli couple hangs out by the Mediterranean after the U.S. and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire that was later endorsed by Israel, in Tel Aviv, Israel April 9, 2026. REUTERS\/Florion GogaReuters<\/p>\n
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Pakistani soldiers in Islamabad\u2019s diplomatic and administrative sector, the Red ZoneAamir QURESHI\/Getty Images<\/p>\n
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HMS Mersey, right, tracking the Russian frigate Admiral Grigorovich, left, and the Kilo-class submarine Krasnodargetty images<\/p>\n
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Pakistani soldiers in Islamabad ahead of the US-Iran talksAamir QURESHI\/Getty Images<\/p>\n
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A photo issued by the MoD of the Russian Kilo-class submarine KrasnodarPA<\/p>\n![\"Donald](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/e10061ff-9d8a-4e74-b96a-3adefc51aba7.jpg\")
President Trump with Sir Keir Starmer at last summer\u2019s Nato summit in the NetherlandsKin Cheung\/AP<\/p>\n![\"People](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/b4e75fbd-1481-4a22-9d14-58dcb1fb287a.jpg\")
People run to take shelter as sirens sound in Tel AvivAlexi Rosenfeld\/Getty Images<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/a34098dc-c2b2-426d-a587-0cc7506a1c3d.jpg\")
An apartment that was destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in BeirutChris McGrath\/Getty Images<\/p>\n![\"Britain's](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/9184cf83-76a6-4554-9fb5-fc0b143e3673.jpg\")
Sir Keir Starmer meets military personnel in Bahrain Alastair Grant\/Getty Images<\/p>\n