German ship crosses Strait of Hormuz, company says
A spokesperson for German company Hapag-Lloyd spokesperson has said that one of its ships has crossed the Strait of Hormuz.
The company said it does not have any information on the circumstance or timing.
They said that now four out of initially six ships remain in the Gulf, after one ship’s charter agreement expired, meaning it no longer belongs to the Hapag-Lloyd fleet.
Alex Croft24 April 2026 10:10
Watch: Trump rules out use of nukes in Iran but says he won’t be rushed to end Middle East crisisTrump rules out use of nukes in Iran but says he won’t be rushed to end Middle East crisis
Alex Croft24 April 2026 09:48
Third US aircraft carrier arrives in Middle East as Trump ups pressure on Iran
A third US aircraft carrier has arrived in the Middle East, as Washington continues its efforts to pressure Iran into making a deal favourable for the US.
The US military said the carrier, the Nimitz-class USS George HW Bush, had arrived US Central Command’s area of responsibility in the region.
Commissioned in 2009, the nearly 1,000-feet long carrier is the newest of 10 Nimitz-class in the US fleet.
It is powered by two nuclear reactors and has more than 5,500 sailors and air crew on board.
The arrival of the Bush marks the highest number of US carriers deployed to the region in more than 20 years, analysts told CNN.
A defence official said the military does not “discuss force disposition, ship movements, or locations to protect service members and operational security”, when it was asked about plans for the Bush.
(Getty)
Alex Croft24 April 2026 09:26
US could review UK’s claim to Falklands over failure support Iran war
The US is considering reviewing the UK’s claim to the Falkland Islands as a punishment for the country’s failure to support its war in Iran, according to a report.
The policy options are detailed in a note expressing frustration at some allies’ perceived reluctance or refusal to grant the United States access, basing and overflight rights – known as ABO – for the Iran war, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the email.
In the internal Pentagon email, a US official floated the idea of reassessing Washington’s diplomatic support for European “imperial possessions,” such as the Falklands.
The email also suggested suspending Spain from Nato – after its loud criticism of the war – and barring “difficult” countries from prestigious positions in the military alliance.
US President Donald Trump could order a review of the UK’s claim over the Falklands (AFP/Getty)
Alex Croft24 April 2026 08:45
Iran talks must include nuclear experts to avoid ‘more dangerous Iran’, says EU’s Kallas
Talks with Iran should include nuclear experts otherwise “we will end up with a more dangerous Iran”, EU’s foreign chief Kaja Kallas said on Friday.
“If the talks are only about the nuclear and there are no nuclear experts around the table, then we will end up with an agreement that is weaker than the JCPOA was,” Kallas said, speaking ahead of an informal summit of EU leaders in Cyprus.
“And (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,” she added.
Alex Croft24 April 2026 08:31
US sailor heading for the Strait of Hormuz evacuated after monkey attack
A U.S. sailor on the way to counter mines in the Strait of Hormuz was medically evacuated after getting scratched by a monkey during a stop in Phuket, Thailand, according to officials.
“The sailor received medical care and was transferred back to Japan for further care,” a spokesperson for the U.S. 7th Fleet told Axios, which first reported the incident. “There were no operational impacts.”
“Weird stuff happens,” an unnamed military official added in an interview with the outlet. “This was definitely an unknown unknown.”
The Independent has contacted the 7th Fleet for further details.
Alex Croft24 April 2026 08:15
Watch: Iran’s exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi hit with red liquid while walking down streetIran’s exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi hit with red liquid while walking down street
Alex Croft24 April 2026 08:09
How did Israel and Lebanon respond to ceasefire agreement?
As we’ve been reporting, officials from Israel and Lebanon have agreed to extend their ceasefire by three weeks.
The truce has not wholly succeeded. While it has yielded a significant reduction in violence, attacks have continued in southern Lebanon, where Israeli troops have seized a self-declared buffer zone.
But following yesterday’s agreement, Israel’s ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter and Lebanese ambassador Nada Moawad hailed what they described as important progress.
Ambassador Moawad, who went into the meeting seeking an extension of the ceasefire, thanked Trump for hosting the talks. “I think with your help, with your support, we can make Lebanon great again,” she said.
Israeli ambassador Leiter said during the meeting that the talks must focus on rooting out Hezbollah rather than on Israel withdrawing its forces.
“If Hezbollah and IRGC operatives continue to be treated with kid gloves, a real process of achieving our mutual goal will remain unachievable,” Leiter said, according to remarks shared by the Israeli embassy in Washington.
Alex Croft24 April 2026 07:50
Iran grants ‘friendly’ Russia Hormuz transit fee exemption
Iran has granted Russia a fee exemption to transit the Strait of Hormuz, according to RIA Novosti.
“We have provided exceptions for some countries. I don’t know what will happen in the future,” the Iranian ambassador to Moscow, Kazem Jalali, told the state media outlet.
“At the moment, our foreign ministry is trying to use the exceptions provided for friendly countries, for example, Russia,” he said.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar24 April 2026 07:30
Frustration grows among Pakistanis with capital under lockdown for stalled US-Iran talks
No date has been set for the second round of US-Iran peace talks, but Islamabad has been turned into a fortress with sweeping security restrictions, forcing locals to grapple with frustration and uncertainty, Maroosha Muzaffar reports.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar24 April 2026 07:15