United News of Bangladesh

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei has strongly criticised the US naval blockade, questioning whether what he termed an “illegal war of choice” could be won through a “revenge of choice” against the global economy. In a post on X, Baghaei wrote: “Can an illegal ‘war of choice’ be won through a ‘revenge of choice’ against the global economy?!” He further added, “Is it ever worthwhile to cut off one’s nose to spite one’s face?!” His remarks came after US President Donald Trump threatened Iranian vessels, saying they would be “eliminated” if they “come anywhere close to our blockade.”\ Iran warns of regional port threats as US plans blockade The comments also followed the announcement by the US military that its blockade on all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports had officially begun in line with the stated deadline. Source: Al Jazeera

A chorus of top-ranking Iranian officials threatened retaliation. Mohsen Rezaei, a military adviser and a former Revolutionary Guard Commander, wrote on X that the country’s armed forces had “major untouched levers” to counter a Hormuz blockade. He said Iran would not be coerced by “tweets and imaginary plans.” Iranian parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, who led Iran’s side in the talks, addressed Trump in a statement on his return to Iran: “If you fight, we will fight.” Iran’s Revolutionary Guard later said the strait remained under Iran’s “full control” and was open for non-military vessels, but military ones would get a “forceful response,” two semi-official Iranian news agencies reported. During the 21-hour talks this weekend in Pakistan, the U.S. military said two destroyers had transited the strait ahead of mine-clearing work, a first since the war began. Iran denied it.

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has accused Israeli forces of ramming its vehicles and obstructing peacekeeping operations in southern Lebanon amid escalating cross-border tensions. In a statement, UNIFIL said Israeli soldiers on two occasions on Saturday rammed UN peacekeeper vehicles with a Merkava tank, causing significant damage in one incident, reports Al Jazeera. It also alleged that Israeli troops fired “warning shots” over the past week at clearly marked UNIFIL vehicles, striking and damaging them. In one case, a shot reportedly landed about a metre from a peacekeeper who had just dismounted his vehicle. The mission further said Israeli forces have repeatedly blocked peacekeepers’ movements along key routes in recent days, and since early April have destroyed force protection cameras at UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura and at five other positions along the Blue Line from Ras Naqoura to Maroun ar-Ras. On Saturday, UNIFIL said Israeli forces also spray-painted windows at the headquarters’ pedestrian access gate, obstructing visibility of the external perimeter. The UN force said the actions are “inconsistent with Israel’s obligations under Security Council resolution 1701” and undermine the safety, security and freedom of movement of peacekeepers. Meanwhile, Israeli media reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited southern Lebanon, accompanied by Defence Minister Israel Katz and army chief Eyal Zamir. Footage released by Netanyahu showed him alongside Israeli troops in the area. Separately, reporting from southern Lebanon said Israeli forces have intensified strikes and operations in areas including Khiam, Nabatieh, Tyre and Qana, while also pushing efforts to gain control of the strategic border town of Bint Jbeil. The town, which holds symbolic importance due to past conflicts, is considered a key logistical and tactical position in the ongoing tensions between Israeli forces and Hezbollah.

Iran’s parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has said US President Donald Trump’s recent threats “have no effect on the Iranian nation,” amid escalating tensions over the Strait of Hormuz. In comments carried by state media, Ghalibaf said Iran had shown “very good initiatives” and goodwill in talks with the United States, which he claimed had led to progress, reports Al Jazeera. He warned Washington, saying, “If you fight, we will fight, and if you come forward with logic, we will deal with logic.” Meanwhile, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said in a statement that the Strait of Hormuz remains “open to the harmless passage of civilian vessels” in line with international law. Trump warns of Hormuz blockade as US-Iran talks end without deal However, it warned that military vessels approaching the waterway would be considered in violation of the ceasefire and “will be dealt with severely.” The remarks come amid heightened tensions in the Gulf region following US threats of maritime action and growing concerns over the security of the world’s most critical oil shipping route. US President Donald Trump on Sunday said the US Navy would “immediately” begin a blockade to stop ships from entering or leaving the Strait of Hormuz after US-Iran talks ended without an agreement. He said he had instructed US naval forces to “seek and interdict” vessels in international waters that have allegedly paid a toll to Iran, warning that “no one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas.” US Vice President JD Vance said the latest round of marathon negotiations ended without agreement after 21 hours of talks in Islamabad. While, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that the talks concluded without outcome, citing “excessive demands” from Washington as a key obstacle to a deal.

US President Donald Trump has said the United Kingdom and several allied countries will deploy minesweeper naval vessels to the Strait of Hormuz amid rising tensions in the region. In an interview with Fox News, Trump said the UK and “a couple of other countries” are preparing to send minesweepers to help secure the strategic waterway, reports Al Jazeera. The US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Saturday it had begun “setting conditions for clearing mines,” indicating early operational steps to address potential maritime threats. A report by The New York Times on Friday said US officials believe Iran may not be able to clear the mines it has placed in the Strait because it cannot locate them. “And so I understand is the UK and a couple of other countries are sending mine sweepers,” Trump said. The developments come amid heightened concerns over maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil shipping route.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday said the U.S. Navy would “immediately” begin a blockade to stop ships from entering or leaving the Strait of Hormuz, after U.S.-Iran peace talks in Pakistan ended without an agreement. Trump sought to exert strategic control over the waterway responsible for the transportation of 20% of global oil supplies before the war, hoping to take away Iran’s key source of economic leverage in the fighting. The president added that he has “instructed our Navy to seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran. No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas.” Trump also said the U.S. was ready to “finish up” Iran at the “appropriate moment," stressing that Tehran's nuclear ambitions were at the core of the failure to end the war. Face-to-face talks ended earlier Sunday after 21 hours, leaving a fragile two-week ceasefire in doubt. U.S. officials said the negotiations collapsed over what they described as Iran’s refusal to commit to abandoning a path to a nuclear weapon, while Iranian officials blamed the U.S. for the breakdown of the talks without specifying the sticking points. Neither side indicated what will happen after the 14-day ceasefire expires on April 22. Pakistani mediators urged all parties to maintain it. Both said their positions were clear and put the onus on the other side, underscoring how little the gap had narrowed throughout the talks. “We need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon, and they will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon,” Vice President JD Vance said after the talks. Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, who led Iran in the negotiations, said it was time for the United States “to decide whether it can gain our trust or not.” He did not mention the core disputes in a series of social media posts, though Iranian officials earlier said the talks fell apart over two or three key issues, blaming what they called U.S. overreach. Iran has long denied seeking nuclear weapons but has insisted on its right to a civilian nuclear program. It has offered “affirmative commitments” in the past in writing, including in the landmark 2015 nuclear deal. Experts say its stockpile of enriched uranium, though not weapons-grade, is only a short technical step away. Since the U.S. and Israel launched the war on Feb. 28, it has killed at least 3,000 people in Iran, 2,020 in Lebanon, 23 in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states, and caused lasting damage to infrastructure in half a dozen Middle Eastern countries. Iran’s grip on the Strait of Hormuz has largely cut off the Persian Gulf and its oil and gas exports from the global economy, sending energy prices soaring. Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said his country will try to facilitate a new dialogue between Iran and the U.S. in the coming days. “It is imperative that the parties continue to uphold their commitment to cease fire,” Dar said. The deadlock — and Vance’s take-it-or-leave-it proposal that Iran end its nuclear program — mirrored February’s nuclear talks in Switzerland. Though Trump has said the subsequent war was meant to compel Iran’s leaders to abandon nuclear ambitions, each side's positions appeared unchanged in negotiations following six weeks of fighting. An Iranian diplomatic official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the closed-door talks, denied that negotiations had failed over Iran's nuclear ambitions. “Iran is not seeking to acquire nuclear weapons, but it has the right to nuclear energy for peaceful purposes,” they said, reiterating Iran's longstanding negotiating position. There was no word on whether they would resume, though Iran said it was open to continuing the dialogue, Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency reported. “We have never sought war. But if they try to win what they failed to win on the battlefield through talks, that’s absolutely unacceptable,” 60-year-old Mohammad Bagher Karami said in downtown Tehran. US moves to shift status quo in Strait of Hormuz The United States and Iran entered talks with sharply different proposals and contrasting assumptions about their leverage to end the war. Before negotiations began, the ceasefire was already threatened by deep disagreements and Israel’s continued attacks against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon. Iran’s 10-point proposal ahead of the talks called for a guaranteed end to the war and sought control over the Strait of Hormuz. It included ending fighting against Iran’s “regional allies,” explicitly calling for a halt to Israeli strikes on Hezbollah. Pakistani officials told The Associated Press in March that the U.S. 15-point proposal included monitoring mechanisms and a rollback of Iran’s nuclear program. Speaking on condition of anonymity as they weren’t authorized to discuss details, they said it also covered reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Indeed, Iran’s closure of the strait has proved its biggest strategic advantage in the war. During the talks, the U.S. military said two destroyers transited the critical waterway ahead of mine-clearing work, a first since the war began. Iran’s state media, however, reported the country's joint military command denied that. “We’re sweeping the strait. Whether we make a deal or not makes no difference to me,” Trump said as talks extended into early Sunday morning. Israel presses ahead in Lebanon The impasse raises new questions about fighting in Lebanon. Israel has pressed ahead with strikes since the ceasefire was announced, saying the agreement did not apply there. Iran and Pakistan claimed otherwise. Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported six people were killed Sunday morning in an Israeli strike in Maaroub, a village near the southern coastal city of Tyre. Though Israel’s strikes over Beirut have calmed in recent days, its attacks on southern Lebanon have intensified alongside a ground invasion it renewed after Hezbollah launched rockets toward Israel in the opening days of the Iran war. Negotiations between Israel and Lebanon are expected to begin Tuesday in Washington, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun’s office has said, after Israel’s surprise announcement authorizing talks despite the lack of official relations between the countries. Protests erupted in Beirut on Saturday over the planned negotiations. Israel wants Lebanon's government to assume responsibility for disarming Hezbollah, much like was envisaged in a November 2024 ceasefire. But the militant group has survived efforts to curb its strength for decades. The day the Iran ceasefire deal was announced, Israel pounded Beirut with airstrikes, killing more than 300 people in the deadliest day in Lebanon since the war began, according to the country's Health Ministry.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed readiness to support peace efforts in the Middle East during a phone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian following failed US-Iran talks in Islamabad, Russian state media reported. According to Interfax, Putin said Russia is prepared to continue facilitating a political and diplomatic settlement to the conflict and to assist mediation efforts aimed at achieving a “just and lasting peace” in the region, the Kremlin said in its readout, reports Al Jazeera. The call comes amid heightened regional tensions following stalled negotiations between Washington and Tehran. Meanwhile, Iranian authorities have released updated figures on casualties from the recent US-Israel war on Iran. Abbas Masjedi Arani, head of Iran’s Forensic Medicine Organisation, said 3,375 bodies have been identified so far. He stated that the dead include 2,875 men and nearly 500 women. Officials did not immediately provide additional details on the circumstances of the deaths.

US-Israeli attacks have killed and injured a total of 144 healthcare workers in Iran, according to the head of the country’s emergency department. Jafar Miadfar told Mehr news agency that the strikes have caused significant damage to Iran’s health sector, leaving 118 healthcare workers injured and 26 killed. He said the casualties included 78 emergency personnel who were actively on duty in the field. He added that more than 400 medical units were damaged in the attacks, along with 57 emergency bases and 47 ambulances. Two air ambulance helicopters and a sea ambulance were also destroyed. US-Iran talks end without deal; Tehran rejects nuclear condition Miadfar expressed concern over the condition of medical staff in hospitals, saying, “The situation of our colleagues in hospitals is worrying.” The reports highlight the scale of damage inflicted on Iran’s healthcare infrastructure amid ongoing US-Israeli strikes, raising concerns over emergency response capacity in affected areas. Source: Al Jazeera

The United States is reportedly seeking Iran’s complete renunciation of any nuclear programme, including for peaceful or medicinal purposes, according to discussions on the ongoing negotiations. Under Iran’s 10-point framework proposal, there was no reference to a full abandonment of nuclear ambitions. However, Washington is now said to be demanding that Tehran give up its right to any form of nuclear programme. Iran has consistently maintained that, over recent years, its Supreme Leader has issued a decree ruling out the development of nuclear weapons. Iranian officials also say they had come close to reaching an understanding on this position during talks in Geneva and Oman before recent attacks disrupted progress. Ishaq Dar calls on Iran and US to maintain ceasefire commitment Observers note that deep mistrust continues to define the standoff, and efforts to bridge differences are being undermined by ultimatums and hardline statements, which may further complicate negotiations. Iran is expected to respond to the latest US position and may publicly disclose the details of the proposal left on the table by Washington, amid ongoing uncertainty over its contents. Meanwhile, some factions are believed to oppose ending the conflict, arguing they hold a strategic advantage after withstanding US and Israeli strikes over the past six weeks. They have also reportedly been able to disrupt maritime activity in the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint considered vital to global energy supplies and the world economy. While there is growing awareness of the broader risks, Iranian officials say the US continues to shift negotiating positions, further deepening mistrust between the two sides. Source: Al Jazeera

Pakistan has urged Iran and the United States to maintain their ceasefire commitment following recent talks between the two sides. Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said it is imperative that all parties continue to uphold their commitment to the ceasefire, stressing the need for restraint and continued engagement. He expressed hope that both sides would carry forward a positive spirit aimed at achieving durable peace and prosperity not only for the region but beyond. Dar said Pakistan would continue to play its role in facilitating engagement and dialogue between Iran and the United States in the coming days. He also conveyed gratitude to both parties for appreciating Pakistan’s efforts in helping secure the ceasefire, adding that he hopes both sides will maintain a constructive approach to ensure lasting peace and stability in the region. US-Iran talks end without deal; Tehran rejects nuclear condition