1 day ago
7
U.S. forces launched an effort to usher commercialized ships done the Strait of Hormuz connected Tuesday, with the archetypal 2 ships, some American-flagged merchant vessels, sailing done unscathed. Central Command said its effort to found a information corridor successful the cardinal waterway for lipid and state transport involves guided-missile destroyers, much than 100 craft and 15,000 work members.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the forces similar a peaceful effort to “guide” the much than 22,500 mariners stuck connected much than 1,550 vessels retired of the Persian Gulf, but are acceptable if needs change. “This is simply a impermanent ngo for us,” Hegseth said. “We expect the satellite to measurement up.” Iran has denounced the determination arsenic a ceasefire violation.
It is unclear what volition follow. The U.S. Central Command said Iran earlier launched aggregate cruise missiles, drones and tiny boats astatine civilian ships nether the U.S. military’s protection, and that U.S. helicopters sank six tiny boats progressive successful the attacks. It denied Iranian reports that American vessels had been struck.
Trump Secretary of State Marco Rubio volition question to Rome and Vatican City this week successful a bid to easiness rising tensions betwixt President Donald Trump and Pope Leo XIV, Trump has lashed retired astatine the pope again, misrepresenting the pontiff’s laments astir the Iran warfare and accusing him of “endangering a batch of Catholics.”
Here is the latest:
Defense caput says US forces stay ‘locked and loaded’ to safeguard Strait of Hormuz
Pete Hegseth said successful a Pentagon briefing Tuesday that U.S. subject forces would similar the caller effort to “guide” stranded ships done the Strait of Hormuz to beryllium peaceful — but are acceptable if needs change.
“This is simply a impermanent ngo for us,” Hegseth said, adding that the intent remains to manus power of the strait backmost to countries that request the waterway “a batch much than we do. … We expect the satellite to measurement up.”
Iran has denounced the determination arsenic a ceasefire violation.
Trump says Pope Leo is ‘endangering Catholics’
Trump is renewing his disapproval of Pope Leo XIV adjacent arsenic Rubio prepares to sojourn Vatican City, ostensibly to easiness tensions betwixt Washington and the Holy See.
The president misrepresented the pontiff’s laments astir the Iran warfare successful an interrogation with blimpish commentator Hugh Hewitt, portion saying Leo is aiding Tehran and making the satellite little safe.
“The pope would alternatively speech astir the information that it’s OK for Iran to person a atomic weapon,” Trump said. “And I don’t deliberation that’s precise good. I deliberation he’s endangering a batch of Catholics and a batch of people.”
Leo has not said Iran should get atomic weapons. He’s called for much bid talks, criticized warfare mostly and lambasted Trump’s circumstantial threats of wide civilian strikes.
The pope besides has emphasized that he’s reflecting biblical and religion teachings, not speaking arsenic a governmental rival to Trump.
Rubio plans to sojourn the Vatican this week arsenic tensions betwixt Trump and the pope rise
Pope Leo XIV holds his play wide assemblage successful St. Peter’s Square astatine The Vatican, Wednesday, Wednesday, April 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Secretary of State Marco Rubio volition question to Rome and Vatican City this week successful a bid to easiness rising tensions betwixt Trump and Pope Leo XIV implicit U.S. policies, peculiarly the Iran war.
The State Department said Monday that Rubio, a Catholic who with this travel volition person visited Italy oregon the Vatican astatine slightest 3 times arsenic the Republican president’s apical diplomat, would beryllium successful Italy connected Thursday and Friday. The Vatican announced that Rubio would conscionable with Leo, the archetypal American pontiff, connected Thursday.
“Secretary Rubio volition conscionable with Holy See enactment to sermon the concern successful the Middle East and communal interests successful the Western Hemisphere,” the section said. “Meetings with Italian counterparts volition beryllium focused connected shared information interests and strategical alignment.”
The travel comes arsenic Trump has criticized Leo for his stances connected the Middle East and elsewhere and arsenic the president has drawn pushback for posting a societal media representation likening himself to Jesus Christ.
▶ Read more
Negotiations marque small progress
Iran’s latest connection for ending the warfare calls for the U.S. to assistance sanctions, extremity the blockade, retreat forces from the portion and cease each hostilities including Israel’s operations successful Lebanon, according to the semiofficial Nour News and Tasnim agencies, which person adjacent ties to Iran’s information apparatus.
Iranian officials implicit the play said they were reviewing the U.S. response. Tehran has claimed its connection does not see its atomic programme and enriched uranium, agelong a driving unit successful tensions with the U.S. and Israel.
Iran wants different issues resolved wrong 30 days and aims to extremity the warfare alternatively than widen the ceasefire. Trump expressed uncertainty implicit the play that the connection would pb to a deal.
Strait of Hormuz closure has far-reaching consequences
The disruption of the waterway has squeezed countries successful Europe and Asia that beryllium connected Persian Gulf lipid and gas, raising prices acold beyond the region.
The U.S., meanwhile, has enforced a naval blockade connected Iranian ports since April 13, telling astatine slightest 49 commercialized ships to crook back, according to its Central Command. It has besides warned shipping companies that they could look sanctions if they wage Iran for transit of the strait.
The blockade has deprived Tehran of the lipid gross it needs to enactment up its ailing economy. U.S. officials person expressed anticipation the blockade volition unit Iran to marque concessions successful talks connected its disputed atomic programme and different longstanding issues.
The UAE bore the brunt of Iran’s retaliation
The United Arab Emirates’ Defense Ministry said its aerial defenses had engaged 15 missiles and 4 drones fired by Iran. Authorities successful the eastbound emirate of Fujairah said 1 drone sparked a occurrence astatine a cardinal lipid facility, wounding 3 Indian nationals. The British subject reported 2 cargo vessels ablaze disconnected the UAE.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi connected Tuesday condemned the attacks, calling the targeting of civilians and infrastructure “unacceptable.” On X, Modi said India stands successful “firm solidarity” with the UAE, and stressed the request for harmless and uninterrupted shipping done the Strait of Hormuz.
Tehran did not corroborate oregon contradict the attacks but Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi aboriginal Tuesday said connected X that some the U.S. and the UAE “should beryllium wary of being dragged backmost into quagmire.”
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia condemned the strikes against the UAE. The Saudi condemnation came contempt progressively strained relations betwixt it and the UAE.
Trump vows to reopen the strait
U.S. President Donald Trump connected Sunday warned that Iranian efforts to halt transition done the strait “will, unfortunately, person to beryllium dealt with forcefully.”
He said the U.S. effort, “Project Freedom,” was intended to assistance tens of thousands of stranded seafarers connected hundreds of ships stuck successful the Persian Gulf since the warfare began.
The U.S.-led Joint Maritime Information Center advised ships connected Monday to transverse the strait successful Oman’s waters, saying it had acceptable up an “enhanced information area.”
Iran accuses US of ceasefire violation
Iran has called the caller U.S. effort a usurpation of the fragile ceasefire that has held for much than 3 weeks.
In a station connected X connected Tuesday, Qalibaf accused Washington of undermining shipping information successful the Strait of Hormuz, and warned that a “new equation” determination is taking shape.
He signaled that Iran has yet to afloat respond to the U.S. effort to reopen the waterway, saying: “We cognize afloat good that the continuation of the presumption quo is intolerable for America; portion we person not adjacent begun yet.”
His connection did not notation negotiations with the U.S. that are present successful the signifier of passing messages via Pakistan.
US effort to unfastened the Strait of Hormuz tests Iran war’s fragile ceasefire
The Iran warfare risked reigniting aft the U.S. tried to unit unfastened the Strait of Hormuz for commercialized shipping, though a ceasefire seemed to beryllium holding Tuesday adjacent aft the United Arab Emirates said Iran fired missiles and drones astatine it.
Iran’s almighty parliamentary talker and main negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, accused the U.S. of undermining determination information with the effort to extremity Iran’s stranglehold connected the strait and warned that Tehran volition respond.
The U.S. subject said 2 American-flagged merchant ships successfully transited the strait connected Monday, the archetypal time of the effort, and that it fired connected Iranian forces, sinking six tiny boats that were targeting vessels.
Disputing Washington’s assertion of sinking six boats, an Iranian subject commandant said 2 tiny civilian cargo boats were deed connected Monday, sidesplitting 5 civilians, Iran’s authorities TV reported.
▶ Read more
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.
English (US) ·