Breaking News: Pakistan says it’s Ready to Host US-Iran Talks to Help End Regional Conflict, no Dates Finalized Yet
2 April, 2026 – 4:35 PM GMT+5
Iran maintains its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz
Ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains a trickle compared to before the Iran war, with remaining tanker traffic dominated by sanctions-evading tankers carrying Iranian oil, according to the Lloyd’s List Intelligence shipping data firm.
Traffic through the Strait is down 94% compared to a year ago. Iran is enforcing its so-called “toll booth” screening system in which vessels must deviate from the usual shipping channel in the middle of the strait and detour north around Iran’s Larak Island. Vessel operators are being asked to contact approved intermediaries of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and provide information on ownership, cargo and crew before being allowed to pass.
Despite the nickname, only two of the at least 63 ships that have taken the Larak Island route are confirmed to have paid, while others appear to have passed based on diplomatic intervention from home governments.
2 April, 2026 – 2:35 PM GMT+5
Pakistan says it’s ready to host US-Iran talks to help end regional conflict, no dates finalized yet
By MUNIR AHMED
Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Thursday that Islamabad is ready to host talks between the United States and Iran to help end the regional conflict, though no dates have been finalized and the two sides will decide the timing.
At a news conference, ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said it is up to Washington and Tehran to determine when they are ready to come to the negotiating table.
On its part, he said, Pakistan remains optimistic about a peaceful settlement of the conflict.
“Both Iran and the U.S. have expressed their confidence in Pakistan to facilitate these talks,” Andrabi said, adding that “we will be honored to host and facilitate these talks between the two sides in the coming days for a comprehensive and lasting settlement of the ongoing conflict.”
2 April, 2026 – 1:35 PM GMT+5
Iran army chief warns against US invasion
By JON GAMBRELL
Iran’s army chief warned Thursday that should the U.S. military land in the Islamic Republic, “not a single person” will survive among the invaders.
Maj. Gen. Amir Hatami made the comment in a piece aired by Iranian state television.
“The shadow of war must be lifted from our country and there must be security for everyone, because it is not possible for places to be safe and our people to be unsafe,” he said.
2 April, 2026 – 2:32 PM GMT+5
Philippines says Iran has assured safe passage of its ships and oil imports in Strait of Hormuz
By JIM GOMEZ
The Philippines got an assurance from Iran’s foreign minister Thursday that its ships, fuel imports and Filipino seafarers would be allowed to pass safely and expeditiously through the Strait of Hormuz, the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila said.
Iranian foreign minister gave the assurance during a telephone call with Philippine Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro, who has requested that Iran designate the Philippines as a “non-hostile country” and ensure the safe passage of its ships and oil shipments through the strategic strait, the foreign affairs department said without elaborating.
“This positive development is vital for the Philippines as it will not only ensure the safety of Filipino seafarers operating in the area but will also help ensure energy security for the country,” Lazaro said in the statement.
The Philippines, a longtime treaty ally of the United States, imports the bulk of its fuel from the Middle East.
2 April, 2026 – 12:09 PM GMT+5
Former Iranian foreign minister reportedly wounded in airstrike
By JON GAMBRELL
An airstrike has severely wounded a former Iranian foreign minister who once suggested Tehran could seek a nuclear weapon, Iranian media outlets reported.
The attack Wednesday wounded Kamal Kharazi, 81, and killed his wife, the reports said.
It wasn’t clear if the airstrikes targeted Kharazi or another site nearby.
Kharazi served as a foreign minister for Iran’s reformist President Mohammad Khatami, then as a foreign affairs adviser to the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
In 2022, he told Al Jazeera that Tehran has “the technical means to produce a nuclear bomb but there has been no decision by Iran to build one,” sparking concern about Tehran’s intentions.
After the war began, Kharazi told CNN: “I don’t see any room for diplomacy anymore. Because Donald Trump had been deceiving others and not keeping with his promises, and we experienced this in two times of negotiations — that while we were engaged in negotiation, they struck us.”
1 April, 2026 – 10:08 PM GMT+5
Trump says US could leave Iran soon but might ‘come back to do spot hits’
The president told Reuters in a telephone interview ahead of his televised address Wednesday night that the U.S. would be finishing its war in Iran soon, but he wouldn’t give a timeline.
“I can’t tell you exactly … we’re going to be out pretty quickly,” he said.
But once the U.S. leaves, he said “We’ll come back to do spot hits” on targets, as needed.
1 April, 2026 – 8:56 PM GMT+5
Bahrain circulates a new UN proposal to open the Strait of Hormuz without enforcement language
A revised draft of Bahrain’s proposal — obtained by The Associated Press — to protect commercial shipping in and around the critical waterway has removed explicit authorization for U.N.-backed military action while retaining language associated with it. A vote on the new draft is expected Thursday, according to a U.N. diplomat who wasn’t authorized to comment about plans not yet made public and spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The original text had been placed under Chapter Seven of the U.N. Charter, which allows the council to authorize actions ranging from sanctions to the use of force. But it faced opposition from Iran’s allies on the Security Council, China and Russia, which are both veto-wielding members. The U.S. and the Gulf countries, including the United Arab Emirates, had been lobbying on behalf of the proposal.
The diplomat said the watered-down language will still be a hard swallow for China and Russia but it’s expected to get the necessary votes to pass the 15-member council.
1 April, 2026 – 7:31 PM GMT+5
Iran responds to Trump’s claim that Iran’s president wants a ceasefire
By JON GAMBRELL
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, called Trump’s claim “false and baseless,” according to a report on Iranian state television.
Also, Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard separately issued a statement saying the Strait of Hormuz “is firmly and decisively under the control” of its forces.
“This strait will not be opened to the enemies of this nation through the ridiculous spectacle by the president of the United States,” it added.
1 April, 2026 – 5:57 PM GMT+5
Trump claims Iran president wants ceasefire; no response from Iran
President Trump on Wednesday claimed Iran’s president wanted a ceasefire ahead of his speech to the American people.
Trump made the claim on his Truth Social website.
Trump said “Iran’s New Regime President,” however. Iran still has the same president.
Trump also said a ceasefire would only happen when the Strait of Hormuz is “open, free, clear.”
“Until then, we are blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages!!!” he wrote.
Iran had no immediate response to Trump’s post. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in an interview with Al Jazeera aired late Tuesday signaled Tehran’s willingness to keep fighting.
“You cannot speak to the people of Iran in the language of threats and deadlines,” he said. “We do not set any deadline for defending ourselves.”
1 April, 2026 – 5:40 PM GMT+5
Pakistan receives oil shipments after Iran permits more ships via Strait of Hormuz
By MUNIR AHMED
A Pakistani vessel carrying oil arrived at the southern port city of Karachi after transiting the Strait of Hormuz, while a second vessel reached the port via a different route, a Karachi Port Trust spokesperson said Wednesday.
Spokesperson Shariq Farooqi said more Pakistani-flagged ships are expected this month to deliver much-needed oil from Gulf countries.
The development comes days after Pakistan’s foreign minister said Iran had agreed to allow 20 additional Pakistani-flagged ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, describing the move as a “constructive gesture” aimed at easing regional tensions.
Pakistan is also seeking to help end the conflict between the United States and Iran by encouraging both sides to return to negotiations.
The Strait of Hormuz is a critical artery for global oil shipments.
1 April, 2026 – 12:28 PM GMT+5
Airstrike hits compound of former US Embassy in Iran
By JON GAMBRELL
An airstrike in Iran’s capital, Tehran, on Wednesday morning appears to have struck inside of the former U.S. Embassy compound there.
The embassy has been controlled by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard since the 1979 hostage crisis.
Its all-volunteer Basij force operates the compound, running an anti-American museum inside the embassy and having different operations on its grounds in newer buildings.
Witnesses saw blown-out windows surrounding the massive compound on Tehran’s Taleghani Street. However, there was no missile strike visible around the compound, with witnesses saying they believe the strike happened inside the compound.
The 444-day hostage crisis saw American diplomats held until President Ronald Reagan took office from President Jimmy Carter in 1981.
1 April, 2026 – 12:17 PM GMT+5
Qatar says oil tanker hit by Iranian cruise missile
By SAM MAGDY
An oil tanker contracted by Qatar was struck by an Iranian cruise missile on Wednesday while two others were intercepted, authorities said.
The missile slammed into the tanker off Qatar’s coast that was contracted by state-owned QatarEnergy. The ministry said the tanker’s 21-member crew was evacuated, and no casualties were reported.
In a statement, the Defense Ministry said two other missiles were intercepted.
QatarEnergy said there was no environmental impact from the tanker attack.
The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said earlier that a projectile slammed into the side of the ship.
Source: AP news
