US-Israel-Iran conflict: Trump announces US naval blockade of Strait of Hormuz from 6 PM, calls Pope Leo XIV ‘WEAK’; Latest updates
Follow live updates below
Timeline
-
-
Trump warns Iran’s remaining fast attack boats will be destroyed if they approach blockade, says 34 ships transited Hormuz -
Iran’s Pezeshkian condemns insult to Pope Leo, expresses solidarity on behalf of Iran -
Bahrain drone interception count rises to 523, missile count holds at 194 -
Netanyahu says Israel supports US blockade of Iran, describes unprecedented coordination with Washington -
UK convenes 40 nations to restore Hormuz shipping, to co-host summit with France -
UAE Education Ministry denies reports of remote learning extension until May 1 -
Iran’s Araghchi says deal was close before US maximalism derailed Islamabad talks -
ADNOC chief says 800 vessels stranded and 20,000 seafarers at risk from Iran’s Hormuz closure -
Trump announces US naval blockade of Iranian ports to begin April 13 at 10:00 a.m. ET -
Trump attacks Pope Leo over Iran nuclear stance and criticism of US foreign policy -
US-Israel war on Iran: As it happened
Live Updates
-
-
Trump warns Iran’s remaining fast attack boats will be destroyed if they approach blockade, says 34 ships transited Hormuz
President Donald Trump said via a post on Truth Social that Iran’s navy has been “completely obliterated — 158 ships” and warned that Iran’s remaining fast attack boats will be “immediately ELIMINATED” if they approach the US blockade.
He said the same methods used against drug smugglers at sea would be applied, describing them as “quick and brutal.”
In a separate post, Trump said 34 ships transited the Strait of Hormuz the previous day, calling it “by far the highest number since this foolish closure began.”
-
Iran’s Pezeshkian condemns insult to Pope Leo, expresses solidarity on behalf of Iran
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian addressed Pope Leo, condemning what he called an insult to the pontiff on behalf of the Iranian nation.
He said “the desecration of Jesus, the prophet of peace and brotherhood, is not acceptable to any free person,” wishing the Pope glory.
-
Bahrain drone interception count rises to 523, missile count holds at 194
Bahrain’s Defense Force confirmed that its air defense systems have intercepted and destroyed 194 missiles and 523 drones since the start of Iranian attacks, an increase of seven drones from the previous count.
The command urged the public to avoid suspicious objects that may be remnants of the attacks and said Royal Field Engineering units remain on full readiness to dispose of them safely. All units remain at the highest level of defensive readiness.
-
Netanyahu says Israel supports US blockade of Iran, describes unprecedented coordination with Washington
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel fully supports the US naval blockade of Iran, describing coordination between the two countries as something that “hasn’t happened in the history of the State.”
He said Vice President Vance briefed him on the collapse of talks in Islamabad, explaining that the breakdown came from the American side after Iran violated its agreement to open the Strait of Hormuz.
Netanyahu said the central US demand is the removal of all enriched material and no enrichment inside Iran for decades.
On Lebanon, Netanyahu said he visited Israeli forces in what he described as a deeper security zone along the border, where troops are pushing back the enemy and flattening what he called terrorist positions. He said operations were continuing, concentrated in Bint Jbeil.
Speaking on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day, Netanyahu drew a direct comparison between the current conflict and the Holocaust, saying that without Israel’s military action, Iranian nuclear sites “would be remembered like Auschwitz, Majdanek, and Sobibor.”
He said Israel is “at the peak of its power” and that “the tables have turned: We are the ones hunting our oppressors.”
-
UK convenes 40 nations to restore Hormuz shipping, to co-host summit with France
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz is “deeply damaging” and that restoring global shipping is vital to ease cost of living pressures.
He announced the UK has brought together more than 40 nations to restore freedom of navigation, and that Britain and France will co-host a summit this week to advance a coordinated multinational plan to safeguard international shipping after the conflict ends.
-
UAE Education Ministry denies reports of remote learning extension until May 1
The UAE Ministry of Education denied circulating reports claiming that the remote learning period would be extended until May 1, 2026, calling the information inaccurate.
The Ministry urged the public to follow its official channels for any updates or decisions related to the education process.
-
Iran’s Araghchi says deal was close before US maximalism derailed Islamabad talks
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran engaged in the highest-level talks with the US in 47 years “in good faith to end war,” but that when the two sides were “just inches away” from an agreement, they “encountered maximalism, shifting goalposts, and blockade.”
He said Washington learned “zero lessons” and warned that “good will begets good will. Enmity begets enmity.”
-
ADNOC chief says 800 vessels stranded and 20,000 seafarers at risk from Iran’s Hormuz closure
ADNOC CEO Sultan Al Jaber said that since February 28, at least 22 ships have been attacked, 10 crew members killed, around 20,000 seafarers are unable to transit safely, and an estimated 800 commercial vessels are stranded, including nearly 400 tankers.
He said the Strait of Hormuz “has never been Iran’s to close or restrict,” calling any such attempt “illegal, dangerous, and unacceptable” and a direct threat to global energy, food, and health security.
He warned that “the world simply cannot afford it and must not allow it.”
-
Trump announces US naval blockade of Iranian ports to begin April 13 at 10:00 a.m. ET
President Donald Trump confirmed the United States will begin blockading all ships entering or exiting Iranian ports on April 13 at 10:00 a.m. ET (6 P.M. GST).
-
Trump attacks Pope Leo over Iran nuclear stance and criticism of US foreign policy
President Donald Trump sharply criticised Pope Leo, calling him “WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy,” via a post on Truth Social.
Trump objected to the Pope’s reported comments about fear of his administration, his stance on Iran’s nuclear program, and his criticism of US actions in Venezuela. He said “I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon.”
Trump claimed the Pope was selected specifically because he is American and “they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump,” adding “If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican.”
He also criticised the Pope for meeting with “Obama Sympathizers like David Axelrod” and said he preferred the Pope’s brother Louis, “because Louis is all MAGA.”
Trump urged the Pope to “get his act together, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician,” warning that his approach is “hurting the Catholic Church.”
-
US-Israel war on Iran: As it happened
Day 26 – US-Israel conflict on Iran enters Day 26: Trump says war is ‘won’, in talks with ‘right people’, Kuwait airport hit, latest updates
Day 6 – US-Israel conflict on Iran: Fresh strikes on Tehran, UAE flight status, latest updates
Day 5 – US‑Israel conflict on Iran: UAE affirms right to self‑defence, latest updates
Day 4 – US-Israel strikes on Iran: Latest updates – everything you need to know
Day 2 – Israel-US strikes Iran: Latest updates
Day 1 – Israel launches ‘pre-emptive attack’ on Iran as explosions hit central Tehran
More Politics
Subscribe to our free newsletter