Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy has issued a warning that any ship attempting to approach the Strait of Hormuz will be targeted. According to a statement broadcast by Iran’s state-run Press TV, the IRGC declared that vessels anchored in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman must not leave their designated positions. The force stated that any movement toward the Strait of Hormuz would be considered cooperation with the enemy and that such ships would be treated as hostile targets.

The statement further instructed all ships and their owners to rely solely on official IRGC Navy communication channels for the latest updates. It also dismissed recent comments by U.S. President Donald Trump regarding the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz as lacking credibility. The warning comes amid heightened regional tensions, with no signs of ship movement currently observed through the strategic waterway.

The IRGC’s announcement underscores Iran’s intent to assert control over maritime activity in the region, signaling potential risks for international shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has formally demanded the return of its frozen assets and compensation for war-related damages ahead of direct talks with the United States in Islamabad, mediated by Pakistan. Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations sent a letter to Secretary-General António Guterres seeking reparations from various countries. Government spokesperson Fatemeh Mahajerani told Russian media that preliminary estimates put the losses at around $270 billion, covering infrastructure damage and industrial shutdowns.

According to Iranian state and semi-official media, billions of dollars in Iranian assets have been frozen worldwide since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, initially under an executive order by US President Jimmy Carter. Although partial returns occurred under the 1981 Algiers Accords and the 2015 nuclear deal, most funds remain inaccessible. The 2023 prisoner swap with the US briefly allowed Iran limited access to $6 billion in oil revenue held in Qatar, but that access was later suspended after renewed conflict.

Iranian officials have stated that the release of frozen assets is a non-negotiable condition for progress in any future negotiations with the United States.

UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Saeed bin Mubarak Al Hajeri described the closure of the Strait of Hormuz as “economic terrorism” in an interview with the Indian Express, urging the international community to respond immediately. He sharply criticized Iran for blocking the vital waterway and insisted that any resolution to the ongoing war involving Iran must include the “complete and unconditional reopening” of the strait.

Al Hajeri emphasized that a ceasefire alone would not be sufficient to end the conflict. He stated that a sustainable solution must address all threats posed by Iran, including its nuclear capabilities, ballistic missiles, drones, and proxy groups, alongside ensuring the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. He added that success should be measured not by halting hostilities but by achieving a final settlement with binding guarantees, accountability, and assurances against future aggression.

His remarks have heightened concerns over ongoing Middle East tensions and global energy security, according to the report.

Talks between the United States and Iran aimed at easing Middle East tensions have made some progress but remain stalled on major issues. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said that while certain areas of understanding have been reached, significant gaps persist, making a final agreement uncertain. He emphasized that Iran prefers a step-by-step approach based on mutual commitments and cannot act unilaterally.

According to Anadolu Agency, Ghalibaf stated on state television that disagreements continue over Iran’s nuclear program and the Strait of Hormuz. Despite these challenges, Tehran remains interested in achieving long-term peace. He also claimed that US and Israeli military actions have failed to meet their objectives and that Washington is now sending messages through mediators after agreeing to a temporary ceasefire.

The first round of US-Iran talks took place last week in Pakistan, which is now attempting to host a second round in Islamabad. The current two-week ceasefire, effective since April 8, has temporarily paused hostilities.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that military operations will continue in southern Lebanon’s so-called “security zone.” According to Middle East Eye, Netanyahu stated that the aim of these operations is to prevent any threats against Israeli forces and border towns. Israeli Army Radio reported that the military has established a “yellow line” surrounding 55 villages, where residents have been prohibited from returning.

In Beirut, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said that a ceasefire cannot come solely from the resistance forces and must involve both sides. Meanwhile, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said he discussed with President Joseph Aoun the country’s readiness for dialogue and the implementation of decisions to bring weapons under state control.

The developments highlight ongoing tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border and differing positions on how to achieve stability and ceasefire in the region.

Sudanese refugees fleeing the war that erupted in Sudan in April 2023 are increasingly stranded along Morocco’s eastern border, caught between Algerian and Moroccan security forces. Many, like 17-year-old Amir Ali, have endured torture, trafficking, and repeated detentions while crossing Libya and Algeria before reaching Morocco, which they view as a safer destination to seek asylum. Despite being a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention, Morocco has yet to implement a national asylum law, leaving the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) to handle registration and refugee status determinations under its international mandate.

By the end of 2025, UNHCR had registered 22,370 refugees and asylum seekers in Morocco, with Sudanese nationals forming the largest group of new arrivals. However, refugees face severe challenges: limited access to healthcare, housing, and formal employment, and reports of police pushbacks to southern Morocco or the Algerian border persist. Aid groups such as Fondation Orient-Occident describe the Sudanese community as deeply traumatized and living in precarious conditions.

UNHCR officials warn that a humanitarian funding crisis in 2025 has slowed registration and reduced assistance, leaving many refugees vulnerable to arrest, removal, and worsening health conditions while awaiting resettlement or medical care.

Israeli forces shot and killed a young Palestinian man in southern Gaza’s Rafah area, according to reports on April 19, 2026. Medical sources cited by the Palestinian news agency Wafa said the victim, identified as Yusuf Hasan, was shot from an Israeli military vehicle northwest of Rafah. He was taken to Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, where doctors pronounced him dead.

Earlier, a child was injured by Israeli gunfire in Rafah’s Mawasi area. In a separate incident, Ahmed Hani Obeid, a 25-year-old who had been wounded in an Israeli airstrike in northern Gaza nearly a year ago, died while under treatment. In occupied East Jerusalem, Israeli soldiers reportedly beat a Palestinian near the Qalandiya checkpoint, and the Palestinian Red Crescent said the injured person was taken to a hospital in Ramallah.

Additional clashes were reported near the Dhahiriya (Meitar) checkpoint in the southern West Bank, where a Palestinian worker was shot, and in the Sa’ir area northeast of Hebron, where four Palestinians were injured by pepper spray used by Israeli forces.

Iran’s Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs reported that at least 3,468 people have been killed in the ongoing conflict involving US and Israeli attacks on Iran. The figure was released through Iran’s ISNA news agency, citing the foundation’s head, Ahmad Mousavi. Earlier, on April 12, the head of Iran’s Legal Medicine Organization had reported 3,375 deaths since the war began.

The conflict began on February 28 when the United States and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran. In response, Iran targeted US bases across the Middle East. After 40 days of fighting, a two-week ceasefire was brokered by Pakistan, though tensions remain high. The United States continues to blockade Iran’s seaports, while Iran maintains control over the vital energy transport route through the Strait of Hormuz.

The situation remains volatile as both sides hold their positions despite the temporary ceasefire, with no clear indication of a lasting resolution.

Israel’s military has confirmed that at least 14 of its soldiers have been killed and more than 650 injured since the start of its large-scale offensive in Lebanon. The campaign began after the outbreak of war in Iran, prompting Lebanon’s armed group Hezbollah to launch counterattacks. According to Al Jazeera, the Israeli assault has displaced more than one million people in Lebanon and caused over two thousand civilian deaths.

Following a joint U.S.-Israel strike on Iran, Israel expanded its operations to Lebanon, targeting multiple regions including southern and central areas. Despite a 10-day ceasefire announced by U.S. President Donald Trump, reports indicate that Israeli forces have continued shelling parts of southern Lebanon. Preliminary assessments by Lebanese authorities suggest around 40,000 homes have been completely or partially destroyed.

The worst damage has been recorded in Beirut’s southern suburbs and across southern Lebanese districts, where returning residents are witnessing widespread devastation after the ceasefire took effect.

The United States military is preparing to inspect and, if necessary, seize oil tankers and commercial vessels linked to Iran in international waters, according to a report published on April 18 citing US officials. The Wall Street Journal reported that the move comes as tensions rise over maritime access in the region.

The Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20 percent of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas passes, has become a focal point of the dispute. Iran had briefly reopened the strait for navigation but closed it again after the US maintained its blockade on Iranian ports. The development follows failed talks between the US and Iran in Pakistan last week, which ended without agreement, leading to the continuation of the US blockade since Monday.

The preparations for inspections and possible seizures signal a further escalation in maritime tensions between the two countries, with potential implications for global energy transport through the Strait of Hormuz.

The death toll in Gaza has reached 72,549 as Israeli attacks continue, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. The ministry reported that since the Israeli military operation began on October 7, 2023, a total of 172,274 people have been injured. Bodies continue to be recovered from the rubble, and new strikes are adding to the casualties.

The Palestinian news agency Wafa stated that in the past 24 hours, health authorities received eight new bodies, including seven from recent attacks and one recovered from debris, while 24 others were injured. Despite a ceasefire declared on October 11, at least 773 Palestinians have been killed and 2,171 injured since then. Rescue teams have also recovered 761 bodies from destroyed buildings during this period.

Authorities said rescue operations remain severely hindered, with many victims still trapped under debris or lying on streets inaccessible to emergency teams. The Martyr Approval Committee has verified and added 196 more names to the death list, underscoring the scale of devastation.

A total of 34 bodies of Bangladeshi expatriate workers were brought back to the country on Saturday. According to the Expatriate Welfare Desk at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, 30 of the bodies arrived from Kuwait on a chartered Kuwait Airways flight in the evening. Four more bodies, two each from Malaysia and Libya, arrived on separate flights the same day.

Officials from the Expatriate Welfare Desk said that repeated flight cancellations caused by the ongoing war situation in the Middle East had delayed the repatriation of the deceased workers. The bodies had been scheduled to return earlier but were stranded due to the disruptions. Later, arrangements were made to bring them back on special flights.

An assistant director of the Wage Earners’ Welfare Board confirmed that the flight problems linked to the regional conflict had caused the delay, and the bodies were eventually transported on separate flights to Bangladesh.

At least eight oil and gas tankers crossed the Strait of Hormuz after Iran declared the reopening of the key trade route during a temporary ceasefire in the Middle East conflict. Ship-tracking data confirmed the movement, marking the first significant passage since the strait was closed by Iranian forces.

According to tracking firm Kpler, the vessels included one crude oil tanker, four liquefied petroleum gas carriers, two oil and chemical tankers, and one classified as an oil product ship. Another platform, Marine Traffic, showed several crude oil tankers still stationed near Iran’s Larak Island, which serves as a checkpoint for ships exiting the Persian Gulf and remains under Iranian blockade.

The closure of the strait had left hundreds of ships stranded in the Persian Gulf, sharply increasing transport costs. Many captains had avoided the area due to fears of attacks or mines, but the temporary opening allowed limited passage for some vessels.

The United States has outlined several reasons that could lead to the cancellation of student visas. In a message issued on Saturday, the US Embassy in Dhaka stated that a student visa may be revoked if a student discontinues studies, remains absent from classes, or withdraws from their academic program without informing their educational institution. The embassy warned that such actions could also affect eligibility for future US visas.

The embassy urged all international students to maintain their lawful status by adhering to the conditions of their visas. It emphasized that compliance with visa regulations is essential to avoid complications that might impact their stay or future opportunities in the United States.

The advisory serves as a reminder for students to remain in good academic standing and communicate promptly with their institutions regarding any changes in their study plans.

The Israeli military announced the establishment of a 'yellow line' in southern Lebanon, similar to the division line previously drawn in Gaza. According to the military, the line separates Israeli-controlled areas from those under Hezbollah’s control. The statement added that several Hezbollah fighters were attacked after allegedly crossing the line and approaching Israeli troops. This marks the first time since the ceasefire that Israel has publicly referred to such a boundary in Lebanon.

The military said that within the past 24 hours, soldiers stationed south of the 'yellow line' identified several individuals crossing from the north, violating ceasefire terms and posing an immediate threat. Israeli forces responded by launching strikes on several areas in southern Lebanon to neutralize the threat. The army reiterated its right to act against any perceived danger despite the ongoing ceasefire.

The report noted that a similar 'yellow line' was drawn in Gaza after the ceasefire took effect on October 10, dividing the territory between Israeli and Hamas control. Israel now appears to be applying the same strategy in Lebanon.