Iranian authorities on Sunday reaffirmed their defiance toward U.S. demands following failed negotiations in Islamabad, Pakistan, aimed at ending the ongoing war. Parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the U.S. delegation had failed to gain Iran’s trust, while President Donald Trump announced a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and threatened further military action. Tehran’s leadership praised its delegation for refusing to eliminate nuclear enrichment or relinquish control over the strategic waterway, urging supporters to maintain their presence in the streets. Judiciary chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei and several hardline lawmakers lauded the negotiating team for defending Iran’s sovereignty and “red lines.” State television blamed Washington’s “excessive demands” for the breakdown of talks, while the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) vowed to respond forcefully to any U.S. naval movements. The Iranian delegation of more than 85 members included senior officials from multiple factions, signaling an effort to project unity. The talks concluded without progress, and both sides signaled readiness for further escalation. Russian President Vladimir Putin offered to continue diplomatic mediation, while Iran’s government extended online schooling amid economic strain and an ongoing internet shutdown.

FIFA has rejected Iran’s request to move its 2026 World Cup group-stage matches from the United States to Mexico, citing logistical and strategic reasons. The decision means Iran must play its scheduled games on the U.S. West Coast as originally planned. The confirmation came after Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum disclosed that the request had been denied. Iran’s football federation had sought the change due to political tensions and security concerns following heightened friction between Iran and the United States since February 28. The issue gained further attention when former U.S. President Donald Trump questioned Iran’s participation on social media, prompting Iranian officials to warn they might withdraw if safety could not be guaranteed. FIFA President Gianni Infantino intervened to calm the situation, meeting Iranian players and officials in Turkey on March 31. He reaffirmed that Iran would compete and that football must remain above politics, with player safety as the top priority. Iran is placed in Group G alongside Belgium, Egypt, and New Zealand.

Telenor Group President and Chief Executive Officer Benedicte Schilbred Fasmer met with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Monday, April 13, 2026. The meeting took place in the Prime Minister’s office at the Cabinet Division of the Secretariat in Dhaka. No further details of the discussion were disclosed in the source. The report, published by Amar Desh Online, confirmed the meeting as part of the Prime Minister’s official engagements for the day. It did not specify the topics discussed or any agreements reached between the two sides. Further information about the purpose or outcomes of the meeting was not provided in the source text.

U.S. President Donald Trump has sharply criticized Pope Leo XIV for opposing the ongoing war with Iran. In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump accused the Pope of being weak on crime and disastrous on foreign policy. The Pope had earlier urged an end to the Iran conflict, calling it a product of a misguided pursuit of power and warning that civilization could face destruction if peace was not reached. Responding to Trump’s earlier remarks about Iran, Pope Leo said such threats were unacceptable and raised both legal and moral concerns. Trump countered by saying he did not want a Pope who tolerated Iran’s nuclear ambitions. He further advised Pope Leo to correct himself, use common sense, stop appeasing leftists, and focus on being a great Pope rather than a politician. Trump also claimed partial credit for Pope Leo’s election, suggesting that Vatican support for the first American-born Pope came due to White House influence during his presidency.

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has arrested seven people, including former Jubo Dal leader Moin Uddin, in connection with an extortion case at the Center for Kidney Diseases and Urology (CKD) Hospital in Dhaka’s Shyamoli area. The arrests took place early Monday, April 13, following a case filed by Abu Hanif, the hospital’s operating theatre in-charge, at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station. The complaint alleged that Moin and his associates had long demanded Tk 500,000 and threatened Hanif and his wife when they refused to pay. According to the case statement, the accused later gathered 50 to 60 people outside the hospital, chanting abusive slogans and attempting to create chaos, which disrupted the hospital’s normal environment. Police intervened to bring the situation under control. Following the incident, senior Jubo Dal leaders visited the hospital and met with Professor Kamrul Islam, the hospital’s owner, who described Moin’s repeated intimidation of staff. Jubo Dal’s general secretary Nurul Islam Noyon stated that Moin was not an active member of their organization and that the party maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward such misconduct.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is scheduled to visit Bogura on April 20 for a one-day official trip. According to the itinerary, he will arrive at the Bogura District Police Lines helipad by helicopter from Tejgaon Airport in the morning. At 10:45 a.m., he will inaugurate the e-Bail Bond program at the District and Sessions Judge Court premises. At 11 a.m., he will officially announce the inauguration of the Bogura City Corporation. Later in the day, the Prime Minister will attend a program at Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Degree College field to launch the Family Card distribution initiative and inaugurate the excavation project at Chowkirdah Canal in Bagbari Nashipur. In the afternoon, he will visit Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Village Hospital and spend time at the ancestral home of the late President Ziaur Rahman. After prayers and a break at the Bogura Circuit House, he will depart for Dhaka at 4 p.m. The visit has generated significant enthusiasm across northern Bangladesh, with local authorities implementing extensive security measures. Senior officials from the Prime Minister’s Office will accompany him on this official tour.

Shipping expert Lars Jensen has said that U.S. President Donald Trump’s announced blockade threat will likely affect only a very small number of vessels. According to Jensen, if the United States actually implements such a measure, only limited ship movements would be halted, and the overall impact on global shipping would remain minimal. Jensen, the chief executive of Vespucci Maritime, explained that Trump’s warning to act against ships paying tolls to Iran would not bring major changes, as those vessels were already exposed to U.S. sanctions risks. He noted that few ships currently use that route, and even fewer pay tolls, meaning the measure’s reach would be narrow. Jensen added that most shipping companies are expected to monitor the situation initially to see whether any temporary agreements emerge. If such arrangements occur, vessel traffic could gradually increase again. However, he did not confirm whether the route would become safe for navigation, emphasizing that the outcome depends on trust and the durability of any U.S.–Iran understanding.

The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that it will begin enforcing a naval blockade on Iran starting April 13. According to the statement, all maritime traffic to and from Iranian ports will be halted from 10 a.m. that day, following a presidential directive. The measure will apply to all vessels, regardless of nationality, operating near Iran’s coastal areas in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. The announcement follows remarks by former President Donald Trump, who stated that the United States would impose a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz after talks between U.S. and Iranian representatives in Islamabad ended without results. CENTCOM’s statement, cited by Al Jazeera, confirmed that the blockade will be uniformly enforced on all ships approaching Iranian ports or coastal zones. The move signals a sharp escalation in U.S.-Iran tensions, with potential implications for regional maritime trade and security, though no immediate response from Iran was included in the report.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported that the death toll from ongoing Israeli military attacks has risen to 2,055 as of April 13, 2026. The ministry stated that at least 6,588 people have been injured since the operation began on March 2. The strikes have continued across various parts of Lebanon, intensifying the humanitarian situation in the country. Experts cited in the report warned that the continuing conflict could lead to further casualties and a deepening crisis. The rising number of deaths and injuries has raised fears of a worsening humanitarian disaster as the violence shows no sign of abating. The report, sourced from Al Jazeera, highlights growing concern over the escalating conflict and its impact on civilians, with calls for urgent measures to prevent further deterioration.

The United States military has announced a blockade of all Iranian ports, set to take effect on Monday. The decision follows an earlier declaration by President Donald Trump to impose a naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. According to a statement from US Central Command (CENTCOM), the blockade will apply to all vessels attempting to enter or leave Iranian ports, covering the Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. However, CENTCOM clarified that freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz will not be restricted for ships bound for non-Iranian ports. The announcement marks a partial softening of the US stance compared to Trump’s earlier threats to block the entire strait and target ships paying tolls to Iran. Following the blockade declaration, US crude oil prices rose by 8 percent to $104.24 per barrel, while Brent crude climbed 7 percent to $102.29. Since February 28, when the United States and Israel launched joint attacks, Iran has maintained control over the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global energy transport.

An opinion piece by Dr. Mohammad Abdul Halim Chowdhury, published on April 13, 2026, highlights the gap between teacher training programs in Bangladesh and their actual impact on classroom teaching. Despite the existence of PTI, B.Ed, M.Ed, and HSTTI courses from primary to higher secondary levels, the article argues that these programs often fail to produce meaningful changes in teaching quality. The author notes that teachers obtain certificates but show limited improvement in classroom performance. The article identifies several structural issues, including outdated syllabuses, lack of practical application, and questionable evaluation practices. It points out that training content is often centrally designed without reflecting ground realities, and practical components are reduced to formalities. Problems such as favoritism in grading, ethical lapses, and a focus on financial benefits rather than professional growth further weaken the system. International organizations like UNESCO and the World Bank are cited as emphasizing the importance of effective teacher training. To address these challenges, the author recommends revising syllabuses with grassroots input, strengthening research-based training, ensuring transparency in evaluation, monitoring post-training teaching, and linking incentives to performance.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has released new drone surveillance footage over the Strait of Hormuz following a threat from U.S. President Donald Trump to blockade the strategic waterway. The video, published on April 12, 2026, was accompanied by a caption asserting that all maritime movements in the area are under full control of Iranian forces. After the video’s release, the IRGC naval command warned that any activity targeting the Strait of Hormuz would have consequences for those involved. In a separate interview with Fox News, Trump said he intended to impose a blockade but that it would take some time to implement. He also warned that if no agreement was reached, Iran’s energy infrastructure could be destroyed, claiming it could be done within a single day. Earlier, Iran had stated that any attack on its infrastructure would prompt retaliation against similar facilities in Israel and other regional countries.

The Ministry of Education has directed the preparation of a list of retired and physically capable teachers to strengthen classroom teaching activities across all educational institutions in Bangladesh. The directive, issued through a letter signed by Senior Assistant Secretary Shirin Akter of the Secondary and Higher Education Division, was sent to all district commissioners, upazila executive officers, and the Director General of the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education. According to the letter, teaching activities in non-government educational institutions have been disrupted due to a shortage of teachers and delays in recruitment by the Non-Government Teachers’ Registration and Certification Authority (NTRCA). To address this, district commissioners have been asked to form upazila-based pools of retired teachers who are physically capable of teaching. The ministry instructed that, with the advice of upazila executive officers and approval from managing committees, governing bodies, or ad hoc committees, institutions may temporarily appoint teachers from these pools. The Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education has been requested to issue necessary guidance on covering honorarium expenses from the institutions’ essential funds.

U.S. President Donald Trump is reportedly considering resuming airstrikes on Iran following unsuccessful discussions held in Pakistan, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal citing unnamed sources. The report adds that Trump is weighing additional measures, including a blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. The White House stated that all options remain open. Spokesperson Olivia Wells said the president has already ordered a naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz aimed at halting Iranian tolls and is prudently considering other alternatives. She added that any claims made to The Wall Street Journal about Trump’s next steps are purely speculative. The developments come amid heightened regional tensions, with related reports mentioning new Israeli bombings in southern Lebanon and continued disputes involving Iran and the United States.

The United States and Israel launched a joint military campaign against Iran on February 28, initially described as a preventive operation aimed at halting Tehran’s nuclear ambitions and destroying its ballistic missile capabilities. Despite weeks of intense fighting, those objectives remain unfulfilled. US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had also hoped to trigger internal unrest in Iran, but Trump later admitted that such an outcome was too dangerous. After threatening Iran with total destruction, Trump agreed to a two-week ceasefire brokered by Pakistan, but peace talks in Islamabad ended without agreement. The breakdown of negotiations has renewed fears of a wider conflict. Although the US maintained military advantages, Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz gave it strategic leverage, influencing global oil prices and markets. The article compares this situation to past US military failures in Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq, citing repeated strategic misjudgments and overconfidence among American leaders. As domestic inflation and fuel prices rise, Trump faces mounting political pressure ahead of midterm elections. Analysts suggest he must now choose between accepting Iran’s terms to end the war or escalating into a prolonged conflict.