Trump 'not satisfied' with Iran’s latest proposal to reopen Hormuz, end the war

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Gulf News

2026/04/28 - 02:55 502 مشاهدة

Iran FM hails ‘strategic partnership’ after high-level talks with Russia

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi says he was pleased to engage with Russia at the “highest level as the region is in major flux.” He added that “recent events have evidenced the depth and strength of our strategic partnership” and welcomed Russia’s support for diplomacy.

Pleased to engage with Russia at the highest level as the region is in major flux.

Recent events have evidenced the depth and strength of our strategic partnership. As our relationship continues to grow, we are grateful for solidarity and welcome Russia's support for diplomacy. pic.twitter.com/I1VyDSfxET
— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) April 28, 2026

Iran says Minab school strike death toll 155: state TV

Iran shared on Tuesday a breakdown of the death toll from a deadly strike on an Iranian school on the first day of the Middle East war, state media reported.

Seventy-three boys and 47 girls were killed in the February 28 strike on an Iranian elementary school in Minab, state broadcaster IRIB and local media reported.

The attack happened on the day the United States and Israel launched attacks across Iran. In retaliation, Tehran struck targets in Israel and Gulf nations.

Twenty-six teachers, seven parents, a school bus driver, and a pharmacy technician at the clinic next to the school were also killed, IRIB said in a Telegram post.

This puts the death toll at 155 instead of more than 175 reported earlier.

Marco Rubio: Iran regime change has to happen from within

Marco Rubio, US Secretary of State, defended maritime interdiction measures by saying the action is not aimed at global commerce but specifically at vessels linked to Iran, which he accused of exploiting its geographic position to control and profit from traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

“The blockade is not a blockade against shipping,” the official said. “It’s a blockade against Iranian shipping — because they cannot be the sole beneficiaries of an illegal, unlawful, and unjustified system of tolling and control in the straits.”

He added that a regime change has to happen "from within Iran".

.@SecRubio: “The blockade is not a blockade against shipping, it’s a blockade against Iranian shipping—because they cannot be the sole beneficiaries of an illegal, unlawful, and unjustified system of tolling and control in the straits.” pic.twitter.com/4BOnodBKlC
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 27, 2026

More Asean countries turn to Russian oil amid Iran-US war

Several Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) countries are increasingly turning to Russian oil and fuel supplies to mitigate shortages spiking from the "energy emergency" arising from the Middle East crisis.

The trend is reshaping regional energy dynamics and prompting concerns over long-term geopolitical influence by Moscow.

Trump 'not satisfied' with Iran’s latest proposal to reopen Hormuz

Following discussions in the White House Situation Room, it emerged that Trump told advisers he "is not satisfied" with Iran’s latest proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the war, multiple people briefed on the event told US media.

Israeli strikes kill 14, Hezbollah vows to keep its weapons

At least 14 people were killed following Israeli strikes in south Lebanon. Despite a ceasefire, Israel and Hezbollah have been trading attacks almost daily. Artillery shelling, drone surveillance, sporadic rocket fire and retaliatory strikes have persisted across the southern frontier, keeping thousands of Lebanese civilians displaced and entire towns on edge. For many residents, the so-called cease-fire feels like a diplomatic term detached from daily reality.

The truce was meant to stabilise the border after months of near-daily skirmishes that erupted when Hezbollah opened a northern front in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza following Israel’s war against Hamas. While both sides have avoided the kind of escalation that would trigger full-scale war, neither has fully stepped back. Hezbollah maintains it will keep its weapons and continue “calibrated resistance” as long as Israel’s operations in Gaza persist. Israel, for its part, says it will not tolerate militant activity along its northern border and has vowed to push Hezbollah fighters farther away from the frontier. The result: a tense stalemate. Officially, a cease-fire; in practice, a low-intensity conflict that ebbs and flares without warning.

Israel's Katz warns Hezbollah's Qassem against 'playing with fire'

Meanwhile, violence has continued on the war's Lebanese front, despite a recently extended ceasefire between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah, with Beirut's health ministry reporting Israel killed four people in the south.

Fifty-one others were wounded, including three children, the ministry added. Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the Middle East war by firing rockets at Israel, which responded with strikes and a ground invasion.

The group's leader Naim Qassem on Monday rejected planned direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel as a "grave sin", vowing to "not back down".

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned that "Qassem is playing with fire". Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, responding to Qassem, said his "goal is to reach an end to the state of war with Israel".

But Israeli army chief of staff Eyal Zamir said 2026 was "likely to be another year of fighting" for Israel on all fronts.

Iran FM blames US for failure of talks as he meets Putin

Iran's top diplomat blamed Washington Monday for the failure of Middle East peace talks during a visit to Russia, where President Vladimir Putin promised him Moscow's support in ending the war.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was in Saint Petersburg on a whirlwind diplomatic tour, having sandwiched a trip to Oman in between two visits to Pakistan, the main mediator in the Mideast war.

Islamabad hosted a first, unsuccessful round of US-Iran talks, and Araghchi's visit raised hopes for more negotiations over the weekend - until US President Donald Trump scrapped a planned trip by his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

"The US approaches caused the previous round of negotiations, despite progress, to fail to reach its goals because of the excessive demands," Araghchi said Monday.