Canada extends $40m in aid to support Lebanon relief operations
Canada has allocated $40 million in humanitarian assistance to Lebanon, to be delivered through international organisations, according to the Lebanese foreign ministry, following a phone call between Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji and his Canadian counterpart Anita Anand.
Israel reports air strikes on Adshit al-Qusayr in southern Lebanon
Al Jazeera reports, the Israeli army has said strikes hit Adshit al-Qusayr overnight, following what it called increased Hezbollah activity in the area in recent days.
It claimed the targets included weapons depots, launch platforms and command centres, and alleged that fighters were also killed in the strikes. The military also said Hezbollah had launched rockets from the area towards Israeli forces and northern Israel, including Kiryat Shmona.
The claims could not be independently verified, and Israel provided no evidence to support its claims. Hezbollah has not immediately commented on the statement, although it claimed it struck Israeli targets in Kiryat Shmona earlier today.
Israeli strike kills six in Gaza, including two children
Israeli fire killed at least six Palestinians, including two children, in separate incidents across the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, local health officials said, in the latest violence to undermine a U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement.
Four people, including a three-year-old boy, Yahya Al-Malahi, were killed in a strike that had targeted a police vehicle in Gaza City, the Hamas-run Interior Ministry said. A police officer was among the dead, while nine bystanders were wounded, some critically, it said.
In the north of the enclave, near Jabalia, Israeli fire killed a 14-year-old child, Adam Ahmed Halaa, health authorities and his family said.
Israel's military did not immediately provide comment on either incident.
At Gaza's largest hospital, Al Shifa, relatives rushed to pay farewell to those killed.
Carrying his little boy in his arms, Mukhlis Al-Malahi said they were leaving a relative's wedding when the Israeli plane attacked the police vehicle.
"We got close to Timraz crossroad with Nafaq (street); then, we suddenly found something hitting us. They hit a police vehicle as we walked," the father, whose shirt was stained with his son's blood, told Reuters.
"What is his fault? What is his crime? He should be wearing a wedding suit at his cousin's today, but instead, he wore a shroud stained with blood," cried the young boy's cousin, Hader Al-Malahi.
In northern Gaza, Israel's military said it killed a man who had approached the armistice line with Hamas, describing him as an armed militant.
Health authorities confirmed a man had been killed in the area, without providing details.
Iran's envoy terms US blockade 'reckless misstep'
Iran's envoy to Pakistan on Tuesday termed the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz a "reckless misstep meant possibly for a dignified exit and face-saving".
"A vicious circle of redundant words to reckless act and back again!" Ambassador Reza Amiri Moghadam said in a post on X.
He said the "unlawful, provocative & non-constructive act of establishing a naval blockade is a reckless misstep meant possibly for a dignified exit and face-saving."
Moghadam said that imposing a naval blockade aims to create the idea that "things are imposed by force and thereby justifying deployment of ammunition, rhetoric, loss of lives and costs on American taxpayers".
"Still, the miscalculation adds up to the inventory of faults with dire consequences for the whole region and beyond," he added.
His comments came in the backdrop of President Donald Trump's announcement of the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz in a bid to cripple Iran's oil supplies to China and other countries.
Trump's move came after the US and Iran failed to reach an agreement following historic marathon talks in Islamabad over the weekend to find a peaceful resolution of the conflict that started on February 28.
On April 8, the two sides announced a two-week ceasefire.
Pakistan is engaged in high-level contacts to bring Iran and the US back to the negotiating table and the two sides may meet again in Islamabad for a second round of talks by next week, The Express Tribune newspaper reported on Tuesday, citing highly placed sources.
Iran-linked seized ships to be shifted to holding area in Arabian sea, Indian ocean
Seized Iran-linked ships will be taken to holding area in Arabian sea or Indian ocean - WSJ
US military says six ships have turned back after Hormuz blockade took effect
Six merchant ships have turned around and returned to Iranian ports after encountering the US naval blockade limiting traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, US Central Command said on Tuesday.
More than 10,000 US service members and 12 US Navy ships are engaged in the blockade of Iranian ports that is being enforced “against vessels of all nations” coming in or out of Iranian ports, the command said.
“During the first 24 hours, no ships made it past the US blockade and 6 merchant vessels complied with direction from US forces to turn around to re-enter an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman,” a release from US Central Command said.
CNN reported Monday that there were at least 15 US ships in the region that could participate in the blockade, though it was unclear where specifically the ships were.
Central Command’s release also said the US military is “supporting freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.” It’s unclear if that means the US military is now escorting merchant vessels through the Strait, as reported by CNN.
Trump criticises Meloni, says she lacks courage on Iran war stance
According to BBC reports, US President Donald Trump says his Italian counterpart, Giorgia Meloni, lacks "courage" over the war in Iran, Italian media reports.
"I'm shocked by her. I thought she had courage, but I was wrong," he tells Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, also saying that Meloni "thinks America should do the work on her behalf".
IMF chief cuts global growth forecast due to Iran war, warns of bigger economic hit ahead
The Iran war has stalled the world's economic momentum this year, likely pushing growth lower compared to 2025, the International Monetary Fund warned Tuesday.
The IMF downgraded its forecast for global growth to 3.1 per cent in 2026 from the 3.3 per cent it had forecast back in January. The expected growth would mark a deceleration from a 3.4 per cent expansion in 2025.
US and Israeli strikes on Iran - and Tehran's closing of the Strait of Hormuz and retaliatory strikes on oil refineries and other energy infrastructure in neighboring countries - have driven oil and gas prices sharply higher around the world.
As a result, the IMF marked up its expectation for global inflation this year to 4.4% from 4.1 per cent in 2025 and from the 3.8 per cent it had forecast for this year in January.
Until the war, the world economy had shown surprising resilience in the face of President Donald Trump's protectionist policies, which built a wall of import taxes around the United States, the world's biggest economy and once a market practically wide open to imports. The damage was less than feared partly because Trump's tariffs last year ended up being lower than what he'd originally announced.
A tech boom, marked by massive investment in data centers and artificial intelligence, and rising productivity also combined to strengthen the world economy.
"War in the Middle East has halted this momentum,'' IMF chief economist Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas wrote in a blog post accompanying the fund's latest World Economic Outlook.
Iran criticises YouTube suspension of Pro-Iranian lego-style AI videos
Iran has condemned a ban imposed by YouTube on a pro-Iranian group that releases Lego-style artificial intelligence videos after posting one lampooning Trump and declaring “Iran won” last week.
Explosive Media said on X last week that YouTube suspended its account for “violent content”, while the group’s other online accounts appeared unaffected.
“Seriously! Are our LEGO-style animations actually violent?” Explosive Media asked in its post on Friday.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman said the ban was a move to suppress “the truth” about the US-Israel war on Iran, Al Jazeera reports
Hezbollah is the ‘problem’ between Lebanon and Israel, says Israel’s foreign minister
Israel’s FM Gideon Saar says Hezbollah is the “problem” between his country and Lebanon.
Saar claimed that Israel is seeking “peace and normalisation” with Lebanon, ahead of talks between officials from both nations in Washington later today.
“Israel and Lebanon don’t have any major disputes between them. The problem is Hezbollah,” Saar said at a press conference.
“The problem for Israel’s security is the problem for Lebanon’s sovereignty,” the minister also said, adding that “the same problem” is Hezbollah.
More than 2,000 people in Lebanon have been killed in Israeli attacks since early March and over one million people have been displaced.
The Washington meeting – the first such talks since 1993 – will be mediated by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and include the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors to the US, Al Jazeera reports.
Hormuz mission talks between France and Britain to focus on sanctions and industry cooperation
Discussion led by Britain and France of steps to open the Strait of Hormuz will include possible financial sanctions on Iran if it keeps the waterway blocked, and steps to work with industry to resume shipping, a source said on Tuesday.
Paris and London, who have sought to take leadership of the initiative after previous military and political meetings, are seeking to show their willingness to play a role in restoring freedom of navigation once the conflict ends.
The offices of France's President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Tuesday they would co-chair a video conference on Friday of some 40 countries that are willing to contribute to the multilateral mission.
Senior diplomats will hold a call ahead of Friday to prepare the meeting, three other European diplomats said.
According to a person familiar with the matter, this week's meetings will centre on four working groups: championing freedom of navigation and maritime security, pursuing economic measures against Iran if the strait stays closed, securing the release of seafarers and trapped ships, and working with industry to support their readiness to resume transit.
A second diplomatic source confirmed the four working groups.
One of the sources said Britain was leading the diplomatic track, while France was working on the military planning, which would assess what assets could be available from contributing nations and how they could be deployed.
Iran has largely closed the strait to ships apart from its own since the start of U.S.-Israeli air strikes on February 28. On Monday, Washington imposed a blockade of ships entering or exiting Iranian ports.
Trump has called on other countries to help impose the blockade. Britain, France and others say they will not do so, as this would mean joining the war, but they would be willing to help keep the strait open when fighting ends.
The sources said that talks were still preparatory and any mission could only happen once the conflict was over and with some form of accord from Iran and the United States.
"The United States needs to get its act together. It's paradoxical at the moment because the ones that are most unpredictable are the U.S.," said a senior European diplomat.
Iran state media says ‘no information’ on further US talks
According to BBC reports, Iran's state-run IRNA says that messages have been exchanged between Tehran and Pakistan - which has been acting as a mediator - but there is "no information" about any agreement to hold further talks with the US.
Citing a diplomatic source, it says the messages are about "current developments" after previous talks with the US faltered over the weekend.
Earlier, the news agency Reuters reported that negotiating teams from the US and Iran could return to Islamabad this week to resume talks to end the war, citing sources involved in the talks.
German Chancellor Merz backs talks between Israel and Lebanon
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he supports direct peace talks between the Israeli and Lebanese governments, which are set to start Tuesday in Washington.
Merz called for an end to hostilities in southern Lebanon and said militant group Hezbollah must lay down its arms, the German chancellery said in a statement Monday night.
Merz reaffirmed his government's strong support of a diplomatic understanding between the US and Iran and its readiness to contribute to freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz if the necessary conditions are met, his office said.
Merz also expressed deep concern about developments in the Palestinian territories and said there must be no de facto partial annexation of the West Bank.
Lebanon seeks ceasefire with Israel ahead of broader talks
Lebanon’s representative at US-brokered direct talks with Israel on Tuesday will seek a ceasefire as a precondition for broader negotiations, a Lebanese official told CNN.
Lebanese ambassador to the US, Nada Hamadeh, will also lay out a proposed framework for future talks, the official added, which include a withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanese territory in exchange for the disarmament of Iran-backed Hezbollah.
The official said Beirut expects negotiations to be a “long, complicated process,” adding that the government’s primary aim is to “dissociate” Lebanon’s war from Iran’s ceasefire negotiations with the US.
Iran has demanded that Israel stop its attacks in Lebanon as a prerequisite to a sustained ceasefire agreement between Tehran and Washington.
No discussions between Qatar and Iran over payment of funds to stop Iranian attacks, Qatari official says
There have been no discussions between Qatar and Iran over the payment of funds to stop Iranian attacks on Qatar and any suggestions that such discussions took place are untrue, the Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday.
"There is a high level of coordination with Pakistan and the Unites States, our demands are being raised through these channels," Majed Al-Ansari said in a media briefing.
No shortage of jet fuel in EU, but concerns remain, Commission says
There is no shortage of jet fuel in the European Union at the moment, but supply problems could occur and the situation remains a top concern, the European Commission said on Tuesday.
European airlines have urged the European Union to step in with emergency measures to tackle repercussions from the Iran war, including widespread airspace closures and mounting concerns over jet fuel shortages, a document seen by Reuters showed.
"There is no evidence for fuel shortage in the European Union at present, but supply issues could occur in the near future," a Commission spokesperson told reporters in Brussels.
"Crude oil supplies to the European refineries remain stable, with no need for additional stock releases at the present. However, that remains our primary concern," the spokesperson added.
UK's Reeves 'frustrated and angry' over US Iran war strategy: Report
British finance minister Rachel Reeves said on Tuesday she was "very frustrated and angry" over what she said was the United States' failure to have a clear exit plan or objectives for the war in Iran, according to the Mirror newspaper.
"This is a war that we did not start. It was a war that we did not want. I feel very frustrated and angry that the U.S. went into this war without a clear exit plan, without a clear idea of what they were trying to achieve," Reeves told the newspaper.
"And as a result the Strait of Hormuz is now blocked," she added.
US, Iranian negotiation teams could return to Islamabad for peace talks this week or early next week: Iranian embassy official in Pakistan
U.S. and Iranian negotiation teams could return to Islamabad for peace talks this week or early next week: Iranian embassy official in Pakistan to Reuters
Spain's prime minister asks China to do more to end war
Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said he sees China as the main global interlocutor that can help end the war in Iran and other conflicts, such as Ukraine, and urged the Asian giant to do more on the diplomatic front.
"I find it very difficult to find other interlocutors, beyond China, who can resolve this situation created in Iran and the Strait of Hormuz," he said Tuesday after meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Sánchez is in China for his fourth trip in just over three years as Spain looks to strengthen its political and commercial ties with the world's second-largest economy.
Sánchez said Spain wants to avoid impunity for those who commit crimes and described what has happened in Gaza as "genocide."
"International law is being violated today, fundamentally by one country: the government of Israel," he said. "There is also an absolutely illegal response from the Iranian regime regarding a war that we have described from the very beginning as a mistake and an illegality."
China says US blockade of Iran ports is 'dangerous and irresponsible'
China's foreign ministry said on Tuesday that a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports is "dangerous and irresponsible", warning it would only aggravate tensions.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said that despite a temporary ceasefire agreed by relevant parties, the United States had increased military deployments and imposed a targeted blockade, a move that would exacerbate the conflict, undermine the fragile truce and further jeopardise the safety of navigation through the strait.
China urges all parties to respect the ceasefire, stay committed to dialogue and peace talks, take practical steps to ease regional tensions and restore normal passage in the strait as soon as possible, Guo added.
