No direct talks in Islamabad expected

Iran's Foreign Ministry has ruled out direct talks as US envoys are due to arrive in Pakistan amid hopes for progress on a ceasefire deal.

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Here are the latest developments in the Iran war and the Middle East on Saturday, April 25
US will face response if it continues port blockade — Iranian military
Iran's military on Saturday decried what it called the "banditry" and "piracy" of the US naval blockade of Iranian ports and said it would respond if it were maintained.

In a statement carried by state-run media outlet IRIB, the military's central command Khatam Al-Anbiya said that if "the invading US military continues blockading, banditry and piracy in the region, they should be certain that they will face a response from Iran's powerful armed forces."
"We are ready and determined, while monitoring the behavior and movements of enemies," it added.

The US has imposed a blockade on Iran's ports in response to Iran's de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz , an important route for oil and gas transport.

Iran has cited the US blockade as a reason for not taking part in peace talks.

Turkey might help clear mines in Strait of Hormuz — foreign minister
Turkey would consider taking part in operations to demine the Strait of Hormuz if the US reaches a peace deal with Iran, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has said.

The Turkish state news agency Anadolu quoted Fidan as saying that Turkey "would be open to" joining a multinational coalition to clear mines in the strait if a deal were agreed to end the conflict.

Fidan did, however, stress that Turkey would not participate in any operations that made Ankara liable to be viewed as a party to the conflict if there were renewed fighting.

He also said Turkey could foresee a deal that would ensure open, toll-free passage through the Strait of Hormuz , as was the case before the current war.

Otherwise, both sides would have to explore new ways to find a resolution, according to the minister.

Iran still has plenty of missiles — Defense Ministry
Iran still retains a considerable part of its missile inventory despite the war against the US and Israel , the Iranian Defense Ministry said on Saturday, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency.

A ministry spokesman, General Reza Talaie-Nik, also said that the Iranian arms industry was keeping up its production at various sites in the country, including concealed ones, according to Tasnim.

Talaie-Nik said that Iran was currently producing more than 1,000 types of arms domestically, including missiles, drones and other military equipment.

Independent verification of Iran's weapons arsenal and production is not possible.

US President Donald Trump and his defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, have, however, asserted in the course of the conflict that Iran's supply of missiles is fast running out and its production facilities disabled.

Flights resume at Tehran's international airport
For the first time since the war with the US and Israel began approximately two months ago, Iran has resumed commercial flights from Tehran’s international airport.

According to Iran’s state-run television, flights are scheduled to depart for Istanbul, Turkey; Muscat, Oman; and Medina, Saudi Arabia.

Earlier this month, amid a ceasefire with the US, Iran partially reopened its airspace, which halted the fighting between the two countries.

Since April 8, a ceasefire mediated by Pakistan has kept the war on hold.

Iran says US seeking 'face-saving' way out of war
Amid diplomatic activity giving hope to ending the ongoing conflict in the Middle East , Iran's Defense Ministry said the United States was seeking a "face-saving" way to exit the war.

"Our military power today is a dominant force, and the enemy is looking for a face-saving way to escape the war quagmire it has become trapped in," a ministry spokesperson told the media outlet ISNA.

This statement comes as US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner travel to Islamabad.

Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, arrived in the Pakistani capital yesterday.

However, Iranian state media has said that direct negotiations are not an option.

Iran's Abbas Araghchi meets Pakistan army chief Asim Munir
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with Pakistan army chief Asim Munir in Islamabad on Saturday, the Iranian Embassy in the Pakistani capital said.

Araghchi's delegation called on Munir, officials said, adding that Pakistan's interior minister and national security adviser were also present at the meeting.

Last week, Munir made a three-day trip to Tehran in a thrust to revive impeded peace talks in the Iran war and bring Iran and the US back to the table for direct negotiations.

US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are also expected to reach Islamabad on Saturday.

However, Iran's Foreign Ministry has ruled out a direct meeting with the US delegation, saying only indirect talks would take place.

It said that Araghchi would meet Pakistan's senior leadership to discuss the latest regional developments and ongoing efforts to promote regional peace and stability.

Iran says it executed man working for Israel over sabotage in 2026 protests
Iran said on Saturday that it had hanged an Iranian allegedly working for Israel’s spy agency ⁠for vandalism and violence during January's mass anti-government protests .

Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency identified the individual as Erfan Kiani.

The agency described him as a "hired thug ‌of Mossad," who, it said, had engaged in ‌the ​destruction and arson of public and private ​property in the ⁠central ​city of ​Isfahan, Reuters news agency reported.

Kiani ‌was hanged early in the ​morning ⁠after his sentence was confirmed ⁠by ​the Supreme Court, according to the Iranian judiciary's Mizan Online website.

The judiciary accused him of "destruction of public and private property, arson, possession and use of Molotov cocktails, carrying a bladed weapon, blocking vehicle routes, attacking officers, and creating fear and panic among citizens," news agency AFP reported, citing Mizan Online.

The anti-regime protests earlier this year were sparked by Iran's ailing economy.

The widespread demonstrations were met with a bloody crackdown as authorities moved to crush dissent.

Kiani's hanging is the latest in a series of executions that have been ramped up in recent weeks, since war broke out with Israel and the United States.

Iranian authorities have executed nine men on charges linked to the protests since March 19, according to AFP.

Germany to deploy naval ships to Mediterranean for possible Hormuz role — Pistorius
Germany is dispatching ships to the Mediterranean in preparation for a possible deployment in the Strait of Hormuz , Defense Minister Boris Pistorius told the Rheinische Post newspaper in comments published Saturday.

A minesweeper and command and supply ship will be deployed, he said, without elaborating on a timeline for the vessels' departure.

Preconditions for any deployment would include a sustained ceasefire, a legal framework under international law and a mandate from Bundestag, the lower house of Germany's parliament, the Rheinische Post quoted the defense minister as saying.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said Berlin is ready to participate in a multi-country mission to secure the war-blockaded Strait of Hormuz, preferably with US involvement.

Germany is prepared to contribute to ensuring freedom of navigation in the critical waterway by supplying mine clearance and maritime reconnaissance, Merz said.

In his Saturday interview, Pistorius underpinned Germany's naval capabilities in mine clearance, saying the country traditionally plays a leading role within NATO in this area.

US sanctions Chinese 'teapot' refinery over Iran oil
The United States imposed sanctions on an independent "teapot" Chinese oil refinery because of its business dealings with Tehran, the Treasury Department in Washington said on Friday.

The Trump administration targeted Hengli Petrochemical (Dalian) Refinery for buying billions of dollars' worth of Iranian oil.

The US Treasury Department said Hengli is one of ​Iran's largest customers of crude oil and petroleum products.

Named for their compact teapot-like shape, China's oil teapots are small, independent refineries that process Iran's sanctioned oil, bought at a steep discount.

Teapots account for a quarter of China's processing capacity.

"China-based independent teapot refineries continue to play a vital role in sustaining Iran's oil economy," the department said as it announced the latest sanctions.

Last year, the US announced sanctions on the Hebei Xinhai Chemical Group, Shandong Shouguang Luqing Petrochemical, and Shandong Shengxing Chemical.

Beijing has opposed what it calls "illegal" unilateral sanctions.

The US on Friday also sanctioned about 40 shipping firms and vessels that "operate as part of Iran's shadow fleet, whose transportation of petroleum and petrochemicals provides a financial lifeline to Iran's unstable regime," the department added.

How independent Chinese oil refiners defy US Iran sanctions
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US-Kuwaiti journalist released after detention over Iran war social media posts
On Thursday, a court in Kuwait acquitted US-Kuwaiti journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin of all charges following nearly two months of detention, according to the New York–based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

He was arrested during a crackdown on social media posts related to the US-Iran war.

Kuwaiti authorities charged him with spreading false information, harming national security, and misusing his mobile phone.

Shihab-Eldin, 41, left Kuwait following his release, US officials told AFP and Reuters news agencies.

Shihab-Eldin is a contributor to international media outlets such as The New York Times , the BBC, and Al Jazeera English.

He was visiting his family in Kuwait when the Iran-US war began on February 28.

While in Kuwait, he posted about the war on social media before he was arrested on March 3.

One of his last posts was a geolocated video, verified by CNN, showing a US fighter jet crashing near a US air base in Kuwait.

On March 15, Kuwait enacted a law involving prison terms of up to 10 years for spreading false rumors about military entities with the intent of undermining confidence in them.

According to reports, hundreds of people were arrested across Gulf countries as part of the crackdown on media and social media posts related to the war.

US treasury secretary says no renewal of Russian oil waivers
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Friday signaled that there are no plans to renew a temporary sanctions waver that permitted purchases of Russian oil and gas currently at sea.

After Iran effectively blocked 20% of global oil supply from transiting the Strait of Hormuz following US and Israeli attacks , Washington issued a waiver for Russian petroleum products in March to stabilize global energy prices after oil prices surged.

The US also issued one-time waiver for Iranian oil at sea to relieve energy markets.

The waiver on Russian oil was extended earlier this week.

Bessent told the Associated Press on Friday, that the extension came after "more than 10 of the most vulnerable and poorest countries" asked for "help."
"It was for those vulnerable and poor countries.

But I wouldn't imagine that we’d have another extension.

I think the Russian oil on the water has been largely sucked up.”
Bessent added that there would be no extension of the waiver on Iranian supplies as the US continues to enforce a naval embargo.

"We have the blockade, and there’s no oil coming out," he said.

"And we think in the next two, three days, they’re going to have to start shuttering production, which will be very bad for their wells."
US waiver boosts Russian oil revenues amid Iran war
EU chiefs doubt German proposal to ease Iran sanctions over Hormuz
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Friday proposed to gradually ease sanctions on Iran in return for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and was quickly met by skepticism by the leadership of the European Union.

"If a comprehensive agreement is to be reached, then we are also prepared to ease the sanctions step by step,"  Merz said after a two-day EU summit in Cyprus.

Merz added that any deal to wind down sanctions would depend on "definitive end to Iran’s nuclear program" and for an end to Iran's threats to Israel.

However, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa said Iran needs to deescalate the conflict, eliminate its nuclear threat and stop oppressing its own people.

"We should not forget 17,000 young people have been killed in the first month of this year," said von der Leyen, referring to the regime's violent crackdown on protests before the war.

The EU responded by tighterning punitve measures against Iran.

Costa said Tehran has not done enough to show it is not trying to build a nuclear weapon.

"We cannot ignore the nature of the regime, the violence of the regime against their people," he said.

"I think it's too early to talk about relieving any kind of sanctions."
EU leaders weigh options to deal with Iran war
State of US-Iran talks in Pakistan remains unclear
The US and Iran on Friday both gave conflicting statements on the state of potential peace talks, as Pakistan tries to get a second round of negotiations off the ground.

The first round of talks in Islamabad two weeks ago led by US Vice President JD Vance ended after 21 hours with no progress towards a deal.

Since then, US President Donald Trump has said a ceasefire would be extended indefinitely, albeit while continuing to issue threats towards Tehran.

However, without a deal, the global econonmy remains on edge, as passage for goods, oil and gas through the Strait of Hormuz remains impeded by both the threat of Iranian attacks , and a US blockade on Iran-aligned shipping .

Unresolved issues ahead of Iran-US peace talks in Islamabad
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Friday that US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff will go to Pakistan on Saturday "to engage in talks ...

with representatives from the Iranian delegation."
"We’ve certainly seen some progress from the Iranian side in the last couple of days," she added.

Leavitt did not offer any details about what US officials were hearing.

"The Iranians reached out, as the president called on them to do, and asked for this in-person conversation," Leavitt said, adding that the talks would "hopefully move the ball forward towards a deal."
Later, Iran's Foreign Ministry said Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had arrived in Islamabad, but ruled out a direct meeting with US envoys.

Instead, the foreign ministry said Araghchi would convey Iran's "observations" to Pakistan.

Hello and thank you for joining us as we bring you the latest developments related to the US-Israel war with Iran and the impacts on the wider Middle East.

Here is a recap of important events from Friday :
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