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US Marines boarded a commercial ship in the Arabian Sea suspecting it was headed to Iran in violation of the US-imposed blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The US Central Command said that the commercial ship M/V Blue Star III was searched and released after ascertaining that it was not headed to an Iranian port. CENTCOM said US forces released the vessel after conducting a search and confirming the ship's voyage would not include an Iranian port call.
The vessel was released after a search determined it was not planning to dock at an Iranian port, it said. CENTCOM added that 39 vessels have been "redirected to ensure compliance" with the blockade.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has been severely disrupted since the US-Israeli war against Iran began February 28, rattling global energy markets and raising fears of prolonged economic damage.
The blockade has resulted in ships being anchored at various ports in the region. According to marine traffic monitoring websites, M/V Blue Star III is a container ship sailing under the flag of Comoros and was headed to the port of Sohar in Oman.
Here are the latest updates on the US-Israel-Iran conflict.
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The US Central Command has prepared for a short wave of strikes on Iran according to Axiois, after US President Donald Trump stated the he will be rejecting Iran's offer to open the Strait of Hormuz if he lifts his economic blockade and ends the war.
US President Donald Trump stated the he will be rejecting Iran's offer to open the Strait of Hormuz if he lifts his economic blockade and ends the war, according to Axios. He further stated that he would consider military action if "Iran won't act."
Israel Defence Force' attack on South Lebanon has killed tree women, according to an Al Jazzera report. At least 11 people were wounded in an Israeli air raid on the village of Tayr Debba in southern Lebanon’s Tyre district, according to the Health Ministry, cited by Al Jazeera.
Israel's strikes in the Southern Lebanon's Jouaiyya and al-Hanniye killed five, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA). The attack on Jouaiyya left two dead and four missing, while the strike on Al-Hanniye killed three.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar stated that he had a phone conversation with Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on "various aspects of the current situation", as per a post on 'X'.
"We agreed to remain in close touch," he added.
Received a phone call from Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi of Iran this evening. @araghchi
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) April 29, 2026
Had a detailed conversation about various aspects of the current situation. We agreed to remain in close touch.
The US has spent $25 billion on the Iran war so far, according to a Pentagon cited by Bloomberg.
Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun said that Israel is mistaken if it "believes it can achieve security through violations and the destruction of border villages”. He called for Lebanese state to have its full force present throughout the entire southern region to improve security.
Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun stated that Israel must implement a ceasefire before talks between the two countries would take place, according to Bloomberg.
Over 1.2 million people are set to face acute hunger in Lebanon, stemming from Israel's war with Hezbollah, according to a UN-backed report cited by Al Jazeera.
Israel's defence forces have issued orders for the demolition of Palestinian homes in occupied East Jerusalem, as per the Palestinian Wafa News Agency cited by Al Jazeera.
The OPEC Fund has rolled out a $1.5 billion support package to help developing countries cope with growing economic strain from energy, commodity, and trade disruptions following the Iran war, Reuters reported.The oil-based organization said the funds will be disbursed through 2028 on a “demand-driven basis” to help governments manage rising costs and secure supplies of essential goods like food, energy, and fertilizers.
An Israeli drone targeted the town of Khirbet Selm and killed two in southern Lebanon, according to Al Jazeera reports. Earlier, Israel conducted an air raid on the town of Ghandouriyeh, also in southern Lebanon.
An Israeli drone targeted the town of Khirbet Selm in southern Lebanon, according to Al Jazeera reports. Earlier, Israel conducted an air raid on the town of Ghandouriyeh, also in southern Lebanon.
The Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet have announced the killing of Iyad Ahmad Abd al-Rahman Shambari, who was serving as the head of the operations division at Hamas's military intelligence headquarters, during an operation in northern Gaza on Monday, Israeli web portal Ynet global reported.
US President Donald Trump is quickly approaching a deadline to wrap up his war against Iran – or he will be in breach of US law. Under the 1973 War Powers Resolution, a US president can only launch a war without congressional approval for 60 days. After that, Congress either has to declare or authorise the war – or the president must end the operations.
Even though there is currently a ceasefire between the US and Iran, the resolution would still apply to the naval troops and ships responsible for maintaining the US blockade of Iranian ports.
(Source: The Conversation, AP)
Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal says, "Despite the war in West Asia, there is tremendous enthusiasm among Indian exporters. If we look at the April figures, our exports have increased significantly in the first three weeks of April compared to last April. As new trade agreements are coming into effect, the possibilities are also increasing... Now, with great confidence, India will take its next steps in world trade."
#WATCH | Delhi: Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal says, "Despite the war in West Asia, there is tremendous enthusiasm among Indian exporters. If we look at the April figures, our exports have increased significantly in the first three weeks of April compared to last April. As… pic.twitter.com/erUnhXpJpE
— ANI (@ANI) April 29, 2026
US President Donald Trump said that Iran "can’t get their act together," suggesting a long-running frustration with stalled negotiations over the country’s nuclear programme.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, "Iran can’t get their act together. They don’t know how to sign a nonnuclear deal. They better get smart soon! President DJT."
Trump also posted an image warning Iran that he is no more Mr Nice Guy suggesting a shift from diplomacy or patience to aggression and toughness, reinforcing the idea that restraint has run out.
Donald Trump Truth Social Post
Crude oil prices fell nearly 1% to Rs 9,417 per barrel in futures trade on Wednesday, tracking losses in global benchmarks after the United Arab Emirates announced that it will exit the oil cartel OPEC producer group.
Analysts said persistent uncertainty over the US-Iran conflict and continued disruption in the Strait of Hormuz capped losses in oil prices.
Traders attributed the decline to weak global trends following the UAE's announcement that it will leave the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its wider OPEC alliance effective on May 1.
(Source: AP)
Inter- Ministerial Briefing on Recent Developments in Middle East at 3 p.m.
Briefing will be done by Senior Officers from the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways
Ministry of External Affairs, and Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
The United Arab Emirates will withdraw from the OPEC and OPEC oil cartels to focus on "national interests", in a bombshell announcement as energy prices soar over the Middle East war.
The UAE, one of the world's top oil producers which has previously chafed at OPEC production quotas, will pull out on Friday, a statement carried by the official WAM news agency said.
(Source:AFP)
Saudi Arabia welcomed leaders and officials to Jeddah from across the Gulf to discuss the ongoing crisis in the region. It was the first in-person meeting of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members since the war broke out on February 28.
The Israeli military said it found and destroyed a large Hezbollah-built tunnel network used by elite fighters, as it ordered a wave of new evacuations from Lebanon's battle-scarred south.
The tunnels, found in Qantara, were 800 metres and 1.2 kilometres in length and were destroyed with "over 450 tonnes of explosives," the Israeli military said.
(Source: AFP)
US President Donald Trump lashed out at German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over the Iran war, after comments by Merz that Tehran is "humiliating" Washington at the negotiating table.
Merz said that "the Americans obviously have no strategy", in a visit to a school in western Germany, to which Trump said the chancellor "thinks it's OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon", and that "he doesn't know what he's talking about!"
(Source:AFP)
The major difference between this war against Iran and other wars of recent US presidents is that this one is going extremely badly for Trump.
A new poll by Reuters and Ipsos this week found that just 34% of Americans support the US conflict with Iran. This time, there has been no “rally-around-the-flag” effect supporting Trump’s military incursion. Members of Congress, ultra-sensitive to their constituents’ opinion, are not running scared of opposing Trump on this issue, either. Many would be risking electoral backlash by going on the record in support of the war.
(Source: AP)
The oil and liquefied natural gas shortages caused by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz are likely to drag on for months and possibly into next year, Shell Plc Chief Executive Officer Wael Sawan said.
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth will face questioning from lawmakers for the first time since the Trump administration launched the war against Iran, which Democrats have contested as a costly conflict of choice waged without congressional approval.
The hearing before the House Armed Services Committee is being held to discuss the administration's 2027 military budget proposal, which would boost defence spending to a historic USD 1.5 trillion.
Hegseth and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, are expected to stress the need for more drones, missile defence systems and warships.
(Source: AP)
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said the United States will never permit Tehran to acquire a nuclear weapon.
Trump used the White House state dinner with King Charles III to deliver the pointed message to Iran, invoking the British monarch's apparent agreement with his position.
US President Donald Trump said King Charles III "agrees" that Iran must not be allowed to have a nuclear weapon, adding that "we have militarily defeated that particular opponent" and "we're never gonna let that opponent have a nuclear weapon."
US President Donald Trump has asked aides to prepare for a prolonged blockade of Iran, choosing sustained economic pressure instead of widening the conflict or stepping back, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.
Iran's soccer federation representatives missed the largest formal meeting of Asia's soccer leaders before this summer's World Cup. Concerns have risen that visa issues could affect the Iranian delegation's travel to the AFC Congress in Vancouver, Thursday's FIFA Congress, and the World Cup starting June 11. At the AFC Congress, when the nine qualified AFC teams received commemorative gifts, it was announced Iran would get theirs "once they arrive."
The president of the International Committee of the Red Cross has arrived in Iran to meet with officials and local affiliates and assess the war's humanitarian consequences.
Mirjana Spoljaric will also discuss efforts of the Geneva-based humanitarian organization to ship more relief supplies to Iran, notably through the Iranian Red Crescent Society.
The ICRC says it delivered more than 170 tons of essential relief items to help people affected by the conflict this month, with more medical items and forensic supplies on their way.
Her visit is part of a trip through the region that involves bilateral discussions to help ensure respect for the rules of war, the organisation said.
(Source: AP)
King Charles III called on the US to maintain its leadership role in the world, and to support Ukraine and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, in a remarkably pointed speech for a monarch that urged Americans to resist the pull of isolationism.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said her current priority was to restrain inflationary pressures on prices, especially energy, given the impact from the US-Israeli war against Iran.
"In the current context of international crisis we're facing, the issue of keeping prices and energy under control, of preventing an inflationary impact that clearly crushes GDP growth, has to be considered a step forward," Meloni said during a press conference.
(Source: AFP)
US President Donald Trump says, "...We're doing Middle East work right now... we have militarily defeated that particular opponent, and we're never gonna let that opponent ever. Charles (King Charles III of the United Kingdom) agrees with me even more than I do. We're never gonna let that opponent have a nuclear weapon..."
#WATCH | US President Donald Trump says, "...We're doing Middle East work right now... we have militarily defeated that particular opponent, and we're never gonna let that opponent ever. Charles (King Charles III of the United Kingdom) agrees with me even more than I do. We're… pic.twitter.com/nruJBVWli7
— ANI (@ANI) April 29, 2026
Key congressional Republicans are poised to break with Donald Trump on his proposed 44% raise for the Pentagon, a rare act of defiance that signals the president's weakening grip on Washington as the midterm elections near and he quickly approaches the back half of his second term.
Prior to the U.S. blockade on Iran, 5 ships were moored or anchored in the Iranian port of Chah Bahar on an average day. Today, more than 20 vessels remain in Chah Bahar as U.S. forces cut off economic trade going into and coming out of Iran during the ongoing blockade. pic.twitter.com/eE6vEgsQ8d
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) April 28, 2026
US Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit boarded commercial ship M/V Blue Star III in the Arabian Sea, suspecting it was headed to Iran in violation of the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. CENTCOM said the ship was searched and released after confirming it would not dock at an Iranian port. The command added 39 vessels have been "redirected to ensure compliance" with the blockade.
Earlier today in the Arabian Sea, U.S. Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit boarded M/V Blue Star III, a commercial ship suspected of attempting to transit to Iran in violation of the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports. U.S. forces released the vessel after conducting a… pic.twitter.com/UFx329OsHj
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) April 28, 2026
Oil prices paused after a sharp climb, as markets tracked uncertain diplomatic signals around the Iran conflict and the fate of the Strait of Hormuz — a chokepoint that remains effectively shut. Brent crude hovered near $111 a barrel after gaining roughly 2.8% in the previous session, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) traded just above $99.
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