Hezbollah rejects allegations from Benjamin Netanyahu that it is undermining the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire.By Al Jazeera…
The United Nations’ maritime agency has highlighted the plight of seafarers trapped in the Persian Gulf, saying the weeks-long closure of the Strait of Hormuz was taking a high toll on the crews.
International Maritime Organisation secretary general Arsenio Dominguez said that at least 10 seafarers had been killed in 29 attacks on vessels in the Gulf and around the Strait of Hormuz since the beginning of the US-Israel war on Iran.
In addition, several vessels had been seized and detained in the region in recent days while thousands of seafarers remained trapped in the area, Dominguez said on Friday.
“My call is to release the seafarers because they are not at fault,” he said.
“The situation is not improving. I reiterate: there is no safe transit anywhere in the Strait of Hormuz.”
Dominguez added: “I spoke to a seafarer who had been trapped in the Persian Gulf for more than six weeks. Aside from the exhaustion and toll on mental health of the crews, they feel invisible, that they are not valued. There is much more we need to do.”
#Trapped #Gulf #ship #crews #run #food #water #mental #health #reservesAlphaliner, Donald Trump, Abbas Araghchi, MarineTraffic, Guangdong, Arsenio Dominguez, Steve Witkoff, Iran, Qatar, Pakistan, Strait of Hormuz, US, CNOOC Offshore Engineering, Persian Gulf, J.D. Vance, Nanfeng Chuang, Hai Yang Shi You, International Maritime Organisation, United Nations, China, Islamabad, Jared Kushner, Dubai">
The United Nations’ maritime agency has highlighted the plight of seafarers trapped in the Persian Gulf, saying the weeks-long closure of the Strait of Hormuz was taking a high toll on the crews.
International Maritime Organisation secretary general Arsenio Dominguez said that at least 10 seafarers had been killed in 29 attacks on vessels in the Gulf and around the Strait of Hormuz since the beginning of the US-Israel war on Iran.
In addition, several vessels had been seized and detained in the region in recent days while thousands of seafarers remained trapped in the area, Dominguez said on Friday.
“My call is to release the seafarers because they are not at fault,” he said.
“The situation is not improving. I reiterate: there is no safe transit anywhere in the Strait of Hormuz.”
Dominguez added: “I spoke to a seafarer who had been trapped in the Persian Gulf for more than six weeks. Aside from the exhaustion and toll on mental health of the crews, they feel invisible, that they are not valued. There is much more we need to do.”
#Trapped #Gulf #ship #crews #run #food #water #mental #health #reservesAlphaliner, Donald Trump, Abbas Araghchi, MarineTraffic, Guangdong, Arsenio Dominguez, Steve Witkoff, Iran, Qatar, Pakistan, Strait of Hormuz, US, CNOOC Offshore Engineering, Persian Gulf, J.D. Vance, Nanfeng Chuang, Hai Yang Shi You, International Maritime Organisation, United Nations, China, Islamabad, Jared Kushner, Dubai">Trapped in the Gulf, ship crews run low on food, water – and mental health reserves
The United Nations’ maritime agency has highlighted the plight of seafarers trapped in the Persian Gulf, saying the weeks-long closure of the Strait of Hormuz was taking a high toll on the crews.
International Maritime Organisation secretary general Arsenio Dominguez said that at least 10 seafarers had been killed in 29 attacks on vessels in the Gulf and around the Strait of Hormuz since the beginning of the US-Israel war on Iran.
In addition, several vessels had been seized and detained in the region in recent days while thousands of seafarers remained trapped in the area, Dominguez said on Friday.
“My call is to release the seafarers because they are not at fault,” he said.
“The situation is not improving. I reiterate: there is no safe transit anywhere in the Strait of Hormuz.”
Dominguez added: “I spoke to a seafarer who had been trapped in the Persian Gulf for more than six weeks. Aside from the exhaustion and toll on mental health of the crews, they feel invisible, that they are not valued. There is much more we need to do.”
#Trapped #Gulf #ship #crews #run #food #water #mental #health #reservesAlphaliner, Donald Trump, Abbas Araghchi, MarineTraffic, Guangdong, Arsenio Dominguez, Steve Witkoff, Iran, Qatar, Pakistan, Strait of Hormuz, US, CNOOC Offshore Engineering, Persian Gulf, J.D. Vance, Nanfeng Chuang, Hai Yang Shi You, International Maritime Organisation, United Nations, China, Islamabad, Jared Kushner, Dubai
The United Nations’ maritime agency has highlighted the plight of seafarers trapped in the Persian…
#Araghchi #meets #Pakistan #officials #rules #direct #talksIran war,Abbas Araghchi,Pakistan,Iran,United States">Araghchi meets with Pakistan officials, rules out direct talks with US
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Pakistan on Friday evening ahead of a second round of peace talks with the United States, in an effort to restore calm in the region.
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Shortly after Araghchi’s arrival, his ministry clarified that any talks between Tehran and Washington would be indirect, with messages conveyed to Pakistani officials instead.
Araghchi wasted no time and met late Friday with Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir.
On Saturday morning, he met with Munir and Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, officials said.
US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are also due to head to Pakistan on Saturday. Vice President JD Vance will not attend but will instead be on standby in case his presence is “necessary,” the White House said.
A first round of negotiations already took place in Pakistan earlier this month but both sides failed to reach a deal.
Pakistan has emerged as the leading mediator in efforts to end the war, with an initial round of negotiations already held in the capital earlier this month.
However, both sides failed to reach a deal, and as a result, Iran was initially reluctant to send another delegation to Islamabad for a second round.
Islamabad appeared to be under near-lockdown on Saturday morning, with soldiers and police stationed at key intersections, posted on rooftops overlooking major roads, and helicopters circling overhead. Checkpoints, road closures and diversions across the city, particularly near the so-called “red zone” surrounding the negotiation venue.
Commercial flights resume at Tehran’s airport
Meanwhile, Iran has resumed commercial flights at Tehran’s international airport on Saturday, the first time its done so since the conflict with the US and Israel broke out late February.
Flights bound for Istanbul, Oman’s capital of Muscat and the Saudi city of Medina departed from the Imam Khomeini International Airport, Iran’s state-run media reported.
Three Istanbul-bound flights were seen departing on Saturday morning on the Flightradar24 tracking platform.
Iran’s airspace has largely remained closed since 28 February, but partially reopened earlier this month when the first ceasefire was announced.
Additional sources • AP
#Araghchi #meets #Pakistan #officials #rules #direct #talksIran war,Abbas Araghchi,Pakistan,Iran,United States
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Pakistan on Friday evening ahead of a second…
In a phone interview with The Associated Press on Thursday, Zampolli said his “request is not a political request,” but rather meant as a contingency plan in case Iran could not participate in the soccer tournament.
After suggesting to the FT that, with four previous titles, the Italian national team’s appearance in the World Cup would be justified, he told the AP it was his “dream … for the Italian people and the American-Italian people.”
Italian officials pushed back hard at the suggestion, with Sports Minister Andrea Abodi saying Thursday, “first of all, it’s not possible. Secondly, it’s not a good idea.”
Luciano Buonfiglio, the president of the Italian Olympic Committee, which oversees all sports in Italy, also dismissed the idea, saying he “would feel offended,” as “you need to deserve to go to the World Cup.”
CBS/AP
#Live #Updates #Witkoff #Kushner #Iran #peace #talks #Pakistan #White #HouseWar, Iran, Israel, Ceasefire, Donald Trump, Hezbollah, Lebanon, Middle East, Oil and Gas, Benjamin Netanyahu, Strait of Hormuz">
In a phone interview with The Associated Press on Thursday, Zampolli said his “request is not a political request,” but rather meant as a contingency plan in case Iran could not participate in the soccer tournament.
After suggesting to the FT that, with four previous titles, the Italian national team’s appearance in the World Cup would be justified, he told the AP it was his “dream … for the Italian people and the American-Italian people.”
Italian officials pushed back hard at the suggestion, with Sports Minister Andrea Abodi saying Thursday, “first of all, it’s not possible. Secondly, it’s not a good idea.”
Luciano Buonfiglio, the president of the Italian Olympic Committee, which oversees all sports in Italy, also dismissed the idea, saying he “would feel offended,” as “you need to deserve to go to the World Cup.”
CBS/AP
#Live #Updates #Witkoff #Kushner #Iran #peace #talks #Pakistan #White #HouseWar, Iran, Israel, Ceasefire, Donald Trump, Hezbollah, Lebanon, Middle East, Oil and Gas, Benjamin Netanyahu, Strait of Hormuz">Live Updates: Witkoff, Kushner to head to new Iran peace talks in Pakistan, White House says
Sports officials in four-time world champion Italy say the country is not interested in replacing Iran at the upcoming 2026 World Cup, following a suggestion of the move by a Trump administration official.
Iran has not withdrawn from the World Cup, and the team is preparing to play in the championship taking place this year in the U.S., Mexico and Canada despite the ongoing war in the Middle East.
FIFA, the global soccer authority behind the World Cup, has insisted that Iran’s group stage games in California and Washington state will go ahead as planned in June.
The Financial Times reported this week that Paolo Zampolli, the U.S. special envoy for global partnerships, had suggested the swap to President Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
In a phone interview with The Associated Press on Thursday, Zampolli said his “request is not a political request,” but rather meant as a contingency plan in case Iran could not participate in the soccer tournament.
After suggesting to the FT that, with four previous titles, the Italian national team’s appearance in the World Cup would be justified, he told the AP it was his “dream … for the Italian people and the American-Italian people.”
Italian officials pushed back hard at the suggestion, with Sports Minister Andrea Abodi saying Thursday, “first of all, it’s not possible. Secondly, it’s not a good idea.”
Luciano Buonfiglio, the president of the Italian Olympic Committee, which oversees all sports in Italy, also dismissed the idea, saying he “would feel offended,” as “you need to deserve to go to the World Cup.”
CBS/AP
#Live #Updates #Witkoff #Kushner #Iran #peace #talks #Pakistan #White #HouseWar, Iran, Israel, Ceasefire, Donald Trump, Hezbollah, Lebanon, Middle East, Oil and Gas, Benjamin Netanyahu, Strait of Hormuz
Sports officials in four-time world champion Italy say the country is not interested in replacing…
#Trump #King #Charles #visit #absolutely #repair #USUK #tiesIran, North Sea, UK, Donald Trump, Peter Mandelson, British King Charles, BBC, Keir Starmer, United States, US, Queen Camilla, Epstein, Labour, Jeffrey Epstein, Bermuda">Trump says King Charles’ visit could ‘absolutely’ repair US-UK ties
US President Donald Trump told the BBC on Thursday that British King Charles’ coming state visit to the United States could “absolutely” help rebuild strained ties between the two countries.
Charles heads to the US on Monday for a four-day trip, with transatlantic tensions over the Iran war and scandals linked to the late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein threatening to intrude on the landmark visit.
Asked by the BBC whether Charles’s visit could help repair the relationship between the US and UK, Trump told the BBC: “Absolutely. He’s fantastic. He’s a fantastic man. Absolutely the answer is yes.”
Charles will be making his first state visit to the US as a monarch, at the request of the UK government and Trump.
He will travel to the US with Queen Camilla and then visit Bermuda alone.
Britain’s King Charles and Queen Camilla stand with US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump at the state banquet at Windsor Castle in September 2025. Photo: Reuters
Trump has harshly criticised British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for not joining the US-Israeli war on Iran, launched on February 28.
#Trump #King #Charles #visit #absolutely #repair #USUK #tiesIran, North Sea, UK, Donald Trump, Peter Mandelson, British King Charles, BBC, Keir Starmer, United States, US, Queen Camilla, Epstein, Labour, Jeffrey Epstein, Bermuda
US President Donald Trump told the BBC on Thursday that British King Charles’ coming state…
#Iran #government #mens #soccer #team #preparing #proud #participation #World #Cup">Iran government says men’s soccer team is preparing for ’proud participation’ at World Cup in US
An Iranian government spokesperson says the men’s national team is preparing for “proud and successful participation” in its World Cup games in the United States.
Iran’s ability and willingness to go to the World Cup across north America starting June 11 has been unclear since the U.S. and Israel launched military attacks Feb. 28.
“The Ministry of Youth and Sports made an announcement about the full preparedness of our national football team for presence in the 2026 World Cup in the U.S., by the order of the minister,” Iranian government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohejerani told Iran’s state TV on Wednesday.
FIFA has consistently said Iran will stick to the World Cup game schedule decided last December, and refused to negotiate any suggestion of playing the team’s games in Mexico.
Progress was made March 31 when FIFA President Gianni Infantino went to meet Iranian football leaders and players in Turkey where the team had two warmup games.
Though the Iranian football league has shut down during the war, the team’s official Instagram account posted photos this week of a practice in Tehran.
Mohejerani added Wednesday “the necessary arrangements that these dear ones need for the team’s proud and successful participation, (have been made).”
Infantino promised the Iranian team three weeks ago he would help find a training camp outside of the country for the team to prepare for the World Cup. That could also be in Turkey, where Iran played warmup games last month in Antalya against Nigeria and Costa Rica.
FIFA did not immediately confirm details Wednesday of a possible camp being organized.
Iran is scheduled to play two group-stage games at the Los Angeles Rams’ stadium in Inglewood — against New Zealand and Belgium — then face Egypt in Seattle.
The team is due to arrive at its training camp in Tucson, Arizona no later than June 10, which is at least five days before its first game as required by FIFA’s World Cup rules.
A key issue to be resolved is the U.S. government giving entry visas to the Iranian delegation including football federation president Mehdi Taj. He is a vice president of the Asian football body who was barred from attending the World Cup draw in December in Washington D.C., where Infantino presented U.S. President Donald Trump with the specially created FIFA Peace Prize.
Mexico and Canada are co-hosting the 48-nation tournament that runs through July 19.
“The planned consolidation of the European network is being carried out across Lufthansa Group’s six hubs in Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich, Vienna, Brussels, and Rome,” the airline said. “Passengers will therefore continue to have access to the global route network, particularly long-haul connections.”
Several other major airlines — in both Europe and the U.S., which is far less reliant on fuel supplies from the Middle East — had already announced temporary flight cuts.
“The spike in oil prices is big news in general and the impact on jet fuel prices is pronounced,” Stephen Rooney, lead economist at Tourism Economics, told CBS News last week. “Jet fuel is a huge cost for airlines, especially on longer-haul flights.”
#Live #Updates #Iran #attacks #ships #Strait #Hormuz #thousands #U.S #forces #Middle #EastCargo Ship, War, Iran, Israel, Ceasefire, Donald Trump, United States Military, Oil and Gas, Strait of Hormuz">
“The planned consolidation of the European network is being carried out across Lufthansa Group’s six hubs in Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich, Vienna, Brussels, and Rome,” the airline said. “Passengers will therefore continue to have access to the global route network, particularly long-haul connections.”
Several other major airlines — in both Europe and the U.S., which is far less reliant on fuel supplies from the Middle East — had already announced temporary flight cuts.
“The spike in oil prices is big news in general and the impact on jet fuel prices is pronounced,” Stephen Rooney, lead economist at Tourism Economics, told CBS News last week. “Jet fuel is a huge cost for airlines, especially on longer-haul flights.”
#Live #Updates #Iran #attacks #ships #Strait #Hormuz #thousands #U.S #forces #Middle #EastCargo Ship, War, Iran, Israel, Ceasefire, Donald Trump, United States Military, Oil and Gas, Strait of Hormuz">Live Updates: Iran attacks ships in Strait of Hormuz as thousands more U.S. forces head for Middle East
Germany’s flag carrier airline Lufthansa said Wednesday that it was canceling 20,000 short-haul flights within Europe to save money, citing the dramatic spike in the price of jet fuel caused by the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, which has dramatically constrained the flow of petroleum products through the Strait of Hormuz.
“In total, 20,000 short-haul flights will be removed from the schedule through October, equivalent to approximately 40,000 metric tons of jet fuel, the price of which has doubled since the outbreak of the Iran conflict,” the airline said in a statement.
“The planned consolidation of the European network is being carried out across Lufthansa Group’s six hubs in Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich, Vienna, Brussels, and Rome,” the airline said. “Passengers will therefore continue to have access to the global route network, particularly long-haul connections.”
Several other major airlines — in both Europe and the U.S., which is far less reliant on fuel supplies from the Middle East — had already announced temporary flight cuts.
“The spike in oil prices is big news in general and the impact on jet fuel prices is pronounced,” Stephen Rooney, lead economist at Tourism Economics, told CBS News last week. “Jet fuel is a huge cost for airlines, especially on longer-haul flights.”
#Live #Updates #Iran #attacks #ships #Strait #Hormuz #thousands #U.S #forces #Middle #EastCargo Ship, War, Iran, Israel, Ceasefire, Donald Trump, United States Military, Oil and Gas, Strait of Hormuz
Germany's flag carrier airline Lufthansa said Wednesday that it was canceling 20,000 short-haul flights within…
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