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A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the last 24 hours. Here’s today’s news:
IRAN WAR – CEASEFIRE
Pakistan is preparing for a new round of talks between the United States and Iran to resume. Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei yesterday refused to confirm if Iran would take part in a second round of talks in Islamabad this week. A source said the Iranians were stalling amid pressure from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps: no talks without an end to the U.S. blockade. However, several Iranian officials quietly said Iran was planning to attend and that Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s parliamentary speaker, would lead the delegation if Vice President JD Vance attends. Three U.S. sources told Axios that Vance will arrive in Islamabad today. Josh Boak reports for AP News; Erika Solomon reports for the New York Times; Barak Ravid reports.
President Trump also offered mixed messages yesterday about the path ahead for the war against Iran, declaring that he was in no rush to end the conflict while also expressing that further negotiations with Tehran would soon take place in Pakistan. “I am under no pressure whatsoever,” Trump said on social media, “although, it will all happen, relatively quickly.” Aamer Madhani, Munir Ahmed, and Russ Bynum report for AP News.
A Pakistani source told Reuters today that there is momentum for talks to recommence on Wednesday, the day the current ceasefire is set to expire. An Iranian official said Tehran was “positively reviewing” its participation in the talks but stressed no decision had been made. Steve Holland, Enas Alashray, and Mubasher Bukhari report.
IRAN WAR – LEBANON OPERATIONS
Israeli and Lebanese representatives will hold further talks in Washington on Thursday, a U.S. State Department spokesperson and an Israeli source said. Reuters reports.
Israel yesterday told residents in southern Lebanon to stay out of a belt of territory at the border and not to approach the area of the Litani River. Laila Bassam, Maya Gebeily, Maayan Lubell, and Steven Scheer report for Reuters.
The Israeli military said yesterday that it was investigating one of its soldiers after he was photographed in Debl, a village in southern Lebanon, swinging a sledgehammer at the head of a statue of a crucified Jesus that had fallen off a cross. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the soldier’s actions and said he was “stunned and saddened” by this. Akl Naddaf, the Mayor of Debl, said, “We also hope that the Israeli army will open an investigation into the homes they are destroying in Debl.” David M. Halbfinger reports for the New York Times.
IRAN WAR – OTHER DEVELOPMENTS
Iran said yesterday that at least 3,375 people have been killed during the war. The figure came from Abbas Masjedi, the head of Iran’s Legal Medicine Organization. Jon Gambrell and Vahid Salemi report for AP News.
The U.S. Navy has turned back 27 ships trying to enter or exit Iranian ports since the U.S. blockade outside the Strait of Hormuz began last week, U.S. Central Command said yesterday. Eric Schmitt reports for the New York Times.
MARISKS, a Greek maritime risk management firm, yesterday issued an alert warning shipowners that unknown actors, claiming to represent Iranian authorities, had sent some shipping companies messages demanding transit fees in cryptocurrencies for “clearance.” MARISKS said that it believed at least one of the vessels, which tried to exit the strait on Saturday and was hit by gunfire, was victim of the fraud. Reuters reports.
11 Democratic senators sent a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Sunday, calling on him to answer questions about his execution of military operations against Iran. The letter referred to four separate attacks that killed Iranian civilians, including two strikes on schools. “The high human toll of this war reflects the administration’s broader disregard for the strategic legal and moral imperative to minimize civilian harm,” the senators said. John Ismay reports for the New York Times.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
Israeli strikes yesterday killed at least five Palestinians in Gaza, local health officials said. Nidal Al-Mughrabi reports for Reuters.
Representatives for Trump’s “Board of Peace” have held discussions with the UAE’s DP World about managing supply chains and other infrastructure projects in Gaza, according to three sources. According to a draft proposal seen by the Financial Times, the “vision” for the DP World venture would be to establish a “secure and traceable supply chain system” and “port-led economic ecosystem”, combined with other light industries and “employment-generating trade platforms.” A spokesman for DP World said he was not aware of any talks. Neri Zilber reports.
More than 60 nations sent representatives to Brussels yesterday for talks with Palestinian representatives on stability, security, and long-term peace in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. After the meeting, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas said that without former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s veto, action could be coming soon, such as imposing sanctions on violent Israeli settlers. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez wants the EU to suspend its long-standing Association Agreement with Israel and has said Spain will make a formal proposal at an EU foreign ministers’ meeting today. Sam McNeil reports for AP News.
WEST BANK VIOLENCE
A Palestinian village in the occupied West Bank received demolition orders for 15 shops, a day after Israeli ministers celebrated the reestablishment of a settlement in neighbouring Sa-Nur. Sa-Nur was one of 19 settlements evacuated under a 2005 disengagement plan. The Israeli military said that demolition orders were issued because the stores were constructed without permits, and the timing was unrelated to Sa-Nur. Pesha Magid reports for Reuters.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas said she expected “positive decisions” on the 90 billion euro loan for Ukraine to be made on Wednesday. Reuters reports.
OTHER GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
The Japanese government today moved to allow the sale of more weapons abroad, reversing longstanding limits on the sale of Japan-made weapons to 17 countries. The move comes days after Japan welcomed more than 30 NATO envoys for a visit meant to show stronger ties, and after Tokyo sealed a $6.5 billion deal to supply warships to Australia. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on social media that the move was necessary in an “increasingly challenging security environment.” Javier C. Hernández reports for the New York Times.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said yesterday that he had unintentionally misled lawmakers about Peter Mandelson failing security vetting for a U.S. ambassador role. Starmer is blaming top civil servants for not informing him of the vetting failure, as his government faces calls to quit. Olly Robbins, a former senior foreign ministry official who was fired over the scandal, told lawmakers today that he faced constant pressure from the prime minister’s office to quickly approve security clearance for Mandelson. Max Colchester reports for the Wall Street Journal; Reuters reports.
U.S. FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said yesterday that she would demand explanations over what U.S. and Mexican officials were doing in northern Chihuahua when they died in an accident over the weekend, noting that any joint collaborations between local government and the United States without federal permission would be a violation of Mexican law. “It was not an operation that the security cabinet was aware of,” Sheinbaum told journalists. “We were not informed; it was a decision by the Chihuahua government.” Megan Janetsky and Maria Verza report for AP News.
The Cuban government yesterday confirmed that it had met with U.S. officials on the island earlier in April. AP News reports.
U.S. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
FBI Director Kash Patel yesterday filed a lawsuit against The Atlantic, accusing it of defamation over an article that claimed his excessive drinking and unexplained absences were putting his job in jeopardy. The article, under the headline “The FBI Director is MIA,” was published on Friday. The suit seeks $250 million in damages. Katie Robertson reports for the New York Times.
Kevin M. Warsh, Trump’s nominee to lead the Federal Reserve, will tell the Senate Banking Committee today that the Fed must remain independent in setting interest rates while still considering input from elected officials. His confirmation is uncertain as Senate Banking Committee member Thom Tillis has vowed to block Fed nominees amid a Justice Department investigation into Chair Jerome Powell. Colby Smith reports for the New York Times.
The bipartisan House Ethics Committee released a statement yesterday calling for victims of sexual misconduct to report their accusations to congressional authorities, amid renewed scrutiny after two lawmakers resigned over allegations. “There should be zero tolerance for sexual misconduct, harassment, or discrimination in the halls of Congress, or in any employment setting,” the committee members said. Hailey Fuchs reports for POLITICO.
Former senior intelligence and FBI officials who are cooperating with the Justice Department’s criminal probe into former CIA Director John Brennan were subpoenaed over the weekend, sources told CBS News. Daniel Klaidman and Sarah N. Lynch report.
The Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether Colorado can exclude Catholic preschools from the state’s universal pre-K program because they will not accept children with same-sex parents. Josh Gerstein reports for POLITICO.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ACTIONS
Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer is leaving the Trump administration “to take a position in the private sector,” a White House aide posted on social media yesterday. Keith Sonderling, the current deputy, will become acting secretary in her place. The move comes amid multiple allegations of misconduct, including abuse of power, inappropriate relationships with staff, and drinking on the job, which had been under investigation by the Labor Department’s inspector general. Seung Min Kim reports for AP News.
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