We are now closing the live blog for the day. We'll be back tomorrow at 7:30 a.m. Central European time to cover the latest events across the Middle East.
Iran's Top Negotiator Speaks Of 'Progress' But Also 'Big Differences'
Iran's powerful parliament speaker and lead negotiator said that "we have had progress" in talks with Washington but that there is "still a big difference between us."
In a televised address early on April 19, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said: "There are some issues on which we insist...They also have red lines. But these issues could be just one or two."
Many observers see Qalibaf as the power behind the regime in Tehran. He has often expressed hard-line comments and has accused US President Donald Trump of lying, even as he speaks progress in talks.
Qalibaf led the Iranian delegation in face-to-face meetings with US officials, including Vice President JD Vance, in Islamabad last week in talks mediated by Pakistan. He did not state a date for the next round to discussions in his TV address.
Read more here.
Guterres Condemns Deadly Attack On UN Forces Blamed On Hezbollah
UN chief Antonio Guterres on April 18 condemned an attack on UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon that left one French soldier dead and three others injured.
France blamed the attack on Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon. It is considered a terrorist organization by the United States, while the EU has blacklisted only its armed wing.
In a statement issued by his spokesman, Guterres said an initial assessment by the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) was that it was carried out by the Iranian-backed group.
The attack comes an agreement between Israel and Lebanon for a 10-day cease-fire to negotiate an end to six weeks of fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed group.
"Everything points to Hezbollah being responsible for this attack," French President Emmanuel Macron said on X, calling on Lebanese authorities to arrest the attackers.
The slain soldier was identified as Sergeant Major Florian Montorio, who French officials said was killed by a "direct gunshot" while caught in an "ambush" as his unit was headed to a UNIFIL outpost.
With reporting by AFP
IRGC Says Any Vessel Approaching Strait 'Will Be Targeted'
In a new statement, the naval forces of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) late on April 18 warned that any vessel approaching the Strait of Hormuz would be treated as a target.
"We warn that no ship, of any kind, should leave its anchorage in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman. Any attempt to approach the Strait of Hormuz will be considered cooperation with the enemy, and the offending vessel will be targeted," the statement on the IRGC's official news website stated.
The remarks came after Iranian forces attacked at least three civilian ships following an announcement by Tehran that it was reversing its decision to reopen the vital waterway.
Speaking in Washington, US President Donald Trump said: "They [Iranians] got a little cute...They wanted to close up the strait again, you know, as they've been doing for years. And they can't blackmail us."
US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a vocal Trump supporter, wrote on X that "about 24 hours ago, the foreign minister, the guy in the suit, declared the straits open with full passage."
"Last night, the IRGC, the guys with the guns, attacked a container ship and said the straits were closed."
"Here’s what I’ve learned: the guy in the suit is not in charge. It’s the guys with the guns who are in charge. They are the IRGC, who are the Iranian equivalent of the SS/gestapo – an important distinction," he added.
With reporting by AFP
Iran Says It's Reviewing New US Proposals, No Response Yet
Iran’s top national security body says that Tehran is reviewing “new proposals” from the United States delivered through Pakistani army chief Asim Munir, but has not yet responded.
In a statement on April 18, the Supreme National Security Council said the proposals had been presented in recent days with Munir acting as an intermediary in negotiations.
It stressed, however, that Iran’s negotiating team “will not make even the slightest compromise, retreat or leniency,” and would defend national interests “with all its strength.”
In the early hours of April 18, Trump also said he had heard some "good news" regarding Iran and believed efforts to finalize a peace agreement with Tehran were progressing well.
At the same time, he warned that if no agreement is reached by April 22 -- the formal end of a two-week cease-fire -- he might “have to start dropping bombs again.”
The security council also said Tehran considers anongoing US naval blockade of Iranian ports a “violation of the cease-fire” and is refusing to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
The statement said Iran “is determined to maintain supervision and control over transit through the Strait of Hormuz until the definitive end of the war and the achievement of lasting peace in the region.”
Hours earlier, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps also said that because of the continued US blockade, the situation in the strait had “returned to its previous state.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi had earlier announced the reopening of the strait on April 17 afternoon, and there had been reports of ships and oil tankers transiting the waterway.
Iran Fires On Ships In Strait Of Hormuz, Trump Says 'They Can't Blackmail Us'
Hopes that shipping would resume through the Strait of Hormuz proved short-lived on April 18, as Iranian forces attacked at least three civilian ships after Tehran announced it was reversing its decision to reopen the vital waterway.
United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), a shipping security monitor, detailed three attacks -- the first such incidents since a cease-fire began on April 8.
In the first incident, two Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) gunboats fired on a tanker without warning, UKMTO said.
Later, it said a container ship was "hit by a projectile," while there was a near miss with an attack on a third vessel.
Speaking in Washington, US President Donald Trump said "They got a little cute...They wanted to close up the strait again, you know, as they've been doing for years. And they can't blackmail us."
But Trump also said there were "good conversations going on" with Iran and that "we'll have some information by the end of the day."
Earlier, shipping tracking data had showed several vessels passing through the strait. But many of them turned back as news of Iran's decision and the IRGC attacks filtered through.
Read more here.
Macron Blames Hezbollah For Killing French UNIFIL Soldier
Emmanuel Macron said a French soldier serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) was killed and three others wounded in Lebanon, with evidence pointing to Hezbollah,
Writing on X on April 18, the French president said “everything suggests” Hezbollah was responsible and urged Lebanese authorities to arrest those behind the attack.
Hezbollah is a militant group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon. It is considered a terrorist organization by the United States, while the European Union has blacklisted its armed wing.
UNIFIL said an initial assessment also indicated Hezbollah fighters were involved in the attack.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned the assault, while President Joseph Aoun spoke with Macron after the incident.
UNIFIL personnel have been monitoring the border area between Israel and Lebanon since 1978.
Hezbollah later issued a statement denying responsibility for the attack, according to Reuters.
With reporting by dpa and Reuters
Agency Says Container Ship Hit By 'Unknown Projectile'
The UKMTO maritime security agency, which issues alerts for commercial shipping, said on April 18 that it had received a report of a container ship 25 nautical miles northeast of Oman being "hit by an unknown projectile which caused damage."
Open, Then Closed: Few Ships Sail Amid Hormuz Uncertainty
- By RFE/RL
Hopes that shipping would resume through the Strait of Hormuz proved short-lived on April 18, with Iran's announcement that it was reopening the vital waterway being reversed just hours later and only a handful of vessels daring to attempt a passage.
Oil prices had plunged following the initial reopening announcement the previous day, and shipping tracking data showed several vessels passing through the strait.
Some of these were shadow fleet tankers on the US sanctions list, including two liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tankers: the Gardian and the Rain.
These were seen heading through the strait and onwards towards open seas -- where the US naval blockade could potentially interdict them.
Other ships seeking to take advantage of the reopening of the strait were not sanctioned vessels. These included liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers.
"What began as a cautious trickle yesterday is building into a steadier flow today," noted maritime intelligence company Windward in a social media post.
But the optimism dissolved as Iranian state media announced that the decision to open the strait had now been reversed, in response to US President Donald Trump's decision to keep his country's naval blockade of Iran in place.
“As long as the passage of vessels from Iranian origin [or] to Iranian destination remains under threat, the status of the Strait of Hormuz will remain in its previous state,” said a statement by the command of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).
Soon afterwards, some vessels that had set sail through the strait turned around and headed back.
Read our latest news round here.
Iran's Internet Shutdown Enters 50th Day, Says Monitor
The Netblocks Internet connectivity monitor says that Iran's near-total digital blackout has entered its 50th day "to the detriment of most Iranians' livelihoods and human rights."