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War in the Middle East: latest developments Paris, France, April 13 (AFP) Apr 13, 2026 The latest developments in the Middle East war:
"I don't care if they come back or not. If they don't come back, I'm fine," Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, upon his return from Florida.
"The blockade will be enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman," US Central Command said in a post on X, adding the United States would "not impede freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports". Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Iranian security forces had full control over the Strait of Hormuz and warned enemies would be trapped in a "deadly vortex" in case of any "wrong move". Iran's navy chief Shahram Irani called Trump's threat "ridiculous and funny", according to state TV, adding the country's military was "monitoring and supervising all the movements of the aggressive American army in the region".
"If they fight, we will fight, and if they come forward with logic, we will deal with logic," Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said, cited by several Iranian news agencies. "We will not bow to any threats, let them test our will once again so that we can teach them a bigger lesson."
Shortly after trading began, a barrel of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for May delivery rose around eight percent to $104.50, while June delivery of international benchmark Brent rose seven percent to $102.
"Iran engaged with US in good faith to end war," he said in a post on X. But when "just inches away" from an agreement, "we encountered maximalism, shifting goalposts, and blockade", he added.
"We will continue to work to stop this war, to ensure the Israeli withdrawal from all our lands, the return of all the prisoners, to rebuild our destroyed villages and towns, and the safe return of the displaced," Salam said.
"The war continues, including within the security zone in Lebanon," Netanyahu said in a video released by his office.
Israeli soldiers had also blocked a road in south Lebanon's Bayada "that is used to access UNIFIL positions", it said a statement.
Israel insists the current Middle East ceasefire does not apply to its military operations in Lebanon targeting Hezbollah. burs/jj/rmb/msp/lkd/mtp |
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