The partial easing of United States sanctions on Russian oil will directly affect more than 100 million barrels currently in transit, Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and Russia’s special presidential envoy for investment and economic cooperation, announced on Saturday. Commenting on the US Treasury Department’s issuance of a general licence…

Tehran has formally announced the restoration of Iranian military control over the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategically vital maritime chokepoints, citing the ongoing United States naval blockade as the direct catalyst for the move. The declaration was made on Saturday by Ebrahim Zolfaghari, official spokesman for the Khatam Al-Anbiya central headquarters…

Iran’s Civil Aviation Organisation has announced the partial reopening of the country’s airspace effective from 07:00 a.m. on 18 April 2026, following comprehensive security and safety assessments conducted in the wake of the recent US-Israeli military campaign against the Islamic Republic. According to an official statement from the organisation, international transit routes through Iran’s eastern…

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has declared that a primary objective of the United States’ military operation against Iran was to establish control over the oil flowing through the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz — one of the world’s most strategically critical energy chokepoints. Lavrov made the remarks on Saturday at the Antalya…

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh declared on Saturday that the Strait of Hormuz remains open to commercial shipping and categorically ruled out any Iranian blockade of the critical waterway, even as competing narratives from Tehran and Washington continue to cloud the geopolitical situation surrounding one of the world’s most strategically vital maritime corridors. Speaking…

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council issued a stark warning on Saturday, declaring that any attempt by the United States to impose a maritime blockade on the Strait of Hormuz will be regarded as a direct violation of the existing ceasefire regime — and will prompt Tehran to obstruct the waterway’s limited reopening in response. “As…

Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom has declared its readiness to assist in the transfer of enriched uranium from Iran, as the question of Tehran’s nuclear stockpile remains the most contentious and unresolved issue in ongoing negotiations between Washington and Tehran. The announcement was made on Saturday by Rosatom Chief Executive Alexey Likhachev in an interview…

BEIRUT — Hezbollah has issued a stark warning that Israeli military strikes on Lebanese territory, carried out in direct violation of a freshly brokered ceasefire agreement, will not go unanswered. Mahmoud Komati, deputy head of Hezbollah’s political council, made the declaration on Saturday, signalling that the resistance movement is prepared to chart an independent course…

Iranian Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref issued a stark warning on Saturday, declaring that Tehran will pursue full sovereign control over the Strait of Hormuz through diplomatic means or, if necessary, on the battlefield. Speaking to the SNN broadcaster, Aref stated unequivocally: “Iran will pursue the right to control the Strait of Hormuz either at…

Tehran has issued a stark warning to Washington over the ongoing naval blockade of Iranian ports, with Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf declaring that Iran’s armed forces remain on full combat readiness even as diplomatic negotiations continue between the two sides. “If they don’t lift the blockade, traffic through the strait will definitely be…