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			<title>Iran warns US, Israel that 'entire region will become hell for you' if escalation continues</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2601020/downed-planes-spell-new-peril-for-trump-as-tehran-hunts-missing-us-pilot</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2601020/downed-planes-spell-new-peril-for-trump-as-tehran-hunts-missing-us-pilot#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 04 Apr 26 05:48:49 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[Web Desk/Agencies]]>
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				<![CDATA[Warning comes after Trump threatens Iran, says 'Time is running out-48 hours before all hell will reign down on them']]>
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				<![CDATA[Iran on Sunday warned the United States and Israel that continued military escalation in the region would have devastating consequences, according to Iranian state media.

The warning came after US President Trump issued a stark 48‑hour ultimatum to Iran, saying Tehran must strike a deal and reopen the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz or face severe consequences, warning that &ldquo;all hell will reign down on them.&rdquo;&nbsp;

Israel preparing to attack Iranian energy facilities 

Israel is also preparing to attack Iranian energy facilities but is awaiting a green light from the United States, a senior Israeli defence official said on Saturday, adding that any such attacks would likely come within the next week.

The comments came after US&nbsp;President Donald Trump issued a&nbsp;48-hour ultimatum, sharpening focus on whether Washington would back further Israeli military action against Iran.

Iran says Iraq exempt from any Strait of Hormuz restrictions

Iran&#39;s Khatam al-Anbiya joint military command said Iraq would be exempt from any restrictions on transit through the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian media reported on Saturday, signaling preferential treatment for Baghdad as Tehran tightens control over the strategic waterway.

In a statement on X, Brigadier General Ebrahim Zolfaghari said,&nbsp;&quot;We announce that our brotherly country, Iraq, is exempt&nbsp;from any restrictions&nbsp;we have imposed on the Strait of Hormuz. Your struggle against America is worthy of respect, appreciation, and admiration.&quot;



📢 We announce that our brotherly country, IRAQ, IS EXEMPT FROM ANY RESTRICTIONS we have imposed on the Strait of Hormuz.

Your struggle against America is worthy of respect, appreciation, and admiration. pic.twitter.com/at78zH19IO
&mdash; True Promise - الوعد الصادق ✪🇮🇷 (@IRTruePromise) April 4, 2026



&nbsp;

Trump warns Iran it has 48 hours to strike deal

United States President Donald Trump issued a stark 48‑hour ultimatum to Iran, saying Tehran must strike a deal and reopen the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz or face severe consequences, warning that &ldquo;all hell will reign down on them.&rdquo;&nbsp;

On his Truth Social account, Trump recalled an earlier ultimatum, saying, &ldquo;Remember when I gave Iran ten days to make a deal or open up the Hormuz Strait,&rdquo; referring to the March 26 directive.

He added, &ldquo;Time is running out &mdash; 48 hours before all hell will reign down on them,&rdquo; and concluded with, &ldquo;Glory be to God!&rdquo;&nbsp;



https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/116346816254869135




In response, Iran mocked Trump&rsquo;s 48‑hour ultimatum, with officials deriding what they called his &ldquo;ultimatum rants,&rdquo; saying, &ldquo;Our honest reply to old man&#39;s ultimatum rants now.&rdquo;



Our honest reply to old man&#39;s ultimatum rants now : https://t.co/yy8iSqd2p8 pic.twitter.com/2yDXWQY0sx
&mdash; True Promise - الوعد الصادق ✪🇮🇷 (@IRTruePromise) April 4, 2026



Iran deploys&nbsp;new air defence system

Iran&rsquo;s military command said that it had deployed a new air defence system to strike the US jets it had downed on Friday, and promised Tehran would &ldquo;definitely achieve full control&rdquo; over its airspace after more than a month of US and Israeli aerial dominance during the war.

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said that he was &quot;deeply grateful to Pakistan&quot; for its mediation efforts amid the ongoing US-Israel war against Iran, adding that they &quot;never refused to go to Islamabad&quot;.

In a post on X, he stated, &quot;Iran&#39;s position was being misrepresented by the US media,&quot; adding that Iran wants &quot;a conclusive and lasting END to the illegal war&quot; imposed on it.



Iran&#39;s position is being misrepresented by U.S. media.

We are deeply grateful to Pakistan for its efforts and have never refused to go to Islamabad. What we care about are the terms of a conclusive and lasting END to the illegal war that is imposed on us.

پاکستان زنده باد pic.twitter.com/AUjBQxOFyA
&mdash; Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) April 4, 2026


Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar replied to his post on X, saying that he appreciated the clarification by his &quot;Dear Brother Araghchi.&quot;



Truly appreciate your clarification, my Dear Brother @Araghchi. 🇵🇰 🤝 🇮🇷 https://t.co/reptX11LQa
&mdash; Ishaq Dar (@MIshaqDar50) April 4, 2026


Iran says it hit Israel-linked vessel in Hormuz strait

Iran attacked ​an Israel-affiliated &zwnj;vessel with a ​drone ​in the Strait ⁠of Hormuz, ​setting ​the ship on fire, Iran&#39;s ​state ​media said on &zwnj;Saturday, ⁠citing the commander of ​the ​Revolutionary ⁠Guards navy.

Projectile hits near Iran&#39;s Bushehr nuclear power plant

Earlier, a projectile struck near Iran&#39;s Bushehr nuclear power plant&#39;s perimeter fence in southwest Iran on Saturday, killing one person, semi-official news agency Tasnim reported.



BREAKING: A projectile has struck near the Bushehr nuclear plant, in southwest Iran, killing one person, according to Iran&rsquo;s Tasnim news agency.

🔴 LIVE updates: https://t.co/1DSU9LrS8J pic.twitter.com/KZGtzX1AKr
&mdash; Al Jazeera Breaking News (@AJENews) April 4, 2026


It initially reported that there was no damage done to main parts of the plant, however, the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran said that the person who was killed was part of the plant&rsquo;s security staff, and that damage was done to one of the facility&rsquo;s side buildings.

Tasnim stated that there is currently no radiological danger posed by the attack, according to Al Jazeera.

Iraq closes Shalamcheh crossing with Iran after airstrikes kill Iraqi

According to Reuters, Iraq closed the Shalamcheh border crossing with Iran after airstrikes on the Iranian side killed an Iraqi citizen, security sources said on Saturday.

The sources said at least five Iraqis were seriously wounded in the strikes, which hit a passenger reception area on the Iranian side.

Iraqi police recovered the body of a man, while the wounded were taken to hospital, most in critical condition.

Iraq&#39;s border authorities ordered the crossing closed to trade and travellers, the authorities said in a statement.

Downed planes spell new peril for Trump as Tehran hunts missing US pilot

Iran&#39;s forces were hunting on Saturday for a missing US pilot from one of two warplanes downed over Iran and the Gulf, officials from both sides said, while two airmen were rescued.

The incidents show the risks still facing US and Israeli aircraft over Iran as the war entered its sixth week, despite assertions by President Donald Trump and his Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth that US forces had total control of the skies.

The prospect of a US service person alive and on the run in Iran raises the stakes for Washington in a conflict with low public support among Americans and no sign of an imminent end.

Explosions heard in Iran petrochemical zone

Reuters reported that several explosions were heard at the Mahshahr special petrochemical zone in southwestern Iran&#39;s Khuzestan province, as per the Fars news agency.

Iran&#39;s ISNA said there is a &#39;high chance&#39; of casualties as a result of the US-Israeli attack on the zone.

Israeli strikes in Lebanon

Al Jazeera reported that Lebanon&rsquo;s state-run National News Agency (NNA) said an Israeli air strike on the fishermen&rsquo;s port in Tyre, southern Lebanon, has killed one person.

According to the NNA report, Israeli forces continue to blow up houses in several southern front-line villages and towns, such as Ayta al-Shaab and Ramyah.

The NNA also stated earlier that an Israeli drone strike killed at least two people when a motorbike was targeted in the northern outskirts of Tyre.

Al Jazeera reported that Israeli air attacks have hit the towns of Yohmar and Sahmar in the eastern Bekaa Valley.

Iran said its forces have downed more than 160 drones

According to Al Jazeera, in a statement carried by the IRNA news agency, Brigadier General Alireza Elhami said the Iranian air forces have already destroyed several advanced fighter jets, dozens of cruise missiles and more than 160 drones, including the Hermes and Lucas unmanned aircraft.

He added that the downing of these aircraft was &ldquo;the result of tactics and the use of new equipment and innovations in defence systems&rdquo;, which he said has &quot;confused the enemy&quot;.

Al Jazeera reported that the Israeli army has said that it has carried out another wave of strikes on Iran&rsquo;s capital, Tehran. This comes after the military said earlier today that the air force struck &ldquo;regime aerial defence sites, including an IRGC aerial defence site where missiles intended to target aircraft were stored&rdquo; inside Tehran.

It claimed an attack on a &ldquo;military site responsible for safeguarding the regime&rsquo;s weapons research and development facilities&rdquo; as well as a site where ballistic missiles were stored.

The Israelis say weapons production, research and development sites were also hit, but did not provide details or evidence of the claims.

Tehran mocks Trump&#39;s war aims

According to Al Jazeera, Fars news agency reported that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps&rsquo;s &ldquo;advanced modern&rdquo; air defence systems have shot down a US MQ-1 drone over the province of Isfahan.

Iranian fire brought down a two-seat US F-15E jet, officials in both countries said, while two US officials said the pilot ejected from an A-10 Warthog fighter aircraft that crashed in Kuwait after being hit by Iranian fire.

Additionally, a US Army CH-47F &ldquo;Chinook&rdquo; transport helicopter sustained heavy damage to its cockpit and forward rotor during an Iranian one-way drone strike on Camp Buehring in Kuwait within the past few days.



A U.S. Army CH-47F &ldquo;Chinook&rdquo; dual-rotor transport helicopter sustained heavy damage to its cockpit and forward rotor during an Iranian one-way drone strike on Camp Buehring in Kuwait within the past few days ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/awKdlGkzGy
&mdash; Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) April 4, 2026


Two Black Hawk helicopters engaged in the search for the missing pilot were hit by Iranian fire but made it out of Iranian airspace, the two US officials told Reuters.

The scale of injuries to the crew was unclear.

Iran&#39;s Revolutionary Guard Corps said it was combing a southwestern area near where the pilot&#39;s plane came down, while the regional governor promised a commendation for anyone who captured or killed &quot;forces of the hostile enemy.&quot;

Iranian civilians, terrorised by American aerial bombardments since the US and Israel began their attacks on February 28, celebrated the plane downings. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said on X that the war had been &quot;downgraded from regime change&quot; to a hunt for pilots.



After defeating Iran 37 times in a row, this brilliant no-strategy war they started has now been downgraded from &ldquo;regime change&rdquo; to &ldquo;Hey! Can anyone find our pilots? Please?🥺&rdquo;

Wow. What incredible progress. Absolute geniuses.
&mdash; محمدباقر قالیباف | MB Ghalibaf (@mb_ghalibaf) April 3, 2026


Trump has been in the White House receiving updates on the rescue effort, a senior administration official told Reuters. The Pentagon and US Central Command did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Iran has told mediators it is not prepared to meet with US officials in Islamabad in the coming days and that efforts led by Pakistan to reach a ceasefire have hit a dead end, the Wall Street Journal said on Friday.

The war has killed thousands, sparked an energy crisis and threatened lasting damage to the global economy since the initial strikes that killed Iran&#39;s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The conflict has killed 13 US military service members, with more than 300 wounded, the US Central Command said.

Trump threatens bridges, power plants

Iran has fired drones and missiles at Israel in retaliation and aimed at Gulf countries&#39; US bases, which have held back from joining the war directly for fear of further escalation.

On Saturday, authorities in Dubai said no injuries were reported after debris from aerial interceptions hit the facades of two buildings in the emirate.

In a security alert on Friday, the US embassy in Beirut said Iran and armed groups aligned with it may target universities in Lebanon and urged US citizens to leave while commercial flights still operated.

Israel has been waging a parallel campaign against Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon after the militant group fired at Israel in support of Iran. Early on Saturday, Israel&#39;s military said it was striking the militants&#39; infrastructure sites in Beirut.

Iran struck a power and water plant in Kuwait on Friday, after Trump threatened to hit Iran&#39;s bridges and power plants, underlining the vulnerability of Gulf states that rely heavily on desalination plants for drinking water.

On Thursday, Trump posted images of billowing dust and smoke as US strikes hit the B1 bridge set to open this year, linking Tehran and nearby Karaj. He threatened more attacks.

&quot;Our Military, the greatest and most powerful (by far!) anywhere in the World, hasn&#39;t even started destroying what&#39;s left in Iran. Bridges next, then Electric Power Plants!&quot; he wrote.

On Friday, a drone hit a Red Crescent relief warehouse in the Choghadak area of Iran&#39;s southern province of Bushehr.

Kuwait Petroleum Corp said drones hit its Mina al-Ahmadi refinery, while other attacks were reported to have been intercepted in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi. Missile debris landed near the Israeli port of Haifa, site of a major oil refinery.

Oil markets were closed after benchmark US crude prices jumped 11% on Thursday after Trump offered no clear sign of an imminent end to the war in a speech.

Additionally, Americans are largely pessimistic about the war in Iran.



Stacked bar chart showing poll results among Americans on the Iran war. CHART: REUTERS]]>
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			<title>US preparing to use bulk of stealth long‑range missiles in war on Iran</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2601073/us-preparing-to-use-bulk-of-stealth-longrange-missiles-in-war-on-iran</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2601073/us-preparing-to-use-bulk-of-stealth-longrange-missiles-in-war-on-iran#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 04 Apr 26 19:03:34 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Web Desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2601073</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Each $1.5 million JASSM-ER is a long-range missile capable of striking heavily defended targets]]>
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				<![CDATA[The United States is preparing to deploy a significant portion of its global stockpile of advanced stealth cruise missiles in the next phase of its military offensive against Iran, according to a Bloomberg report.

Citing a source familiar with the matter, the report said an order was issued in late March to redirect Joint Air‑to‑Surface Standoff Missiles‑Extended Range (JASSM‑ER) from US Pacific Command stockpiles to the Middle East.

The move underscores the scale and intensity of the ongoing air campaign, with additional missiles from within the continental United States and other overseas facilities also being rerouted to US Central Command (CENTCOM) bases and RAF Fairford in the United Kingdom.

Each JASSM‑ER missile, valued at approximately $1.5 million, is a long‑range precision weapon designed to strike heavily defended targets while allowing launch aircraft to remain outside hostile air defence zones.

With a range exceeding 600 miles, the missile is considered a key asset in modern US strike operations due to its stealth capabilities and ability to bypass advanced air defence systems.

Read More: Israel preparing for attacks on Iranian energy sites, awaits US green light, official says

The large-scale diversion of these munitions highlights growing demands on US military stockpiles as the conflict evolves, raising concerns about the sustainability of prolonged high-intensity operations and potential implications for other strategic regions.

According to the Financial Times, the US has already used hundreds of these missiles during the early phase of a preemptive attack on Iran. The Centre for Strategic and International Studies (SCIS) said that the US fired some 786 JASSM missiles on Iran in the first six days of the conflict.

Earlier, US President Donald Trump warned Tehran that time was running out on his latest deadline for a deal to end the war. He also warned that Iran has only 48 hours to make a deal.

On Saturday, he ⁠repeated his threats to intensify attacks on Iran if it failed to reach a deal or open the Strait of Hormuz strategic waterway.

&quot;Remember when I gave Iran ten days to MAKE A DEAL or OPEN UP THE HORMUZ STRAIT. ​Time is running out - 48 hours before all Hell will reign (sic) down on them. Glory be to GOD!&quot; he said in a post on Truth Social.



https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/116346816254869135



In an apparent move to heap further pressure on Tehran following Trump&#39;s ultimatum, a senior Israeli ​defence official said Israel was preparing to attack Iranian energy facilities and was awaiting the green light from the US.

The timeframe for such attacks would be within the next week, the official said. Trump has previously threatened to hit Iranian power plants if his demands were not met.

The war has killed thousands, sparked an energy crisis and threatened lasting damage to the world economy. Iran has virtually shut the Strait of Hormuz, which normally carries about a fifth of the world&#39;s oil and liquefied natural gas.]]>
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			<title>'We are not part of Trump's chaotic policy,' says Austria's vice chancellor</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2601065/we-are-not-part-of-trumps-chaotic-policy-says-austrias-vice-chancellor</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2601065/we-are-not-part-of-trumps-chaotic-policy-says-austrias-vice-chancellor#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 04 Apr 26 16:53:13 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Anadolu Agency]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[Says Austria's neutrality is non-negotiable and must be consistently upheld]]>
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				<![CDATA[Austria&#39;s vice chancellor stressed Saturday that the country would not be drawn into President Donald Trump&#39;s &quot;chaotic policy,&quot; saying Vienna&#39;s neutrality is &quot;non-negotiable,&quot; a principle that also applies to US military overflights.

&quot;In light of the overflights by US military aircraft through Austrian airspace, a clear line is needed: Our neutrality is non-negotiable and must be consistently upheld, especially now,&quot; Andreas Babler wrote on social media platform X.



Angesichts der &Uuml;berfl&uuml;ge von US-Milit&auml;rflugzeugen durch &ouml;sterreichischen Luftraum braucht es eine klare Linie: Unsere Neutralit&auml;t ist nicht verhandelbar und muss gerade jetzt konsequent eingehalten werden. 1/2
&mdash; Andi Babler (@AndiBabler) April 4, 2026



He added that with such overflights, even missions not directly entering conflict zones but supporting military actions must face scrutiny.

&quot;We are not part of Trump&#39;s chaotic policy and must not yield an inch here,&quot; he stressed.

Read More: Trump weighs broader cabinet shake-up as Iran war pressure grows

Austria has maintained a longstanding neutrality policy since 1955, which prohibits joining military alliances or allowing foreign bases on its territory.

The remarks came in the second month of the US-Israeli war on Iran, which since Feb. 28 has killed more than 1,340 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Iran has responded with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf states hosting US forces.

While Trump has called on the US&rsquo;s NATO allies in Europe to contribute naval forces to secure the Strait of Hormuz, several key members have resisted involvement, highlighting strategic differences and debate over the purpose of the alliance. The allies also point out that Trump started the war without consulting the NATO allies.]]>
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			<title>Iran leaves door open for peace talks as hunt for missing US pilot continues</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2601056/iran-leaves-door-open-for-peace-talks-as-hunt-for-missing-us-pilot-continues</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2601056/iran-leaves-door-open-for-peace-talks-as-hunt-for-missing-us-pilot-continues#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 04 Apr 26 14:09:18 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[Two Black Hawks searching for missing US pilot were hit by Iranian fire but escaped safely]]>
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				<![CDATA[Iranian forces were hunting for a missing US pilot on Saturday from one of two warplanes downed over Iran and the Gulf, raising the stakes for Washington as the war entered its sixth week with scant prospect of peace talks in sight.

The incidents show the risks still facing US and Israeli aircraft over Iran, despite assertions by President Donald Trump and his Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that US forces had total control of the skies.

The prospect of a US service member alive and on the run in Iran comes days after Trump threatened to bomb Iran &quot;back to the Stone Ages&quot; in a conflict that has low public support among Americans and threatens lasting damage to the global economy.

With Iran&#39;s leadership defiant since the start of the war, its foreign minister in principle left the door open for holding peace talks with the US via mediation from Pakistan, but gave no sign of Tehran&#39;s willingness to bow to Trump&#39;s demands.

Read More: &#39;Deeply grateful to Pakistan&#39; for mediation efforts, &#39;never refused to go to Islamabad&#39;: Iranian FM

&quot;We are deeply grateful to Pakistan for its efforts and have never refused to go to Islamabad. What we care about are the terms of a conclusive and lasting END to the illegal war that is imposed on us,&quot; Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on X.

Stacked bar chart showing poll results among Americans on the Iran war.

Tehran mocks Trump&rsquo;s war aims

Iranian fire brought down a two-seat US F-15E jet, officials in both countries said, while two US officials said the pilot ejected from an A-10 Warthog fighter aircraft that crashed in Kuwait after being hit by Iranian fire.

Two Black Hawk helicopters engaged in the search for the missing pilot were hit by Iranian fire but made it out of Iranian airspace, the two US officials told Reuters.

The scale of injuries to the crew was unclear.

Iran&#39;s Revolutionary Guard Corps said it was combing a southwestern area near where the pilot&#39;s plane came down, while the regional governor promised a commendation for anyone who captured or killed &quot;forces of the hostile enemy.&quot;

Iranians pummeled by American air power since the US and Israel began their attacks on February 28 celebrated the plane downings. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said on X the war had been &quot;downgraded from regime change&quot; to a hunt for pilots.

Trump has been in the White House receiving updates on the rescue effort, a senior administration official told Reuters.

Increasingly frustrated with the political fallout from the war, Trump is considering a broader cabinet shake-up in the wake of Attorney General Pam Bondi&#39;s removal this week, people familiar with the discussions said.

Any potential reshuffling could serve as a reset for the White House as it confronts rising gas prices, falling ratings and worries for Republicans heading into November&#39;s midterm elections.

The conflict has killed 13 US military service members, with more than 300 wounded, the US Central Command says.

Petrochemical zone struck in Iran

As hostilities continued on Saturday, Iranian state media reported air strikes at a petrochemical zone in southwestern Iran, with five people reported injured so far.

A projectile also hit an auxiliary building near the perimeter of Iran&#39;s Bushehr nuclear plant, the Tasnim news agency said, killing one person. The operations of the plant were unaffected.

Also Read: Trump weighs broader cabinet shake-up as Iran war pressure grows

&quot;Remember the Western outrage about hostilities near Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine? Israel-US have bombed our Bushehr plant four times now. Radioactive fallout will end life in GCC capitals, not Tehran,&quot; Araqchi said on X, referring to Arab states of the Gulf.



Remember the Western outrage about hostilities near Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine?

Israel-U.S. have bombed our Bushehr plant four times now. Radioactive fallout will end life in GCC capitals, not Tehran.

Attacks on our petrochemicals also convey real objectives. pic.twitter.com/onGCgkJFjt
&mdash; Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) April 4, 2026


Iranian media also reported air strikes on warehouses storing bottled water in western Iran.

The Israeli military meanwhile said it had carried out &quot;a wave of strikes&quot; on Tehran.

The war has killed thousands and sparked an energy crisis since the initial strikes that killed Iran&#39;s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran has virtually shut the Strait of Hormuz, which normally carries about a fifth of the world&#39;s oil and liquefied natural gas, but on Saturday the Tasnim news agency reported Iran had authorised the passage of vessels carrying essential goods to its ports.

As countries from Germany to Japan sought to deal with the fallout, five European Union finance ministers called for a tax on windfall profits of energy companies in reaction to rising fuel prices, according to a letter seen by Reuters.

On Saturday, authorities in Dubai said no injuries were reported after debris from aerial interceptions hit the facades of two buildings in the emirate, including that of US tech company Oracle in Dubai Internet City.

Israel has been waging a parallel campaign against Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon after the militant group fired at Israel in support of Iran. Early on Saturday, Israel&#39;s military said it was striking the militants&#39; infrastructure sites in Beirut.

Oil markets were closed after benchmark US crude prices jumped 11% on Thursday after Trump offered no clear sign of an imminent end to the war in a speech.]]>
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			<title>Turkish President Erdogan, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy discuss ties, peace efforts in Istanbul</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2601046/ukraines-zelenskiy-in-istanbul-for-security-talks-with-erdogan</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2601046/ukraines-zelenskiy-in-istanbul-for-security-talks-with-erdogan#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 04 Apr 26 12:22:35 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[Ukrainian president says boosting partnerships to protect lives stability ensuring security in Europe and Middle East]]>
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				<![CDATA[Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Istanbul on Saturday to discuss efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war, as well as broader regional and global developments, T&uuml;rkiye&rsquo;s Communications Directorate said.

During the talks, Erdogan reaffirmed T&uuml;rkiye&rsquo;s continued support for negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, emphasizing that the region needs greater peace and stability, according to a statement on Turkish social media platform NSosyal.

He said T&uuml;rkiye attaches great importance to safe navigation in the Black Sea and underscored the importance of energy supply security.

Erdogan also expressed T&uuml;rkiye&rsquo;s determination to boost bilateral trade with Ukraine, noting that Ankara will continue taking necessary steps toward that goal.

&quot;We are working to strengthen our partnership ​to ensure real protection of people&rsquo;s ​lives, advance stability and guarantee security ⁠in our Europe, as well as ​in the Middle East,&quot; Zelenskiy wrote ​on X earlier.&nbsp;



Arrived in Istanbul, where important meetings are scheduled. Substantive talks have been prepared with the President of T&uuml;rkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

We are working to strengthen our partnership to ensure real protection of people&rsquo;s lives, advance stability and guarantee&hellip; pic.twitter.com/SsAeVbetMT
&mdash; Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) April 4, 2026


He did not elaborate further on the subject of the talks. Ukraine has recently ​signed security co-operation agreements with Saudi ​Arabia, the UAE and Qatar, and says it &zwnj;is ⁠in talks with several other Middle Eastern states about similar arrangements.

Read More: Ukraine, UAE agree to cooperate on defence: Zelensky

After the outbreak of war in the Middle East, ​Ukraine has ​sought to ⁠leverage its counter-drone experience acquired during its four-year-long war against ​Russia.

Moscow has long deployed Iranian-designed ​drones ⁠to strike Ukraine since its February 2022 invasion.

Zelenskiy&#39;s spokesman told reporters that Zelenskiy would ⁠meet ​Patriarch Bartholomew, the most ​senior cleric in the Orthodox Church.]]>
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			<title>Police investigate explosion at Israel Centre in the Netherlands</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2601037/police-investigate-explosion-at-israel-centre-in-the-netherlands</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2601037/police-investigate-explosion-at-israel-centre-in-the-netherlands#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 04 Apr 26 10:06:04 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Web Desk/Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[Blast at Christians for Israel site comes after Jewish school in Amsterdam targeted last month; no injuries reported]]>
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				<![CDATA[Dutch police on Saturday said ​they were investigating reports &zwnj;of an explosion overnight at the Israel Centre ​in the central ​Dutch town of Nijkerk.

According to Israeli media, there were ⁠no reports of ​injuries, and the damage ​at the site, run by the Christians for Israel charity, ​was minimal, a ​police statement posted on social &zwnj;media ⁠said.

&ldquo;This attack affects not only us but is also a signal to the Jewish community in the Netherlands, which has long been confronted with threats and intimidation. This is a cause for great concern to us,&rdquo; the statement said.

Read: UK charges three men with arson over attack on Jewish community ambulances

The Israel Centre houses Christenen voor Israel, a Dutch-Christian organisation whose stated goal is &ldquo;to be in solidarity with Israel and combat all forms of antisemitism,&rdquo; according to the Jerusalem Post.

It was not clear if the incident was related to a ​series of ​attacks ⁠against Jewish sites in Europe ​since the war in ​Iran.

Police ⁠said there had been no arrests and ⁠appealed ​for witnesses ​to come forward.

On March 14, a Jewish school in Amsterdam was targeted with an explosion, in what the city&#39;s mayor described as &quot;a deliberate attack against the Jewish community&quot;.

The explosion at the school in an upscale residential neighbourhood on the south side of Amsterdam only caused limited damage, Mayor Femke Halsema said in a press release, as police and firefighters arrived at the scene quickly. No injuries were reported.]]>
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			<title>Trump weighs broader cabinet shake-up as Iran war pressure grows</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2601039/trump-weighs-broader-cabinet-shake-up-as-iran-war-pressure-grows</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2601039/trump-weighs-broader-cabinet-shake-up-as-iran-war-pressure-grows#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 04 Apr 26 10:15:11 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2601039</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Rising fuel prices, low approval ratings and midterm fears fuel talk of cabinet changes]]>
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				<![CDATA[US President Donald Trump is considering a broader cabinet shake-up in the wake of Attorney General Pam Bondi&#39;s removal this week, as he grows increasingly frustrated with the political fallout from the war with Iran, five people familiar with internal White House discussions said.

Any potential reshuffling could serve as a reset for the White House as it confronts a politically challenging stretch: The five-week-old war has driven up gas prices, dragged down Trump&#39;s approval ratings and intensified anxiety about the consequences for Republicans heading into November&#39;s midterm elections.

Some allies said his televised speech to the nation on Wednesday, which one senior White House official described as an attempt to project a sense of control and confidence about the direction of the war, fell flat, adding to the sense that changes in messaging or personnel were needed.

&quot;A shake-up to show action is not a bad thing, is it?&quot; another White House official said.

Read: Projectile hits near Iran&#39;s Bushehr nuclear power plant

Three White House officials and two other sources with knowledge of administration dynamics spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive personnel matters.

The sources did not consistently describe any single cabinet member as certain to lose their job in the near term. But multiple officials are in some degree of danger, they said.

Several of the sources said Tulsi Gabbard, Trump&#39;s director of national intelligence, and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick are among those potentially on the chopping block, after Trump ousted Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in recent weeks.

Trump has in recent months expressed displeasure with Gabbard, said one senior White House official. Another source with direct knowledge of the matter said Trump had asked allies about their thoughts on potential replacements for his intelligence chief.

Some high-profile Trump allies, meanwhile, are privately pushing for the removal of Lutnick, a close personal friend of the president who has faced renewed scrutiny in recent months for his relationship with late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

New files released earlier in the year revealed that Lutnick had lunch with Epstein on his private island in the Caribbean in 2012. Lutnick has said he &quot;barely had anything to do with&quot; Epstein and that the lunch took place only because he was on a boat near the island.

White House spokesman Davis Ingle said Trump maintained &quot;total confidence&quot; in Gabbard and Lutnick.

Read more: Backchannel peace efforts continue

&quot;The President has assembled the most talented and impactful Cabinet ever, and they have collectively delivered historic victories on behalf of the American people, from Director Gabbard&#39;s role in ending the Maduro narcoterror regime to Secretary Lutnick&#39;s role in securing major trade and investment deals,&quot; Ingle wrote in an email when asked for comment.

A spokesperson for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence pointed Reuters to a Thursday post by the White House on X in which White House communications director Steve Cheung is quoted as saying Trump has &quot;total confidence&quot; in Gabbard.

The Commerce Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

&#39;Bondi is not the last one&#39;

Trump could ultimately decide, however, not to make any changes to his administration&#39;s senior ranks. Several others close to Trump have said the president is reluctant to overhaul his cabinet too frequently, after recurrent staffing changes during his first term dominated headlines and created the impression of chaos at the White House.

One of the White House officials said to expect a &quot;targeted churn,&quot; rather than a &quot;big, dramatic reset.&quot;

Still, after his disappointing speech on Wednesday, doing nothing could be just as politically dangerous as making a significant change that, for better or for worse, would dominate news headlines, one White House official said.

Trump worked with his speechwriting team and top advisers on this week&#39;s prime-time address, one official said, after aides had urged him for weeks to speak directly to the nation about the US role in Iran.

During the speech, the president declined to lay out an off-ramp for the war, which began on February 28, leaving the impression that the conflict was open-ended. And instead of offering solutions to voters&#39; economic anxieties, he said the pain would be short-lived and that Tehran was to blame.

&quot;The speech did not accomplish what it was supposed to,&quot; the official said, adding that while Trump&#39;s core supporters still backed him on the war, they are broadly under economic strain.

&quot;Voters tolerate ideological messaging, but they feel fuel prices immediately,&quot; the official said.

Just 36% of Americans approve of Trump&#39;s overall job performance, according to the latest Reuters/Ipsos survey, the lowest figure of his current term. The war with Iran is particularly unpopular, with 60% of respondents disapproving of the US-Israeli decision to start the conflict.

Also read: Trump administration can&#39;t make colleges provide race-related data, judge rules

Two of the White House officials said Trump is extremely frustrated with what he perceives to be unfair media coverage of the war in Iran, and he has made clear to his team he wants more positive news accounts. He has not indicated, however, that he is interested in adjusting his own messaging strategy.

Such pressures notwithstanding, multiple cabinet members have shown remarkable staying power despite drawing negative headlines or consternation from the White House over their actions.

Some outside allies, for instance, have pushed for Lutnick&#39;s ouster since April of last year, when he rolled out a set of global tariffs that puzzled allies and experts during &quot;Liberation Day.&quot;

Gabbard, a longtime critic of US military interventions abroad, upset the White House as early as last June, when she released a video criticising &quot;political elite warmongers&quot; in the lead-up to Trump&#39;s first military action against Iran.

Still, the sources said the possibility of a shake-up had grown decidedly more serious in recent weeks. One senior White House source said Trump wants to make any big changes now, well ahead of the midterms.

&quot;Let&#39;s just say, based on what I have heard, Bondi is not the last one,&quot; another White House official said.]]>
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			<title>UK charges three men with arson over attack on Jewish community ambulances</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2601026/uk-charges-three-men-with-arson-over-attack-on-jewish-community-ambulances</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2601026/uk-charges-three-men-with-arson-over-attack-on-jewish-community-ambulances#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 04 Apr 26 07:56:10 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[Iran-aligned militant collective claims responsibility, counter-terrorism officers lead investigation]]>
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				<![CDATA[British prosecutors said on Friday they had charged three men in connection with an arson attack last month on Jewish community ambulances in north London.

The ambulances were set on fire on March 23 in what British Prime Minister Keir Starmer described as a &quot;deeply shocking antisemitic arson attack&quot;.

The SITE Intelligence ​website has said an Iran-aligned multinational militant collective called Islamic ​Movement of ⁠the People of the Right Hand had claimed responsibility for the incident near a synagogue in the Golders Green area of London.

Read: Driver arrested after car crashes into New York Synagogue

Counter-terrorism officers are heading the investigation, but as yet the incident is not being treated as terrorism.

The Crown Prosecution Service said the three men - aged 20, 19 and 17 - have been charged with arson with intent to damage property and being reckless as to whether life would be endangered. Two are British nationals, while the third is a dual British-Pakistani citizen.

The three men were expected to appear at Westminster Magistrates&#39; Court on Saturday.]]>
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			<title>Pipeline alternatives, including routes via Türkiye, gain relevance amid Strait of Hormuz concerns</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2601021/pipeline-alternatives-including-routes-via-turkiye-gain-relevance-amid-strait-of-hormuz-concerns</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2601021/pipeline-alternatives-including-routes-via-turkiye-gain-relevance-amid-strait-of-hormuz-concerns#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 04 Apr 26 05:53:42 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Anadolu Agency]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2601021</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Rising tensions in region have caused disruptions in Strait of Hormuz, which handles around 20% of global oil trade]]>
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				<![CDATA[The effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz following US and Israeli attacks on Iran, along with disruptions to global energy supply, is bringing T&uuml;rkiye to the forefront through various pipeline and route alternatives in the search for substitute transit corridors.

Because of the war in the Middle East, maritime traffic and oil transportation through the Strait of Hormuz have been severely disrupted. Although the waterway has not been officially declared closed, Iranian authorities have imposed strict controls and restrictions on crossings.

While only vessels from certain countries are allowed to pass, others can transit only under specific conditions. This has caused maritime traffic in the region to deviate significantly from normal operations.

15M barrels of crude oil transported through Hormuz at risk.

Rising tensions in the region have caused disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, which handles around 20% of global oil trade. Tanker traffic has slowed sharply, with crossings dropping to zero on some days and overall traffic declining by more than 90%.

Read: Iran shoots down second US fighter jet, one pilot rescued, media say

The daily transport of 15 million barrels of crude oil through Hormuz is now at risk, while rising insurance costs and security concerns are putting additional pressure on shipments.

The developments pushed oil prices from around $70 to $120, marking an increase of nearly 70%. On the natural gas side, the rise has been even sharper. Europe&rsquo;s benchmark TTF gas contracts climbed from around &euro;30 ($34.56) to the &euro;60 - &euro;70 range.

Although the decision by member countries of the International Energy Agency (IEA) to release 400 million barrels from emergency oil reserves signalled additional supply to the market, volatility continues amid concerns that the war in the region could intensify.

On the natural gas side, measures such as increasing storage use, accelerating spot LNG supply, and managing demand have been introduced, but prices remain elevated due to continuing supply risks.

Alternative routes exist, capacities limited

As concerns about supply security grow and existing measures prove insufficient to limit market volatility, the search for alternative routes that could reduce dependence on the Strait of Hormuz has also gained momentum.

Read More: UNSC divided over US-Israeli war on Iran

IEA data shows around 20 million barrels of oil per day passed through the Strait of Hormuz in 2025.

Alternative pipeline capacities bypassing Hormuz through Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates remain limited to between 3.5 million and 5.5 million barrels per day.

The UAE exports around 1.1 million barrels daily via the Abu Dhabi-Fujairah pipeline, with an additional spare capacity of approximately 700,000 barrels.

In Saudi Arabia, the East-West crude oil pipeline has a design capacity of 5 million barrels per day. After the current usage of about 2 million barrels, additional available capacity is estimated between 3 million and 5 million barrels per day.

The Abqaiq-Yanbu pipeline, running parallel to the East-West crude oil pipeline and transporting natural gas liquids, is currently operating at full capacity with around 300,000 barrels per day.

- Pipeline proposal from Qatar, Iraq to T&uuml;rkiye

Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar referred to the status of the Iraq-T&uuml;rkiye Crude Oil Pipeline extending from Kirkuk to Ceyhan. &ldquo;This line has a capacity of 1.5 million barrels. We can transport 1.5 million barrels per day through this route,&rdquo; he told Anadolu.

Bayraktar stated that T&uuml;rkiye has brought other projects onto the agenda beyond Iraq.

&ldquo;The arrival of Qatari gas to T&uuml;rkiye through a pipeline, and perhaps onward to Europe through T&uuml;rkiye. Imagine your LNG facilities are hit, your LNG exports stop. You already cannot move through Hormuz. Consider a pipeline carrying a certain volume of gas to T&uuml;rkiye and Europe. This could become an important project,&rdquo; he said.

Transporting oil resources to the Turkish city of Hatay through pipelines as an alternative to shipments through Hormuz, meanwhile, is also among long-term options under discussion.

T&uuml;rkiye stands out as an energy corridor

Although partial alternatives exist for oil, LNG appears more fragile.

Hormuz remains a critical transit point for LNG shipments, and experts believe redirecting gas to alternative routes in the short term will not be easy.

In this picture, T&uuml;rkiye stands out as a complementary energy corridor for transporting non-Hormuz resources to Europe. Exports through the Kirkuk-Ceyhan Oil Pipeline, which resumed on March 17, are planned to rise initially to 170,000 barrels per day and later to 250,000, strengthening T&uuml;rkiye&rsquo;s role in bringing northern crude to the Mediterranean.

T&uuml;rkiye also remains an important route for Russian gas deliveries to Europe. Shipments through TurkStream rose 22% year-on-year in March, reaching 55 million cubic meters per day.

The developments suggest that T&uuml;rkiye could become a more visible actor in energy trade at a time when the Hormuz shock is accelerating the search for alternative routes.

T&uuml;rkiye may offer an alternative in the medium term

Also Read: White House seeks $1.5tr defence budget

Claudia Kemfert, head of the Energy, Transport and Environment Department at the German Institute for Economic Research, told Anadolu that a prolonged disruption in the Strait of Hormuz would increase global oil and LNG prices.

Continued supply risks in the medium term would likely keep prices elevated, deepen reliance on strategic reserves and reinforce concerns over energy security, she said.

Kemfert stated that pipelines through alternative routes, particularly via Saudi Arabia and the UAE, have limited export capacity, and their capacity is insufficient to compensate for a major disruption, leaving global markets structurally vulnerable.

She noted that T&uuml;rkiye could provide an alternative in the medium term by strengthening its transit corridor role linking the Caspian region, the Middle East and Europe.

Kemfert said existing infrastructure limitations prevent T&uuml;rkiye from offsetting major supply disruptions in the short term, meaning its role as an alternative corridor would remain largely strategic and medium-term.

She added that instability in the Strait of Hormuz would quickly reduce dependence on Gulf energy, with key beneficiaries likely to include the expansion of renewable energy, LNG suppliers, particularly the US, pipeline gas from regions such as Norway and North Africa, and emerging new transport corridors.]]>
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			<title>Pakistan emerges as key diplomatic bridge in global power shift, Foreign Policy reports</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2601025/pakistan-emerges-as-key-diplomatic-bridge-in-shifting-global-power-play-says-foreign-policy</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2601025/pakistan-emerges-as-key-diplomatic-bridge-in-shifting-global-power-play-says-foreign-policy#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 04 Apr 26 07:54:19 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Web Desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2601025</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Analysis notes army chief's backchannel diplomacy has left Modi sidelined as Pakistan brokers US-Iran communication]]>
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				<![CDATA[When Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar recently called Pakistan a fixer for acting as a messenger between the United States and Iran, the insult betrayed a profound sense of marginalisation &ndash; and was, in a sense, an involuntary acknowledgment of reality.

An analysis published in Foreign Policy magazine argued that in US President Donald Trump&#39;s eyes, being a fixer is not a mark of shame but a badge of utility.

Trump has found in Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir &quot;exactly the sort of interlocutor that he likes &ndash; a hard-power operator with direct access to the White House and a willingness to sell himself as useful.&quot;

This, according to the article, &quot;has left Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an awkward position, relegated to receiving a single phone call from Trump about the crisis in the Middle East&quot; &ndash; with Elon Musk listening in on the line.

Read: Pakistan emerges where India could not

Pakistan, meanwhile, has been anything but idle. Islamabad cast itself as a neutral mediator between Washington and Tehran, hosting talks on March 29 with Egypt, Turkiye, and Saudi Arabia, where the four countries formed a committee to support a ceasefire and secured a deal with Iran to allow Pakistani ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar then rushed to Beijing for a meeting with his Chinese counterpart, after which the two countries released a five-part peace plan. Given the lack of concrete outcomes so far, Foreign policy notes, Pakistan is &quot;framing this incipient process as a practical step to widen the communication channel between the two sides.&quot;

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Munir &quot;maintained direct and separate backchannels to relay sensitive messages between Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, while communicating with other global leaders.&quot;

The article draws a parallel to a pivotal moment in history: &quot;Pakistan&#39;s role as a bridge between the United States and Iran mirrors its facilitation of the US opening to China in 1971,&quot; when Islamabad leveraged its geography, military channels, and status as an intermediary to help secure Henry Kissinger&#39;s secret trip to Beijing &ndash; a move that altered the course of Cold War geopolitics.

This &quot;multidirectional diplomacy,&quot; the piece states, suggests Islamabad is trying to reprise that role, with the destination today being not China but a US-Iran rapprochement.

It adds that the recent flurry of activity has &quot;elevated Pakistan from a so-called basketcase country to a state recognised for its efforts to secure regional peace&quot; &ndash; a shift after years of Islamabad being sidelined by previous American presidents.

Pakistan has not only deepened its ties with China but formalised a new strategic partnership with Saudi Arabia, while finding common ground with Iran on action against Baloch separatists.

The catalyst for this shift, Foreign Policy argues, was the brief military conflict between Pakistan and India in May 2025, saying, &quot;Islamabad managed to turn the crisis into leverage by allowing Trump to claim credit for a ceasefire and nominating him for the Nobel Peace Prize,&quot; while a sullen Modi insisted the ceasefire decision was strictly his own.

That exchange, it says, &quot;marked the beginning of a broader strategic reversal in which Pakistan stopped looking isolated and India started looking exposed.&quot;

Read More: Iran&#39;s war chaos slows talks, Pakistan warns

The consequences for India have compounded since. At the start of the Iran war, Modi chose to back Israel &ndash; and by extension the United States &ndash; positioning New Delhi out of a role as a credible arbiter. India has since been reduced to making requests by phone to Tehran to allow ships carrying cooking gas to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, while Pakistan is treated as a credible conduit in the very region where India once hoped to expand its equities.

&quot;Pakistan has outperformed India by manufacturing diplomatic relevance despite its own internal problems and risks of failure as an interlocutor, starting with overpromising and underdelivering,&quot; it states. This moment, it adds, &quot;underscores New Delhi&#39;s poor standing in its extended neighbourhood,&quot; as &quot;India remains tethered to the domestic political narrative of aspiring to global leadership, it is being bypassed in the real corridors of power.&quot;

The emergence of a middle-power bloc &ndash; Pakistan, Egypt, Turkiye, and Saudi Arabia &ndash; packing &ldquo;three of the Middle East&#39;s biggest armies, nuclear weapons, and financial heft,&rdquo; represents a further challenge to Indian interests. For India, which has always preferred bilateral engagements, Foreign Policy warns, &quot;the rise of such a group worryingly suggests a future where actors who are not aligned with New Delhi&#39;s vision shape the regional order.&quot;

These challenges also expose a harder truth about the US-India relationship, which it argues has &quot;always been more about shared anxieties regarding China than about shared values or deep-seated trust.&quot; If Army Chief Munir can deliver a deal with Iran or provide a stable platform for US interests in South Asia, Trump will not hesitate to reward him at Modi&#39;s expense, it claims.

Yet the article is equally candid about the risks Pakistan carries. Its mediation is &quot;built on a brittle foundation,&rdquo; and its &ldquo;diplomatic rise is tied disproportionately to one man, and to a White House that rewards theatre and tactical usefulness.&rdquo;

&quot;Pakistan is not being embraced because its institutions are strong or its economy is resilient; it is simply available,&rdquo; it adds. Its economy remains fragile, &quot;its military establishment still dominates foreign policy in ways that limit civilian officials&#39; capacity to negotiate quickly, and its political system is hardly stable enough to support a long-term strategic pivot.&quot;

Any mediating role between hostile powers, Foreign Policy cautions, exposes Pakistan to &quot;retaliation, suspicion, and the possibility of being blamed by one side for the failure of talks or by the other for extracting too much mileage from access.&quot; Talks will have to be indirect, with Pakistani officials shuttling between delegations.

Also Read: US VP Vance spoke to Pakistani intermediaries about Iran conflict as recently as Tuesday: source

&quot;The very position that creates visibility will also make Pakistan the bearer of bad news when talks collapse &ndash; and that remains a distinct possibility,&quot; the analysis reads. In the court of a transactional leader like Trump, it warns, &quot;the distance between a favoured intermediary and a discarded asset is remarkably short.&quot;

Internal vulnerabilities, however, &quot;do not diminish the fact that Pakistan has successfully broken the diplomatic quarantine that Modi worked so hard to impose.&quot;

For over a decade, Modi&#39;s strategy was straightforward: globalise India&#39;s economy, deepen partnerships with the West, and dominate the narrative of a responsible rising power, so that &quot;Pakistan would be pushed to the margins.&quot; The current situation, the piece argues, shows how that foreign policy prioritised domestic narratives over the harsh realities of international power dynamics.

&quot;The real embarrassment for India is not that Pakistan has become more active. It is that [Army Chief] Munir is being welcomed in capitals where Modi once expected to be consulted, if not deferred to,&quot; Foreign Police states. Modi, it adds, &quot;must sit with an uncomfortable realisation: Pakistan is still there, still annoying, still unstable, and yet also suddenly more useful to the powers that matter in this moment.&quot;

&quot;India cannot afford to disregard this jolt at a time of great geopolitical change,&quot; it concludes &ndash; and for Modi, it should be a wake-up call to rethink the fundamentals of his foreign policy, not an excuse for his minister to resort to pejoratives against Pakistan.]]>
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			<title>Fact check: Viral video claiming to show Iranian strike on Mossad HQ in Tel Aviv is AI-generated</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2600913/fact-check-viral-video-does-not-show-iranian-strike-on-mossad-headquarters-in-tel-aviv-its-ai</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2600913/fact-check-viral-video-does-not-show-iranian-strike-on-mossad-headquarters-in-tel-aviv-its-ai#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 03 Apr 26 17:45:43 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Fact Check By iVerify]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2600913</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Analysis of the video reveals several visual inconsistencies and patterns consistent with AI generation]]>
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				<![CDATA[Multiple users, mostly appearing to be pro-Iranian accounts, were sharing a clip since Thursday, claiming that it shows an explosion at the headquarters of Mossad &mdash; Israel&rsquo;s elite foreign intelligence agency &mdash; in Tel Aviv, caused by an Iranian strike. However, the clip is AI-generated.

The Middle East war has entered its 35th day with no let-up in hostilities. The conflict began on February 28, 2026, when the United States and Israel carried out coordinated airstrikes targeting Iran&rsquo;s military infrastructure, including missile systems and nuclear-related facilities. The strikes marked a significant escalation in tensions between the countries, following a period of heightened regional instability and previous confrontations.

Iran responded by launching missile and drone attacks targeting Israel, US military bases, and other locations in the region. Several senior Iranian officials have been killed in targeted strikes, including national security chief Ali Larijani and Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani on March 17, 2026.

How it started

On April 2, an X account that frequently shares AI-generated content based on past posts shared a video of huge plumes of smoke rising from a high-rise building. &ldquo;Breaking: Mossad headquarters in Tel Aviv has been completely vaporised,&rdquo; the caption reads.

The post gained over two million views.

A pro-Iranian account shared the same video with the caption: &ldquo;Please, for the love of all that&rsquo;s holy, tell me this is true.&rdquo;

The post garnered 1.7m views.

The post was further amplified by multiple other accounts on X, as seen here, here, here and here, collectively receiving more than 18,000 views.

Iranian state-affiliated media outlet Tasnim News Agency also shared the same video with the caption: &ldquo;Mossad Headquarters in Tel Aviv obliterated. Iranian military forces have destroyed the Mossad headquarters in Tel Aviv, with a strike that was executed with precision.&rdquo;

The post gathered over 15,000 views.

Methodology 

A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its virality and keen public interest in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

An analysis of the video revealed several visual inconsistencies: firstly, cars can be seen moving in the viral clip, unaffected by a blast of such large proportions. Secondly, the smoke plume rises in a highly uniform formation without natural dispersion, which is inconsistent with real-world fire dynamics.



Moreover, a blast this intense, from what can be seen in the viral video, would create stronger lighting changes and flickering reflections across multiple surfaces, all of which are missing in the clip.

Running the clip on AI-detection tools showed that Undetectable AI flagged it as 96 per cent AI-generated, while Detect Video returned inconclusive results.



A reverse image search of the clip yielded an Instagram post dated March 4, 2026, which shared the same video.



&ldquo;Breaking: Renewed bombardment reported in Tehran as explosions echo across multiple districts overnight. Thick smoke rises above parts of the skyline while authorities assess the scale of damage.

&ldquo;The situation remains fluid with casualty details yet to be officially confirmed,&rdquo; reads its caption.





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View this post on Instagram


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Further results led to an X post, dated March 1, 2026, by an Israeli journalist that featured an image of the same video, with the title: &ldquo;Direct hits on Tel Aviv and Haifa. Casualties. Huge booms in Jerusalem.&rdquo;

The same clip was also found in a Threads post dated February 28, 2026, wherein the same video was shared. However, it lacked the same details as the viral clip, i.e. a missing building.

This proved that the video circulating on X since April 2 showed visual patterns consistent with AI generation.

Moreover, a keyword search yielded no news reports from credible international media outlets that reported an attack on the Mossad headquarters.

Fact-check status: False

The claim that a viral clip shows a blast at the Mossad headquarters in Tel Aviv is false.

The video is AI-generated.

------------------------

This&nbsp;fact check was&nbsp;originally published&nbsp;by iVerify Pakistan &mdash; a project of CEJ-IBA and UNDP.]]>
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			<title>Pakistan, seven Muslim nations condemn Israel’s death penalty law for Palestinians</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2600675/pakistan-seven-muslim-nations-condemn-israels-death-penalty-law-for-palestinians</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2600675/pakistan-seven-muslim-nations-condemn-israels-death-penalty-law-for-palestinians#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 02 Apr 26 08:51:39 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Web Desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category><category><![CDATA[Islamabad]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2600675</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Foreign ministers caution against the discriminatory, escalating Israeli practices entrenching a system of apartheid]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Pakistan, along with seven other Muslim countries, strongly condemned on Thursday Israel&rsquo;s enactment of a law imposing the death penalty in the occupied West Bank, describing it as part of &ldquo;increasingly discriminatory, escalating Israeli practices&rdquo; against Palestinians.

A joint statement issued by the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar said the countries &ldquo;strongly condemn the Israeli occupying power&rsquo;s enactment of a law in its parliament (Knesset), that allows the imposition of the death penalty in the occupied West Bank and its de facto application against Palestinians,&rdquo; read the statement shared by the Foreign Office on X.



🔊PR No.8️⃣7️⃣/2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣6️⃣

Joint Statement by the Foreign Ministers of Pakistan, Turkiye, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE, April 2, 2026 https://t.co/GKTdbpMA4x
🔗⬇️ pic.twitter.com/JorvmR440f
&mdash; Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) April 2, 2026


Israel&#39;s ​parliament passed &zwnj;a law on ​Monday ​making the death ⁠penalty ​a default ​sentence for Palestinians convicted ​in ​military court of &zwnj;deadly ⁠attacks.

The measure includes provisions requiring sentencing within 90 days with no right &zwnj;to clemency. Under the bill, the death penalty can be imposed without a request from the prosecution, unanimity will not be required for a death sentence, and the decision will be made by a simple majority.

Military courts applying to Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank would also be able to impose the death penalty, with the defence minister having the right to submit an opinion to the judicial panel.

Read: Pakistan, seven Muslim countries denounce Israel&rsquo;s restrictions on holy sites in Jerusalem

The ministers cautioned against &ldquo;the increasingly discriminatory, escalating Israeli practices that entrench a system of apartheid and a rejectionist discourse that denies the inalienable rights and the very existence of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.&rdquo;

They described the legislation as &ldquo;a dangerous escalation, particularly given its discriminatory application against Palestinian prisoners,&rdquo; adding that &ldquo;such measures risk further exacerbating tensions and undermining regional stability.&rdquo;

The statement also highlighted the plight of Palestinian detainees, expressing deep concern over the conditions of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli detention, warning of mounting risks amid credible reports of ongoing abuses, &quot;including torture, inhumane and degrading treatment, starvation, and the denial of basic rights.&rdquo; The ministers said these practices &ldquo;reflect a broader pattern of violations against the Palestinian people.&rdquo;

Reaffirming their opposition to Israel&rsquo;s policies, the ministers condemned &ldquo;Israel&rsquo;s racially discriminatory, oppressive, and aggressive policies targeting Palestinians.&rdquo; They called for urgent restraint, noting the &ldquo;importance of ensuring accountability and strengthened international efforts to uphold stability and prevent further deterioration.&rdquo;]]>
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			<title>Belgian chocolatiers turn Easter eggs into edible art at Bel’Oeuf event</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2600695/belgian-chocolatiers-turn-easter-eggs-into-edible-art-at-beloeuf-event</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2600695/belgian-chocolatiers-turn-easter-eggs-into-edible-art-at-beloeuf-event#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 02 Apr 26 12:19:55 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[REUTERS]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Life &amp; Style]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2600695</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Theme ​was 'fun in movement', with sculptures in the shape of rocket ships, carriages, ​and hot-air balloons]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The 40 leading patisserie chefs and chocolatiers in Belgium came together to showcase artisanal chocolate with Easter egg-themed edible artworks in ​the country&#39;s capital on Wednesday.

Bel&rsquo;Oeuf is an initiative by Belgian chocolatier &zwnj;Marc Ducobu in collaboration with Carlo Ferrigno, the manager of Hotel Amigo, a luxury hotel near the Brussels town hall in the historic Gothic Grand-Place square.

The fourth annual event&#39;s theme ​was &quot;fun in movement&quot;, with sculptures in the shape of rocket ships, carriages, ​and hot-air balloons, some taking up to 25 hours to complete ⁠and using up to 18 kilograms of chocolate.



A Belgian chocolatier looks at his giant chocolate egg, featuring the theme &quot;Pleasure in Motion&quot;. PHOTO: REUTERS

&quot;Chocolate in a way, it&#39;s ​a medium that you can sculpt with,&quot; said Michael Lewis-Anderson, a British-Belgian pastry chef ​who baked the wedding anniversary cake for Belgian King Philippe.

&ldquo;All of a sudden, all these chocolate makers become artists. And that&#39;s what&#39;s great about it,&rdquo; he said after setting up ​his own creation, &ldquo;L&rsquo;Uovo in Carrozza: The Coached Egg,&rdquo; featuring Humpty Dumpty on a ​carriage atop an Alice-in-Wonderland-inspired chessboard. &ldquo;And you can eat it,&rdquo; he added.

Belgium, a country of nearly &zwnj;12 ⁠million, is famous around the world for its culinary products such as waffles, beers, and, of course, chocolate.



Giant chocolate eggs are displayed at the opening of the Bel&#39;Oeuf event ahead of Easter weekend in Brussels, Belgium. PHOTO: REUTERS

The exhibition will be open to the public from Thursday until Wednesday, April 8, and admissions and art sales will be donated to ​Televie, a Belgian ​cancer research organisation.

Each ⁠artwork is on sale for 900 euros ($1,050) and the centrepiece, &quot;The First Movement&quot;, a work by famous pastry chef Christophe Morel, ​will be auctioned off for a price beginning at 1,500 ​euros.



A large set of colourful chocolate eggs, created by Belgium&#39;s finest chocolatiers. PHOTO: REUTERS

For Pierre ⁠Marcolini, award-winning pastry chef and chocolatier, the event is a chance for Belgian artisans to gain visibility for their work and demonstrate their creativity.

&quot;I think people need ⁠to move ​beyond the idea that chocolate&mdash;or Belgian chocolate&mdash;is just ​pralines,&quot; he said. &quot;It can be something else; it can be works of art.&quot;]]>
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			<title>Takeaways from Trump's speech on Iran</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2600652/trump-defends-handling-of-war-on-iran-says-us-military-close-to-completing-its-mission</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2600652/trump-defends-handling-of-war-on-iran-says-us-military-close-to-completing-its-mission#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 02 Apr 26 06:19:17 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2600652</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Trump defends handling of war on Iran, says US military close to completing its mission]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[US President Donald Trump defended his handling of the month-old US-Israeli war on Iran in a prime-time address on Wednesday, saying the US&nbsp;military was nearing completion of its mission while also reinforcing his threats to bomb the Islamic Republic back to the Stone Age.

He delivered his 19-minute speech against a backdrop of high global oil prices and his own low approval ratings.&nbsp;

Here are some key takeaways:

Looking for an exit - but not quite yet

Trump, facing a war-wary American public and sliding poll numbers, said the US&nbsp;had destroyed Iran&#39;s navy and air force, crippled its ballistic missile and nuclear program and would continue to hit them &ldquo;extremely hard&rdquo; over the next two to three weeks.

But beyond that, even while saying the US&nbsp;military was on track to complete its objectives &ldquo;very fast,&rdquo; he stopped short of offering a firm timeline for an end to hostilities.

And he suggested the war could escalate if Iranian leaders did not capitulate to US&nbsp;terms during negotiations, with further&nbsp;strikes on Iran&#39;s energy and oil infrastructure possible.

Trump&rsquo;s use of his speech to reiterate threats and send mixed messages may do little to calm jittery financial markets and ease the concerns of an American public that has shown little support for the country&rsquo;s biggest military operation since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Read:&nbsp;Iran calls out Trump over &#39;fake&#39; ceasefire claim

The often conflicting signals that Trump has issued throughout the course of the conflict have only added to confusion, with the president one moment calling for a diplomatic settlement and in the next threatening to rain further destruction on Iran amid a continuing US&nbsp;military buildup in the region.

Strait of Hormuz

Trump&rsquo;s comments on Wednesday were not clear about whether US&nbsp;military operations could end even before Iran reopened the Strait of Hormuz, the vital waterway on which it has a chokehold that has created the worst global energy shock in history.

He instead repeated his calls for countries that rely on Gulf oil to &quot;take the lead&quot; and assume the burden of reopening the waterway, not the US, which he said does not need energy supplies from the region.

Western allies, however, have resisted joining a war that he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu started without consulting them.

In his speech, however, Trump stopped short of saying, as he has in recent media interviews, that he is considering withdrawing from NATO over what he sees as its failure to support the US&nbsp;in the Iran conflict.

The risk, analysts say, is that Iran would essentially be left with significant leverage over the strait, the passageway for a fifth of the world&rsquo;s oil and natural gas shipments.

Washington&rsquo;s Gulf allies may also resent a hasty US&nbsp;exit, given that they could be left with a wounded, hostile neighbour.

Mission accomplished?&nbsp;

Trump touted the US&nbsp;military&rsquo;s successes in the conflict, but questions remain about whether he has truly achieved the main goal he laid out at the start of the war: Closing off Iran&rsquo;s path to a nuclear weapon.

More than a month later, Iran still has a stockpile of highly enriched uranium that the US claims could be &quot;processed to bomb grade&quot;, but it is believed to be mostly buried underground by US-Israeli bombing in June.

Read more:&nbsp;UAE calls on UN to approve measures, including use of force, to reopen Strait of Hormuz: Report

Trump, in a sudden reversal from his demands that Iran turn over the enriched uranium, told Reuters earlier on Wednesday that he no longer cared about the material because it was &ldquo;so far underground&rdquo; and US&nbsp;satellites could keep an eye on the area. Iran has always denied seeking a nuclear bomb, throughout decades of accusations that it is &quot;nearing completion of a nuclear weapon&quot; by the US and Israeli regimes alike.

While threatening new air strikes if Iran tries to move the stockpile, he made no mention of sending special forces on a risky mission to seize it, which US&nbsp;officials have said is among the options under consideration. However, any deployment of ground troops would likely anger most Americans.

Despite Trump&rsquo;s claims of having destroyed Iran&rsquo;s conventional military capabilities, Iran has demonstrated that its remaining missiles and drones can still be used to target Israel as well as US&nbsp;Gulf allies and American military installations housed on their land.

And Trump&rsquo;s earlier calls for the overthrow of Iran&rsquo;s theocratic rulers have gone unfulfilled. US-Israeli air strikes killed many of the top leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, but they have been replaced by even harder-line successors, including Khamenei&#39;s son. US&nbsp;intelligence has deemed the Iranian government largely intact.

Domestic politics

Trump&rsquo;s speech, his first prime-time address since the war started on February 28, was originally seen as being aimed at easing Americans&rsquo; concerns about the interventionist tendencies of a president who campaigned for his second term on a promise to keep the US&nbsp;out of &ldquo;stupid&rdquo; military interventions.

But Trump, whose advisers have pressed him to show the public that he considers kitchen-table issues a priority, gave only a nod to Americans&rsquo; anxieties and appeared to dismiss their economic pain as temporary and sure to ease once the war is over.

&ldquo;Many Americans have been concerned to see the recent rise in gasoline prices here at home,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;This short-term increase has been entirely the result of the Iranian regime launching deranged terror attacks against commercial oil tankers of neighbouring countries that have nothing to do with the conflict.&quot;

While Trump&rsquo;s MAGA movement has mostly stood with him, his grip on his political base could weaken if the economic impact, including high gas prices, persists, with his Republican Party scrambling to keep control of Congress in November&rsquo;s midterm elections.

Trump&rsquo;s overall approval rating has fallen to 36%, the lowest since his return to the White House, a Reuters/Ipsos poll completed on Monday found.

After his TV appearance, stocks fell, the dollar strengthened, and oil rose as Trump stopped short of providing a clear outline for when the war would end.

The market reaction reflects a basic problem with Trump&#39;s dissonant messaging: He wants to reassure Americans that the war will be over soon, while at the same time threatening Iran with new attacks and suggesting he may leave without opening the Strait of Hormuz.

Flat performance?

Wednesday&rsquo;s address offered Trump precious prime-time viewership and a chance to reset with voters. He made a dramatic entrance, walking through double doors in the White House residence to approach the podium.

But for the next 19 minutes, he spoke in a mostly subdued tone in a dimly lit room, sticking to well-worn talking points instead of clarifying his reasons for taking the US&nbsp;to war.

It was a far cry from the usual public appearances of the former reality TV star, who was in front of probably his biggest audience since February&rsquo;s State of the Union address.]]>
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			<title>Amnesty, UN, OIC slam Israeli law permitting execution of Palestinian prisoners</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2600316/oic-slams-israeli-law-permitting-execution-of-palestinian-prisoners</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2600316/oic-slams-israeli-law-permitting-execution-of-palestinian-prisoners#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 31 Mar 26 11:53:32 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Anadolu Agency]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2600316</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Call move 'dangerous and unprecedented', urge global action to halt implementation]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Amnesty International, the United Nations and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Tuesday strongly condemned the approval of a law by the Israeli parliament allowing the execution of Palestinian prisoners, calling it a &ldquo;dangerous and unprecedented step&rdquo; that violates international law.

The Knesset passed the law on Monday in a 62-48 vote. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voted in support.

In a statement issued from Jeddah, the OIC general secretariat said the legislation &ldquo;grants a licence for murder and political execution against the Palestinian people&rdquo;, warning that it contravened&nbsp;international humanitarian law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.



The organisation also raised alarm over the conditions faced by Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons, stating they are subjected to &ldquo;torture, ill-treatment, humiliation, terror, rape and starvation,&rdquo; alongside systematic deprivation of basic human rights.

It described the measure as part of a broader pattern of violations linked to what it termed ongoing &ldquo;genocide&rdquo; in Gaza and the West Bank, including occupied Jerusalem.

The OIC called on the international community, including the UN, human rights bodies, and the Inter-Parliamentary Union, to take &ldquo;necessary measures&rdquo; to hold Israel accountable and pressure it to repeal the law. It further urged immediate steps to ensure the protection of Palestinian prisoners and work towards their release.

Amnesty International said the Israeli authorities must urgently repeal the legislative amendments expanding Israel&rsquo;s use of the death penalty, adopted with support from 62 Knesset members.

&ldquo;Israel&rsquo;s parliament adopted the first in a series of laws facilitating the death penalty, showing cruelty, discrimination and contempt for human rights,&rdquo; said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Amnesty International senior director of Research, Advocacy, Policy and Campaigns.

She noted that military courts, &ldquo;with conviction rates over 99% for Palestinian defendants, can impose almost mandatory death sentences within 90 days, removing basic fair-trial safeguards&rdquo;.

&ldquo;This law comes the same month the Israeli military dropped all charges against soldiers accused of sexually assaulting a Palestinian detainee, a move celebrated by the prime minister,&rdquo; she added.

The UN strongly opposed the&nbsp;new Israeli law, calling it &ldquo;particularly cruel and discriminatory.&rdquo;

UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters at a news conference that the UN and Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had&nbsp;a &ldquo;very clear&rdquo; stance on Israel&rsquo;s legislation imposing the death penalty on Palestinian prisoners.

&ldquo;We stand against the death penalty in all its forms,&rdquo; he said, adding that &ldquo;the nature of this particular law makes it particularly cruel and discriminatory.&rdquo;

Earlier today, Israeli police forcibly dispersed a protest&nbsp;outside the Knesset in West Jerusalem for demonstrating against the passage of the&nbsp;law, according to Israeli sources.

Police said two people were arrested as officers cleared demonstrators from outside the parliament building. Hundreds took part in the protest, according to Israel&rsquo;s public broadcaster KAN.

Video published by the outlet showed police using foul-smelling water to disperse protesters.

The law mandates executions by hanging to be carried out by prison guards appointed by the Israeli Prison Service, while granting those involved anonymity and legal immunity.

It also requires transferring those sentenced to death to special detention facilities and restricting visits to authorised parties, with lawyer meetings limited to video communication.

The legislation has sparked outrage. About 1,200 Israeli figures, including Nobel laureates, former military officials and former Supreme Court judges, voiced strong opposition in February, calling it a &ldquo;moral stain&rdquo;.

More than 9,500 Palestinians are held in Israeli prisons, including 350 children and 73 women. Palestinian and Israeli human rights groups have said detainees face torture, starvation and medical neglect, leading to dozens of deaths.

Since October 2023, Israel has intensified measures against Palestinian prisoners alongside its military offensive&nbsp;in the Gaza Strip, which it is conducting with US support. The conflict has killed more than 72,000 people and wounded 172,000, most of them women and children.]]>
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			<title>UN chief names Arnault as ME envoy</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2599348/un-chief-names-arnault-as-me-envoy</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2599348/un-chief-names-arnault-as-me-envoy#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 26 Mar 26 02:15:04 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2599348</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[.]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday named veteran diplomat Jean Arnault as his personal envoy to support efforts to end the Middle East conflict, saying the &quot;world is staring down the barrel of a wider war&quot;.

Guterres told reporters at the UN in New York that he had been in close contact with many in the region and around the world and that a number of initiatives for dialogue and peace were under way, stressing that these efforts must succeed.

He warned that prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz was choking movement of oil, gas, and fertiliser at a critical moment in the global food planting season. &quot;It is time to stop climbing the escalation ladder &ndash; and start climbing the diplomatic ladder,&quot; he said.

Guterres said UN mediators have offered their services and Arnault would do &quot;everything possible&quot; to support peace efforts.

Arnault has more than 30 years&#39; experience in international diplomacy focusing on peace settlements and mediation.]]>
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			<title>Ex-Google executive named new BBC boss</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2599350/ex-google-executive-named-new-bbc-boss</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2599350/ex-google-executive-named-new-bbc-boss#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 26 Mar 26 02:15:04 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2599350</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Brittin joined Google in 2007 as head of UK and Ireland before rising through the ranks to become EMEA president]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The BBC named former Google executive Matt Brittin as its new director general on Wednesday, replacing Tim Davie, who quit last year after a misleading edit of a speech by US President Donald Trump.

The BBC is facing a $10 billion lawsuit from Trump, who accuses the publicly funded broadcaster of defamation over how it spliced together footage of parts of a speech he gave on January 6, 2021, before his supporters stormed the US Capitol.

The broadcaster has argued the lawsuit should be dismissed, saying Trump&#39;s subsequent reelection showed the alleged defamation did not harm his reputation.

Brittin joined Google in 2007 as head of UK and Ireland before rising through the ranks to become EMEA president in 2014. He stepped down in 2024 and will take on the new role from May 18.]]>
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			<title>Libya's coast guards tow damaged Russian tanker</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2599344/libyas-coast-guards-tow-damaged-russian-tanker</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2599344/libyas-coast-guards-tow-damaged-russian-tanker#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 26 Mar 26 02:15:04 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2599344</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[The Russian-flagged Arctic Metagaz, carrying LNG from the Arctic port of Murmansk, has been adrift since early March]]>
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				<![CDATA[Libya&#39;s coast guard has begun towing away a damaged liquefied natural gas tanker that several Mediterranean countries warned posed an environmental risk after drifting unmanned for weeks, the Tripoli based Government of National Unity (GNU) said.

The Russian-flagged Arctic Metagaz, carrying LNG from the Arctic port of Murmansk, has been adrift since early March, when Russia&#39;s Transport Ministry said it was hit by Ukrainian naval drones. With no crew aboard, it eventually drifted close to the shores of the western Libyan port of Zuwara.

The Russian transport ministry said the drones that hit the tanker were launched from Libya. Italy, France, Spain and six other southern EU members wrote to the European Commission last week warning the tanker posed &quot;an imminent and serious risk of a major ecological disaster&quot;.

GNU Transport Minister Mohamed Al-Shahoubi said in a video statement that Libya&#39;s National Oil Corporation has been tasked with unloading the tanker&#39;s cargo, and is coordinating through the Foreign Ministry with Russian and Maltese authorities to take measures ensuring the safety of maritime navigation in the Mediterranean.]]>
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			<title>Hezbollah rejects talks with Israel</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2599347/hezbollah-rejects-talks-with-israel</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2599347/hezbollah-rejects-talks-with-israel#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 26 Mar 26 02:15:04 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[News Desk/Reuters]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2599347</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Qassem called on the Lebanese people to embrace national unity]]>
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				<![CDATA[Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem said on Wednesday in a televised speech read on his behalf that negotiating with Israel under fire amounts to imposed surrender on Lebanon, and urged the government to reverse its ban on the party&#39;s military activities.

The speech, aired on a Hezbollah affiliated television station, he called for unity against Israel and stressed that Hezbollah fighters were prepared to continue &quot;without limits&quot;.

&quot;When negotiations with the Israeli enemy are proposed under fire, this is an imposition of surrender,&quot; Qassem said, rejecting the Lebanese president&#39;s initiative to start direct negotiations &quot;with an enemy that occupies our land and carries out daily attacks.&quot;

Qassem called on the Lebanese people to embrace &quot;national unity,&quot; saying this could be achieved by the government reversing its March 2 decision to ban Hezbollah&#39;s military activities.]]>
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			<title>Ukraine braces for renewed offensive as peace talks stall</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2599342/ukraine-braces-for-renewed-offensive-as-peace-talks-stall</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2599342/ukraine-braces-for-renewed-offensive-as-peace-talks-stall#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 26 Mar 26 02:10:22 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2599342</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Fighting intensifies across eastern front as Moscow targets key Donetsk cities]]>
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				<![CDATA[Ukraine is preparing to withstand a renewed Russian spring offensive along the eastern front as stalled US-backed peace talks coincide with intensifying battlefield pressure, shifting international attention and mounting logistical strain on both sides of the war.

Russian forces are concentrating their advance on the heavily fortified &quot;Fortress Belt&quot; in the Donetsk region, particularly around Sloviansk, Kostiantynivka and Pokrovsk, where Moscow has repeatedly sought territorial gains as part of its broader campaign objectives.

Ukrainian authorities have ordered evacuations in parts of Sloviansk as Russian troops advanced to within roughly 20 kilometres of the city, while battlefield monitors reported intensified assaults aimed at shaping conditions for a wider offensive across multiple axes.

The Institute for the Study of War said recent Russian attacks, including battalion-sized operations and smaller coordinated pushes, suggest an attempt to stretch Ukrainian defences, though Kyiv has reported modest counteroffensive gains supported by improved drone.

At the same time, Ukraine is expanding mid-range strike capabilities and integrating unmanned systems into frontline operations, with officials arguing that precision drone warfare is helping disrupt Russian logistics, weaken supply chains and expose vulnerabilities in its assaults.

The escalation comes amid wider geopolitical strain, with the ongoing conflict with Iran drawing US attention away from mediation efforts, while rising oil prices have bolstered Russian revenues and shortages of West&#39;s air defence systems continue to challenge Ukraine&#39;s capacity.]]>
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			<title>Australia, EU agree new trade pact</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2599150/australia-eu-agree-new-trade-pact</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2599150/australia-eu-agree-new-trade-pact#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 25 Mar 26 02:34:51 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2599150</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Decide to boost defence cooperation, access to rare-earth minerals]]>
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				<![CDATA[The European Union and Australia struck a long-awaited free-trade deal on Tuesday, while also agreeing to boost defence cooperation and access to crucial rare-earth minerals in the face of global uncertainty over trade.

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen&#39;s visit to Australia comes as the 27-nation bloc and the import-reliant nation navigate renewed energy vulnerability sparked by the US-Israel war on Iran.

The accord is the latest agreed by Brussels in a push to diversify trade as Europe faces challenges from the US and China.

Key sticking points on Australian use of European geographical names as well as how much beef can be exported to the continent were overcome to reach the deal after eight years of negotiations.

Another compromise will see Australian winemakers allowed to use the term &quot;prosecco&quot; domestically, but they must stop using it for exports after 10 years.

Australia will also be allowed to keep using some geographical names, such as feta and gruyere, in cases where producers have used the name for at least five years.

And European carmakers will benefit from Australia raising the threshold for a luxury car tax on electric vehicles &mdash;&nbsp;three-quarters will now be exempt. The two sides also agreed to step up defence cooperation as well as critical raw materials.

Addressing the Australian parliament on Tuesday, von der Leyen described a world that was &quot;brutal, harsh and unforgiving&quot;.

In that context, she said the EU and Australia were bound by common values and must work together to mitigate over-reliance on countries such as China for rare-earth minerals.

&quot;We cannot be over dependent on any supplier for such crucial ingredients, and that is precisely why we need each other,&quot; she said

&quot;Our security is your security, and with our new security and defence partnership, we have each other&#39;s back.&quot;

Beijing&#39;s foreign ministry urged the EU on Tuesday to abandon its &quot;zero-sum thinking&quot;. &quot;We hope the European side will...&nbsp;refrain from adopting protectionist measures, and view China&#39;s development in a rational and objective light,&quot; spokesman Lin Jian said when asked at a regular news briefing about von der Leyen&#39;s comments.

A &#39;fair deal&#39;

Von der Leyen told Australian lawmakers that Tuesday&#39;s agreement on trade was a &quot;fair deal, and one that delivers for your businesses and one that delivers for our businesses&quot;.

Under the deal, the EU said it expected exports to Australia to grow by a third over a decade.]]>
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			<title>Trump's Greenland bid clouds Denmark polls</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2599145/trumps-greenland-bid-clouds-denmark-polls</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2599145/trumps-greenland-bid-clouds-denmark-polls#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 25 Mar 26 02:34:51 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2599145</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[In all, 12 parties are contesting the ballot]]>
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				<![CDATA[Danes voted on Tuesday in an election that could hand Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen a third term thanks to her staunch line against US President Donald Trump over Greenland, even though cost-of-living worries have hurt her leftist credentials.

Opinion polls show her Social Democrats are headed for their weakest result since before World War Two &mdash;&nbsp;many Danes blame Frederiksen for not doing enough to protect their Nordic welfare model, while others point to growing weariness after nearly seven years of her leadership.

With the right divided, however, she is seen as favourite to return to power at the head of a reconfigured coalition.

Frederiksen, 48, called the vote months before an October deadline, in what analysts said was an effort to capitalise on an uptick in popularity when Trump&#39;s rhetoric about controlling Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory, intensified in January and he refused to rule out military force.

But Greenland has since moved to a less heated diplomatic track and has been overtaken by domestic concerns, including a proposed wealth tax, debates on immigration and calls for restrictions on agricultural pesticides affecting the groundwater.

&quot;The environment is the most important. And also to have a stable government. That&#39;s the two main things I&#39;m voting for,&quot; said Kenneth Gall, a theatre producer casting his ballot at Copenhagen&#39;s City Hall.

Polling stations close at 8 p.m. (1900 GMT), with exit polls due shortly after.

In all, 12 parties are contesting the ballot. Additionally, four seats allocated to candidates from Greenland and the Faroe Islands may prove decisive.

Greenland&#39;s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen, who took office last year after winning an election for the island&#39;s devolved parliament, told Reuters it was crucial to boost cooperation between Copenhagen and Nuuk.

&quot;This is perhaps the most important parliamentary election we&#39;ve had... we must secure greater equality in our union and stand together against outside forces, including the United States who has unfortunately shown a will or desire to own and control us,&quot; Nielsen said as he cast his ballot.

Frederiksen has campaigned on a promise that her tough and tested leadership skills will help the nation of 6 million navigate a complex relationship with Washington and a European response to Russia&#39;s war against Ukraine.

&quot;I know that sometimes I express myself a bit bluntly,&quot; she said during a recent campaign event. &quot;But given the times we live in, it is perhaps very good that there are some things that cannot be misunderstood: that Russia should not be allowed to win or that Greenland is not for sale.&quot;

Frederiksen, who has led Denmark since 2019, was the first premier to bridge the left-right divide in Denmark in more than 40 years, but her grand coalition is now projected to lose its parliamentary majority.

Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen of the centrist Moderates Party, who may end up as a post-election kingmaker, said he was still hoping for a bipartisan government, even as the current coalition looked set to lose its grip on power.]]>
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			<title>Kim vows 'irreversible' nuclear status</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2599148/kim-vows-irreversible-nuclear-status</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2599148/kim-vows-irreversible-nuclear-status#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 25 Mar 26 02:34:51 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2599148</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Warns Seoul of 'merciless' response]]>
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				<![CDATA[North Korea will never give up nuclear weapons, leader Kim Jong Un said, indicating that it will soon designate South Korea the &quot;most hostile state&quot;, according to a state media report on Tuesday.

Kim also told the country&#39;s legislature in a policy address on Monday that the United States was committing &quot;state terrorism&quot;, in an apparent reference to its military attacks on Iran.

&quot;We will continue to firmly consolidate our status as a nuclear-armed state as an irreversible course, while aggressively stepping up our struggle against hostile forces,&quot; Kim told the Supreme People&#39;s Assembly.

&quot;We will, in line with the mission entrusted by the Constitution of the Republic...&nbsp;further expand and advance our self-defensive nuclear deterrent,&quot; Kim said, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

While the United States and Israel have insisted that their attacks on Iran are to stop the Islamic republic from developing nuclear weapons &mdash;&nbsp;an aim Tehran denies &mdash;&nbsp;Pyongyang is thought to be light years ahead by comparison.

Despite years of sanctions and diplomatic isolation, the Chinese ally is estimated to have dozens of nuclear warheads and the fissile material for many more.

It has also unveiled increasingly sophisticated delivery systems, including new solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) that can launch with little warning.

Kim, a day after his reappointment as head of the authoritarian nation&#39;s highest policymaking body, the State Affairs Commission, also did not mince words about his southern neighbour.

&quot;We will designate South Korea as the most hostile state and deal with it by thoroughly rejecting and disregarding it,&quot; Kim said.

The announcement came despite repeated overtures by President Lee Jae Myung, a doveish leader who took office in June, for dialogue without preconditions. Pyongyang has ignored these gestures.

Pyongyang will &quot;make it pay mercilessly &mdash;&nbsp;without the slightest consideration or hesitation &mdash;&nbsp;for any act that infringes upon our Republic&quot;, Kim added.

Nuclear guarantee

Hong Min, a senior analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification, said that Kim&#39;s comments on consolidating its nuclear status showed Pyongyang sees US actions in Iran and Venezuela with &quot;deep concern and seriousness&quot;.

&quot;It indicates that Kim and the leadership...&nbsp;interpret these developments as reinforcing their decision to pursue the further advancement of North Korea&#39;s nuclear capabilities,&quot; Hong told AFP.]]>
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