Trump-issued naval blockade of Iranian ports in Strait of Hormuz begins

Iranian Minister of Sport Ahmad Donyamali said that Iran's national soccer team may compete in World Cup matches in the U.S.

Donyamali said Iran will keep the national team prepared to travel to the U.S. for the games, according to the semiofficial Iranian Students’ News Agency.

The World Cup, which kicks off in June, will be held in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. U.S. officials have said Iran will be allowed to compete.

The Iranian team is scheduled to play in the U.S. Iran had requested that its matches be held in Mexico, but FIFA denied the request.

The Israeli military announced on Monday that a reserve soldier was killed and three others were wounded during fighting in southern Lebanon.

The military said that the reservist killed in the fighting was a firefighting vehicle driver.

With the latest death, the number of Israeli soldiers killed in the ongoing war in Lebanon rises to 13.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The International Energy Agency, International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group warned that fuel and fertilizer prices will likely remain high even if the Strait of Hormuz reopens.

"The impact of the war is substantial, global, and highly asymmetric, disproportionately affecting energy importers, in particular low-income countries," the groups said in a joint statement. "The shock has led to higher oil, gas and fertilizer prices, triggering concerns about food security and job losses as well. Some oil and gas producers in the Middle East have also seen a dramatic loss of export revenue."

"The situation remains very uncertain, and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is yet to normalize," the statement continued. "Even after a resumption of regular shipping flows through the Strait, it will take time for global supplies of key commodities to move back towards their pre-conflict levels—and fuel and fertilizer prices may remain high for a prolonged period given the damage to infrastructure."

"Due to supply disruptions, shortages of key inputs are likely to have implications for energy, food, and other industries," they added. "The war has also forcibly displaced people, impacted jobs, and reduced travel and tourism, which may take time to reverse."

United Nations Secretary General António Guterres on Monday called for talks between the U.S. and Iran to resume, adding that the ceasefire must "absolutely be preserved."

"After weeks of destruction & distress, it is clear that there is no military solution to the current conflict in the Middle East," he wrote on X.

"I call for resumption of talks for an agreement to be reached. The ceasfire must absolutely be preserved. All violations must cease," he continued.

Guterres also said all parties involved in the conflict "must respect the freedom of navigation, including in the Strait of Hormuz, in line with international law."

Pakistani officials have proposed hosting a second round of talks between the U.S. and Iran in Islamabad in the coming days before the end of the ceasefire.

The officials said the proposal would depend on whether the U.S. and Iran ask for a different location.

One of the officials said that while the first round of negotiations ended over the weekend without an agreement, the talks were part of an ongoing diplomatic process rather than a one-off effort.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said on Monday that the Trump administration's war on Iran has been "effective and successful" but that officials need to come up with a plan to bring the conflict to a close.

"They do need a plan for how to wind this down, how to get an outcome that actually leads to a safer, more secure Middle East and, by extension, a stronger national security position for the United States," Thune told reporters after returning from a two-week recess.

Addressing Trump's blockade of vessels entering or leaving the Strait of Hormuz, Thune said that "penalizing those who do business with the Iranians may get people’s attention," including officials in China, which relies on energy in the region.

"That, probably more than anything else right now, is going to be the key issue to resolving the situation, getting the Iranians to the table," Thune said of talks that have thus far failed to lead to an agreement to end the conflict.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

UK Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy met with U.S. Vice President JD Vance in Washington on Tuesday and said it was “vital” for the Iran ceasefire to continue.

“Great to catch up with my friend @JDVance today in D.C. following his talks in Pakistan,” Lammy wrote on X.

The meeting comes amid heightened focus on the Strait of Hormuz.

“It is vital that the ceasefire continues and we get shipping flowing freely again through the Strait of Hormuz,” he said.

Lammy also underscored ongoing coordination between the U.K. and U.S. on the war in Ukraine.

“We continue to work together toward a just and lasting peace in Ukraine,” he added.

The Kremlin said Monday that Russia’s offer to accept Iran’s enriched uranium as part of a potential deal with the United States is still on the table, according to reports.

“This proposal was voiced by President Putin in contacts with both the United States and regional states. The offer still stands, but it has not been acted upon,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to Russia’s state-owned RIA Novosti news agency.

Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium has been a central point of concern in nuclear negotiations between the U.S. and Iran and remains a key issue for the Trump administration.

Peskov also said Russia was ready to provide support for efforts to de-escalate the war in Iran.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the U.S. ambassador to Lebanon are set to meet Tuesday with the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors in Washington for discussions, a State Department official said Monday.

The high-level talks would mark the first such meeting between Israel and Lebanon since 1993, the official said.

Tensions in the region have escalated in recent weeks. In early March, Hezbollah launched missile attacks on Israel with backing from Iran following U.S. and Israeli strikes on the Islamic Republic on Feb. 28.

The official also confirmed that State Department Counselor Michael Needham will attend the discussions.

The appointment of Maj. Gen. Roman Gofman as the next Mossad chief signals a “final nail in the coffin” of Israel’s prior intelligence establishment, the Jerusalem Post reported Monday.

According to the report, Gofman’s arrival means both the Mossad and the Shin Bet will now be led by outsiders—an outcome long sought by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, though its impact remains uncertain.

Netanyahu has pushed to overhaul Israel’s defense leadership following the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, the outlet said. Since then, several top officials have resigned, while outgoing Mossad chief David Barnea will complete his term in June.

Gofman, currently Netanyahu’s military secretary and an Israel Defense Forces major general, was approved for the role on April 12 and will take over on June 2.

Iran’s representative to the United Nations has demanded compensation from countries it claims took part in the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran, the Associated Press reported Monday.

Iran’s state media said the nations include Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.

According to Iran’s official news agency, IRNA, U.N. envoy Amir-Saeid Iravani said the countries had violated international law and must “make full compensation for the damages caused to the Islamic Republic of Iran, including payment of compensation for all material and moral damages resulting from their international violations.”

President Donald Trump said Monday he deleted a controversial social media image depicting himself as Jesus because “people were confused,” pushing back on criticism that the post showed a lack of humility.

During an interview with CBS’s Norah O’Donnell, Trump addressed the image directly and said his decision hinged on preventing confusion rather than a response to backlash.

Asked why he took down the photo, Trump said, “Normally, I don’t like doing that, but I didn’t want to have anybody be confused. People were confused.”

The interview also touched on Trump’s tensions with Pope Leo XIV. Trump had criticized the pontiff for his opposition to the war in Iran and went on to explain the reasoning behind the post showing himself as Jesus.

Earlier Monday on X, conservative activist Riley Gaines also said she couldn’t understand why Trump posted the image, asking: “Does he actually like this?” She added that “a little humility would serve him well” and that “God shall not be mocked.”

When asked by O’Donnell if he took the post down because of Gaines’ and others’ criticism, Trump replied no. “I didn’t listen to Riley Gaines. I’m not a big fan of Riley, actually," he said.

Trump also said he wasn’t sure if Pope Leo XIV would visit the United States during his presidency: “I have no idea,” Trump said. “It’s up to him, not up to me.” When asked if he plans to call the pope, Trump said, “No.”

Tensions between Trump and Pope Leo XIV began after the pope condemned the Iran war and urged peace, which Trump took as criticism of his policies. In response, Trump criticized the pope, labeling him "WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy" in a Truth Social post.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, that it is important to prevent a new round of military action, while assuring Tehran that Moscow is ready to help support a settlement with the United States.

"S. ⁠Lavrov emphasised the importance of ‌preventing a recurrence of armed confrontation and once again ⁠confirmed Russia's unwavering readiness ‌to assist in resolving the crisis, which has no military ‌solution," Russia's Foreign Ministry said in an account of the telephone conversation, according to Iran International.

According to the readout, Lavrov also welcomed efforts aimed at “long-term stabilization” and warned against renewed escalation in the conflict.

Vice President JD Vance said Monday that the Vatican should focus on matters concerning the Catholic Church and morality, responding to rising tensions between the Trump administration and the Holy See.

Speaking on “Special Report with Bret Baier,” Vance also maintained that President Donald Trump is responsible for handling American public policy.

“In some cases, it would be best for the Vatican to stick to matters of morality, to stick to matters of what's going on in the Catholic Church and let the President of the United States stick to dictating American public policy,” Vance said.

“But when they're in conflict, they're in conflict. I don't worry about it too much. Brett, I think it's a natural thing,” he added, before maintaining that “it's not that big of a deal.”

Vance’s remarks came as tensions mounted between Trump and the Vatican after Pope Leo XIV criticized U.S. policy on the Iran war and immigration.

"Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy," Trump said in a lengthy post on Sunday.

"Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician. It’s hurting him very badly and, more importantly, it’s hurting the Catholic Church," he added.

"I have no fear of the Trump administration," the pope also told reporters aboard the papal plane Monday en route to Algeria.

"I have no fear of the Trump administration," the pope also told reporters aboard the papal plane Monday en route to Algeria.

Vice President JD Vance said Monday that following the end of negotiations with Iran in Islamabad, the “ball is in the Iranian court,” signaling the next move rests with Tehran.

Speaking on “Special Report with Brett Baier,” Vance said the U.S. delegation walked away from talks after determining Iranian negotiators lacked the authority to finalize an agreement, adding that any progress now depends on approval from leadership in Tehran.

“I do think that we acquired some knowledge about how the Iranians are negotiating, and this is ultimately why we left Pakistan, because what we figured out is that they were unable, I think the team that was there, one that was unable to cut a deal, and they had to go back to Tehran, either from the Supreme Leader or somebody else, and actually get approval to the terms that we had said,” he said.

“So again, whether we have further conversations, whether we ultimately get to a deal, I really think the ball is in the Iranian court, because we put a lot on the table,” Vance added.

Vance also emphasized that President Donald Trump remains open to a more normalized relationship with Iran, provided key conditions are met.

“We also made clear, Brett, that we actually would would be very happy. The President United States has said he would be very happy if Iran was treated like a normal country, if it had a normal economy, if its people were able to prosper and thrive,” Vance said.

But he said that in order for Iran to be a normal country economically, “it's going to have to be a normal country from the perspective of not pursuing a nuclear weapon, and it's going to have to be a normal country from not pursuing terrorism.”

Vice President JD Vance said Monday that high-level U.S.-Iran talks in Islamabad showed signs of progress but ultimately fell short of an agreement, underscoring lingering divisions over key U.S. demands.

Speaking on “Special Report with Brett Baier,” Vance said he believed that some things also "went right" despite no agreement reached.

“I wouldn't just say that things went wrong. I also think things went right,” he said.

“We made a lot of progress, but we also made it very clear, and I think this is part of the progress we made," Vance added.

“What the terms were under which the United States could make some accommodation, what terms we were flexible on, and what things we absolutely needed to see in order for the president of the United States to feel like he was getting a good deal," he said.

“We had some good conversations. I think it was the first time that you'd ever seen the Iranian government, U.S. government, meet at such a high level, maybe in the history of the current, the current leadership of Iran.”

Iran confiscated assets belonging to the captain of its national women's football team, despite guaranteeing she would not face repercussions for returning from Australia.

On March 2, the women's soccer team players had stood in silence as their national anthem played ahead of an Asia Cup fixture with South Korea.

This prompted Iranian media to brand the team "wartime traitors." One player had reportedly received a voice message from her mother warning: "Don't come [back to Iran] they'll kill you," according to GB News.

Another communication, smuggled out of Iran by a player's family, warned the squad: "You need to stay."

President Donald Trump was among world leaders who intervened, saying the players "will most likely be killed" if they went back to Iran.

Australia offered the squad asylum. Ghanbari and others sought asylum in March but later changed their minds.

When Ghanbari traveled back to Iran, state media portrayed her decision as patriotic, with Iranian authorities assuring that neither Ghanbari nor her teammates would be penalized.

Iran's internet shutdown is causing tens of millions of dollars in daily losses to the country’s economy, according to the head of the Knowledge-Based Economy Commission at Iran’s Chamber of Commerce.

Afshin Kolahi said the direct cost of internet outages is between $30 million and $40 million per day, Iran International reported.

Including indirect losses, Kolahi also said the total impact rises to roughly $70 million to $80 million daily.

He compared the scale of the losses to major infrastructure projects.

Building a bridge such as the B1 bridge, which was hit in an airstrike during the war, costs around $15 million to $20 million, he said.

Meanwhile, the cost of constructing each megawatt of power plant capacity ranges from $1 million to $3 million.

Kolahi said the economic impact of internet shutdowns is effectively equivalent to losing multiple infrastructure projects every day.

“In practice, internet shutdowns mean losing the equivalent of four B1 bridges and two medium-sized power plants every day,” he told the outlet.

Sen. Lindsey Graham said Monday he opposes a reported proposal by the U.S. for a 20-year ban on Iran’s uranium enrichment under a potential deal.

Reacting to a report by Axios, Graham said the U.S. had asked Iran to accept a 20-year moratorium on enrichment during talks in Islamabad on Saturday.

“I appreciate President Donald Trump’s resolve to end the Iranian conflict peacefully and through diplomacy. However, we have to remember who we’re dealing with in Iran: terrorists, liars, and cheaters,” Graham wrote in a post on X.

“If this reporting is accurate, the idea that we would agree to a moratorium on enrichment rather than a ban on enrichment would be a mistake in my view,” he said.

“Would we agree to a moratorium for al-Qaida to enrich? No.”

“The only difference between al-Qaida and the Iranian regime is that one is a Sunni terrorist organization and the other is a Shiite terrorist state,” he added.

“They both have the same goal when it comes to the United States, Israel and the civilized world.”

Graham repeated his call for a permanent ban on Iran’s uranium enrichment.

“No enrichment means no enrichment. Over 20 nations have peaceful nuclear power programs without enrichment capability. You can have peaceful nuclear power without enrichment, but you cannot make a bomb without enrichment,” he said before adding:

“Again, no enrichment for Iran. They want a bomb and they cheat.”