Published on: 04/22/2026 - 05:27 Modified on: 04/23/2026 - 05:35

Iran announced on Wednesday that it had seized two ships in the Strait of Hormuz, which Washington did not consider a violation of the truce, and ruled out reopening this strategic passage as long as the blockade of its ports by the United States lasts. Here is the thread for April 22, 2026.

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Oil: 4% jump in prices amid uncertainties

Oil prices jumped more than 4% at the start of trade in Asia, before moderating, in a market worried about uncertainties over talks between Iran and the United States as the paralysis of the Strait of Hormuz continues.

Around 0:25 a.m. GMT, the price of a barrel of West Texas Intermediate (WTI), the benchmark for the American market, climbed 4.06% to $96.73. That of Brent from the North Sea, a world benchmark, gained 3.62% to $105.63. Both moderated their increase in the following minutes.

“Immediate” departure of the highest civilian official in the US Navy

The highest civilian official in the US Navy, John Phelan, is leaving his position "effective immediately", the Pentagon said on Wednesday, without providing an explanation for his sudden departure, at a time when the United States is engaged in a conflict with Iran.

This senior official "is leaving the administration effective immediately," Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell wrote in a statement on X, specifying that his deputy Hung Cao would now occupy these functions on an interim basis.

Israeli strike in Gaza: five dead, including three children

An Israeli airstrike targeted a group of civilians in northern Gaza on Wednesday evening, killing five people, including three children, the Palestinian territory's civil defense agency announced.

“Five Palestinians, including three children, were killed in an Israeli airstrike that targeted a group of civilians near the Al-Qassam mosque in Beit Lahia,” the agency, which operates as a rescue service under the authority of Hamas, said in a statement. “Their bodies were transported to Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza,” she said, without indicating the ages of the children. Al-Shifa Hospital confirmed receiving the bodies.

The Israeli army told AFP that it was verifying this information.

Three Iranian-flagged tankers intercepted in Asian waters

The US military has intercepted at least three Iranian-flagged oil tankers in Asian waters, urging the vessels to move away from their positions near India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, according to security and industry sources.

These steps are part of the maritime blockade of Iran decided by Donald Trump in parallel with the truce with Tehran announced earlier this month and which the American president said Tuesday evening would extend for an indefinite period - while indicating that the American army would continue to block Iranian ports.

There was no immediate comment from the US military.

Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil killed in Israeli strike in southern Lebanon

Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil was "killed following an Israeli airstrike" on Wednesday in al-Tiri, in southern Lebanon, Civil Defense announced, a death confirmed by the Al-Akhbar newspaper where she worked.

The teams carrying out research with the Lebanese army and the Red Cross - after an Israeli strike on this locality which also injured another journalist - "succeeded in recovering the body of martyred journalist Amal Khalil", announced the Civil Defense press office.

“Our colleague Amal Khalil was martyred while fulfilling her journalistic duty,” her diary posted on Telegram.

Lebanon: two Lebanese journalists injured by an Israeli strike

An Israeli airstrike injured two Lebanese journalists on Wednesday near the Lebanon-Israel border, according to their employer, the Al-Akhbar newspaper.

“Our colleagues Amal Khalil and Zeinab Faraj were injured following the Israeli strike targeting the town of Al-Tiri,” the media outlet said.

Lebanon: four dead in Israeli strikes

Four people were killed Wednesday in Israeli strikes in Lebanon, according to the official Lebanese news agency, despite the truce which Beirut will request to extend for a month during talks scheduled for Thursday between the two countries in Washington.

Israel affirmed before these discussions that it had no “serious disagreements” with Lebanon, calling on it to “work together” against pro-Iranian Hezbollah.

The two countries still in a state of war must hold a new session of discussions at ambassadorial level under the aegis of the United States.

A ten-day truce, which expires on Sunday, came into force on April 17 after a first meeting.

Donald Trump did not set a deadline for Iran to make a proposal

Donald Trump has not set a deadline for Iran to make a proposal, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday, the day after the extension of the ceasefire until further notice announced by the American president.

“The president has not set a deadline for receiving a proposal from Iran,” she told reporters following the White House, specifying that, “ultimately, the timetable will be imposed” by Donald Trump.

Trump doesn't view Iran's seizure of two ships as ceasefire violation: spokesperson

Trump does not consider Iran's seizure of two ships a violation of the ceasefire.

He "did not set a deadline for receiving a proposal from Iran" (spokesman)

Iranian justice accuses Trump of “false information” about Iranian women threatened, according to him, with executions

Iranian justice on Wednesday accused American President Donald Trump of spreading "false information" about Iranian women he said were threatened with execution and spared at his request.

“Trump is empty-handed on the ground, which has led him to create successes from scratch, based on false information,” Mizan, the press organ of the Iranian judiciary, said Wednesday evening.

Trump says Iran, at his request, renounces execution of eight women

Donald Trump said on Wednesday that at his request, the Iranian authorities had decided not to execute eight demonstrators, and assured that four of them would be released immediately and that the four other women would be sentenced to one month in prison.

War in Middle East 'starting to weaken Europe', says Turkish President Erdogan

The war in the Middle East is "starting to weaken Europe", Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday during a telephone interview with his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier, according to a press release from the Turkish presidency.

“The war in our region is also beginning to weaken Europe, and if we do not respond to this situation with a peace-first approach, the damage caused by the conflict will be much greater,” said Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Iranian Parliament Speaker rules out reopening Strait of Hormuz as long as US blockade lasts

The Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, on Wednesday ruled out a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz as long as the American blockade of Iranian ports lasts, which he denounced as violating the ceasefire between the two countries.

“A complete ceasefire only makes sense if it is not violated by a naval blockade (...) the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz is impossible as long as the ceasefire is openly flouted,” wrote this figure of Iranian power on X, after the announcement Tuesday evening by American President Donald Trump of a unilateral extension of the truce, concluded on April 8.

Iranian diplomacy says it “appreciates” Pakistan’s efforts to end the war

The Iranian Foreign Affairs spokesperson said Wednesday that he "appreciated" Pakistan's efforts to end the war, but without commenting on an extension of the ceasefire decided unilaterally by Washington, according to state television.

Asked by journalists about the Pakistani mediator's request for an extension of the truce - accepted by Donald Trump before its scheduled expiration on Wednesday evening - Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaïl Baghaï limited himself to welcoming Pakistan's efforts to establish peace, and to stress that the Islamic Republic was taking "the necessary measures (...) for the security" of the country.

Trump considers a resumption of talks with Iran “possible” in the coming days

Donald Trump deemed it "possible" on Wednesday that discussions with Iran would resume in the coming days, in an exchange of SMS messages with the New York Post.

"It's possible! President DJT", he wrote in response to a journalist from the tabloid who asked him about the probability that discussions would be held in the next "36 to 72 hours", therefore by Friday.

The American president announced Tuesday to extend his ceasefire in order to allow negotiations with Tehran, without giving a new deadline.

With the energy shock, Germany halves its growth forecast for 2026

The energy shock caused by the war in Iran led the German government on Wednesday to halve its growth forecast for 2026, and to emphasize its need to accelerate reforms to recover Europe's largest economy.

Berlin now expects gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 0.5% this year, compared to 1.0% in January, then 0.9% in 2027, compared to 1.3% previously.

“The expected economic recovery this year is once again being hampered by external geopolitical shocks,” said Economy Minister Katherina Reiche.

Israelis enter Syria before being arrested

Around forty Israelis briefly crossed into Syria on Wednesday before being apprehended by the Israeli army, which “strongly condemned this incident”.

According to Israeli public television Kan, these are activists belonging to the small group "The Pioneers of Bashan" which advocates the establishment of Israeli colonies in southern Syria.

They first gathered near the border, before entering Syrian territory a few hundred meters, according to the army, which indicates that it handed them over to the police.

The army said it "strongly condemns this incident and emphasizes its seriousness, which constitutes a criminal offense that endangers civilians and soldiers alike."

In Lebanon, more than 62,000 homes destroyed or damaged by Israel in nearly 45 days of war

More than 62,000 homes have been destroyed or damaged in Israeli operations in more than six weeks of war, a Lebanese official said Wednesday.

“In nearly 45 days (of war), we have recorded 21,700 homes destroyed, and 40,500 damaged,” said the secretary general of the National Council for Scientific Research (CNRS), Chadi Abdallah, during a press conference.

Emmanuel Macron announces the death of a second French soldier, injured Saturday in an ambush in Lebanon

“Master Corporal Anicet Girardin of the 132nd cynotechnic infantry regiment of Suippes, repatriated yesterday from Lebanon where he had been seriously injured by Hezbollah fighters, died this morning as a result of his injuries,” the French president wrote on X.

Anicet Girardin was involved in Operation Daman within UNIFIL, said Minister of the Armed Forces Catherine Vautrin on X, alongside Warrant Officer Florian Montorio, who died last week.

With AFP and Reuters

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