Day: April 25, 2026

President Donald Trump has canceled scheduled discussions between his representatives and Iranian officials in Islamabad, Pakistan, where both sides were expected to negotiate a ceasefire agreement to terminate the ongoing US-Iran conflict.

The White House referred Xenix News to remarks Trump made to Xenix News regarding the issue.

“I informed my team not long ago, just as they were preparing to depart, declaring, ‘Nope, you’re not taking an 18-hour flight to go there,’” Trump told Xenix News during a phone interview, based on remarks shared on air. “‘We hold all the cards.” “They’re free to contact us whenever they wish, but you won’t be taking any more 18-hour flights just to chat about nothing.”

The US delegation was expected to be headed by White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, accompanied by Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

The abrupt and one-sided action follows Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s recent exit from the Pakistani capital, where he had been discussing the issue with officials.

Firefighters, first responders, and volunteers are on the scene of an apartment complex struck by an Israeli airstrike in Beirut, Lebanon, on April 8. Bilal Hussein/AP

According to a statement today from the Lebanese Health Ministry, Israeli strikes in Lebanon have resulted in at least 2,496 fatalities since they started on March 2.

This number indicates a substantial increase from the previous death toll reported by the ministry on April 17. It then stated that Israeli strikes had resulted in the deaths of 2,294 individuals, with 177 of them being children.

Even with a newly extended ceasefire agreement in Lebanon, Israel has maintained that its troops will stay in the southern region and keep addressing “any threat.”

The Lebanese Health Ministry reported that an Israeli strike on a motorcycle in southern Lebanon today resulted in the deaths of four individuals, while Israel noted rocket fire from Hezbollah, the militant group backed by Iran.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated it has eliminated “over 15 terrorists in southern Lebanon” this weekend, including three who were traveling in “a vehicle filled with weapons” earlier today.

“The IDF reported that a further terrorist on a motorcycle in southern Lebanon, south of the Forward Defense Line, was also neutralized.”

Read more: Satellite images reveal how the Israeli campaign against Hezbollah swiftly turned into a mission to level large areas of southern Lebanon.

Xenix News Tim Lister played a role in this reporting.

The luxury megayacht Nord was observed anchored in Hong Kong in 2022. Isaac Lawrence/AFP/Getty Images

The Nord (IMO: 9853785), an approximately 142-meter (466-foot) yacht claimed to be among the largest globally, departed from Dubai, the UAE capital, last evening before navigating the essential waterway overnight, as per information from maritime intelligence service MarineTraffic. According to MarineTraffic data, it is en route to Muscat, Oman.

A megayacht associated with a sanctioned Russian oligarch passed through the congested Strait of Hormuz earlier today, according to tracking data.

A yacht broker informed Xenix News that the yacht is valued at no less than $500 million and is generally thought to be owned by Alexey Mordashov, the head of a major Russian steel and mining company and among Russia’s richest billionaires. The ship is owned by Mordashov, according to the Associated Press.

The yacht, 1.5 times larger than an American football field, seems to have taken the path that goes by Iran’s Larak Island, a route identified by Lloyd’s List Intelligence as one utilized by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to manage entry to the strait.

Nautical Movement

Xenix News has earlier disclosed that the US State Department imposed sanctions on Mordashov in 2022, along with three of his additional companies, his spouse, and two grown children.

The Nord yacht features two helipads and usually has a large crew aboard, comprising a full-time chef, fitness trainer, and massage therapist, yacht broker Michael Maximilian Bognier informed Xenix News in 2022.

It is yet to be determined whether the megayacht’s voyage will be affected by the US military’s presence in the area, including a naval blockade that US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth informed reporters yesterday “is expanding and becoming global.”

Xenix News reports were contributed by Oliver Sherwood.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi left Islamabad on Saturday evening local time, as per Iranian sources knowledgeable about the talks, following discussions in the Pakistani capital regarding a ceasefire with Washington and consultations with crucial regional allies.

Initially, it was uncertain where Araghchi would go next, but the Iranian Foreign Ministry had stated earlier that he would visit Oman and Russia as part of the trip.

Araghchi arrived in Islamabad on Friday evening for a series of discussions with Pakistan’s senior leadership, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, who plays a crucial role as a mediator between Tehran and Washington.

Pakistani officials are working to enable a second round of negotiations between US and Iranian representatives, following extensive discussions in early April that did not resolve the most challenging diplomatic obstacles between the conflicting sides.

On Friday, the White House announced that a US delegation would head to Islamabad this weekend, but Iranian media dismissed claims that Araghchi would engage in direct negotiations with Washington during his visit, creating uncertainty about the talks’ status.

Motorcyclists travel past a billboard displaying an image of Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei in Tehran, Iran, on April 20. Majid Asgaripour/Wana News Agency/Reuters

A naval blockade by the United States on Iran is suffocating the Islamic Republic’s key economic routes – resulting in a potential oil storage crisis for Tehran and its population struggling with escalating food costs and increasing unemployment.

However, if Washington is not ready to maintain its naval blockade for several more months, it will be challenging to fully dismantle an Iranian economy that has spent years adjusting to US pressure and severe sanctions.

Just three months prior, the Iranian government teetered on the edge of collapse as citizens across the country demonstrated against the inadequate management of the economy.

That same administration received support when the US and Israel initiated their assaults, and it is now leveraging the war as an excuse for severe economic conditions for a population of 92 million.

Despite Iran’s hardships, its leaders will recognize that Trump is also under strain, as the US president confronts increasing domestic backlash regarding the war and the upcoming critical midterm elections.

Tehran might believe that Trump will yield first.

Access the complete analysis here.

The Lebanese health ministry reports that an Israeli attack in south Lebanon on Saturday resulted in the deaths of four individuals. The ministry stated that the strike aimed at a motorcycle in the town of Yahmar Al-Shaqif.

Even with a ceasefire implemented a week ago, Israel has persisted in its attacks in southern Lebanon, while the Iran-supported militant group Hezbollah has launched additional rockets at northern Israel.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) asserted that it has eliminated “over 15 terrorists in southern Lebanon” this weekend, including three who were in a vehicle packed with arms.

Israel’s military has reiterated its caution to displaced Lebanese against nearing Israeli-held zones in southern Lebanon, listing numerous villages. The IDF announced on Saturday that it had targeted operational rocket launchers located outside the Israeli-occupied area in southern Lebanon.

On Thursday, the ceasefire was prolonged for three weeks; however, Israel has maintained that its troops will stay in southern Lebanon.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Friday, “We are preserving complete freedom to act against any threat, including those that are emerging.” “We hit yesterday and we hit today.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi possesses extensive negotiating experience, having spent close to 30 years in various diplomatic positions.

At 63, Araghchi was born in Isfahan and, like many thousands of young Iranians, volunteered as a teenager to fight in the Iran-Iraq war. Following the attainment of a doctorate from the University of Kent in England, Araghchi became part of the Iranian Foreign Ministry and, for the last two decades, has participated in Iranian delegations concerning nuclear matters.

Other negotiators portrayed him as very skilled with a grasp of the specifics. He played a key role in brokering the 2015 deal with the West, Russia, and China that imposed restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program before US President Donald Trump exited the agreement during his first term.

In 2024, President Masoud Pezeshkian appointed Araghchi as Foreign Minister, tasking him with obtaining relief from sanctions. He soon engaged in discussions with US envoy Steve Witkoff regarding Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile initiatives – negotiations that ultimately did not succeed.

Numerous high-ranking Iranian officials have been killed in airstrikes since the conflict erupted in late February, but Araghchi seems not to have been targeted, possibly due to his perceived role as a potential negotiator in any resolution.

However, numerous commentators believe that Araghchi has been overshadowed by other officials who are nearer to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the new supreme leader. A week ago, a post on X announcing the Strait of Hormuz as open drew domestic criticism and a swift retraction, as one semi-official news agency labeled it a “defective and insufficient tweet.”

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has begun his international trip, during which he will visit important mediators Pakistan and Oman, and also travel to Russia, emphasizing the enduring relationship between the nations.

Russia has been an essential diplomatic partner for Iran during the confrontation with the US.

The Kremlin has consistently proposed to take control of Iran’s enriched uranium, suggesting to store or reprocess it within Russia.

Although this could potentially address some of the essential US requests in talks to conclude its conflict with Iran, President Donald Trump reportedly turned down Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposal, likely seeking to prevent Moscow – already a dominant force in nuclear energy – from acquiring additional influence.

Apart from uranium, Iran and Russia established a 20-year agreement in January 2025 that enhances their economic, military, and political alliance. Russia considers US attacks on Iran as “unprovoked aggression,” but importantly, the agreement between Tehran and Moscow did not constitute a mutual-defense treaty.

On Thursday, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov expressed his “high appreciation” for Islamabad’s mediation between Iran and the US during a call with his Pakistani counterpart Mohammad Ishaq Dar, also indicating Moscow’s “willingness to assist.”

In March, Xenix News reported that Russia was supplying Iran with information regarding the positions and movements of American forces, vessels, and aircraft, as per various individuals knowledgeable about US intelligence reports on the matter, marking the initial sign that Moscow aimed to engage in the conflict.

Araghchi’s forthcoming visit to Moscow indicates that Tehran will seek to engage with its allies in the Kremlin during the conflict.

Demonstrators in Jerusalem urged the Trump administration to withdraw its backing for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Scores assembled outside the residence of the US ambassador to Israel on Saturday morning, holding signs with messages directed at President Donald Trump, stating “Don’t be deceived again,” while they blamed Netanyahu for jeopardizing the vital US-Israel ties.

“One of the signs stated, ‘He deceived you regarding Gaza and Iran.'”

At the protest, Eran Etzion, the ex-deputy head of Israel’s National Security Council, stated, “We have come to disrupt your Saturday morning with an important message for President Trump – you are backing the wrong horse.” You’re wagering on a weak candidate. “You’re wagering on a tired politician.”

Yaron, an 11-year-old boy, stated, “(Netanyahu) is indifferent to our future. He is solely concerned with himself and maintaining his authority. “He has harmed our nation.”

The demonstration took place in front of the residence of US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, a firm supporter of Netanyahu. While Argentine President Javier Millei was in Israel earlier this week, Huckabee remarked about Netanyahu and Millei, stating, “I’m not aware of any two world leaders that our president holds in higher regard and shares a more personal connection with than President Millei and Prime Minister Netanyahu.”https://xenixnews.com

While Israelis initially showed strong backing for the joint US and Israeli military action against Iran at its onset, that backing has gradually diminished. A number of surveys conducted in mid-April indicated that the majority of Israelis do not think the US and Israel have triumphed in the conflict with Iran. Anti-war demonstrations, initially quite limited at the onset of the Iran war, have since expanded in scale.

With Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arriving in Islamabad late last night to head the upcoming round of discussions between the US and Pakistan, questions arise about why Iran’s second-in-command from the previous talks now takes the lead.

Mohammad Baghir Ghalibaf, the influential ex-general of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the current speaker of Iran’s Parliament, headed the last Iranian delegation and encountered US Vice President JD Vance at the negotiation table. It would be incorrect to think he has been marginalized.

Iranian leaders, including Araghchi and Ghalibaf, have firmly dismissed President Donald Trump’s assertions of a divided Iranian leadership in nearly identical recent tweets. Ghalibaf stated, “there are no extremists or centrists – we are all Iranian and revolutionary.”

Although Trump urged the Iranians to present “their proposal,” the purpose of Araghchi’s visit to Tehran remains unclear, yet it revitalizes the stagnant peace talks process.