Europe News US Hormuz coalition not 'competition' with France-UK mission, FM says France says a new US-led coalition to reopen the Strait of Hormuz will complement, not compete with, its own UK-backed mission as standoff with Iran in the vital waterway roils on. 01/05/2026
Iran US seeks 'maritime freedom' coalition to restart Hormuz shipping Iran effectively closed the crucial waterway when the war broke out on 28 February. Normally one-fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas transits the waterway. Its closure has sent energy prices skyrocketing around the world. 30/04/2026
Iran Iranian football chiefs turned away at Canada border over IRGC link Iran's World Cup participation controversy has escalated with a diplomatic incident at Canada's borders involving Iranian football officials. Iran's group stage matches are scheduled in the US, and Tehran authorities have asked FIFA to move them to alternative venues. FIFA has refused. 30/04/2026
Iran Trump tightens naval blockade as Iranian rial collapses to record low The latest drop follows a currency shock several months ago, when the rial fell from around 1.4 million to 1.6 million per US dollar in under a week, as the war moves turns into an economic clash to exhaust the Iranian regime' options. 30/04/2026
Iran Iran executed 21 and arrested thousands since start of war, UN says UN has warned that the Tehran regime has executed 21 people and detained over 4,000 since the war began, accusing the Islamic Republic of torture, disappearances and targeting minorities. 29/04/2026
Iran Iran’s parliament speaker says US blockade aims at 'internal division' Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, a powerful figure, has grown in prominence since the start of the war and was the lead negotiator in the so far only round of direct US-Iranian talks. 29/04/2026
No Comment US military boards commercial ship suspected of attempting to evade Iran blockade US Marines boarded a commercial vessel suspected of heading to Iran before releasing it after inspection, as Washington enforces its blockade and redirects ships in the Strait of Hormuz. 28/04/2026
Europe News Louis Arnaud, former French hostage in Iran, tells his story Speaking to Euronews, Louis Arnaud says the memories of Evin Prison continue to haunt him, as he recalls a place where captives are crammed into windowless cells and where the lights never go out. 28/04/2026
The Cube What do we know about claims of Iranian protesters facing execution? US President Donald Trump claims he helped save these eight Iranian female protesters from execution, whilst social media users claim the image is AI-generated. What do we know about the women pictured? 28/04/2026
Iran Iran parades armed women in streets as questions over AI videos grow Videos emerging on social media from Iran appear to show armed Iranian women parading with IRGC in several cities in an upsurge of nationalist and religious fervour, dubbed as a “jihad of women”, but some clips spark AI editing doubts and remain unverified. 28/04/2026
Iran Iran to reopen Strait of Hormuz if US lifts blockade, reports claim Despite an ongoing ceasefire, the US and Iran are locked in a standoff over the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil and gas trade passes in peacetime. 28/04/2026
Iran Strait of Hormuz standoff leaves 20,000 seafarers stranded on ships Thousands of seafarers are stranded as the Iran war shuts down much of the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting global oil and gas trade and raising safety fears. 27/04/2026
Iran Trump holds talks on Iran with security team, White House says Meanwhile, Tehran has blamed the US for the failure of talks after Trump decided against sending a negotiating team to Pakistan at the weekend. 27/04/2026
Iran Mojtaba Khamenei mystery deepens after Iran unveils ‘martyr’ mural A viral mural showing the Islamic Republic's new ayatollah among dead Iranian leaders has deepened speculation he was killed or gravely wounded in the 28 February strikes on Tehran. 27/04/2026
Iran White House: US envoys to head to Pakistan for Iran talks on Saturday Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Pakistan on Friday night, but his ministry has ruled out direct talks with the US delegation. 24/04/2026
Iran Iran 'trapped in slogans' as talks with US stall, ex-diplomat says Former Iranian diplomat Kourosh Ahmadi has warned that Tehran and Washington have found themselves stuck in their individual and contrasting narratives, risking nuclear talks as tensions over blockades and enrichment grow. 24/04/2026
Iran Israel says awaiting US green light to 'return Iran to Stone Age' The war has spilled out of Iran and engulfed the region, leaving several thousand people dead, mainly in Iran and Lebanon, and continues to destabilise the global economy. 23/04/2026
Iran US and Iran continue seizing ships in tense Hormuz standoff The US and Iran continued seizing ships in the tense Hormuz standoff, with Tehran calling Washington's blockade a “ceasefire violation” and claiming it has been collecting transit fees for passage. 23/04/2026
Sport Italian officials roundly reject pitch to replace Iran at World Cup Italy missed out on the World Cup for the third successive time after losing a penalty shootout to Bosnia and Herzegovina in their qualifying playoff final. 23/04/2026
Iran Trump says US in no rush to end war but 'clock is ticking' for Iran Earlier in the day, Trump said he had ordered the US Navy to "shoot and kill" any boats found laying sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz. 23/04/2026
Iran Iran executes former atomic agency employee amid Mossad spy claims Iran executes former atomic energy employee Mehdi Farid for alleged Mossad links as rights groups decry opaque trial, coerced confessions and media blackout. 22/04/2026
Iran Iran's IRGC tightens grip on power as civilian leadership sidelined Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has evolved from a theocratic wartime force into a dominant military-economic power. Over decades, it expanded regionally, reshaped Iran’s internal balance of power, now standing at the centre of a shifting political structure amid leadership changes and consolidation. 22/04/2026
Iran Iran seizes two cargo ships in Hormuz after three vessels fired on The tanker seizures come after US President Donald Trump said the ceasefire with Iran was being indefinitely extended at the request of mediator Pakistan. 22/04/2026
Iran Iran hangs man accused of ties to Israel and arson during protests Iran executes Amirali Mirjafari for allegedly plotting to burn a Tehran mosque and collaborating with Israel and the US, as rights groups decry rising executions. 21/04/2026
Iran Trump wants to extend Iran ceasefire, until negotiations conclude The US president also wrote on Truth Social that the blockade of Iranian ports will continue until Tehran presents a "unified proposal". 21/04/2026
Iran Timelapse footage shows maritime traffic around Gulf, Straight of Hormuz The passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz - the world's busiest oil shipping canal - has been severely disrupted amid the US-Israeli war with Iran. Timelapse footage shows maritime traffic in the Gulf and Strait of Hormuz from April 18 to April 20, amid a fragile US-Iran truce. 21/04/2026