CENTCOM Commander Brad Cooper visited Israel, meeting with the Chief of Staff and Bella Haim, a Holocaust survivor and the grandmother of kidnapped Yotam Haim Z"L.
The U.S. Air Force has announced plans to extend the operational life of the AGM-86B nuclear cruise missile to 2033, entering into a contract with Boeing to refurbish up to 550 units of the missile's flight control surface system at a rate of 8 units per month from 2026 to 2033.
In a phone call lasting approximately 40 minutes, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Trump emphasized the necessity of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open and secure, discussing the latest developments in the Middle East and the importance of the strait for global economic stability. The call came after the announcement of a 2-week ceasefire between the United States and the Islamic Republic regime on April 8.
Shakila Qasemi, a 26-year-old Baha’i citizen, was arrested on January 13 by plainclothes agents without a judicial order at her home in Kerman and has been held for over 70 days in the quarantine section of Kerman Prison and in IRGC Intelligence detention, without official charges or access to a lawyer.
Masih Alinejad criticizes comparisons between her brother's imprisonment in Iran due to her activism against compulsory hijab and the U.S. government's actions against families of regime supporters, arguing the latter are based on thorough investigations and not family ties. Alinejad highlights that her efforts to expose connections of regime supporters were previously ignored by media and U.S. officials.
On April 14, 2025, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced the commencement of a siege of Iran's ports involving over 10,000 military personnel, several warships, and dozens of aircraft, blocking all ships from entering or exiting Iranian ports in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, except those bound for non-Iranian ports through the Strait of Hormuz.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched an attack on Kurdish militant positions in Sulaymaniyah, Iraqi Kurdistan, using Shahed-136 kamikaze drones.
President Trump is considering fresh negotiations with Iran, possibly in Pakistan within the next 48 hours, demanding Iran dismantle its nuclear program, cease terror proxy activities, and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The proposal does not address Iran's internal repression of its citizens.
The United States seized two Chinese oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz that were using fake Malawian and Botswanan flags to conceal their identities, and subsequently returned the vessels. Both Malawi and Botswana lack maritime access, raising suspicions about the tankers' true intentions.
South Korea has dispatched a special envoy for direct negotiations with officials of the Islamic Republic to secure the passage of 26 South Korean ships and 173 crew members through the Strait of Hormuz, where the vessels are currently detained in the Persian Gulf waters.
The U.S. military announced the full implementation of a naval blockade against Iran, stating that in the first 24 hours, six ships in the Strait of Hormuz complied with U.S. orders, while no ship attempted to disregard the blockade.
More than 10,000 U.S. military personnel, including sailors, Marines, and airmen, along with over a dozen warships and dozens of aircraft, have begun blockading ships entering and departing Iranian ports in the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman. During the first 24 hours, six merchant vessels complied with U.S. directives to turn back, and no ships breached the blockade.
Images sent to Iran International show IRGC proxy forces gathering on Shahid Street in Tehran, where they speak in Arabic about support from Lebanon, Yemen, and Gaza for the Islamic Republic and chant slogans.
Khorramabad, a key protest center during the Iranian National Revolution, saw regime agents open fire on protesters on the nights of December 8 and 9, 2025. Recently, Israeli and American airstrikes have targeted and destroyed some of the facilities used for suppressing protests in the city.
One of three Hezbollah operatives involved in an attack that injured 10 IDF soldiers in Lebanon was spotted fleeing and was eliminated in an airstrike.
A citizen sent a video to Iran International criticizing the IRGC for making decisions and acting in the name of Mojtaba Khamenei, the third leader of the Islamic Republic, suggesting the IRGC is the main decision-maker in the country.
Kepler Energy Information reported that the Islamic Republic is establishing a clearer framework for ship passage through the Strait of Hormuz, with Larak Island serving as the administrative center where ships must provide detailed technical information and pay a fee of one dollar per barrel for liquid cargoes in cryptocurrency.
Mohammad Mokhber, advisor to Ali Khamenei, wrote on X that attempting to blockade the Strait of Hormuz would fail and lead to increased economic pressures and new fronts against the regime. He also referred to former US President Donald Trump as a "losing man" who must accept defeat.
At least two ships departed from Iranian ports and transited the Strait of Hormuz despite the U.S. blockade; one sailing under a Liberian flag left after unloading corn at Bandar Imam Khomeini port, and the other under a Comoros flag also crossed the strait.
Emmanuel Macron announced on X that he spoke with Masoud Pezeshkian and Donald Trump to resume stalled negotiations in Islamabad, address misunderstandings, and prevent further tensions. He also called for a ceasefire in Lebanon and the unrestricted reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, adding that France and Britain will hold a conference in Paris this Friday to discuss a multilateral defensive mission to ensure freedom of navigation.
