Links to NINE-plus reports, analyses, interviews and commentaries (12): from the Associated Press, National Public Radio, Reuters, Middle East Eye, Middle East Monitor, the Cradle, and Consortium News; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials as highlighted. (Scroll down for GAZA 4-18-26, and up or down for LEBANON and MEDIA.) — MCM

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Trump says U.S. negotiators will be in Pakistan on Monday for talks with Iran, by Michalle L. Price, Samy Magdy and Sam Metz | AP  WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said that U.S. negotiators will head to Pakistan on Monday for talks with Iran, lifting hopes of extending a ceasefire set to expire this week even as Washington and Tehran remain locked in a standoff over the Strait of Hormuz. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same report in Spanish.  Click HERE and HERE for reports from NPR and Reuters.

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Mediators push U.S.-Iran ceasefire extension as deal hopes fade, by David Hearst and Ragip Soylu | Middle East Eye  ANTALYA, Turkey — Mediators are seeking to extend the United States–Iran ceasefire, as hopes of reaching an agreement before Wednesday’s deadline faded today, sources said. READ MORE . . .

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What are Iran’s longterm goals for a peace deal with the U.S.? Elissa Nadworny of NPR speaks with Suzanne Maloney of the Brookings Institution about Iran’s long-term goals. Click HERE to listen and, later, read; and HERE for links to all four Iran war-related reports today on NPR’s “Weekend Edition Sunday.”

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Iran is seeking to end war ‘with dignity,’ says President Pezeshkian. From Middle East Monitor. Iran is seeking to end the war with the U.S. and Israel “with dignity,” the country’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said today, arguing that U.S. President Donald Trump has no right to deprive Tehran of its nuclear rights, Anadolu reports. READ MORE . . .

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‘Fundamental differences remain’ between Iran, U.S. as ceasefire expiration nears. From the Cradle. Iran and the U.S. have made progress in negotiations but are still a long way from a deal, Iran’s parliament speaker and chief negotiator stated today, raising concerns that . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 18  Watch: The World This Week: ‘An uncertain war.’ Joe Lauria of Consortium News, former CIA analyst Ray McGovern, and former U.S. Marine Corps intelligence officer Scott Ritter talk for over two hours on the perils of what remains of the ill-advised U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, prospects for ending it, the Gulf states’ vulnerabilities, Lebanon, NATO’s disintegration, the world economy, the Russia-Ukraine war in danger of widening, and U.S. economic and political repercussions from all of the above. Click HERE  for video and print introduction. 

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TO BE CONTINUED

Links to a remembrance from National Public Radio and to reports from Middle East Monitor and the Cradle and to commentary via Consortium News; others are accessible by clicking on their names as highlighted. (Scroll down for MEDIA 4-15-26.  Scroll up for LEBANON and IRAN.) — MCM

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FROM APRIL 18  Kevin Klose, former NPR president and broadcasting icon. Remembered by Scott Simon | NPR  He had covered the Cold War from the Soviet Union for the Washington Post, and used to say he had seen what can happen in societies where people can’t hear real news, debate is closed, and propaganda masquerades as truth. Click HERE to read more and listen.

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FROM APRIL 16  Telegraph takeover sparks fears over Israel loyalty test. From Middle East Monitor. Support for Israel is set to become a virtual purity test for Telegraph journalists after the influential British newspaper’s takeover by German media giant Axel Springer. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from the Cradle. 

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Links to ELEVEN-plus reports, analyses, interviews and commentaries (15): from or via the Associated Press, the Cradle, National Public Radio, Anadolu Ajansi, Indian Punchline, Consortium News, and Tricontinental;  other published material is accessible by clicking on its name as highlighted. (Scroll down for IRAN 4-17-26 and GAZA and LEBANON.) — MCM

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Iran Revolutionary Guard closes Strait of Hormuz again and fires on ships trying to pass through, by  Sam Metz and Samy Magdy | AP  CAIRO — The standoff over the Strait of Hormuz quickly escalated again today as Iran reversed its reopening of the crucial waterway and fired on ships attempting to pass, in retaliation after the United States pressed ahead with its blockade choking off Iranian ports. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish.  Click HERE and HERE for reports from NPR and the Cradle.

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Iranian official says U.S. ‘maximalist’ demands stall face-to-face talks, by Suzan Fraser | AP  ANTALYA, Turkey — Iran is not yet ready to hold a new round of face-to-face talks with U.S. officials, a senior Iranian official said today, citing Washington’s refusal to abandon “maximalist” demands on key issues. READ MORE . . .   Click HERE for report from the Cradle. 

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International maritime law expert explains legality of U.S. blockade of Iranian ports. Scott Simon of NPR speaks with James Kraska, a professor of international maritime law at the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, R.I., about the legality of the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports. Click HERE to listen and, later, read; and HERE and HERE for links to all six Iran war-related reports this morning on NPR‘s “Weekend Edition Saturday” and last night’s “All Things Considered.”

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Iran announces partial reopening of airspace. From Anadolu. ISTANBUL — Iran announced the partial reopening of its airspace, along with the reopening of several airports, as of 0330GMT today. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same Anadolu report in French, and HERE for others.

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U.S.-Iran detente is inching closer, by M. K. Bhadrakumar | Indian Punchline  U.S. President Donald Trump’s initiative to calm down the Lebanon conflict has brought results as he announced a 10-day truce between Israel and Hezbollah that took effect on Friday. The ceasefire may be extended by mutual agreement if negotiations progress, the State Department reported with the concurrence of Beirut and Tel Aviv. READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 17  India imports millions of barrels of Iranian oil paid for in yuan. From the Cradle. Indian refiners are currently paying for limited Iranian oil shipments in Chinese yuan under a temporary U.S. sanctions waiver that is set to expire within days, according to a Reuters report on Friday. The arrangement covers . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 15  Watch: CN Live! ‘War & deception’ w/ Alastair Crooke. Joe Lauria of Consortium News speaks with former British diplomat and intelligence officer Alastair Crooke about the wars in the Middle East, Iran’s readiness evolved over decades, Israel’s domestic culture and politics evolved over years, Chinese and U.S. economic trajectories as  causal factors in U.S. actions, unseen and little-understood supranational actors, likely Israeli Epstein-related blackmail, and how Western governments deceive their publics. Click HERE for interview.

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FROM APRIL 17  The petrodollar & and the war on Iran, by Vijay Prashad | Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research / Consortium News  For the past fifty years, the relative stability of the U.S. dollar — above all as embodied in U.S. Treasury securities — has rested in part on what is called the “petrodollar” system. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same essay in Spanish.

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Links to a report from the Cradle and to commentary via Consortium News; others are accessible by clicking on their names as highlighted. (Scroll down for GAZA 4-17-26, and up or down for IRAN and LEBANON so far.) — MCM

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Israeli soldiers kill UNICEF truck drivers delivering water to Gaza families. From the Cradle. Israeli soldiers killed two Palestinian truck drivers hired by UNICEF and injured two others during routine water delivery operations at a filling point in northern Gaza on Friday. READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 14  Apologies to Gaza & Lebanon, by Vijay Prashad | Peoples Dispatch / Consortium News  As the United States farcically walks away from the negotiations with Iran in Pakistan, it was always a matter of concern whether Israel would abide by any such agreement. Israel has a history with these ceasefires. READ MORE . . .

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For now, links to articles via Middle East Monitor and Consortium News; others are accessible by clicking on their names as highlighted. (Scroll down for LEBANON 4-17-26.  Scroll up for today’s IRAN and GAZA so far.) — MCM

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FROM APRIL 17  The collapse is real — Lebanon ceasefire marks a historic strategic defeat, by Ramzy Baroud | Middle East Monitor  A ceasefire in Lebanon was announced on Thursday by U.S. President Donald Trump, it was not the product of American diplomacy, nor Israeli strategic calculation. It was imposed — largely as a result of sustained Iranian pressure. READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 14  Apologies to Gaza & Lebanon, by Vijay Prashad | Peoples Dispatch / Consortium News  As the United States farcically walks away from the negotiations with Iran in Pakistan, it was always a matter of concern whether Israel would abide by any such agreement. Israel has a history with these ceasefires. READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

A link to a report from Agence France-Presse; headlines of others are accessible by clicking on its name or initials as highlighted. (Scroll down for GAZA 4-1-26 and LEBANON and IRAN.) — MCM

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More than 38,000 women, girls killed in Gaza by end of 2025: UN. From AFP. Over 38,000 women and girls were killed in the Gaza war by the end of 2025, the UN estimated Friday, amounting to over half of the 71,000 deaths recorded by the territory’s health ministry. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for version of same AFP report and comments in French, and HERE for headlines of others. 

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Links to ELEVEN reports: from Al Jazeera, the Associated Press, National Public Radio, Middle East Eye, Anadolu Ajansi, and the Cradle; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials as highlighted. (Scroll down for LEBANON 4-16-26, and up or down for GAZA and IRAN.) — MCM

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Iran foreign minister says Strait of Hormuz ‘completely open.’ From Al Jazeera. The Strait of Hormuz is “completely open” for all commercial vessels and will remain so during the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire, Iran’s foreign minister has said. READ MORE . . .

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Ceasefire in Lebanon goes into effect, by Kareem Chehayeb, Abby Sewell and Melanie Lidman | AP  BEIRUT — A 10-day truce appeared to be holding in Lebanon early today, promising a pause in fighting between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group and possibly clearing one major obstacle to a deal between Iran and the United States and Israel to end weeks of devastating war.  READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others. Click HERE, HERE and HERE for other reports from AP and NPR.

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Israel strike kills 8, injures dozens in southern Lebanon after ceasefire announcement. From Middle East Monitor. Eight people were killed and dozens injured in an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon, minutes after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a 10-day ceasefire between Beirut and Tel Aviv, Lebanese media reported, Anadolu reports. READ MORE . . .

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Iran rejects temporary ceasefire, seeks end to war across region, by Sahin Demir | Anadolu  ANTALYA, Turkey — Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh said today that Tehran rejects any temporary ceasefire and is seeking a comprehensive end to war in all conflict zones “from Lebanon to the Red Sea.” READ MORE . . .

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Carnegie Middle East Center director on fragile ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. Leila Fadel of NPR speaks with Maha Yahya of the Carnegie Middle East Center about the historic ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon revealng a shifting role for Hezbollah in the decades-long war. Click HERE to listen and read.

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Israel’s media, officials decry Tel Aviv’s latest failure in Lebanon. From the Cradle. Residents of Israel’s northern settlements and opposition leaders erupted in anger over what they describe as a ceasefire “imposed” on Israel by Washington, following a 45-day war which failed to achieve any of Tel Aviv’s stated goals inside Lebanon. READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 16  Ten-day ceasefire agreed on by Israel and Lebanon goes into effect, by Kareem Chehayeb, Abby Sewell and Elena Becatoros | AP  BEIRUT — A 10-day truce began in Lebanon on Friday that could pause fighting between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group and boost attempts to extend the ceasefire between Iran, the United States and Israel after weeks of devastating war, but the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants inside the country were not formally part of the agreement. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.  Click HERE for report from the Cradle.

Links to SEVEN reports, analyses, commentaries and interviews: from Al Jazeera, the Cradle, National Public Radio, the Associated Press, Consortium News, and ScheerPost; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials as highlighted. (Scroll down for IRAN 4-16-26.  Scroll up for GAZA and LEBANON.) — MCM

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Iran foreign minister says Strait of Hormuz ‘completely open.’ From Al Jazeera. The Strait of Hormuz is “completely open” for all commercial vessels and will remain so during the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire, Iran’s foreign minister has said. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from the Cradle.

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Hezbollah vows ‘finger on trigger’ as ceasefire takes effect. From the Cradle. Hezbollah released a statement on 17 April vowing its fingers would remain “on the trigger,” hours after a temporary ceasefire took effect across the country following 45 days of war. READ MORE . . .

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U.S.-Iran ceasefire appears to hold as economic pressure builds globally. Reported by Quil Lawrence and Leila Fadel | NPR U.S. military officials say the blockade of Iranian ports is holding and so is a ceasefire in the war with Iran. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM APRIL 16  U.S. military will target Iran-linked ships worldwide, broadening scope beyond blockade, by Konstantin Toropin, Ben Finley and David Klepper | AP  WASHINGTON — The U.S. military has widened its efforts beyond the blockade of Iran’s ports to allow its forces around the world to stop any ship tied to Tehran or those suspected of carrying supplies that could help its government, from weapons to oil, metals and electronics. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.

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FROM APRIL 16  Watch: CN Live! — ‘The pirate state.’ Joe Lauria of Consortium News talks with British journalist and filmmaker Richard Medhurst. From intro: “A broad overview of U.S. military action in Venezuela, Iran, and Russia reveals a U.S. plan to disable its competitors and corner the oil market, says a new film. Click HERE for interview, print introduction, and a comment. 

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FROM APRIL 10  All wars are bankers’ wars, by Ellen Brown | ScheerPost  In February 2026, the United States and Israel launched surprise airstrikes on Iran. The officially proffered reasons — preventing Iran’s acquisition of a nuclear weapon and forestalling its aggression — have not held up under scrutiny. READ MORE . . .

Links to a report from the Cradle; others are accessible by clicking on its name as highlighted. (Scroll down for WEST BANK 4-10-26 and today’s IRAN and LEBANON.) — MCM

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Retired Israeli officials recount ‘state-funded’ ethnic cleansing campaign in West Bank. From the Cradle. Former Israeli security officials touring the occupied West Bank warned of a systematic, organized, and state-funded effort by Jewish settlers to ethnically cleanse Palestinians, Ynet reported today. READ MORE . . .

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Links to FOURTEEN-plus reports, analyses, commentaries and interviews (17): from the Cradle, National Public Radio,the Associated Press, Middle East Eye, Middle East Monitor; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials as highlighted. (Scroll down for IRAN 4-15-26, and up or down for today’s WEST BANK and LEBANON.) — MCM

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Iran issues stern warning amid reports of possible U.S.-Israeli ground op.  From the Cradle. Iran’s military said today that orders have been given for “not a single” U.S. or Israeli soldier to be left alive in the event that Washington launches a ground operation against the Islamic Republic. READ MORE . . .

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3 things to know about naval blockades as U.S. begins patrols in the Strait of Hormuz, by Scott Neuman | NPR  Days after the U.S. Navy began blockading the Strait of Hormuz, key questions remain unanswered about how such a large-scale operation can be sustained . . . READ MORE . . .

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Iran mulls granting safe passage to ships via Omani side of Hormuz: report.  From the Cradle. Iran may consider permitting vessels to safely transit the Strait of Hormuz via Oman as part of the ideas it has proposed to Washington during recent negotiations, on the condition that any agreement provides guarantees for an end to the war, Reuters reported on Wednesday. READ MORE . . .

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Pakistani army chief visits Tehran in hopes for renewed talks between U.S. and Iran, by Samy Magdy and Melane Lidman | AP  CAIRO — Pakistan’s army chief meets today with Iranian officials in Tehran on in hopes of extending the ceasefire that paused almost seven weeks of war between Israel, the U.S. and Iran. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.  Click HERE and HERE for reports from Middle East Monitor and the Cradle. 

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Trump tries to declare victory in Iran as timeline for war’s end continues to shift. Reported by Tamara Keith and Leila Fadel | NPR  President Trump has continued to shift his timeline for ending the U.S.-Israeli-led war in Iran. Click HERE to listen and, later, read; and HERE for links to all four Iran war-related reports today on NPR’s “Morning Edition.”

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FROM APRIL 15  From dropping bombs to pressuring banks: U.S. pivots to economic warfare on Iran, by Fatima Hussein, Aamer Madhani, Will Weissert and Seung Min Kim | AP  WASHINGTON — If the U.S. and Iran aren’t able to soon come to a deal to end the war or extend the ceasefire that expires next week, the Trump administration is setting the stage to shift its war campaign toward a more economic-focused effort aimed at choking Tehran into submission rather than relying on bombs alone. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.

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FROM APRIL 15  Middle East conflict causes a fluoride shortage for U.S. drinking water. Reported by Pien Huang | NPR  U.S. water systems are facing a shortage of hydrofluorosilicic acid, a chemical used to fluoridate drinking water to prevent cavities and tooth decay. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM APRIL 15  Jet fuel supplies are sharply affected by the near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Reported by Camila Domonoske | NPR  The reduction in ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has had an outsize impact on global jet fuel supplies. Prices have doubled. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM APRIL 15  Iran used Chinese satellite to monitor, strike U.S. bases: report. From the Cradle. The Financial Times reported on Wednesday that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps obtained a Chinese-built satellite in late 2024 and used it during the recent war to monitor and target U.S. military sites across West Asia. READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 15  How Israel and the U.S. are losing the broader battle against Iran, by Feras Abu Helal | Middle East Eye  Both sides have grounds and reasons to “sell” victory to their people, each having achieved certain tactical victories, particularly on the U.S.-Israeli side. However, assessing who has achieved a political victory . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 14  U.S. escalation meets Iran’s long-war doctrine, by Peiman Salehi | The Cradle  The collapse of the Islamabad talks ended more than another round of diplomacy. It marked a shift in how this conflict is understood in Tehran. READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 15  Israel’s new gospel of perpetual war. Nasim Ahmed of Middle East Monitor and Mouin Rabbani, a contributing editor of Middle East Report, talk on “Palestine This Week” about the first round of Iran-U.S. talks, the importance of Lebanon in the ceasefire negotiations, and President Trump’s apparent retreat from his earlier endorsement of Iran’s 10-point plan. Click HERE for video and a comment.

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