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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Links to reports and commentary from Middle East Eye and the Cradle; others are accessible by clicking on their names as highlighted. (Scroll down for LEBANON 4-15-26. Scroll up for today’s WEST BANK and IRAN.) — MCM

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Lebanon’s Aoun rejects call with Netanyahu as Israel severs last bridge to the south, by Heba Nasser | Middle East Eye  Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun will not speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the near future, a senior Lebanese official told Middle East Eye, after reports of a planned phone call between the two leaders. READ MORE . . .

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Israeli army prepares for full occupation of south Lebanon: report. From the Cradle. The Israeli military is preparing for a full occupation of everything below the Litani River in south Lebanon, Hebrew media said on Wednesday — coinciding with continued efforts to secure a ceasefire in the country. READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 15  Israeli official declares Lebanese govt ‘on our side’ against Hezbollah. From the Cradle. Israel’s ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter said on Tuesday after direct talks with Lebanese representatives that Beirut and Tel Aviv are “on the same side” against Hezbollah, hailing the Washington meeting a “wonderful exchange.” READ MORE . . .

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Why do Lebanese leaders keep courting Israel? by Joseph Massad | Middle East Eye  Since Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam assumed office in early 2025, mere weeks after the November 2024 ceasefire between the Lebanese resistance and the genocidal state of Israel, the new leadership, under strong U.S. and Saudi advice, moved urgently to offer friendship and full cooperation to Israel. READ MORE . . .

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For now, links to reports from the Associated Press, National Public Radio, and Middle East Eye; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials as highlighted. (Scroll down today’s IRAN, LEBANON and MEDIA.) — MCM

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FROM APRIL 15   ‘Humiliated, broken, powerless’: Sudan enters fourth year of war, by Emmanuel Akinwotu | NPR  In many areas of Sudan even a fragile peace is out of reach. The fighting between the Sudanese army and its former ally, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, is far from over. Devastating war, now entering its fourth year, has become the world’s largest humanitarian catastrophe. Click HERE to read more, and to listen.

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FROM APRIL 15   Sudan enters a fourth year of war as officials lament ‘abandoned crisis,’ by Samy Magdy and Sam Mednick | AP  PORT SUDAN, Sudan — Famine. Massacres. And now badly needed food and other supplies are under strain. Sudan today entered a fourth year of war that’s been called an “abandoned crisis,” as a new Middle East conflict throws into shadow the fighting that has forced 13 million people to flee their homes. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish.  

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Almost half of Sudan’s lifesaving kitchens have closed in last six months, by Oscar Rickett | Middle East Eye  Nearly half of Sudan’s lifesaving community kitchens have closed down in the last six months because of a lack of international support and the impact of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, new research from Islamic Relief has found. READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

Links to ELEVEN-plus reports (15 or so): from the Associated Press, the Cradle, Middle East Monitor, National Public Radio, Truthout, and Middle East Eye; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials as highlighted. (Scroll down for IRAN 4-14-26, and up or down for today’s SUDAN, LEBANON and MEDIA so far.) – MCM

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Mediators move closer to extending U.S.-Iran ceasefire, officials say, by Samy Magdy, Sam Metz and Mike Corder| AP  CAIRO — Mediators moved closer today to extending the ceasefire between the United States and Iran and restarting negotiations to salvage the fragile truce before it expires next week. A senior Iranian military official threatened to halt trade in the region if the U.S. does not lift its naval blockade. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.

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Sanctioned Iranian ships bypass US Hormuz blockade ‘without disturbance’: report. From the Cradle. A sanctioned Iranian oil tanker has successfully transited the Strait of Hormuz – bypassing the newly imposed US blockade on the Islamic Republic’s ports, Iranian media reported today. READ MORE . . .

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U.S. to deploy thousands more troops to Middle East to pressure Iran: report. From Middle East Monitor. The U.S. is moving to deploy thousands of additional troops to the Middle East in the coming days as Washington seeks to pressure Iran into reaching a deal to end the conflict, the Washington Post reported today. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for March 14 report from the Cradle.

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IMF predicts Iran war will slow economic growth and raise inflation globally. Reported by Michel Martin of NPR discusses the forecast with Simon Johnson, a former IMF chief economist. Click HERE to listen and read; and HERE for links to all six IRAN war-related reports today from NPR’s “Morning Edition.”  Click HERE for report from the Cradle.

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FROM APRIL 14  Diplomats try to arrange second round of U.S.-Iran talks during first full day of American blockade, by Munir Ahmed and Sam Metz | AP  ISLAMABAD — Diplomats worked through back channels Tuesday to arrange a new round of talks between the United States and Iran after Washington enacted its blockade of Iranian ports, while Tehran threatened to retaliate by striking targets across the war-weary region. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.

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Links to NINE reports: from the Cradle, National Public Radio, the Associated Press, Middle East Eye, and Middle East Monitor; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials as highlighted. (Scroll down for LEBANON 4-14-26.  Scroll up or down for today’s SUDAN, IRAN and MEDIA so far.) — MCM

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Hezbollah inflicts heavy losses on Israeli army during Bint Jbeil battles. From the Cradle. Hezbollah resistance fighters are fiercely confronting the Israeli military’s attempts to capture the strategic southern city of Bint Jbeil, inflicting heavy losses on invading troops, Hebrew media reports have confirmed. READ MORE . . .

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3 wars, 1 region: A look at the peace talks. Reported by Daniel Estrin and A Martínez | NPR  Negotiations are happening between countries involved in three separate wars in the Middle East. Click HERE to listen and read.

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Former U.S. ambassador on talks between Israel and Lebanon. Reported by Michel Martin of NPR speaks with Daniel Shapiro, former U.S. ambassador to Israel, about this week’s Israel-Lebanon talks in the United States. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM APRIL 14  Lebanon and Israel hold first direct diplomatic talks in decades in Washington, by Kareem Chehayeb and Matthew Lee | AP  WASHINGTON — Lebanon and Israel held their first direct diplomatic talks in decades on Tuesday in Washington following more than a month of war between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group, with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio calling it a “historic opportunity” but making clear that no breakthrough agreement would happen right away. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.  Click HERE for report from NPR.

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FROM APRIL 14. Hezbollah chief urges Beirut to reverse course ahead of talks with Israel. From the Cradle. Hezbollah Secretary General Naim Qassem made a speech on Monday, accusing the Lebanese government of “weakness” and rejecting the direct negotiations planned between Beirut and Tel Aviv in Washington. READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 14  Hezbollah says it launched drones at Israeli military in occupied Golan Heights. From Middle East Eye. The group said in a statement it targeted an artillery position in Za-oura and battalion command headquarters in Odem on Tuesday, using a “squadron of drones.” READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 14  Israel plans to create buffer zones in Lebanon and Gaza to protect its territory. Reported by Daniel Estrin | NPR  Israel is creating a large buffer zone in southern Lebanon for a prolonged military occupation, with low expectations that direct talks with Lebanon will lead to quick action on disarming Hezbollah. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM APRIL 14  Humanitarian access to southern Lebanon severely restricted, markets have collapsed. From Middle East Monitor. Nearly 63% of planned humanitarian convoys to southern Lebanon have not been completed due to negative or absent responses to deconfliction requests, a senior UN official said Tuesday, warning that aid delivery is severely hampered by escalating violence, Anadolu reports. READ MORE . . .

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Links to a report from the Cradle and to commentary via Middle East Monitor; others are accessible by clicking on its name as highlighted. (Scroll down for MEDIA 4-13-26.  Scroll up for today’s SUDAN, IRAN and LEBANON so far.) — MCM

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FROM APRIL 14  CPJ demands release of journalist detained in Kuwait over social media posts. From the Cradle. The Committee to Protect Journalists called on Tuesday for the immediate release of U.S.-Kuwaiti journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin, who has been held by authorities in Kuwait for more than six weeks over social media posts related to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 14  Language of media as a weapon of war, by Sayid Marcos Tenorio | Middle East Monitor  The language of hegemonic media does not merely describe the world. It organizes it, hierarchises it and, above all, disciplines it. Within the dominant vocabulary of international relations, certain terms . . . READ MORE . . .

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Links to TEN-plus reports, analyses, interviews and commentaries (14): from or via the Associated Press, National Public Radio, Middle East Eye, Common Dreams, Consortium News, and the Cradle; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials as highlighted. (Scroll down for IRAN 4-13-26 and LEBANON.) — MCM

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Efforts underway for second round of U.S.-Iran talks as ships reported transiting Strait of Hormuz, by Munir Ahmed and Sam Metz | AP  ISLAMABAD — The standoff between the United States and Iran deepened today as the U.S. declared it had blockaded Iran’s ports, Tehran threatened to strike targets across the region, and Pakistan said it was racing to bring the sides together for more talks. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.

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U.S. and Iran block oil exports as rest of the world takes economic hit. Reported by Greg Myre and Michel Martin | NPR  In the U.S.-Iran showdown in the Gulf, the question is: Who can hold out longer? Both countries are now blocking oil exports through the critical Strait of Hormuz. Click HERE to listen and read; and HERE for links to all four Iran war-related reports today from NPR’s “Morning Edition.”

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Why the Islamabad talks failed, by Sami Al-Arian | Middle East Eye  The Islamabad meeting between the United States and Iran did not collapse because diplomacy failed. It collapsed because the U.S. came with an ultimatum, not an intention to negotiate. READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 13  Araghchi says deal was ‘inches away,’ by Jake Johnson | Common Dreams / Consortium News  Iran’s foreign minister said Sunday that the Trump administration’s representatives derailed marathon talks in Pakistan’s capital with maximalist demands, just as the two sides were “inches away” from a preliminary agreement to end the six-week conflict. READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 13  Trump says U.S. military has blockaded Iranian ports to pressure Tehran, by Samy Magdy, Julia Frankel and Mike Corder | AP  CAIRO — U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday the American military had begun a blockade of Iranian ports as part of his effort to force Tehran to open the Strait of Hormuz and accept a deal to end the war that has raged for more than six weeks. Iran responded with threats on . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.

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FROM APRIL 13  As U.S. blockades Strait of Hormuz, Iran military warns of weapons ‘enemy has no idea about,’ by Jessica Corbett | Common Dreams  As the U,S. military on Monday began a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz after the Trump administration’s failed talks with the Iranian government, a spokesperson for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued a warning to the United States. READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 13  A U.S. military blockade of Iran’s ports takes effect. What does that mean? Reported by Jackie Northam and Tom Bowman | NPR  A U.S. blockade of Iranian ports went into into effect Monday, while President Trump claims Iran wants to make a deal. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM APRIL 13  How many people have the U.S. & Israel killed in Iran? by Medea Benjamin and Nicolas J. S. Davies | Common Dreams / Consortium News  The world must use this pause in the war to push for a permanent ceasefire and peace agreement, but we must also start to assess the true human cost of the war –- something the U.S. is always reluctant to do in its wars, from Vietnam to Iraq to Afghanistan. READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 13  UK, Spain reject Trump’s new scheme to blockade Hormuz Strait. From the Cradle. The UK and others have rejected Washington’s plan to impose a blockade on Iranian ports and target ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz in collaboration with the Islamic Republic. READ MORE . . .