The Trump administration seemed unlikely Tuesday to accept Iran’s offer to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz if the US lifts its blockade on the country.The proposal would postpone discussions on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program, something that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio appeared to rule out in a Fox News interview Monday.“We have to ensure that any deal that is made, any agreement that is made, is one that definitively prevents them from sprinting towards a nuclear weapon at any point,” he said of the proposal, which was delivered to the US by Pakistan.The White House said US President Donald Trump’s national security team discussed the offer and Trump would address it later.Israeli airstrikes against southern Lebanon reportedApril 28, 2026 7:25 pmDubai: Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said Israeli airstrikes hit the villages of Chakra, Tebnine and Kafra in southern Lebanon on Tuesday. A drone strike also hit a motorcycle in the village of Mansouri, the agency reported. There was no immediate information about possible casualties. The strike came as Israel’s military asked residents of 16 southern village to evacuate, saying Hezbollah is using the communities to launch attacks on Israeli troops in southern Lebanon. APUnited Nations General Assembly president urges ceasefireApril 28, 2026 7:24 pmDubai: United Nations General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock said that urgent efforts to secure a ceasefire in the Iran war are critical. During a visit on Tuesday to New Delhi, Baerbock warned the conflict is disrupting global supplies and deepening regional crises, with attacks and blockades in the Strait of Hormuz increasing oil and fertiliser prices worldwide. “Every effort to come to a ceasefire is highly needed,” Baerbock said, adding that the escalation is diverting attention from humanitarian crises in Gaza. “It overshadows the devastating situation for the people in Gaza. The humanitarian situation in Gaza is still heartbreaking.” APPleased to engage with Russian leadership: Iran foreign ministerApril 28, 2026 1:44 pmMoscow: Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Tuesday that he was pleased to engage with the Russian leadership “as the region is in major flux”, amid uncertainty over the second round of peace talks aimed at resolving the war in West Asia. This comes a day after Araghchi arrived at St. Petersburg in Russia and met President Vladimir Putin, who hailed the Iranian people for fighting bravely and heroically for their sovereignty. ReutersTrump not happy with latest Iran proposal to lift Hormuz blockadeApril 28, 2026 1:44 pmUS President Donald Trump is unhappy with the latest Iranian proposal on resolving the two-month war, a US official said, dampening hopes for a resolution to the conflict that has disrupted energy supplies, fuelled inflation, and killed thousands. Iran’s latest proposal would set aside discussion of Iran’s nuclear program until the war is ended and disputes over shipping from the Gulf are resolved. That is unlikely to satisfy the US, which says nuclear issues must be dealt with from the outset, and Trump was unhappy with Iran’s proposal for that reason, a US official briefed on the president’s Monday meeting with his advisers said, speaking on condition of anonymity.China prioritises energy security, tech edge as Iran war fallout spreadsApril 28, 2026 1:40 pmBeijing: China’s top leadership on Tuesday pledged to strengthen the country’s energy security while pursuing rapid technological development and greater self-sufficiency, as the economy is beginning to be affected by the US-Israeli war on Iran. The world’s second-largest economy grew 5.0 per cent in the first quarter, at the top of its full-year target range of 4.5 per cent to 5.0 per cent, showing higher resilience than many other countries to the conflict, thanks in part to ample oil reserves and a diversified energy mix. ReutersIran willing to share defensive capabilities with Asian partners, says deputy defence ministerApril 28, 2026 1:33 pmDubai: Iran is ready to share its defensive weapons capabilities with “independent countries, especially members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)”, Deputy Defence Minister Reza Talaei-Nik said on Tuesday, according to Iranian state media. ReutersRubio says preventing Iranian nuclear weapon remains ‘core issue’April 28, 2026 12:20 pmWashington: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was asked in a Fox News interview about Iran’s latest proposal, which would postpone discussions on its nuclear programme but end its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz if the US lifts its blockade and ends the war. “There’s no doubt in my mind that at some point in the future, if this radical clerical regime remains in charge in Iran, they will decide they want a nuclear weapon,” Rubio said. “That fundamental issue still has to be confronted,” he said. “That still remains the core issue here.” APIran war is latest blow to Somalia’s malnourished childrenApril 28, 2026 12:15 pmNairobi/Geneva: For Somalia’s malnourished children, already suffering the twin catastrophes of looming famine and radical cuts in foreign aid, the US-Israeli war on Iran means more than soaring petrol pump prices; it is a matter of life and death. Shortages of lifesaving therapeutic foods exacerbated by shipping disruptions are forcing clinics to turn away severely malnourished children and ration supplies, Reuters reporting shows. Almost half a million children under 5 suffer from “severe acute malnutrition” or “wasting”, the most life-threatening form of hunger, and the delays are worsening the effect of the aid reductions. ReutersLatest Iranian plan would set aside nuclear issue until after war endsApril 28, 2026 8:09 amDubai/Washington: Senior Iranian officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters the proposal carried by Araqchi to Islamabad over the weekend envisioned talks in stages, with the nuclear issue to be set aside at the start. A first step would require ending the US-Israeli war on Iran and providing guarantees that the US cannot start it up again. Then negotiators would resolve the US Navy’s blockade of Iran’s trade by sea and the fate of the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran aims to reopen under its control. Reuters