Islamabad has proposed a second round of talks to the US and Iran, Pakistani officials said on Tuesday.The Pakistani officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the matter with the press.US Vice President JD Vance earlier said negotiations with Iran “did make some progress” while US President Donald Trump said Monday “we’ve been called by the other side” and “they want to work a deal.”A senior Hezbollah official on Monday said the Lebanese militant group will not abide by any agreements that may result from direct Lebanon-Israel talks set to start on Tuesday in Washington.US blockade: Vessel reported exiting Strait of HormuzApril 14, 2026 8:51 pmCairo: A tanker that aborted an attempt to exit the Strait of Hormuz on Monday turned around and transited the waterway early on Tuesday, in one of the first tests of the US blockade. The Rich Starry, a chemical and oil tanker, had been waiting off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, according to shipping data firm Lloyd’s List, which cited data from the energy cargo-tracking firm Vortexa. The US military said on Monday that the blockade applied only to vessels travelling to or from Iranian ports, and it was not immediately clear whether the Rich Starry had earlier docked in Iran or was carrying Iranian oil. US Central Command did not immediately respond to questions about the vessel. APGerman Chancellor says he supports talks between Israel, LebanonApril 14, 2026 2:06 pmGerman Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he supports direct peace talks between the Israeli and Lebanese governments, which are set to start Tuesday in Washington.Spain’s prime minister asks China to do more to end warApril 14, 2026 2:05 pmSpain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he sees China as the main global interlocutor that can help end the war in Iran and other conflicts, such as Ukraine, and urged the Asian giant to do more on the diplomatic front.2nd round of peace talks likely on April 16, Islamabad back in focus as key venueApril 14, 2026 2:04 pmUS and Iran could be headed toward a second round of talks, according to AP sources. The sides are weighing new in-person negotiations in a bid to reach a deal aimed at ending their six-week war before the ceasefire expires next week, two US officials and person familiar with the development said. The three said discussions were still underway about a new round of talks, while a diplomat from one of the mediating countries went further to say Tehran and Washington have agreed to it. All four spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive diplomatic negotiations. It’s unclear if the same level of delegation would be expected to attend, the diplomat and US officials said. The diplomat and US officials said Islamabad, Pakistan, was once again being discussed as the host location. The US officials also said Geneva was a possibility, and that while the venue and timing had not been decided, the talks could happen on Thursday.Tankers pass Strait of Hormuz on first day of US blockade, data showsApril 14, 2026 1:58 pmA third Iran-linked tanker was entering the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday on the first full day of the US blockade on vessels calling at Iranian ports, shipping data showed. US President Donald Trump announced the blockade on Sunday after weekend peace talks in Islamabad between the US and Iran failed to reach a deal. As the three vessels transiting the strait were not heading to Iranian ports, they are not covered by the blockade. Panama-flagged Peace Gulf, a medium-range tanker, is heading to Hamriyah port in the United Arab Emirates, LSEG data showed.European shares gain on hopes of potential US-Iran peace talksApril 14, 2026 1:23 pmEuropean shares rose on Tuesday, recovering from a sombre start to the week, as investors were hopeful about potential Middle East peace negotiations, even as the U.S. implemented a blockade of Iranian ports. The pan-European index was up 0.6 per cent at 617.58 points, as of 0717 GMT.Chinese President Xi calls to respect sovereignty of all countries in West Asia, Gulf regionApril 14, 2026 12:42 pmChinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday said the sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity of countries in the West Asia and Gulf region should be fully respected. Xi, who met the visiting Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, said the safety of personnel, facilities, and institutions of all countries should be effectively safeguarded. He also advocated building a common, comprehensive, cooperative, sustainable security architecture for West Asia and the Gulf region. On adherence to the principle of international rule of law, Xi said the authority of international rule of law should be upheld to prevent the world from falling back into the law of the jungle.Qantas lifts fuel cost forecast as Middle East war jolts oil marketsApril 14, 2026 11:57 amAustralia’s Qantas Airways said on Tuesday it has raised its fuel cost outlook and delayed a planned share buyback, citing sharply higher and volatile jet fuel prices after the war in the Middle East disrupted oil supplies. The airline said jet fuel prices have more than doubled, lifting its estimated fuel bill for the second half of fiscal 2026 to A$3.1 billion-A$3.3 billion ($2.20 billion-$2.34 billion), up from its prior forecast of A$2.5 billion. The surge underscores how quickly geopolitical shocks are feeding into airline cost bases, with jet fuel prices soaring as refinery output has been curtailed following the loss of crude supplies from the Middle East.Iran to allocate part of oil revenues for reconstruction after attacks, says ministerApril 14, 2026 11:51 amIranian oil sales in recent weeks have been favourable and part of the revenue will be allocated to repairing damage to industry caused by wartime attacks, Iran’s oil minister said on Tuesday. Mohsen Paknejad said oil workers had maintained operations across facilities during the conflict, ensuring oil exports were not halted “even for a single day,” including at key export hubs such as Kharg Island. The minister said last month that the selling price of Iranian crude had significantly increased.Asian stocks gain, oil falls on hopes of renewed US-Iran talksApril 14, 2026 11:49 amAsian stocks were trading higher tracking Wall Street gains and oil fell on Tuesday as expectations rose over a possible second round of talks between the US and Iran to end West Asia conflict.UN chief calls to preserve ceasefireApril 14, 2026 11:02 amAfter weeks of destruction & distress, it is clear that there is no military solution to the current conflict in the Middle East.I call for resumption of talks for an agreement to be reached.The ceasfire must absolutely be preserved. All violations must cease.All parties to…— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) April 13, 2026South Korea’s Lee warns Middle East conflict to keep oil price high, orders quick aid rolloutApril 14, 2026 10:59 amSouth Korean President Lee Jae Myung said that rising tensions around the Strait of Hormuz made it hard to be optimistic about the fallout from the Iran war, warning that high oil prices and supply-chain strains were likely to persist for some time. Lee told a cabinet meeting on Tuesday the government should treat prolonged disruption in global energy and raw materials markets as a given and reinforce its emergency response system.Safe-haven dollar sinks slowly as traders hope for Mideast breakthroughApril 14, 2026 10:57 amThe safe-haven dollar edged toward a seventh straight daily decline on Tuesday as investors positioned for a possible diplomatic breakthrough in the Middle East, even as the Gulf remained all but closed to energy shipments. The US currency drifted between steady and slightly softer against most major peers in the Asia session after falling broadly overnight. It was last down 0.3 per cent at 159.02 yen and largely flat versus the euro at $1.1768.China’s export engine stutters as Iran war chills global demandApril 14, 2026 10:53 amChina’s export engine slowed sharply in March as war in the Middle East triggered shocks to energy and transportation costs, hurting global demand and exposing the risks in Beijing’s strategy of leaning on manufacturing to sustain growth. The world’s second-largest economy surged into 2026 on red-hot AI-fuelled electronics demand, raising expectations it could eclipse last year’s $1.2 trillion record trade surplus.Lebanon faces attacksApril 14, 2026 10:53 amWith the war unpopular at home and rising energy prices causing political blowback, Trump paused the US-Israeli bombing campaign last week after threatening to destroy Iran’s “whole civilisation” unless it reopened the strait. In a letter to the United Nations, Iran’s UN delegation on Monday asked for reparations from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar and Jordan, alleging they have allowed their territory to be used in the US-Israeli war against Iran. Israel has continued to bombard Lebanon and on Monday troops launched an attack it said was intended to seize a key south Lebanon town from Iran-backed Hezbollah. Israeli military said on Tuesday that an Israeli soldier was killed and three reservists were wounded during combat in southern Lebanon.NATO allies against US blockadeApril 14, 2026 10:53 amNATO allies including Britain and France said they would not be drawn into the conflict by taking part in the blockade, stressing instead the need to reopen the waterway.VP Vance, leading US side, says future talks depend on IranApril 14, 2026 10:47 amDespite the breakdown of talks between the US and Iran on Sunday, Vice President JD Vance, who led the US delegation, told Fox News on Monday the US “made a lot of progress” by communicating to Tehran where the US “could make some accommodation” and where it would remain inflexible. He said Trump was adamant that any enriched nuclear material must be removed from Iran and a mechanism must be established to verify that Iran is not developing nuclear weapons.Trump says Iranians want to make a dealApril 14, 2026 10:46 amTrump said Iran had been in touch on Monday and wanted to make a deal but that he would not sanction any agreement allowing Tehran to have a nuclear weapon.US begins Iran port blockade, oil prices ease on hopes for dialogueApril 14, 2026 10:43 amThe US began a blockade of Iran’s ports, angering Tehran and adding uncertainty around the crucial waterway, although hopes for dialogue to end the war provided some relief to oil markets where benchmark prices fell below $100 on Tuesday. After a breakdown of weekend talks in Islamabad between the two adversaries, a US official said there was continued engagement and forward motion on trying to get to an agreement. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also said efforts were still under way to resolve the conflict.US-sanctioned tankers pass Strait of Hormuz despite US blockade, data showsApril 14, 2026 10:40 amA Chinese tanker sanctioned by the United States passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday despite a US blockade on the chokepoint, shipping data showed. The Rich Starry would be the first to make it through the strait and to exit the Gulf since the blockade began, data from LSEG, MarineTraffic and Kpler showed. The tanker and its owner Shanghai Xuanrun Shipping Co Ltd were sanctioned by the United States for dealing with Iran. The company could not be immediately reached for comment.Trump vows to destroy Iranian warships that get near US blockadeApril 14, 2026 10:29 amThe US military has warned that ships entering or exiting a maritime blockade in the Gulf of Oman “without permission” will be “subject to interception, diversion, and capture”.Vance says Iranians made some progress’ in talks on nuclear issuesApril 14, 2026 8:37 amVice President JD Vance said in an interview with FOX News Channel’s “Special Report” that negotiations “did make some progress” in the Islamabad talks on the US insistence on the removal of nuclear material from Iran as well as a mechanism to ensure uranium cannot be enriched in the future. “They moved in our direction,” Vance said in the interview. He said he thought Iranian negotiators were “unable to cut a deal” and needed to get approval from others in Tehran. Vance also said that US negotiators made clear that Trump “would be very happy if Iran was treated like a normal country, if it had a normal economy,” but he did not go into details about what he meant. “There really is, I think, a grand deal to be had here. But, it’s up to the Iranians, I think, to take the next step,” Vance said.