Iran war live: Trump says Tehran wants deal amid US blockade in Hormuz

By Stephen Quillen and Zaid Sabah

Published On 14 Apr 202614 Apr 2026

• The US blockade of Iran’s ports is in effect, but US President Donald Trump says Iranian officials have called and “want to work a deal”.
• Diplomatic efforts to revive US-Iran talks continue, with Pakistan reportedly offering to host the next round of talks in Islamabad.
• Iran accuses the US of committing piracy as thousands of Iranians rally in Tehran against the blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.
• Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Naim Qassem rejects upcoming talks between the Lebanese government and Israel, which are set for 11am in Washington, DC (15:00 GMT).
• Trump has doubled down on his criticism of Pope Leo XIV, saying the pontiff’s opposition to the war in Iran was “wrong” and accusing him of being “weak on crime”.

Let’s bring you up to speed:

• Diplomatic efforts to revive US-Iran talks are continuing, with Pakistan offering to host a second round of negotiations in Islamabad this week, according to the AP
• Israel’s military says one soldier has been killed and three others have been wounded during battle in southern Lebanon.
• Israeli forces continue to bomb southern and eastern Lebanon, with an air raid damaging the Tebnin government hospital and resulting in casualties.
• Lebanon’s and Israel’s envoys are due to meet in Washington, DC, at 11am local time (15:00 GMT) for what the Lebanese government has described as a “preliminary meeting”. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will also join the talks.
• US Energy Secretary Chris Wright says oil prices could keep rising until “we get meaningful ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz”.

• 20m ago

   (04:50 GMT)

  

  Israel ‘more concerned’ about Iran’s ballistic missiles than US

  Former US Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs Jeffrey Feltman has told Al Jazeera that Israel is far more focused on Iran’s ballistic missile programme than the US, creating a growing “divergence” in their perspectives on the war.

  “The US and Israel went into this war together, but increasingly, you’re seeing a divergence, where the Israelis are much, much more concerned about [Iran’s] ballistic missile programme than we are,” Feltman said.

  “And now, I would suspect our Gulf allies are much more concerned about their ballistic missile programme, given that the security blanket they thought was there has been penetrated repeatedly.”
• 30m ago

   (04:40 GMT)

  Nearly 100 people arrested at New York protest against arms sales to Israel

  Police in New York City have arrested about 90 protesters in Manhattan as they stopped traffic to protest against the war on Iran and the US’s arms sales to Israel.

  Jewish Voice for Peace, the group leading the protest, said those taken into custody included whistleblower Chelsea Manning, actor Hari Nef and New York City Council Member Alexa Aviles.

  According to The Associated Press news agency, the crowd of hundreds initially attempted to stage a sit-in inside the Manhattan offices of Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, whom they accused of abetting Israel’s intensifying attacks in Lebanon and the US-Israel war on Iran.

  After security blocked the demonstrators from entering the building, they stopped traffic outside, chanting “Fund people, not bombs!” as they were arrested and loaded onto three buses.