ROME, April 30 (Reuters) - Italy condemns Israel's seizure of aid ships bound for Gaza and demands the immediate release of all Italians who have been "unlawfully detained," Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's office said on Thursday.

Israel intercepted the vessels in international waters near Greece late on Wednesday, a move the organizers -- Global Sumud Flotilla -- called an act of piracy against boats carrying humanitarian aid to the war-ravaged Palestinian enclave.

The latest developments in the Middle East war:

— Air defences activated in Iran: local media -

Air defences were heard in the Iranian capital Tehran on Thursday night after they were activated to counter small aircraft and drones, Iran's Tasnim and Fars news agencies reported.

Air defences were active for about 20 minutes and the city returned to a "normal situation", according to the news agencies.

- US urges meeting of Israel, Lebanon leaders -

TOKYO, April 30 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Thursday that she will continue all diplomatic efforts to ensure the passage of all vessels though the Strait of Hormuz.

Takaichi made the comment after phone talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Takaichi said that in the process of ensuring the safe passage of a Japanese-related vessel through the Strait of Hormuz, she personally appealed directly to the president and, together with the foreign minister and the embassy, carried out various diplomatic efforts.

April 30 (Reuters) - Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said in a published written message on Thursday that a new chapter for the Gulf and Strait of Hormuz has been taking shape since the Iran war with the United States and Israel broke out on February 28.

Iran's Supreme Leader said that Tehran would secure the Gulf region and eliminate what he described as "the enemy's abuses of the waterway."

The Supreme Leader added that new management of the Strait of Hormuz would bring calm, progress and economic benefits to all Gulf nations.

April 30 (Reuters) - Imprisoned Tunisian opposition leader Rached Ghannouchi has suffered a sharp deterioration in his health and has been urgently transferred from prison to hospital, his Ennahda party said on Thursday.

Ghannouchi, 84, a fierce critic of President Kais Saied and a dominant figure in Tunisian politics since the country's 2011 uprising, was arrested in 2023 as part of a broader crackdown on opposition figures.

Israel said on Thursday that dozens of activists intercepted by its military on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in international waters off Crete would be taken to Greece.

Israel's foreign ministry earlier said around 175 activists had been taken off more than 20 boats.

The flotilla was the latest attempt by pro-Palestinian activists seeking to break Israel's blockade on Gaza, with organisers putting the number of detained at 211, including a Paris city councillor.

BEIRUT, April 30 (Reuters) - The Israeli military warned residents of eight Lebanese towns outside of the "buffer zone" to leave their homes immediately on Thursday ahead of strikes.

The "buffer zone" in southern Lebanon was occupied by Israeli troops before a ceasefire that was announced earlier this month but has failed to fully halt hostilities.

(Reporting by Maya Gebeily; Editing by Alex Richardson)

By Humeyra Pamuk

WASHINGTON/DUBAI/ISLAMABAD, April 29 (Reuters) - The United States is pressing ahead with plans for an international coalition to open the Strait of Hormuz, according to a State Department cable seen by Reuters, as oil prices surge on fears of lengthy disruptions to global fuel supplies.

Two months into the war that started with U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, the vital sea channel remains closed, choking off 20% of the world's supplies of oil and gas. That has sent global energy prices surging and heightened concerns about the risks of an economic downturn.

By Wa Lone

TORONTO, April 30 (Reuters) - With fighting between the United States, Israel and Iran at a fragile standstill, Iran's large North American diaspora is divided over what should come next.

Demonstrators at a rally in Toronto on Sunday said they hope U.S. President Donald Trump will continue with military intervention aimed at regime change in Tehran. Others, while opposed to the Islamic Republic, said the war has only deepened suffering in Iran without delivering democracy.

By Gwladys Fouche and Nerijus Adomaitis

OSLO, April 30 (Reuters) - Some 287 candidates will be considered for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, the secretary of the Norwegian Nobel Committee said on Thursday, with U.S. President Donald Trump likely to be among the nominees.

Of this year's nominations, 208 are individuals and 79 are organisations, said Kristian Berg Harpviken, adding that there were many new nominees compared to last year.