President Donald Trump said a US naval blockade against Iran could last months, leading oil prices to spike to their highest level in more than four years, which held into Thursday.
Trump is expected to receive a briefing on Thursday on new plans for potential military action in Iran from Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of US Central Command, two sources with knowledge told Axios.
BERLIN, April 29 (Reuters) - German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Wednesday his relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump remained good despite a row between the two men over the Iran war, but he reiterated his worries over the economic impact of the conflict.
The spat reflects diverging views between the Trump administration and its European NATO allies on Iran and other issues, including the Ukraine conflict.
ATHENS, April 29 (Reuters) - Greece said on Wednesday it had agreed with Qatar to bolster cooperation in areas including trade, energy and defence, extending a deal first struck in 2024.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani discussed bilateral ties and investment opportunities in Greek infrastructure, energy and data centres, Mitsotakis' office said.
MOSCOW, April 29 (Reuters) - Russia plans to stay in OPEC+ despite a decision by the United Arab Emirates to leave, the Kremlin said on Wednesday, voicing hopes the alliance of oil producers would continue to operate amid turmoil in the global energy market.
The UAE said on Tuesday it would quit the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, dealing a blow to the group as an energy crisis triggered by the Iran war has exposed rifts among Gulf nations.
The UAE was the fourth-largest producer in OPEC+, while Russia is second, behind Saudi Arabia.
DUBAI/WASHINGTON, April 29 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday urged Iran to 'get smart soon' and sign a deal, following days of deadlock in efforts to end the conflict and a media report that the U.S. would extend its blockade of Iran's ports.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump, who has said Iran can call if it wants to talk and has stressed repeatedly Tehran cannot have a nuclear weapon, said the country 'couldn't get its act together.'
By Jonathan Allen and Maria Tsvetkova
WASHINGTON/NEW YORK, April 29 (Reuters) - Britain's King Charles and his wife Queen Camilla arrive in New York on Wednesday to commemorate victims of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks on the city, part of a four-day state visit to the U.S.
By Andrew Chung
WASHINGTON, April 29 (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court examines on Wednesday moves by President Donald Trump's administration to strip humanitarian protections from hundreds of thousands of Haitian and Syrian immigrants, part of his signature immigration crackdown.
The latest developments in the Middle East war:
- Long blockade -
US President Donald Trump has told national security officials to prepare for a long blockade of Iran's ports in order to compel Tehran to give up its nuclear program, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Trump, according to the report, does not believe that Iran is negotiating in good faith and hopes it can be forced to suspend uranium enrichment for 20 years and accept tight restrictions thereafter.
- 'No more Mr. Nice Guy' -
By Antoni Slodkowski and Ben Blanchard
BEIJING/TAIPEI, April 29 (Reuters) - For 23 million Taiwanese, the most consequential diplomatic meeting of 2026 may be one to which they are not invited.
When U.S. President Donald Trump travels to Beijing next month, his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping has made clear that Taiwan will sit at the top of his agenda, a stark departure from their South Korea meeting last year, where he deliberately set the issue aside.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth repeatedly clashed with Democratic lawmakers over the Iran war on Wednesday, in his first testimony to Congress since President Donald Trump launched the conflict two months ago.
Appearing before the House Armed Services Committee, Hegseth quickly struck a combative tone, saying in his opening remarks that the main challenge at this point is the "defeatist words of congressional Democrats and some Republicans."
