Lebanon Israel Iran War

Residents sit on a sofa in front of charred cars at the site of a building destroyed in an Israeli airstrike last Wednesday in central Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 14, 2026.

As featured on

The Latest: Iran threatens to disrupt Gulf trade in response to US naval blockade

The Latest: Iran threatens to disrupt Gulf trade in response to US naval blockade

The leader of Iran’s joint military command has threatened to halt trade in the Gulf region if the U.S. does not lift its blockade of Iranian ports, while U.S. Central Command says no vessels have made it past U.S. naval forces during the first 48 hours of the blockade. U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday also said the war in Iran was “very close to over" and claimed China has agreed not to provide weapons to Iran. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the U.S. may levy secondary sanctions on financial institutions that do business with Iran. Meanwhile, mediators have made progress with efforts to resume negotiations about a ceasefire extension.