Trump trashes latest peace offer; State Dept. admits it's Israel's war;  US/Israel prepares next defeat, Germany sends help; Iran mines strait - IRAN WAR NEWS - 25-Apr-2026 (update 2)

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UPDATE 2

Trump Claims Iran Submitted Improved Offer

United States President Donald Trump claimed on April 25 that Iran submitted a response to Washington's latest proposal for a nuclear deal minutes after he announced that his top envoys would not be making the trip to Pakistan to meet with Tehran's negotiators.

Trump told reporters that the latest Iranian proposal was much better than the previous one, but still not good enough for the U.S.

"The Iranians gave us a paper that should have been better and interestingly, the minute I cancelled it, within 10 minutes, we got a new paper that was much better... They offered a lot but not enough," Trump said.

[...]

A second round of talks between the two sides will likely be held in Islamabad soon. Still, efforts to reach a deal on ending the war appear to be deadlocked.

Iran has demanded that the U.S. end its blockade of Iranian ports as a condition for resuming talk. Meanwhile, Trump has indicated that he prefers to keep the ceasefire with Iran in place, while at the same time maintaining the blockade, evidently believing that Tehran will capitulate to all of Washington's demands under the economic pressure.

12bytes: Trump may want an off-ramp, but it doesn't look like Israel will allow it. The part about Iran's government being in disarray is yet another lie according to everything i'm hearing.

Iran not to enter talks under pressure, threats, blockade: Pres. Pezeshkian

"As long as the United States' hostile actions and operational pressures do not cease, rebuilding trust and making progress on the path of dialogue will face serious difficulty," he stated.

The president advised Washington that, in order to create the conditions for resolving standing issues, it first has to remove operational obstacles such as the blockade.

"The Islamic Republic will not enter imposed negotiations under pressure, threats, or blockade."

April 25: Iran presents workable framework to end war as US sinks deeper into internal turmoil

On Day 57 of the imposed war, Iran demonstrated confidence and cohesion as the US strategy showed mutating signs of failure, contradiction, and internal turmoil.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he presented a "workable framework" to Pakistani mediators for ending the US-Israeli war of aggression during his visit to Islamabad.

Washington abruptly cancelled a high-profile trip of US envoys it had announced only a day earlier, highlighting deep confusion and disagreements inside the Trump administration.

Iran's top military command warned that continued American "piracy and blockade" in the Strait of Hormuz would trigger a decisive response.

President Masoud Pezeshkian and judiciary chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Ejei, in social media posts, invoked historic US defeats, from Tabas in 1980 to the recent failed operation in Isfahan, to insist that Washington cannot impose a naval siege on a nation that has repeatedly turned American aggression into humiliation.

Political cracks in the US camp widened, as the State Department admitted in an official release that it entered the war against Iran "on behalf of Israel."

European allies distanced themselves, intelligence reports confirmed US understatements of battlefield losses, and polls showed Trump bleeding support within his own base.

Key developments on day 57 of the war, the eighteenth day of the ceasefire:

• FM Araghchi said he presented "a workable framework" to Pakistani mediators aimed at putting a lasting end to the US-Israeli war of aggression against the Islamic Republic during his "very fruitful visit" to Islamabad.
• US President Donald Trump abruptly cancelled a planned visit to Pakistan by his son-in-law, Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff, a trip the White House had announced just a day earlier. Tehran, for its part, had never confirmed any intention of holding direct talks with the American side.
• Iran's central military command warned that the continued naval "piracy, blockade, and banditry" by American forces in the region will be met with a decisive response from the Iranian armed forces.
• Iran's High Council for Human Rights condemned the American blockade of Iranian ports and the seizure of an Iranian commercial vessel, the Touska, as crimes surpassing maritime piracy and state terrorism, and amounting to collective punishment against millions of Iranian civilians.
• President Pezeshkian warned the world's arrogant powers to learn from history, as divine intervention delivered yet another crushing defeat to the United States in Isfahan, much like its humiliating failure in Tabas 46 years ago.
• Iran's judiciary chief, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Ejei, warned that Washington cannot impose a naval siege on the Islamic Republic, vowing that the historic defeats of US forces at Tabas and Isfahan will be repeated in the waters of the Persian Gulf.
• Iran's parliament speaker and lead negotiator, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, warned that access to US assets could tighten in the West Asian region if tensions escalate, urging investors to "get out while open."
• Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior advisor to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Sayyed Mojtaba Khamenei, said while Iran stands united in the face of its enemies, a "deep fracture" is widening in the relations between the United States and its traditional European allies.
• Iran's ministry of intelligence announced the arrest of a "veteran" spy working for the Israeli regime, along with 15 members of separatist terrorist groups, following operations in different Iranian provinces.
• In a government release, the US Department of State admitted that Washington entered the recent war of aggression against Iran "at the request of" the Israeli regime.
• Attacks carried out by Iran on US bases in the West Asia region in response to US-Israeli aggression on the country caused more extensive damage than has been publicly declared by US authorities, a report by NBC News showed.
• A surprising 21 percent of Republicans who voted for Trump in the 2024 presidential election support impeaching him, a recent poll by Strength in Numbers/Verasight revealed.
• The Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRSC) announced that 7,125 people were pulled out alive from under the rubble during the recent US-Israeli war of aggression against the country.
• The United States froze $344m in cryptocurrency assets linked to Iran, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said, as Washington seeks to raise pressure on Tehran.
• Bessent told The Associated Press that Washington will not renew waivers for Russian oil shipments in transit, and that any extension for Iranian oil is "completely out of the question."
• Washington imposed fresh sanctions on a major China-based refinery and about 40 shipping firms and tankers.
• The US military stated that it now has three aircraft carriers in West Asia for the first time since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
• The market for liquefied natural gas (LNG), strained by the ongoing war, will remain "tight" through 2026 and 2027, the International Energy Agency said.
• Brent crude futures inched up, closing above $105 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate, the US benchmark, fell 1.5 percent to $94.40. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 gained 0.8 percent, pushing the US stock index to a new record high.

Nowhere to Hide: Maglan's Secret Agents Exposed to the World - Handala Hack Team

Handala Special Statement: Exposing 100 Senior Officers of the Israeli Maglan Unit

Once again, Handala has shattered the so-called impenetrable security wall of the Zionist regime by revealing the full identities and details of 100 senior officers from the Maglan Unit for the first time ever.

Maglan, one of Israel's most elite and feared special forces units, is notorious for its ultra-secret operations deep inside enemy territory, engaging in covert missions, intelligence gathering, targeting strategic enemy assets (such as missile systems and bases), and participating in asymmetric and anti-guerrilla warfare.

The Grayzone visits ruins of US aircraft in Iran

Today, foreign journalists were permitted for the first time to visit the site of the fierce battle between US and Iranian forces in Isfahan.

Among them was The Grayzone's Wyatt Reed, who documented the wreckage of US warplanes and found Iranians celebrating their destruction.

UPDATE 1

Israel dragged US into war against Iran, State Department confirms

In a government release written earlier this week, the department's legal adviser, Reed Rubinstein, detailed how the US "is engaged in this conflict at the request of its Israeli ally."

[...]

The candid admission directly contradicts the White House and US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly insisted that Israel had nothing to do with his decision to spark another unpopular war in West Asia.

Trump has constantly complained online about the circling narrative, claiming on the social media platform Truth Social that "Israel never talked me into the war with Iran."

US involvement in the war of aggression against Iran was reportedly arranged following a February 11 meeting between Trump, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and several US and Israeli officials in the White House Situation Room.

[...]

US military commanders advised Trump that components of Netanyahu's plan to attack Iran were "farcical," but by that point, Trump had already been inspired to begin the aggression.

It is likely that Netanyahu continues to hold the reins.

Ex-CIA officer reveals Trump ignored 18 US intelligence on Iran not being threat - YouTube

Former CIA officer John Kiriakou said he's "embarrassed" and "ashamed" by US President Donald Trump's sidelining of US' own intelligence agencies on Iran.

Speaking to Al Mayadeen, Kiriakou argued that the entire US intelligence community, from the CIA to the NSA and military intelligence branches, had concluded Iran posed no direct threat to the United States.

Yet, he said, that assessment was brushed aside, as Trump relied on "intelligence on Iran from the Mossad," while Israeli leaks openly claimed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had persuaded Washington to act.

US failed to extract Iran's enriched uranium - analyst to RT (VIDEO) - RT World News

The US rescue operation inside Iran earlier this month was actually a botched attempt by Washington to seize Tehran's enriched uranium, geostrategic analyst Christopher Helali has said.

He gave an exclusive interview to RT on Saturday from a site outside the city of Isfahan where the Iranian authorities displayed the wreckage of American aircraft destroyed in the area on April 3-5.

Washington confirmed the loss of two MC-130J Hercules transport planes, four MH-6 Little Bird helicopters, an A-10 Thunderbolt and an MQ-9 Reaper drone during what US President Donald Trump called "one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in US History" to recover the pilot of an F-15E Strike Eagle, which had been downed by Iran.

Helali insisted that the rescue mission was just a cover up for "an enrichment uranium extraction operation by the US special forces."

"The scale of destruction of all of the equipment left behind showed that this was a major operation - probably weeks and months in planning - and clearly it absolutely failed," he said.

Iran's foreign minister leaves Pakistan as Trump cancels visit by US envoys

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi left Islamabad on Saturday after holding discussions with senior Pakistani officials on regional security and a ceasefire with the United States, during which he presented Iran's demands on ending the eight-week war.

U.S. Military Build Up Detected In UAE's Dhafra Air Base

The United States military has deployed additional warplanes at Dhafra Air Base near Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, satellite images shared on social media on April 24 and 25 revealed.

Dhafrah is considered critical for the operations of the U.S. military in the Middle East. The base hosts advanced intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft.

The recent deployment at the air base includes at least 12 F/A-18A/C/D Hornet fighter jets from the Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 312 of the U.S. Marine Corps, in addition to a number of A-10C+ Thunderbolt II attack jets from the U.S. Air Force.

At least seven aerial refueling tankers from the air force were also spotted in the satellite images, taken by the European Sentinel-2.

Iran's strikes on US bases more destructive than publicly admitted: Report

Attacks carried out by Iran on US bases in the West Asia region in response to US-Israeli aggression on the country caused more extensive damage than it has been publicly declared by US authorities, a new report shows.

The Saturday report by NBC News said that US military bases and equipment in the region suffered massive damage because of Iranian airstrikes despite having proper air defenses in place.

It said Iran used missiles, drones, and even F-5 fighter jets to target US bases in the region, the report said, despite previous claims by US authorities that the Iranian air force had failed to use fighter jets against American targets.

Iran better win a grammy for best new artist and album of the year. LEGO

NEW IRANIAN LEGO MOVIE TITLED NETANYAHU HAS CANCER?!

Larry Johnson: Iran JUST Escorted Tankers Past US Blockade - Israel Waiting for Greenlight to ATTACK

Critical analysis of US-Iran tensions: the naval blockade intercepts only ~10% of vessels while US precision missile stockpiles face severe depletion, with replenishment taking years. Strait of Hormuz disruption threatens global oil, fertilizer, and food supplies, triggering cascading economic consequences worldwide. Iran's diplomatic outreach to Russia, Pakistan, and Oman strengthens alternative alliances as BRICS realignment away from the petrodollar accelerates. NATO fractures deepen amid European energy crises and divergent strategic interests. Experts warn the full economic impact is building like a tsunami-initially subtle, then rapidly devastating-with no viable military solution available. Diplomacy on Iran's terms emerges as the only sustainable path forward. Leadership concerns, internal administration tensions, and questions over decision-making compound escalating geopolitical stakes as the conflict reshapes global power dynamics.

Irans military warns of decisive response if illegal US naval blockade continues

"If the aggressive US military continues its blockade, piracy, and maritime banditry in the region, they can be certain that they will face the reaction of Iran's powerful armed forces," the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters said in statement on Saturday.

Sea Blockade Trap: How the US Got Locked Into Iran Conflict

Blocked Blockhead and His Blockheaded Blockade-Blocking Blockade (FFWNwith Wyatt Peterson)

The self-proclaimed "very stable genius" had a very bad week of attempted blockade-blocking. Wyatt Peterson and Kevin Barrett break down the week's headlines.

60 former UK ambassadors warn of Israel's West Bank annexation steps - Middle East Monitor

In a letter published in the Financial Times on Friday, more than 80 former diplomats - including 60 ambassadors, high commissioners and senior officials - said Israel's expansionist activity and policies in the occupied Palestinian territories amounted to "accelerating annexation."

"America is indeed falling out of love with Israel. So is Europe. While the world watches Iran and Lebanon, Israel extends control over the West Bank and Gaza. Its accelerating annexation is unmistakable," the letter said.

17 Palestinians killed in Gaza in 48 hours - Yemen Press Agency

GAZA, April 25 (YPA) - The Ministry of Health in Gaza announced on Saturday that the total number of martyrs who arrived at Gaza Strip hospitals in the past 48 hours was 17, including 13 martyrs in the last 24 hours.

Israeli politician Yitzik Kroizer says "there are no innocent children in the West Bank."

Israeli politician Yitzik Kroizer says killing Palestinian children is normal if it supports the IDF mission. He adds there are no innocent children in the West Bank.

Netanyahu orders Israeli army to vigorously attack Hezbollah positions | Middle East Eye

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the country's military to "forcefully attack" Hezbollah positions in Lebanon, despite a ceasefire that was extended earlier this week, according to a brief statement from his office.

IDF BULLDOZING solar panels in southern Lebanese village of Debl

Israel destroyed the statue of Jesus Christ in the Christian village of Debel, South Lebanon. Now they're bulldozing the solar panels that provide electricity and water. Not military targets. Critical infrastructure. This is the deliberate targeting of civilian life.

The Gulf's Illusion of Security Has Collapsed

The Gulf Cooperation Council's model was built on a comforting illusion: that oil wealth could fund perpetual transformation while US protection could absorb regional risk. Recent Iranian strikes on energy infrastructure - and the muted limits of deterrence that followed - have shattered both assumptions.

IN OTHER NEWS...

MASSIVE RANT!! Americans are losing it realizing they work more than peasants used to work.

This post has a quarter of a million "Likes" in 48 hours.

"I've actually f*cking had it with the United States of America - I gotta go to work 40 sometimes 50 hours a week only to get 2 weeks of paid vacation - peasants used to get 154 days off. I'm not even treated like a f*cking peasant"

END UPDATES

Morning update | Middle East Eye

Diplomacy hangs in the balance as Islamabad remains under lockdown and mixed signals continue over US-Iran talks. Meanwhile, the Hormuz crisis is rippling across global trade, energy markets and regional security.

Here are the latest updates:

• Islamabad locked down as envoys arrive: US officials land for talks, but Iran insists no direct meeting is planned.
• Talks in limbo despite mediation push. Tehran says it will only convey its position through Pakistan, adding to uncertainty.
• Hormuz standoff escalates further as thousands of sailors remain stranded and maritime tensions disrupt one of the world's busiest routes.
• Global trade routes remain under pressure as Panama Canal fees surge to $4m amid ship rerouting to avoid the Strait of Hormuz.
• US tightens economic squeeze on Iran with Washington ruling out oil waivers and freezing $344 m in Iran-linked assets.
• Iran signals military strength: Officials say much of its missile capability remains unused despite weeks of conflict.
• Israeli attacks continue across Gaza and the West Bank, with fresh strikes reported in Gaza, while arrests intensify in the West Bank.
• Regional tensions widen beyond Iran as Hezbollah claims attacks in south Lebanon while Lebanon's leadership rejects being drawn into regional bargaining.

He let it slip out...

India, China Urge Citizens to Leave Iran 'as Soon as Possible'

The Indian Embassy in Tehran advised its nationals "not to travel to Iran, whether by air or land," citing ongoing airspace restrictions and operational uncertainties due to regional tensions.

Pistorius: German Navy ships will be sent to the Mediterranean Sea

The German authorities will send part of their naval forces to the Mediterranean Sea in advance in case they participate in an operation in the Strait of Hormuz, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said.

12bytes: That reminds me: German Coast guard trainee - YouTube

Russian MP says Iran undefeatable as 30 million Iranians ready to sacrifice life

"The fact that today more than 30 million Iranian men and women are ready to put on combat uniforms and take up arms speaks for itself; no one can defeat such a people," Kartapolov said.

More than 30 million Iranians - and counting - including the country's top officials, have registered in a campaign to sacrifice their lives in the imposed war.

Kartapolov also condemned as "brutal" the US-Israeli aggression, referring to its targeting of civilian facilities, including an elementary school in Minab, where 170 children and teachers were killed.

Iran arrests 'veteran' Mossad spy, separatist terrorists in nationwide operations

Iran's Ministry of Intelligence has announced the arrest of a "veteran" spy working for the Israeli regime, along with 15 members of separatist terrorist groups, following operations in different provinces.

Iran Outplaying US Navy in Strait of Hormuz With Sea Mines

Iran has laid low-cost mines in Hormuz using mini-submarines and small vessels, creating a prolonged, asymmetric threat the US cannot quickly neutralize, retired Russian Navy Captain First Rank Vasily Dandykin tells Sputnik.

These mines can lie dormant for months before activating. Tehran has already marked safe shipping routes along its coastline - while leaving the rest of the Strait dangerous.

Iran's mine threat has laid bare the US Navy's vulnerabilities:

• Limited mine countermeasures (clearing could take 6+ months)
• No diesel-electric submarines
• Relies on carrier groups (forced hundreds of kilometers away by missile threats, reducing airpower reach)
• Large ships struggle in confined waters while submarines are vulnerable to mines.

Hezbollah carries out five operations in response to Israeli violations - Yemen Press Agency

BEIRUT, April 25 (YPA) - The Islamic Resistance in Lebanon (Hezbollah) carried out five operations against Israeli targets in response to repeated violations of the ceasefire in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah issued five consecutive statements on Friday to illustrate the Resistance operations and their outcomes.

Statement 1

In defense of Lebanon and its people, and in response to the "Israeli" enemy's violation of the ceasefire and its breach of Lebanese airspace, the Islamic Resistance fighters shot down at 14:10 on Friday 24-04-2026 an "Israeli" enemy army drone of the type "Hermes 450 - Zik" in the airspace of the Tyre-Al-Housh area with a surface-to-air missile.

Statement 2

In defense of Lebanon and its people, and in response to the "Israeli" enemy's violation of the ceasefire through its attack on civilians in Touline town, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted at 13:00 on Friday 24-04-2026 a gathering of "Israeli" enemy army soldiers in Al-Qantara town with a loitering glider, achieving a confirmed hit.

Statement 3

In defense of Lebanon and its people, and in response to the "Israeli" enemy's violation of the ceasefire through an airstrike on Kherbet Selem town in southern Lebanon, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted at 13:00 on Friday 24-04-2026 a military vehicle belonging to the "Israeli" enemy army in Al-Qantara town with a loitering glider, achieving a confirmed hit.

Statement 4

In defense of Lebanon and its people, and in response to the "Israeli" enemy's violation of the ceasefire and the targeting of a car on the Shoukine road in southern Lebanon, the fighters of the Islamic Resistance targeted a Humvee vehicle belonging to the "Israeli" enemy army at the entrance of the town of Al-Qantara at 18:30 on Friday, 24/04/2026, with appropriate weapons, achieving a confirmed hit.

Statement 5

In defense of Lebanon and its people, and in response to the "Israeli" enemy's violation of the ceasefire by demolishing houses in the villages of southern Lebanon, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted, at 14:30 on Friday, 24/04/2026, an armored troop carrier belonging to the "Israeli" enemy army in the town of Ramiyeh with an attack drone, achieving a confirmed hit.

Video footage shows Hezbollah targeting Israeli command vehicle (Humvee) in southern Lebanon - Yemen Press Agency

BEIRUT, April 25 (YPA) - The Islamic Resistance in Lebanon (Hezbollah) released video footage showing its fighters targeting a command vehicle (Humvee) belonging to the "Israeli" enemy army in the town of Al-Qantara in southern Lebanon with an attack drone.

Iran says deep-buried 'bunker-buster' bomb neutralised | Middle East Eye

An unexploded "bunker buster" bomb dropped during attacks on Iran has been safely neutralised in Yazd Province, according to Tasnim News Agency.

The bomb was buried about 13 metres underground in a residential area after failing to detonate.

CNN to turn more pro-war on Iran after takeover by Israel-linked family

In the United States, many say that decades of consolidation in the mass media industry have produced an uncritical press whose goals seem to be aligned with the military-industrial complex.

Another major media merger is now set to be approved, and it's expected to turn the nation's news channel of record - CNN - even more in favor of an unprovoked war jointly launched by the US and the Israeli regime on Iran.

Cost of US Operation Against Iran Exceeds $61Bln - Reports

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The cost of the US operation against Iran has exceeded $61 billion, according to the Iran War Cost Tracker.

US sanctions China's 'teapot' refinery for buying Iranian oil | US-Israel war on Iran News | Al Jazeera

Ahead of potential new talks on ending the US-Israeli war on Iran, the US Treasury Department on Friday said that it was targeting Hengli Petrochemical (Dalian) Refinery, China's second-largest "teapot" or independent refinery.

Israel threatens residents against returning to south Lebanon | Middle East Eye

The Israeli army has once again threatened Lebanese residents against returning to their homes in southern Lebanon.

[...]

Adraee also named dozens of villages - located within the Israeli-established "Yellow Line", roughly 10 kilometres inside southern Lebanon - where residents are not allowed to return.

Israel brings 240 immigrants from India under long-term plan: Report - Middle East Monitor

Under the plan, around 1,200 additional immigrants are expected to arrive by the end of 2026, with the full relocation of approximately 6,000 people projected by 2030.

[...]

The development comes amid a rise in what Israeli data describe as "reverse migration," with about 82,000 Israelis leaving the country in 2024 and more than 69,000 departing in 2025 amid the ongoing war.

IN OTHER NEWS...

Mainstream media ignoring Pentagon leak footage - journalist (VIDEO) - RT World News

Major US networks have turned a blind eye to an explosive undercover video in which a senior Pentagon official spoke about Ukraine's rampant corruption and civilian casualties resulting from the war on Iran, O'Keefe Media Group journalist Michael Casey has told RT.

Speaking to RT on Friday, Casey weighed in on footage that O'Keefe Media Group released earlier this week, apparently showing Andrew Hugg, a Pentagon nuclear safety officer, revealing secrets to a woman he met on a dating app.

The official was recorded confirming that US airstrikes did cause collateral child casualties in Iran, discussing nerve agents stored in Maryland, and alleging that Ukrainian officials had pocketed US taxpayer funds going back to the Obama administration.

US to Return $159 Billion in Tariffs - Trump

President Donald Trump said the US is now supposed to give back $159 billion in tariffs following what he described as a "horrible and ridiculous" Supreme Court decision.

The tariffs were introduced in 2025 as part of Trump's trade policy, with courts later ruling the administration exceeded its authority.