The U.S. will permanently close its consulate in Peshawar, Pakistan, the closest American diplomatic mission to Afghanistan.

The State Department says the move will save about $7.5 million per year and services will shift to the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad.

The closure is part of the Trump administration’s State Department downsizing and is the first overseas diplomatic mission fully shut down under the reorganization.

Source: NBC News

Iranian Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf:

Any aggression against soil of Iranian islands will shatter all restraint.

We will abandon all restraint and make the Persian Gulf run with the blood of invaders.

The blood of American soldiers is Trump's personal responsibility.

The Trump administration abruptly reversed its position on releasing emergency oil reserves during the Iran conflict.

Early Tuesday, U.S. officials told G7 allies that a major release was premature because oil prices had dropped below $90 per barrel.

Less than two hours later, Trump changed course after advisers warned about volatile markets and the risk that Iran could close the Strait of Hormuz.

The International Energy Agency then approved a record release of 400 million barrels from strategic reserves, with the United States contributing more than 100 million barrels even though its reserve is only about 60% full. Some allies were surprised by the sudden shift but agreed to avoid market instability.

Source: WSJ

📸 Israeli Air Force pilot captures an Iranian ballistic missile with a separating warhead (cluster/MIRV-type) in flight.

Nigeria Seeks Energy Partnerships Amid Iran War Oil Crisis

Nigeria’s FM Yusuf Tuggar urged Gulf oil producers to invest in Nigeria as the Iran conflict disrupts shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.

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Orbán Says Ukrainians Threatened Family Ahead of Election

Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán claimed Ukrainians threatened his family as tensions with Kyiv escalate, using the dispute to bolster his campaign ahead of 12 April elections, sources and official statements show.

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Footage shows all six THAAD launchers being removed from the U.S. base in Seongju, South Korea, being redeployed to the Middle East.

The withdrawal will weaken South Korea’s missile defense layer, as THAAD provides the system’s highest-altitude interception capability.

Source: SBS

WATCH: Israeli police arrested the son of a public figure in Lod on suspicion of spray-painting a Palestinian (PLO) flag on the facade of Lod City Hall.

Police released video showing a large raid with heavily armed officers storming a home and detaining the suspect.

WATCH: The moment the U.S.-linked oil tanker Safesea Vishnu was hit in the northern Persian Gulf after allegedly ignoring warnings from Iran’s IRGC Navy.

One Indian crew member was killed.

Turkish National Defense Ministry accused Greece of violating the status of certain islands, saying these actions contravene agreements concluded under international law.

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Experts Accuse RSF of Deliberate Starvation Tactics in Sudan War

Satellite data & sensor evidence by experts show RSF attacks on 41 farming communities in Darfur aimed at destroying food supplies before the siege of El Fasher, raising claims of war crime.

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South Africa Summons U.S. Envoy Over Controversial Remarks

U.S. Ambassador Leo Brent Bozell was summond after remarks criticizing the country’s policies & calling a controversial chant “hate speech,” as tensions rise between Pretoria & Washington over claims about "White Genocide" in South Africa. The Ambassador reportedly apologized.

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An Iranian mother whose two children were killed in a school strike in Minab described the aftermath, saying “I saw mothers clawing at the ground… fathers didn’t know what to do.”

She said her son Sobhan was “very kind, with eyes always ready to cry,” and that after learning of his death “it felt like everything collapsed over my head.”

Denmark’s Energy Minister urged people to reduce fuel use amid the oil shock from the Iran war, saying:

“Please, please, please — if you do not need to drive, do not do so.”

Source: CNBC

The UN says up to 3.2 million people have been internally displaced inside Iran since the war started.

Most civilians are fleeing major cities like Tehran to northern and rural areas, with the UN warning the number could rise as fighting continues.

BREAKING: The first message from Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei, will be released shortly.

Daily Mail report says ongoing Iranian missile and drone attacks on the UAE have shaken Dubai’s reputation as a safe, tax-free hub, prompting some expats to consider leaving.

One resident said, “Everybody knows that Dubai is finished.”

Another said “the shine has definitely been taken off.”

Missile strikes, airport damage, flight cancellations, and strict laws against posting attack footage online have increased fear among residents, with some saying they are “more scared of being fined or jailed for posting the wrong content than… the missiles.”

BIG: U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright says the U.S. Navy is “not ready” to escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz yet.

“It’ll happen relatively soon but it can’t happen now… we’re simply not ready.”

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Iran:

We see that, while some actors are moving in the same direction and thinking along the same lines, there are also attempts to bring separatist scenarios for Iran back onto the agenda.

These efforts aim to provoke a civil war in Iran and ignite conflicts along ethnic or religious fault lines.

We stand firmly against any plan that seeks to fuel such divisions. We are already warning those who wish to drag the region into these kinds of reckless adventures: no one should entertain such illusions.

It is impossible for us to allow a wrong step to be taken.

Iran’s threat to choke the Strait of Hormuz is complicating Trump’s war strategy against Iran, as rising oil prices become almost as important as battlefield outcomes.

“The Iranians f*cking around with the Strait makes him more dug in,” a senior administration official said.

Trump remains confident militarily, but the economic impact worries the White House.

“The president sees the briefings… and he feels good about his decision, militarily,” one adviser said.

“Oil is another matter… There’s plenty of oil. It’s just getting it on the market.”

Source: Axios

German Foreign Minister Wadephul:

Iran’s territorial integrity must be respected, just like the territorial integrity of all states. No one would want to see chaos in Iran.

At this stage, the war must not escalate further.