Stream

A leaked exchange suggests Sergey Lavrov coordinated with Hungary’s foreign minister Szijjarto to block Ukraine’s EU accession talks, discussing minority rights wording as a key lever in negotiations. The interaction points to alignment between Moscow and Budapest on slowing Kyiv’s EU path.

❗️Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz, — WSJ.

They stated that only about 10 ships will be allowed to pass through the strait per day, and they will charge duties from them. Earlier, the White House stated that they would only hold negotiations with Iran on the condition that the Strait of Hormuz would be open.

New reporting reveals the Pentagon threatened Pope Leo XIV’s ambassador over the Pope's anti-war statements:

"America has the military power to do whatever it wants in the world. The Catholic Church had better take its side.”

The Trump administration is now cooking up a plan to punish NATO allies who were “unhelpful” during the Iran war.

He went from “NATO is obsolete” to “NATO didn’t help me bomb Iran enough” to “time to punish the bad allies.”

Trump's turning a military alliance into a middle-school popularity contest.

Source:
@WSJ

POLITICO: Oil companies are quietly pushing back against Trump’s Iran peace plan because it could allow Iran to charge tolls on ships using the Strait of Hormuz.

Executives warn that adding fees of around $2–2.5 million per shipment, along with higher insurance costs, would drive up global oil prices and could even expose companies to sanctions violations.

They’ve been raising these concerns with officials like Marco Rubio and JD Vance, though the administration appears open to considering Iran’s proposal.

An "unnamed" trader placed a $52M short on oil right before the peace agreement was announced.

This person made $174M in 3 hours time.

Only 4 vessels have managed to cross the Strait of Hormuz since the ceasefire started, none tankers -NYT

The last transit was yesterday morning, no vessels have completed a crossing since the IRGC declared Hormuz closed due to ceasefire violations.

❗️Spiegel: Trump demands European allies provide concrete military contributions to operations in the Strait of Hormuz within days, according to diplomats briefed by NATO chief Mark Rutte. The request includes warships or other capabilities.

Iranian President Pezeshkian: Israeli strikes on Lebanon are "a flagrant violation" of the ceasefire and a sign of "deceit."

"The continuation of these aggressions will render negotiations meaningless.

Only a single tanker has passed through the Strait of Hormuz over the last 24 hours -Reuters.

An additional 5 dry bulk carriers made the transit.

The US did not consult with Israel about the negotiations with Iran. Trump only called Netanyahu shortly before announcing a ceasefire. Israel was dissatisfied - The Wall Street Journal.

Ukraine will not stop strikes on Russian territory despite requests from partners, Presidential Office Head Kyrylo Budanov says. He stressed that Kyiv is acting in its own national interest amid ongoing war, despite differing views from allies.

Stream

Putin announced an Easter ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine

According to the Kremlin, the ceasefire will last from 16:00 on April 11 until the end of the day on April 12, 2026.