The U.S. Central Command reports that 21 ships have been turned back since the start of the blockade.
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April 18, 2026 (Saturday)
2 minutes to read
Armed conflicts and attacks
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy announces that the Strait of Hormuz is closed again until the blockade ends.
A French soldier is killed and three are injured in a shooting against United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon peacekeepers in Deir Kifa, southern Lebanon. France has accused Hezbollah of being responsible, an allegation that the group has denied.
Iran says that a date for another round of talks with the United States has not been set, pending an agreement on a framework for negotiations.
The Gaza health ministry updates the total Palestinian casualties to 72,549 killed and 172,274 injured, including at least 773 killed and 2,171 injured since the October 2025 ceasefire.
Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf says that ceasefire negotiations have progressed but also states that a deal is far from ready.
Israel's military establishes a "Yellow line" along southern Lebanon similar to the one in Gaza. Israel conducts strikes against individuals it says approach its forces in violation of ceasefire arrangements, including operations targeting positions and tunnels linked to Hezbollah.
Arts and culture
At the Coachella festival in Empire Polo Club, Indio, California, American rock band The Strokes shows videos accusing the Central Intelligence Agency of enforcing regime change through violence while performing "Oblivius" and also denounce the U.S.-Israel strikes against Iran.
Disasters and accidents
Thirteen people are killed by lightning strikes across Bangladesh.
International relations
Australia and Japan sign an agreement for the delivery of the first stealth ships under a AU$10 billion (US$7.2 billion) program to supply the Australian navy with a new fleet of warships.
India's external affairs ministry summons the ambassador of Iran after an Indian-flagged tanker was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz.
Headed by Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez, left-wing heads of government gather at the IV Meeting in Defense of Democracy and Progressive Global Mobilization in Barcelona. Participants include Brazil's Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Colombia's Gustavo Petro, Kosovo's Albin Kurti, Mexico's Claudia Sheinbaum, South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa, and Uruguay's Yamandú Orsi.
Law and crime
Six people are killed and 15 others are injured, including a child, in a mass shooting in Holosiivskyi District, Kyiv, Ukraine. The gunman barricaded himself inside a supermarket and took hostages before being killed by police.
Rawalpindi shuts down cafés, restaurants, gyms, markets, and marriage halls in preparation of possible Iran–U.S. talks.
Two Indian citizens are killed in a shooting outside a Sikh temple in Covo, Province of Bergamo, Italy.
Three people are killed in a stabbing attack during the filming of the TV series Sin senos sí hay paraíso in Laches, Bogotá, Colombia.
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