A CBS News report has cited US officials privy to the matter, to say that Pakistan allowed Iranian military aircraft to be parked in its airfields to shield them from American attacks.
While the US has claimed that there will be talks between an American and Iranian delegation, Iran has said that there will be no direct US-Iran talks this time.
As per a statement issued by the US Department of War, “US forces operating in the Arabian Sea enforced naval blockade measures against an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel attempting to sail toward an Iranian port.”
Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, said that there is no reason for alarm when it comes to the supply of domestic LPG.
Just a day after the ceasefire announcement, Trump had floated the idea of a joint Iran-US toll framework in the Strait of Hormuz. However, after the Iranian and American delegations returned from Pakistan without a deal, Trump remembered that Iran is levying an “illegal toll” on vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Since the possibility of a joint Iran-US venture collapsed, Trump took the task upon himself to end the Iranian ‘extortion’.
Fuel prices in the US have gone up sharply in recent days. The average price of petrol rose to $4.09 per gallon on Friday (3rd April). This is more than a dollar higher compared to just before the conflict began and is the highest level seen since August 2022.
In a national address, PM Starmer said, “The conflict in the Middle East has now entered a second month. And while we are working at pace for de-escalation and peace, it is now clear that the impact of this war will affect the future of our country. So today, I want to reassure the British people that no matter how fierce this storm……we are well-placed to weather it and that we have a long-term plan to emerge from it a stronger and more secure nation.”
During a media interaction at the White House on Tuesday, Trump said, “We'll be leaving very soon. I would say within two weeks, maybe three. We knocked out a tremendous amount of missile-making facilities.”
A CNN report published last week says that around 2,000 to 4,000 paratroopers from the elite 82nd Airborne Division were being flown in as an “Immediate Response Force” prepared for quick insertion operations, in addition to over 4,000 Marines and sailors onboard USS Tripoli and USS Boxer (2,500 Marines and sailors).