Middle East war live: Trump warns Iran ‘better get smart soon’ as peace talks stall
· France 2429/04/2026 - 14:16
French oil giant TotalEnergies won't resume Mideast production until Hormuz stabilised, CEO says
French oil major TotalEnergies will not resume Middle East production until shipping transit through the Strait of Hormuz has stabilised, its CEO said on Wednesday.
About 15% of Total's upstream oil and gas production is offline because it is unable to ship cargoes through the Strait of Hormuz as the Iran war continues, though resulting higher oil prices and increased output in other regions have offset the company's Middle East losses.
"We will wait for a real stabilisation in the Strait of Hormuz before restarting operations," CEO Patrick Pouyanne told analysts after the company reported bumper first-quarter profit, adding that it takes two to three months to restart production.
"Nobody knows how long this war will last ... and in all the scenarios I read, at least $80 per barrel is expected for 2026," Pouyanne added, referring to the outlook for average oil prices.
Pouyanne also said that Mozambique could become "the Qatar of Africa" and that he hoped to speed construction of its liquefied natural gas project in the African country to come online in 2029.
29/04/2026 - 13:24
Lebanon army says Israeli strike in south kills two including soldier
Lebanon's army said Wednesday that one of its soldiers was among two people killed in an Israeli strike in the country's south, the latest deadly raid despite a ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war.
"A soldier and his brother were killed in an Israeli strike that targeted them in the town of Khirbet Selm in Bint Jbeil (district) while they were travelling on a motorbike" heading home from the soldier's post, the army statement said.
The raid comes one day after 11 people including three civil defence personnel were killed in strikes in the country's south, according to updated health ministry figures, while two army troops were also wounded.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has called the strike that killed the civil defence workers a "war crime".
President Joseph Aoun said Wednesday that authorities were keeping up "contacts to consolidate the ceasefire and stop the demolition of homes in occupied southern villages", according to a statement from his office.
29/04/2026 - 13:03
Airlines worldwide cancel flights, raise fares amid Middle East conflict
Ryanair, Transavia, Volotea and other low-cost airlines are feeling the financial pain from high jet fuel prices as a result of the Middle East war and are cutting flights.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has taken a huge chunk of oil supplies off the market, sending the price of jet fuel soaring and triggering fears of shortages that could force airlines to cancel flights.
29/04/2026 - 13:02
UK has asked refineries to maximise jet fuel supply, minister says
Britain has asked UK refineries to maximise jet fuel supply as it continues to plan for a range of contingencies to increase flexibility on supply, the government said on Wednesday.
The comments, made by energy department minister Michael Shanks in a written ministerial statement, come as airlines are facing a major challenge from rising jet fuel prices due to the war in Iran.
29/04/2026 - 12:58
29/04/2026 - 12:46
EU to allow more aid for sectors particularly hard hit by energy crisis
Brussels on Wednesday announced the temporary relaxing of state aid rules to allow EU countries to pour money into sectors badly hit by soaring energy costs.
Oil and gas prices surged in the wake of the US-Israeli war against Iran that began in February.
Now the EU executive said it would allow member states to let public cash flow into particularly hard-hit sectors like farming.
"The impact on our citizens and companies demands immediate answers. They need to be proportionate, they need to be effective," EU competition chief Teresa Ribera said during a press conference in Brussels.
She added the EU was responding to member states' call for "stronger support for energy-intensive industries" and "simple and flexible rules" for sectors that rely on imported fuels while "preserving a coordinated European approach".
For example, EU countries can now give companies in farming, fishing and transport money to cover part of the price increases for fuel or fertilisers based on actual consumption.
The European Commission also provided a simplified option for the same sectors, under which EU states can hand out up to 50,000 euros ($58,500) to beneficiaries without the need for detailed proof of their fuel consumption.
29/04/2026 - 12:29
Iran's highly enriched uranium likely at Isfahan site, UN nuclear chief says
The majority of Iran’s highly enriched uranium is likely still at its Isfahan nuclear complex, which was bombarded by airstrikes last year and faced less intense attacks in this year's US-Israeli war, the head of the UN nuclear agency told The Associated Press.
Rafael Grossi said in an interview on Tuesday that the International Atomic Energy Agency has satellite images showing the effects of the latest US-Israeli air strikes against Iran and that “we continue to get information".
IAEA inspections ended at Isfahan when Israel last June launched a 12-day war that saw the United States bomb three Iranian nuclear sites.
The UN nuclear watchdog believes a large percentage of Iran's highly enriched uranium “was stored there in June 2025 when the 12-day war broke out, and it has been there ever since”, Grossi said.
“We haven't been able to inspect or to reject that the material is there and that the seals — the IAEA seals — remain there,” he said. “I hope we'll be able to do that, so what I tell you is our best estimate.”
29/04/2026 - 12:22
Lebanon army says Israeli strike in south kills two including soldier
Lebanon's army said Wednesday that one of its soldiers was among two people killed in an Israeli strike in the country's south, the latest deadly raid despite a ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war.
"A soldier and his brother were killed in an Israeli strike that targeted them in the town of Khirbet Selm in Bint Jbeil (district) while they were travelling on a motorbike" heading home from the soldier's post, the army statement said.
29/04/2026 - 12:13
Iran's national rial currency hits record low
Iran's national rial currency hits record low of 1.8 million to $1 as shaky ceasefire with US and Israel still holds.
The rial had remained stable for weeks during the war, which began Feb. 28, in part because there was little trading or imports coming into the country.
The rial began to slide two days ago, hitting the record low Wednesday.
Experts warn the fall of the rial is likely to further fuel inflation in a country where many imported goods, from food and medicine to electronics and raw materials, are affected by the dollar rate.
The war is now in a ceasefire, but a US blockade has continued to increase pressure on Iran’s already-battered economy, cutting into a key source of government revenue and hard currency by stopping or intercepting oil shipments.
29/04/2026 - 12:12
After criticism, Germany's Merz says relations are good Trump
Friedrich Merz's relationship with the US president is still good, the German chancellor said on Wednesday after Donald Trump hit back at his criticism of the war in Iran.
"From my perspective, my personal relationship with the US President remains good. I simply had doubts from the start about what was begun with the war in Iran. That is why I have made that clear," said Merz.
On Tuesday, Trump criticised Merz over the war in Iran, saying in a social media post that the German chancellor didn't know what he was talking about.
29/04/2026 - 11:48
Iran rial hits record low against dollar amid US blockade
29/04/2026 - 11:43
North Lebanon, south Israel 'unliveable' as ceasefire falters
FRANCE 24's Noga Tarnopolsky reports from Jerusalem.
29/04/2026 - 11:35
Trump meets with oil executives as Iran stalemate drags on, Axios reports
US President Donald Trump and his top officials met with oil and gas executives including Chevron CEO Mike Wirth at the White House on Tuesday to discuss the energy fallout of the Iran war and other topics, Axios has reported .
White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were present, and topics for the meeting included domestic production, progress in Venezuela, oil futures, natural gas and shipping, according to the Axios report.
29/04/2026 - 11:30
Inside France’s role in countering Iranian drone and missile attacks
French fighter pilots Commander Quentin, Captain Louis and Lieutenant Enzo were initially sent to the Middle East as part of counterterrorism operations. But on February 28, as the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran, their mission took a new turn and they began assisting in intercepting Iranian drones and missiles.
Now back from deployment, they spoke about their experience.
29/04/2026 - 10:51
Iran has executed 21, arrested 4,000 since start of Mideast war, says UN
Iran has executed at least 21 people and arrested more than 4,000 since the beginning of the Middle East war, the United Nations said on Wednesday.
Since the US-Israeli strikes sparked the war in late February, "at least nine people have been executed in connection with the January 2026 protests, ten for alleged membership in opposition groups, and two on espionage charges," the UN's rights office said.
"Since 28 February, more than 4,000 individuals are estimated to have been arrested on national security related charges in Iran," the agency added in a statement.
29/04/2026 - 10:41
Iran 'better get smart soon', Trump says
US President Donald Trump has warned that Iran "better get smart soon" as efforts by Washington and Tehran to end hostilities appeared at a standstill.
"Iran can't get their act together. They don't know how to sign a nonnuclear deal. They better get smart soon!" the US leader posted on his Truth Social platform, alongside an illustration of Trump holding an assault rifle, with the caption "NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!"
29/04/2026 - 10:40
Russia says UAE's exit from OPEC will increase global production, bring down oil prices
Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said that the decision by the United Arab Emirates to leave OPEC will mean the oil producing countries will boost production, bringing down global prices in the future.
"If OPEC countries conduct their policies in an uncoordinated manner (after UAE exit) and produce as much oil as their production capacities allow and as much as they want, prices will go down accordingly," Siluanov said.
29/04/2026 - 09:45
Iran in 61st day of communications blackout, internet monitor says
29/04/2026 - 09:05
Kazakhstan says it is not considering leaving OPEC+
Kazakhstan's energy ministry said the Central Asian country was not considering leaving OPEC+, a day after the United Arab Emirates said it would leave the oil producers' group amid an energy crisis caused by the Iran war.
29/04/2026 - 07:32
A look back at the White House state dinner
Yesterday's key developments:
• A US official reported that President Donald Trump was unhappy with the latest Iranian proposal on resolving the two-month war, dampening hopes for a resolution of the conflict.
• The UAE said it intends to quit the oil cartel OPEC+ effective May 1, adding that it reflected its vision for “accelerated investment in domestic energy production”.
• King Charles III gave a speech to the US Congress highlighting the UK's long-standing alliance with the US, despite concerns over the war in the Middle East.