Trump says he canceled U.S. representatives’ trip to Pakistan for talks
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on social media Saturday that he just canceled the trip of U.S. representatives going to Islamabad, Pakistan, to meet with the Iranian side.
“Too much time wasted on traveling, too much work! Besides which, there is tremendous infighting and confusion within their ‘leadership.’ Nobody knows who is in charge, including them,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
The U.S. president also claimed that “we have all the cards, they have none,” adding that “if they want to talk, all they have to do is call.”
Earlier Saturday, Trump told Fox News that he had canceled his son-in-law Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff’s planned trip to Pakistan.
7 dead, more than 20 injured in Colombian bomb attack
Seven people were killed and more than 20 others injured after a bomb attack struck the Colombian municipality of Cajibio, Cauca department, on Saturday, according to local authorities.
Local media reports said a bomb fell onto a bus on the El Tunel section of the Pan-American Highway linking Cali and Popayan. Online images show severe damage to the bus roof and windows, as well as to the highway.
Multiple drivers testified that armed individuals hijacked a truck and a bus to block the road before the bombing, and sprayed graffiti related to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia on the vehicles.
Cauca Governor Octavio Guzman condemned the “indiscriminate attack against the civilian population” on social media. He said that public security forces are responding to the attack, urging the Colombian national government to take decisive action to ensure the safety and protect the lives of residents in conflict-affected regions.
Iran vows to react if U.S. continues “blockade, banditry” in region
Iran’s main military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, vowed Saturday to react if the United States continues its “blockade, banditry and piracy” in the West Asia region.
It made the announcement in a statement carried by Iranian media while pointing to the U.S. naval blockade imposed on the Strait of Hormuz, which prevents vessels traveling to and from Iranian ports from transiting the waterway, and actions against Iran-bound ships over the past few days.
It called on the United States to know that Iran’s armed forces are more powerful and prepared than before to defend the country’s national sovereignty and interests as well as territorial integrity, adding the U.S. army experienced part of Iran’s power and offensive capabilities during the recent war.
Pakistani PM meets with Iranian FM in Islamabad
The meeting between Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi was held here on Saturday, according to the Prime Minister’s Office.
The office said Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir also attended the meeting.
The prime minister emphasized the importance of dialogue and diplomacy for peace and stability in the region and beyond, the PM’s office said, adding that the meeting lasted around two hours.
Pakistani and Iranian officials held a series of meetings on Friday and Saturday following the arrival of the Iranian delegation led by Araghchi, focusing on proposals related to potential talks between Iran and the United States, sources from Pakistan said on Saturday.
The sources added that Iran emphasized their terms and proposals during the talks while vowing to remain engaged to set a future course of diplomatic engagement to end the conflict.
U.S. military says Iran blockade continues to be “fully implemented”
U.S. military forces continue to enforce “U.S. sanctions and fully implement the blockade against ships entering or departing Iranian ports,” U.S. Central Command said on social media Saturday.
In a post on X, the U.S. Central Command said that 37 vessels have been redirected since the start of the blockade, noting a merchant vessel named Sevan, intercepted in the Arabian Sea earlier Saturday by the U.S. forces, is currently “complying with U.S. military direction to turn back to Iran under escort.”
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on April 12 that the U.S. Navy would begin blocking ships trying to enter or leave the Strait of Hormuz. His decision came after the first round of U.S.-Iranian talks on April 11 and 12 in Islamabad, Pakistan, failed to produce a peace deal.
In response to Trump’s announcement, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has warned that “any threat against the security of the Strait of Hormuz will have large-scale consequences for global trade.”
Evacuation plan for stranded seafarers in Gulf ready when safe conditions allow: IMO
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) said on Friday that it is working with member states and partners on an evacuation plan for seafarers stranded in the Gulf, which will be implemented once conditions are safe.
Briefing member states and the maritime industry on the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said that since the beginning of the conflict, the IMO has verified 29 attacks on vessels in the Gulf and around the Strait, resulting in the deaths of at least 10 seafarers and damage to multiple ships.
Around 20,000 seafarers on approximately 1,600 vessels remain trapped in the Gulf and unable to leave, he noted, adding that several vessels have been seized and detained in the region over the past few days.
Netanyahu orders military to “forcefully” strike Hezbollah targets in Lebanon
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the military to forcefully strike Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, according to a statement issued by his office on Saturday evening.
The Israeli military said in a statement on Saturday afternoon that it had killed more than 15 Hezbollah militants over the weekend.
In another statement, the IDF said it struck Hezbollah infrastructure used for military purposes across southern Lebanon earlier Saturday, and will continue to operate decisively against threats in accordance with directives from the political echelon.
Orban to leave parliament following election defeat
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced on Saturday that he will return his parliamentary mandate, ending a 36-year tenure as a member of parliament since 1990, following his party’s defeat in the April 12 parliamentary elections.
In a video message posted on social media after a meeting of the ruling Fidesz leadership, Orban said his role would shift from parliamentary work to reorganizing the “national side”.
He added that the party’s parliamentary group will undergo a “fundamental transformation,” and confirmed that Gergely Gulyas will lead the new faction, set to be formed on Monday.
Orban said the mandate he obtained as the joint list leader of the Fidesz-the Christian Democratic People’s Party (KDNP) alliance would be handed back, arguing that his efforts are now needed outside parliament to rebuild the political community.
He also announced that the party will convene a national assembly next week and bring forward its leadership congress to June.
🚨BREAKING: Watch The Video Clip Here ➤
