Iran-US war latest: Trump says conflict could end without a deal and threatens to walk away from Nato – The Independent

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US president claims Iranian counterpart asked both sides to stop hostilities
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Iran has denied President Donald Trump’s claims that the “new regime president” requested a ceasefire.
He claimed that the new leader, who was “much less radicalised” than his predecessor, had requested that both sides end hostilities to strike a peace agreement.
It is unclear which senior Iranian official he was referring to. Mojtaba Khamenei is Iran’s new supreme leader, and Masoud Pezeshkian has been president since 2024.
Mr Trump added that the US would be “blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages” if the Strait of Hormuz was not opened.
Tehran’s foreign ministry spokesperson said Mr Trump’s statements were false and baseless, Iranian state TV reports.
The aircraft carrier USS George HW Bush is slated to go to the Middle East, along with three destroyers, officials said. The carrier strike group consists of more than 6,000 sailors. Thousands of soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division have also begun arriving, according to other US officials.
Mr Trump also told The Telegraph that Nato was a “paper tiger” and that taking the US out was now “beyond reconsideration”.
The French navy chief has said China will need to engage more in discussions on the Strait of Hormuz.
Admiral ⁠Nicolas Vaujour told the War & ‌Peace security conference in Paris that the number ⁠of vessels China has going through is probably insufficient.
“We have not seen China’s navy step in to reopen the strait. On the other hand, there ⁠is direct political dialogue between Chinese ​and ⁠Iranian authorities to ensure that a certain number of vessels can pass. Will that be enough ⁠to restore normal traffic flows? I don’t believe so,” ​he said.
“As a result, China will probably have to engage more directly in the debate ‌and show its impatience with the ‌fact that the strait remains closed.”
Vaujour said France was working to bring a number of countries around the table at a political level ⁠first to determine the conditions under which the strait could be reopened in a lasting way.
Donald Trump has claimed the King would have backed him up over the war in Iran when Sir Keir Starmer did not.
The US president told The Telegraph the King would have taken a “different stand” from the prime minister.
“I like him. I always liked him as a prince. He’s a good man, a great representative for your country,” Mr Trump said when asked about the King’s forthcoming US state visit.
“I think he would have taken a very different stand [on the war in Iran] but he doesn’t do that. I mean, he’s a great gentleman.”
Referring to the breakdown in US-UK relations over the war, Mr Trump acknowledged that the King had “nothing to do with this”.
“He’s a wonderful and brave man, to be honest with you. He’s been through a lot, in many ways,” he said.
Downing street has said it is “vital that freedom of navigation” is restored in the Strait of Hormuz in a meeting with Nato.
Sir Keir Starmer spoke to Nato secretary general Mark Rutte this afternoon about the Middle East conflict and updated him on plans for a virtual meeting of foreign ministers tomorrow.
A Downing Street spokesperson said: “The leaders began by discussing the situation in Ukraine, and the progress being made on peace talks.
“The leaders underlined their unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and reiterated that Ukraine’s future was for its people to decide.
“Turning to the Middle East, the leaders reflected on the Prime Minister’s speech this morning, and the Prime Minister updated on plans for the virtual meeting of foreign ministers tomorrow.
“It was vital that freedom of navigation was restored in the Strait of Hormuz, and that all countries played their part in a viable plan to ensure the free flow of trade, the leaders agreed.”
With Trump’s dismissal of the Western alliance as a ‘paper tiger’ – and his unflinching declaration that he is considering abandoning it – it’s about time European leaders started preparing for ‘the day after Nato’, says Mark Almond.
Jet fuel supply to Europe could be disrupted from June if the Middle East conflict does not end in ⁠the next month, Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary warned.
He added that it could mean the airline and rivals will need to consider cancelling summer season flights.
O’Leary said the airline company is holding daily calls with all of its fuel suppliers across Europe to assess the situation, which the suppliers say will remain stable until the end of May.
“If this (the conflict) continues through to the end of April, we’re looking at a risk to supplies in early June. If it runs into May, then ⁠we don’t know what goes on,” O’Leary said.
“If there’s a risk to 10% ​or 20% ⁠of the fuel supply in June or July ‌or August, then we and other airlines will have to start looking at cancelling some flights or taking some capacity out.”
Chancellor Rachel Reeves and supermarkets are working to keep costs down and boost supply chains, as food bills are set to soar as much as 10 per cent this year as a direct consequence of the Iran war.
Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Aldi, Morrisons, Lidl, Co-Op, M&S, Iceland and Ocado were represented at the meeting with the Chancellor, as well as the British Retail Consortium.
A Government spokesperson said: “The Chancellor and Environment Secretary had a positive meeting with Britain’s leading supermarkets to discuss the economic impacts of the war in the Middle East.
“They agreed to work together to explore what more can be done to ease the cost of living for consumers and strengthen supply chains.”
Helen Dickinson, chief executive at the British Retail Consortium, said: “Retailers had a constructive meeting with the Chancellor.
“Supermarkets are doing everything they can to keep food prices affordable and maintain the ongoing resilience of their supply chains.
“While the conflict in the Middle East means some inflation is inevitable, there are domestic policy levers that Government can pull in order to mitigate some of the inflationary pressures.
“Industry is committed to working with Government to consider these further and on ways it can continue to support British households.”
It comes as the Food and Drink Federation (FDF), which represents 12,000 food and drink manufacturers, has hiked its inflation forecast for the year from 3.2 per cent to between nine and 10 per cent.
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