Iran war live: Trump urges Tehran to give up; Ghalibaf mocks US strategy

The disruption in the Strait of Hormuz is being felt worldwide, raising concerns over global economic stability.

Here’s a look at the current situation:

• Nearly 2,000 ships and 20,000 sailors are stranded in the Gulf, waiting to pass through the strait.
• Back in March, marine insurance companies cancelled “war risk” coverage policies for tankers, deeming the route too dangerous.
• The US has since said it could take at least six months to clear naval mines in the waterway. While some vessels may be able to pass, the absence of insurance cover is effectively halting traffic.
• Even after the mines are cleared, insurance costs are expected to remain high. Premiums are likely to stay elevated until a lasting agreement is reached.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called for unrestricted navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, saying there should be no tolls imposed on international shipping.

“We all want the ceasefire in Iran and Lebanon to hold, with the ultimate goal to re-establish peace and stability through diplomatic means… And this includes restoring full and permanent freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz without tolls,” she told the European Parliament.

“And it is equally clear that any peace agreement will have to address Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programme. But there is also a harsh reality we all need to face. The consequences of this conflict may echo for months or even years to come,” she added.

What began as a foreign policy challenge for US President Donald Trump is quickly turning into a political liability at home.

As the war on Iran drives up fuel prices and deepens economic anxiety, new polls show a growing frustration with Donald Trump, including among Republican voters.

Watch below:

[Negotiations to end the war] appear to be in a state of limbo.

The US president appears to be content with waiting this one out, hoping that economic pressure being exerted on Iran will lead to what he wants, which is the Iranians coming to talk, but on the terms of the US.

President Trump has insisted that this economic blockade will work, and he claims the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, for example, is denying Iran vast amounts of money every day.

In addition, the US has been putting sanctions on entities and individuals within Iran, such as the banking system.

So, the economic pressure that President Trump is bringing to bear is [what] he believes [is] the major factor in terms of getting the Iranians back to the negotiating table.

But he doesn’t appear to have a plan B.

Plan B would be to go back into conflict, but the president is adamant [that] the ceasefire will continue at present, and he says as well that it will continue as long as he wants it to continue.

Al Jazeera’s Jack Barton, reporting from Amman, Jordan, says there has been no official comment from Israeli authorities on the naval raid on the Global Sumud Flotilla, but anonymous sources have been sharing details with Israeli media.

“One source within the military [is] saying the aim was to surprise the flotilla by striking so far from Gaza,” Barton said.

The flotilla is estimated to be about 600 nautical miles from Gaza (1,111km), Barton said, noting that the furthest intercept by Israel of an aid flotilla in the past was 72 nautical miles (133km).

“So this is much, much further than any sort of raid that Israel has carried out on the flotilla in the past,” Barton said.

Lebanon is facing a major humanitarian emergency, as war has displaced about 1.2 million people, nearly one in five of the population.

Families forced from their homes are struggling to access shelter, food, water, healthcare and education.

Tommaso Della Longa, the spokesperson for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent, told Al Jazeera that Lebanon’s humanitarian crisis has reached catastrophic levels.

Watch below:

• US President Donald Trump says Washington’s blockade of Iranian ports has been a success and urges Tehran to “just give up”.
• Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf ridicules the US’s economic pressure campaign, saying it will only take oil prices higher, while the country’s military warns of “unprecedented action” if the blockade continues.
• The standoff in the Strait of Hormuz pushes global oil prices above $120 per barrel, with average petrol prices in the US hitting a four-year high.
• Activists on board an aid flotilla heading for the Gaza Strip say the Israeli military has started intercepting vessels.
• The Pentagon says the US has spent about $25bn on the war on Iran so far and is seeking approval for a $1.5 trillion defence budget.
• Israeli forces continue to pound Lebanon, killing three in a recent attack on Tayr Debba, as a United Nations-backed report warns some 1.2 million people in the country could face acute hunger because of the conflict.
• Visit our live tracker for the latest casualty figures from across the region.

Hello, and welcome to our live coverage of the ceasefire in the war between the United States, Israel and Iran.

Stay with us for the latest developments, reactions and analyses from across the Middle East and beyond.

You can find our updates from Wednesday, April 29, here.