Trump warns he will ‘very easily’ go back to war – Live updates

Speaking to the hosts of Sky’s Trump100 podcast, Trump said: ‘If the [ceasefire] isn’t good, we’ll go right back to [war].’

Spanish foreign minister Jose Manuel Albares said the world was ‘perilously close’ to disaster after Trump threatened to wipe out Iran’s ‘entire civilisation.’

Albares told Spanish media that Trump’s ultimatum to Iran was ‘absolutely unacceptable for humankind.’

He added: ‘When the leader of a military superpower makes such threats, I take them seriously.’

Oman’s transport minister today said his nation would not charge ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, following reports that Oman and Iran could charge ships during the ceasefire.

Turkish authorities have detained 10 people in connection with Tuesday’s gun attack near the Israeli consulate in Istanbul ​as the investigation widened.

One attacker was killed and two others were wounded in the extended gun battle with police outside the tower building in Istanbul’s main ​financial district that houses the consulate.

Those detained include the ​two wounded assailants, who are being questioned in hospital ⁠as they undergo treatment, state-owned news agency Anadolu reported.

The ​remaining eight suspects were arrested in operations in Istanbul and ​the nearby province of Kocaeli following the attack, it reported.

The UN agency responsible for safety at sea said Wednesday that it is working to ensure ‘security of transit’ through the Strait of Hormuz following the announcement of a ceasefire in the Middle East war.

‘I am already working with the relevant parties to implement an appropriate mechanism to ensure the safe transit of ships through the Strait of Hormuz,’ said International Maritime Organisation chief Arsenio Dominguez.

‘The priority now is to ensure an evacuation that guarantees the safety of navigation,’ he said in a statement.

The UN’s nuclear watchdog said it welcomes the US-Iran ceasefire, adding that it is ready to work towards finding a long-term solution to Tehran’s nuclear programme.

‘IAEA DG [Rafael] Grossi welcomes … a return to diplomacy aimed at negotiating a settlement on key issues including Iran’s nuclear program,’ the IAEA said in a statement.

It added: ‘The IAEA stands ready to support these efforts through its indispensable safeguards and verification role.’

Saudi Arabia on Wednesday threw its support behind the two-week ceasefire reached between the US and Iran, calling for a comprehensive deal to bring stability back to the region.

‘The kingdom hopes that the ceasefire will represent an opportunity to achieve a comprehensive and sustainable de-escalation, enhancing the security of the region, and that any attacks or policies that undermine the sovereignty, security and stability of the countries in the region will cease,’ the foreign ministry said.

Israeli carrier Arkia said today it is preparing for a gradual expansion of flight operations from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport following the announcement of the ceasefire.

It said it expects to resume a regular flight schedule from May 3.

Through April, it said it will operate flights from Israel to Athens, Larnaca, Rome, Vienna, London, Amsterdam, Paris, Bangkok, New York and Budapest.

Restrictions at Ben Gurion Airport mean that the number of planes allowed to take off and land at the airport has been limited to one per hours.

On top of this, the total number of people allowed on departing planes has been limited to just 100.

Pope Leo said this morning that he welcomed the announcement of a two-week ceasefire in the Iran war with ‘great satisfaction.’

The pope, who has ​emerged as an outspoken critic of the conflict in recent weeks, had said on Tuesday that Trump’s threats against the population of Iran were ‘unacceptable.’

Explosions have reportedly been heard on Iran’s Sirri Island, according to the Mehr news agency.

The source of the explosions is not currently known.

A group representing Norway’s shipping industry said Trump’s two-week ceasefire has not brought enough clarity to resume shipping across the Strait of Hormuz.

The Norwegian Shipowners’ Association (NSA) said on Wednesday said the security situation in the Gulf remains uncertain and that owners were seeking further information.

‘We note the signals of a ceasefire, but the situation in the Strait of Hormuz remains unresolved and unpredictable,’ the NSA’s CEO Knut Arild Hareide said in a statement.

The disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints, has forced shipping companies to suspend sailings, reroute cargo and rely on costly workarounds to keep goods moving across the Gulf.

‘It is not yet clear under what conditions safe transit can be carried out. Shipowners are assessing the situation and will not resume transits until there is real security for safe passage,’ Hareide said.

French President Emmanuel Macron said about 15 countries were planning to facilitate the resumption of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.