HomeBreaking NewsWrite a short, clear, factual news headline based on this article: ...

Write a short, clear, factual news headline based on this article:

Live

A cargo ship is pictured off coast city of Fujairah, in the Strait of Hormuz in the northern Emirate on February 25, 2026.
A cargo ship is pictured off coast city of Fujairah, in the Strait of Hormuz in the northern Emirate on February 25, 2026 © Giuseppe Cacace, AFP archives

The leader of Iran’s joint military command threatened Wednesday to halt trade in the Gulf region if the US does not lift its blockade of Iranian ports. Even so, US President Donald Trump said the war in Iran was “very close to over” in an interview that aired Wednesday. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates.

 

Iran war brings US close to net crude exporter for first time since World War Two

The US nearly turned into a net crude exporter last ​week for the first time since World War Two as shipments surged close to a record high to meet demand from Asian and European buyers scrambling to replace Middle East supplies cut by the Iran war.

Iran arrests four alleged Israeli spies, says state media

Iran arrested four suspected Israeli spies, state media reported on Thursday.

It came as US officials discuss possible peace talks with Iran after US-Israeli strikes on Tehran on February 28 engulfed the Middle East in war.

“The four agents linked to the Mossad were apprehended in Gilan governorate” in northern Iran, IRNA reported, citing a statement from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.

The Mossad is Israel’s foreign intelligence agency.

“The arrestees had provided Mossad intelligence officers with images and locations of some sensitive and critical military and security sites via the internet”, it said.

Iran participating in World Cup, FIFA president confirms

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said Wednesday that Iran will “for sure” participate in the 2026 World Cup despite the Middle East war. 

Iran is coming for sure. We hope that by then the situation will be a peaceful situation, that would definitely help,” Infantino said on broadcaster CNBC. 

“But Iran has to come, they represent their people, they have qualified, the players want to play,” he said of the team’s upcoming matches scheduled in the United States in June.

Iran threatens to disrupt Gulf trade in response to US naval blockade

The leader of Iran’s joint military command threatened Wednesday to halt trade in the Gulf region if the US does not lift its blockade of Iranian ports. Even so, US President Donald Trump said the war in Iran was “very close to over” in an interview that aired Wednesday.

China urges restoration of normal navigation in Strait of Hormuz

China’s ⁠Foreign Minister Wang ​Yi urged his Iranian counterpart ​Abbas Araqchi to make efforts to restore normal navigation in the Strait of Hormuz ​in a ‌phone call on ⁠Wednesday, according to a Chinese foreign

ministry statement.

‌Wang said while Iran‘s sovereignty and ⁠security in the Strait of Hormuz should be respected and safeguarded, ​freedom and safety of navigation through ‌the waterway should also be guaranteed.

  • The United States on Wednesday threatened to sanction buyers of Iranian oil and ​said it believed ‌China would pause such purchases as Washington enforces a maritime blockade on ⁠Iran.
  • US President Donald Trump would “welcome” an end to the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, but such an agreement is not part of peace talks with Iran, a senior US administration official said.
  • Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the country’s top priority was to secure the “dismantling” of Hezbollah in its first direct talks with Lebanon in decades. 

(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)

Please rewrite the following news article into a professional, SEO-friendly English report in 400 to 600 words.
Article:

Live

A cargo ship is pictured off coast city of Fujairah, in the Strait of Hormuz in the northern Emirate on February 25, 2026.
A cargo ship is pictured off coast city of Fujairah, in the Strait of Hormuz in the northern Emirate on February 25, 2026 © Giuseppe Cacace, AFP archives

The leader of Iran’s joint military command threatened Wednesday to halt trade in the Gulf region if the US does not lift its blockade of Iranian ports. Even so, US President Donald Trump said the war in Iran was “very close to over” in an interview that aired Wednesday. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates.

 

Iran war brings US close to net crude exporter for first time since World War Two

The US nearly turned into a net crude exporter last ​week for the first time since World War Two as shipments surged close to a record high to meet demand from Asian and European buyers scrambling to replace Middle East supplies cut by the Iran war.

Iran arrests four alleged Israeli spies, says state media

Iran arrested four suspected Israeli spies, state media reported on Thursday.

It came as US officials discuss possible peace talks with Iran after US-Israeli strikes on Tehran on February 28 engulfed the Middle East in war.

“The four agents linked to the Mossad were apprehended in Gilan governorate” in northern Iran, IRNA reported, citing a statement from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.

The Mossad is Israel’s foreign intelligence agency.

“The arrestees had provided Mossad intelligence officers with images and locations of some sensitive and critical military and security sites via the internet”, it said.

Iran participating in World Cup, FIFA president confirms

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said Wednesday that Iran will “for sure” participate in the 2026 World Cup despite the Middle East war. 

Iran is coming for sure. We hope that by then the situation will be a peaceful situation, that would definitely help,” Infantino said on broadcaster CNBC. 

“But Iran has to come, they represent their people, they have qualified, the players want to play,” he said of the team’s upcoming matches scheduled in the United States in June.

Iran threatens to disrupt Gulf trade in response to US naval blockade

The leader of Iran’s joint military command threatened Wednesday to halt trade in the Gulf region if the US does not lift its blockade of Iranian ports. Even so, US President Donald Trump said the war in Iran was “very close to over” in an interview that aired Wednesday.

China urges restoration of normal navigation in Strait of Hormuz

China’s ⁠Foreign Minister Wang ​Yi urged his Iranian counterpart ​Abbas Araqchi to make efforts to restore normal navigation in the Strait of Hormuz ​in a ‌phone call on ⁠Wednesday, according to a Chinese foreign

ministry statement.

‌Wang said while Iran‘s sovereignty and ⁠security in the Strait of Hormuz should be respected and safeguarded, ​freedom and safety of navigation through ‌the waterway should also be guaranteed.

  • The United States on Wednesday threatened to sanction buyers of Iranian oil and ​said it believed ‌China would pause such purchases as Washington enforces a maritime blockade on ⁠Iran.
  • US President Donald Trump would “welcome” an end to the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, but such an agreement is not part of peace talks with Iran, a senior US administration official said.
  • Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the country’s top priority was to secure the “dismantling” of Hezbollah in its first direct talks with Lebanon in decades. 

(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)

Previous article
Write a short, clear, factual news headline based on this article:

Late strikes from Luis Diaz and Michael Olise sealed a dramatic 4-3 win for Bayern Munich over Real Madrid on Wednesday, clinching a 6-4 aggregate victory and setting up a semi-final with holders Paris Saint-Germain.

The tie was level at the break in the second leg after a scintillating opening half, with record 15-time European champions Real going ahead three times on the night. 

Bayern won 2-1 last week in the Spanish capital, but Arda Guler pounced on a loose Manuel Neuer pass to put the visitors ahead after just 34 seconds at the Allianz Arena. He scored again from a free-kick after Aleksandar Pavlovic equalised. 

Harry Kane put Bayern back ahead in the tie only for Kylian Mbappe to restore parity overall when he put Madrid 3-2 up before half-time.

Eduardo Camavinga was sent off for a second yellow card with four minutes left and Bayern pushed forward, Diaz blasting into the corner from outside the box after a crucial deflection. 

Read moreGriezmann hopes to bid Atletico farewell in spectacular fashion

With Real pressing for an equaliser, Bayern broke and Olise curled in a magnificent shot to rubberstamp their ticket to the last four, where Luis Enrique’s reigning European champions await.

Tempers boiled over after the final whistle with Guler picking up a straight red for confronting the referee. 

“We got off to a bad start, and then conceded again through a free-kick and a counter. The first half was hectic,” Joshua Kimmich told DAZN. 

“The second half was calmer, we had more control – and then managed to win it in the end. It wasn’t our best performance, but we’ll take the win.

“The two best teams in Europe will face each other. We had many top level games against Paris in recent years. I’m looking forward to it.”

For the first time in Real’s long Champions League history, their starting XI did not contain a single Spanish player. Jude Bellingham, who impressed off the bench in the first leg, was one of four changes to Alvaro Arbeloa’s line-up for the visitors.

Read moreChampions League: PSG through to semis after defeating Liverpool

Guler punishes Neuer 

Neuer, widely lauded after a vintage performance in Madrid, gifted Real an opener. The Bayern goalkeeper miscued a pass directly to Guler, who floated a first-touch shot into the unguarded goal in the first minute.

Bayern looked stunned but struck back almost immediately when Pavlovic headed in a Kimmich corner after Real goalkeeper Andriy Lunin failed to read the flight of the ball. 

The match had barely time to settle before Real were ahead once more thanks to a Guler goal, with Neuer again not at his best. 

The Turkey international whipped a free-kick into the top corner which Neuer got a hand to but was unable to keep out.

The match continued to swing back and forth before the break, as Kane struck first before Mbappe responded by getting himself on the scoresheet.

Kane slotted clinically into the bottom corner in the 38th minute to again haul Bayern level on the night — and ahead in the tie — before Mbappe ran onto a Vinicius Junior pass and slotted home to level the tie 4-4 on aggregate.

With Real regularly cutting into Bayern’s high line, coach Vincent Kompany responded by introducing the pace of Alphonso Davies at the interval. 

Both sides traded chances in the second half, with Olise particularly dangerous, forcing a fingertip save from Lunin with 20 minutes left. 

Camavinga came on midway through the half but picked up two yellow cards in quick succession to leave his team a man down in the closing stages.

It proved a turning point as Bayern struck three minutes later when Diaz’s effort from outside the box took a touch off Eder Militao and flashed beyond Lunin.

Olise made certain of Bayern’s progress deep into stoppage time as the German giants took down Real in a knockout clash for the first time since 2012.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

Next article
RELATED ARTICLES

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

- Advertisment -
Google search engine

Most Popular

Recent Comments