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Vessels will still be able to transit Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports, says CENTCOM; Iran warns any approaching military vessels will be breaching ceasefire.

The United States military has announced it will begin blockading all Iranian ports on Monday, its latest move to exert pressure on Tehran after marathon peace talks in Pakistan concluded without a deal.

In a statement on Sunday evening, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the blockade would apply to “all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports” from 10am Eastern Time (14:00 GMT) on April 13. That includes “vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas”, including those on the Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.

However, US forces “will not impede freedom of ⁠navigation for vessels transiting the Strait ⁠of Hormuz to and ⁠from non-Iranian ports,” CENTCOM said, in an apparent scaling back from President Donald Trump’s earlier threat to blockade the entire strait and pursue ships paying tolls to Iran.

“There are a lot of questions here,” said Al Jazeera’s Heidi Zhou-Castro from Washington, DC, pointing to “conflicting information” coming out of the US side.

“Trump said the blockade would target any and all ships trying to enter or leave the Strait of Hormuz. But CENTCOM is saying this would only target ships going to or from Iranian ports.”

The price of US crude oil jumped 8 percent to $104.24 a barrel after the US blockade threat. Brent crude oil, the international standard, increased 7 percent to $102.29.

Iran has essentially taken control over the Strait of Hormuz, a vital chokepoint for the global energy market, since the US and Israel launched a war against the country on February 28. Traffic through the waterway has since slowed to a trickle, nearly paralysing about one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.

Iran has continued to move its own vessels through the strait, while allowing limited passage of ships from other countries. Iranian officials have discussed setting up a toll system after the fighting ends.

In a statement responding to Trump’s blockade threat, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said any approaching military vessels would be in breach of a US-Iran ceasefire – meant to be in effect until April 22 – and “will be dealt with severely”.

The US-declared blockade appears to be triggered by the failure of the talks in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, raising fears of renewed fighting.

Iranian officials blamed the US side for failing to reach a deal, with Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi saying US negotiators shifted the “goalposts” and obstructed efforts when a memorandum of understanding was “just inches away”.

Zohreh Kharazmi, an associate professor at the University of Tehran, said the US “is not in a position to dictate” to Iranians how to behave, or “to choose which vessels may pass”.

“If this blockade becomes a contest between the resilience of the Islamic Republic and the resilience of global markets, it will not take long to see who is losing,” she said, adding that Iran “is ready for a prolonged war”.

“Technically, they [the US] cannot control the situation. With Hollywood-style strategies, they cannot prevail in this battleground.”

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said Friday the resumption of tourist rail service to the border with North Korea is a “small” starting point for establishing peace with Pyongyang, as Seoul reopened a long-closed border rail station.

Earlier in the day, South Korea resumed tourist rail service to and from its northernmost Dorasan Station in the border city of Paju, which is a symbol of inter-Korean cooperation that once connected the two Koreas.

“The resumption of train service is a small starting point toward establishing everyday peace, allowing people to experience it in their daily lives,” Chung said in a ceremony marking the event.

“When tourists can visit, see and experience the site of peace at Dorasan Station, peace will finally become an everyday language that breathes in our lives, rather than grand discourse,” he said.

The station, the northern endpoint of South Korea’s rail network just south of the inter-Korean border, was established after the then South and North Korean leaders agreed to connect their railways at a 2000 summit held amid a period of reconciliation between the two Koreas.

Freight trains once ran through Dorasan Station between the two Koreas, carrying materials and finished goods to and from the Kaesong Industrial Complex, a jointly operated factory park in North Korea that was shut down amid inter-Korean tensions in 2016.

Since then, the station had served tourist trains carrying passengers in South Korea to border areas, before closing completely in late 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The resumption of the border station comes as Seoul continues efforts to resume dialogue and engagement with North Korea to reduce military tensions and establish peace, despite Pyongyang’s repeated rebuffs.

“Only peace and coexistence, as well as reconciliation and cooperation, are the path to mutual prosperity for the South and the North, not worthless animosity and confrontation,” Chung also noted.

He said he believes the two Koreas can surely establish new relations that accommodate the changing international situation and their respective national interests, expressing hope that their railways could be reconnected in the future.

The resumption of rail service to the station will allow tourists to travel by train beyond the Civilian Control Line, which restricts public access near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas.

The train, named “DMZ Peace Link,” departs from Seoul Station and stops at Unjeong and Imjingang before reaching Dorasan Station, where tourists can visit a nearby observation post and a tourist village.

It runs once on the second and fourth Fridays each month till May, before expanding to every Friday from June.

Going forward, the government, municipalities and the rail agency plan to add more tourist destinations near the border station to provide various programs aimed at promoting peace on the Korean Peninsula.

NEW travel rules for Brits visiting Europe are being rolled out tomorrow, and it includes everything from airports to ferry ports.

The new rules require all non-EU nationals to register their details like fingerprints and facial images before going abroad – but it’s set to cause chaos as some countries aren’t ready.

The EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) started a phased rollout on October 12, 2025 in 29 European countries and will be fully operational as of tomorrow – April 10, 2026.

EES is replacing the need for a passport stamp by automatically checking when a person enters and exits an EU country.

Non-EU nationals – which includes Brits – will be required to register their details on their first visit to a Schengen area country.

This is done by using the EES machines at airports, ferry terminals and the Eurostar to log fingerprints, facial images and scan passports.

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Up until now, not every traveller has had to register with EES, but from tomorrow, that will change.

Even through the phased process, it hasn’t been smooth, and there have been reports of long queues across Europe with travellers at airports waiting for hours to register with EES.

Travel Reporter Alice Penwill spent three hours getting through the arrivals hall at Lanzarote Airport last month.

And delays have been reported at other airports like Brussels, Lisbon and Prague.

With summer holidays on the horizon and lots more Brits going abroad than off-peak season, officials have even called for the EES to be delayed until later in the year.

Airports Council International, Airlines for Europe and Iata, the airline trade body, have warned about further delays of “four hours or more” during the summer.

Advantage Travel Partnership chief executive Julia Lo Bue-Said told Travel Weekly just two days ago that there are still “significant issues” with EES.

She added: “While we understand the importance of modernising border processes, a smooth rollout must be prioritised in order to avoid major travel chaos at peak periods.

“With very high demand for travel over the upcoming summer holiday period, we are deeply concerned about the impact delays could have at a time when it is vital we maintain high consumer confidence within a travel sector facing global uncertainty and rising costs.”

Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary called EES “a shambles” and called for EES to be delayed “for five months” until the end of September to ease congestion.

To avoid the predicted travel chaos, some airports are preparing to open Brit-only border control queues in the hope of easing wait times.

The Spanish operator, Aena, said it would adapt security and border control for Brits at Ibiza, Menorca, Malaga and Palma, Majorca airports.

It’s not just airports, ferry terminals and the Eurostar using EES – but reports state that these will actually miss tomorrow’s deadline.

Visa HQ reported that France’s Ministry of the Interior has postponed full EES checks at border points like the Eurostar terminal in St Pancras and the ports of Dover and Calais.

French authorities said that travellers on Eurostar, Eurotunnel Le Shuttle and cross-Channel ferries will not be asked to provide fingerprints or facial images as the technology is not yet in place.

At the Port of Dover, only lorry drivers, coach and foot passengers are registering with EES.

The EES system has been “paused for several weeks” because reportedly, ‘software integration tests failed and physical booth space is still inadequate’.

For more on EES and what to expect – hear from our travel expert who will guide you through the registering process.

And one of the world’s best airlines becomes latest to introduce strict new rules on travel item.

Luba Muhstuk has been seen heading to her new job after her brutal axe from Strictly Come Dancing and looked full of confidence as she was spotted in London over the weekend

Luba Muhstuk has been seen heading to her new job after her brutal axe from Strictly Come Dancing. The TV star, 36, has served as a professional on the BBC Saturday night favourite since 2018 but along with Karen Hauer, Michelle Tsiakkas and Nadiya Bychkova, it was recently announced that she will not be part of the competition series going forward.

Just hours after the news broke,. Luba herself broke her silence on the matter. Taking to Instagram, insisting the time had come for her “step away” from the show, she wrote: “With a heart full of gratitude, the time has come for me to step away from Strictly Come Dancing. I am deeply grateful for the past 10 years on this beautiful show! Thank for you for the amazing opportunities and unforgettable memories. It truly has meant the world to me.”

Sharing that she was now looking forward to the future, Luba continued : “Now it’s time for me to follow my dreams beyond the show, and I’m excited for what the future holds. I can’t wait to see you all on the Pro Tour and I’m really looking forward to it one last time.”

READ MORE: Strictly Come Dancing pro ‘bloodbath’ – confirmed exits and the pros waiting to hear fateREAD MORE: Strictly Come Dancing’s Nadiya Bychkova given another chance by bosses after ‘axe’

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Over the weekend,, photos emerged of Luba heading to role taking dance classes in central London. Despite the sudden nature of her departure from the series, Luba looked to be in great spirits as she walked to work. This was the first time she had been spotted out in public since news of her axing emerged.

The TV star was suitably dressed for her role at the dance class, opting for comfortable rehearsal wear and let her dark locks flow down her back. She clutched her phone in her hand and threw a series of excitable poses.

Praising Luba – while announcing her exit – the BBC said: “We are incredibly grateful for her dedication to the programme and for always going above and beyond—whether through the care and commitment she showed her celebrity partners or her warmth and kindness behind the scenes. Luba has been, and always will be, a much-loved member of the Strictly family, and we wish her every success in the future.”

Fellow dancers were quick to share supportive messages in the comments section. Among them was Amy Dowden, who simply wrote: “Love you xxx.” Johannes Radebe echoed the sentiment, typing: “Love you darling,” alongside a red love heart emoji. And Nadiya, who met the same fate as Luba in recent days, shared three white love heart emojis.

While she will no longer be part of the dancing on screen team, Nadiya has reportedly been offered a chance to stay on the show in a different role. Speaking to The Sun, a source said: “Nadiya is so recognisable with viewers and bosses felt it would be a real loss to lose her from the Strictly family altogether. After a few conversations, they reportedly offered her a choreography role which she is very open to.

“Obviously, she is sad to no longer be dancing but recognises she will have great scope for more lucrative commercial opportunities now, and can explore exciting new projects.”

The Strictly team has already said goodbye to a number of long-time members of the show in recent weeks. Gorka and Michelle Tsiakkas are also said to have been axed in a bid for bosses to get “fresh faces” in the professional line-up.

And the decision of who will present the show following the exit of Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman is yet to be made public, too. Recently, Louie Spence told the Mirror: “With Strictly, people say I should go on there and be a judge just because I’m known as a dancer – but it’s a very different dance genre. Ballroom and Latin is very particular. It’s like the difference between hip-hop and classical ballet…”

Suggesting Rylan and Zoe Ball would make good hosts, he concluded: “Rylan would be great fun [as host]. I love Rylan, he’s got a great personality. He’s young enough to keep going if it’s going to keep going for years.

“Zoe Ball, she’s great. Who knows how many more years a show like that will last? Things are moving so quickly now, with the way things are changing. Whoever gets it, I’m sure they’d be fabulous.”

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