Middle East crisis live: Iranian negotiator says ‘we will not bow to any threats’ as Trump says US navy will blockade strait of Hormuz

The Guardian · 🇬🇧 public United Kingdom · Apr 13, 2026 · 2873 words · By Imogen Dewey; Hayden Vernon; Marina Dunbar; Yohannes Lowe; Adam Fulton; Jonathan Barrett; Nick Visser; Ed Pilkington; Alexandra Topping; Lisa O’Carroll; William Christou; Stephanie Convery

Geopolitical conflict escalation Diplomatic Stalemate Global Economic Instability

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What to know about Geopolitical conflict escalation

Middle East crisis live: Iranian negotiator says ‘we will not bow to any threats’ as Trump says US navy will blockade strait of Hormuz Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf says ‘if you fight, we will fight’, reports state media, as US president also threatens to bomb…

Claims checked 27

Techniques found 2

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Right coverage

Left20%

Center80%

Right0%

5 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Why it matters

Qalibaf said Donald Trump’s new threats will have no effect on the Iranian nation.

Common ground

“If you fight, we will fight, and if you come forward with logic, we will deal with logic.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Name Calling / Labeling: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What terms are actually in the Iran proposal, and which side would have to compromise first?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that About a fifth of the world’s traded oil typically flows through the strait of Hormuz every day?
How does this story connect Geopolitical conflict escalation with Diplomatic Stalemate over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/apr/12/middle-east-crisis-live-us-ir…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 80% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Name Calling / Labeling 60% confidence

Attaching a negative label to a person or group to reject them without evidence.

Why it matters: Recognizing name calling / labeling helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 27 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 17

help Insufficient Evidence 7

check_circle Corroborated 3

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Claim 1: “About a fifth of the world’s traded oil typically flows through the strait of Hormuz every day.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 2: “The war with Iran has cost Israel about 35bn shekels (US$11.5bn) in direct budgetary expenses, according to preliminary estimates from the Israeli finance ministry.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results or Wikipedia entries regarding preliminary estimates from the Israeli finance ministry costing Israel 35 billion shekels for the war with Iran.

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Claim 3: “The Australian share market dropped sharply on Monday morning after US-Iran peace talks broke down and Donald Trump said the navy would blockade the strait of Hormuz.”

CORROBORATED

Web search results indicate that the Australian share market dropped following the breakdown of US-Iran peace talks and reports of threats regarding the Strait of Hormuz. One source mentions the Australian share market plunging due to 'mixed messages from the White House and further risks of rising oil prices'.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On 28 February 2026, the United States and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran, targeting military and government sites, assassinating Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other Iranian officials, and infli…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Iran_war

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — "Trump Always Chickens Out" (TACO) is a pejorative description of the perceived tendency of US president Donald Trump to make threats, only to later delay or renege on them as a way to increase time f…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trump_Always_Chickens_Out

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Donald Trump's use of social media attracted worldwide attention since he joined Twitter in March 2009. Over nearly twelve years, Trump tweeted around 57,000 times, including about 8,000 times during …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Use_of_X_by_Donald_Trump

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 4: “2,055 people in Lebanon have been killed in Israeli strikes since the start of the latest war between Israel and Hezbollah, according to the Health Ministry.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 5: “Iran’s Revolutionary Guard warned in its latest statement that “approaching military vessels to the strait of Hormuz is considered a violation of the ceasefire”.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 6: “The AP reports that Brent crude – the international standard – has swung dramatically during the Iran war, rising from roughly $70 a barrel before the war in late February to more than $119 at times.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 7: “Trump said the US Navy would start blockading the strait of Hormuz and would also interdict every vessel in international waters that had paid a toll to Iran.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results or Wikipedia entries detailing Donald Trump stating the US Navy would blockade the Strait of Hormuz and interdict vessels paying a toll to Iran.

help

Claim 8: “Donald Trump and his advisers are looking at resuming limited military strikes in Iran in addition to the US blockade of the Hormuz strait as a way to break a stalemate in peace talks, the Wall Street Journal is reporting, citing officials and people familiar with the situation.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results or Wikipedia entries reporting that The Wall Street Journal stated Trump and advisers considered limited military strikes alongside a blockade.

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Claim 9: “On Friday, ahead of the peace talks in Pakistan, Brent for June delivery fell 0.8% to $95.20 a barrel.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 10: “Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said ‘if you fight, we will fight’”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results report that Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf stated that if Iran is challenged, they will fight. One source quotes him saying, 'if you fight, we will fight.'

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — "Neither Gaza nor Lebanon, My Life for Iran" (Persian: نه غزه نه لبنان جانم فدای ایران, romanised: Na Ghazze na Lobnan, jânam fadâ-ye Irân) is a political slogan from Iranians criticizing the Islamic …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neither_Gaza_nor_Lebanon,_My_L…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2025–2026 Iranian protests are a series of nationwide demonstrations against the government of Iran that began on 28 December 2025 amid a deepening economic crisis. The unrest followed a sharp dep…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025–2026_Iranian_protests

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf (born 23 August 1961) is an Iranian politician and former military officer serving as speaker of the Parliament of Iran since 2020. A principlist, he was previously a member o…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammad_Bagher_Ghalibaf

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 11: “Iran’s minister of foreign affairs, Abbas Araghchi, said that yesterday’s negotiations between the US and Iran actually came close to agreement at some point, but ultimately fell apart due to the US “shifting goalposts.””

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 12: “The S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.8% to trade at the 8,890 point mark in the opening minutes of trading.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results or Wikipedia entries to confirm the specific fall of the S&P/ASX 200 by 0.8% to 8,890 points at the opening of trading.

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Claim 13: “Centcom forces will begin implementing a blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports on April 13 at 10am ET, in accordance with the President’s proclamation.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 14: “Iran’s parliamentary speaker, who led Tehran’s negotiators at the weekend talks with Washington, has taunted Donald Trump over petrol prices amid the US president’s vow to blockade the strait of Hormuz.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results or Wikipedia entries detailing Iran's parliamentary speaker taunting Donald Trump regarding petrol prices following a blockade vow.

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Claim 15: “Iran has been effectively controlling the strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for global oil and LPG shipping.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 16: “It said it would still allow ships traveling between non-Iranian ports to transit the strait of Hormuz.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 17: “Centcom forces will begin implementing a blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports on April 13 at 10am ET [1400 GMT], in accordance with the president’s proclamation.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 18: “The Lebanese Red Cross said an Israeli drone strike hit their unit and killed a paramedic on Sunday.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 19: “The UK will not be involved in any blockade of the strait of Hormuz, the Guardian understands, despite claims by Donald Trump on Sunday the US was “going to be blockading the strait of Hormuz” with the assistance of Nato allies.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 20: “US Central Command (Centcom) announced it would begin its blockade of the strait beginning Monday morning.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results or Wikipedia entries stating that US Central Command (Centcom) announced a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz on Monday morning.

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Claim 21: “US Central Command said the blockade would be “enforced impartially against vessels of all nations” entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 22: “US Central Command (Centcom) has announced that they will begin their blockade of the strait of Hormuz beginning Monday morning.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 23: “Oil prices have also risen back above the $US100 a barrel this morning, according to futures pricing.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results or Wikipedia entries to confirm that oil prices rose above $100 per barrel according to futures pricing.

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Claim 24: “Qalibaf said Donald Trump’s new threats will have no effect on the Iranian nation.”

CORROBORATED

Two separate web search results confirm that Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf stated that Donald Trump's new threats would have no effect on the Iranian nation.

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travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Iran’sParliament SpeakerMohammadBaqerQalibafhasdenounced US PresidentDonaldTrump’saggressivethreatsagainst the Islamic Republic, warning that any act of aggression will be met with a crushing response…
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2026/03/31/766101/Qalibaf-to-T…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — MohammadBaqerQalibafsays ‘if you fight, we will fight’, reportsstatemedia, as US president also threatens to bombIran’swater treatment facilities.QalibafsaidDonaldTrump’snewthreatswillhavenoeffectonth…
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/apr/12/middle-ea…

+ 1 more evidence source

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Claim 25: “Oil prices rose in early trading on Sunday after Trump’s vow over the Hormuz strait, with US crude increasing 8% to $104.24 a barrel and Brent crude rising 7% to $102.29.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 26: “The war with Iran has cost Israel about 35bn shekels (US$11.5bn) in direct budgetary expenses, according to preliminary estimates from the Israeli finance ministry.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 27: “Trump reiterated his threat to destroy Iran’s power plants and other civilian energy infrastructure if no deal is reached to end the war, which he started with Israel in what is widely seen as an illegal and unprovoked attack.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.