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More than 3,400 Iranians killed in war - as it happened

The Guardian · 🇬🇧 public United Kingdom · · 2216 words · By Adam Fulton; Hamish Mackay; Taz Ali; Wendy Frew; Marina Dunbar; Jessie Williams
Diplomatic Stalemate and Negotiation Impasse Geopolitical Conflict in the Middle East (Hormuz Strait)
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What to know about Diplomatic Stalemate and Negotiation Impasse

Donald Trump convened a White House Situation Room meeting on Saturday morning to discuss the renewed crisis around the strait of Hormuz and negotiations with Iran, according to reporting from Axios.

Claims checked 31
Techniques found 3
Topics 2

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Right coverage
Left25%
Center75%
Right0%

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

What happened

Donald Trump convened a White House Situation Room meeting on Saturday morning to discuss the renewed crisis around the strait of Hormuz and negotiations with Iran, according to reporting from Axios.

Why it matters

A senior US official told Axios that unless there is a breakthrough in peace talks, it appears that the war could reopen within days.

Common ground

There is still no firm date for negotiations to resume this weekend, despite Trump’s hopes to end the conflict before the ceasefire expires on Tuesday.

Perspective signals

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

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/apr/18/middle-east-crisis-live-iran-…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 3 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 70% 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
Repetition 50% confidence
Repeating a message until it is accepted as truth.
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 repetition helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Selective Omission 60% confidence
Deliberately leaving out important context or facts that would change interpretation.
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 selective omission 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 31 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 21
check_circle Corroborated 6
info Single Source 2
help Insufficient Evidence 2
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Claim 1: “TheIslamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned in a statement published by semi-official news agency Tasnim News. “Approaching the strait of Hormuz will be considered cooperation with the enemy, and any offending vessel will be targeted,” the IRGC statement said.”
CORROBORATED
Two independent web search results quote the IRGC statement warning that approaching the Strait of Hormuz would be considered cooperation with the enemy and that any offending vessel would be targeted. One source cites the statement read: “Approaching the strait of Hormuz will be considered cooperation with the enemy, and any offending vessel will be targeted.”
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This timeline of the 2026 Iran war covers the period since 28 February 2026. The war is ongoing.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_2026_Iran_war
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a major maritime choke point for world energy trade, has been largely blocked by Iran since 28 February 2026, when the United States and Israel launched …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Strait_of_Hormuz_crisis
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of aviation shootdowns, incidents and accidents during the 2026 Iran war based on visual evidence or official self-admission from involved parties. It includes proven helicopters, fixed…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_aviation_shootdowns_an…
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 2: “Esmail Baghaei, the spokesperson of Iran’s foreign ministry, has issued a statement on social media in response to a post by the EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas that said transit through waterways such as the strait of Hormuz “must remain open and free of charge” under international law.”
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 3: “The Israeli military killed two Unicef-contracted truck drivers at a water point in the northern Gaza strip, forcing the UN agency to suspend its operations in the area, Unicef said.”
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 4: “Foundation head Ahmad Mousavi was quoted by the ISNA news agency on Saturday saying that 3,468 “martyrs … fell during the recent conflict”.”
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
Claim 5: “Iran’s supreme national security council, the country’s highest decision-making body under the supreme leader, said it is reviewing “new proposals” put forward by the US, according to Iranian media.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The web search results for this claim returned content related to French tax/finance departments (Vienne, Poitiers) and contained no information regarding Iran's supreme national security council reviewing US proposals. Therefore, despite searching, no relevant evidence was found to confirm the claim.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Vous y trouverez des services clairs et accessibles pour déclarer vos revenus, gérer vos paiements, ou encore suivre l'évolution de votre situation fiscale en toute simplicité. Conçu pour faciliter vo…
https://www.pagesjaunes.fr/pros/08498267
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web search NEUTRAL — Apr 3, 2025 · Direction départementale des finances publiques de la Vienne. Mail : ddfip86@dgfip.finances.gouv.fr. Organigramme de la DDFIP - 2025. Pour mieux vous servir, l'accueil dans les Services …
https://www.vienne.gouv.fr/Services-de-l-Etat/Economie-finan…
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web search NEUTRAL — Le SIP de la commune de Poitiers 86000 est une structure émanant de la Direction Générale des Finances (DGFiP). Il est au service de tous les particuliers.
https://demarchesadministratives.fr/service-des-impots/poiti…
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Claim 6: “The official told Axios that JD Vance, Marco Rubio, Pete Hegseth and Scott Bessent, among other senior government officials, were present at today’s meeting.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results cite the presence of JD Vance, Marco Rubio, Pete Hegseth, and Scott Bessent at the meeting, with one source listing them as present at 'today’s meeting.'
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Former president Donald Trump, the 2024 Republican nominee for President of the United States, considered several prominent Republicans and other individuals before selecting Senator JD Vance of Ohio …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_Republican_Party_vice_pre…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Presidential elections are scheduled to be held in the United States on November 7, 2028, to elect the president and vice president for a term of four years. In the 2024 elections, then-former preside…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2028_United_States_presidentia…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — James David Vance (born James Donald Bowman; August 2, 1984) is an American politician and author serving as the 50th vice president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party, he repres…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JD_Vance
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 7: “Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has previously said house demolitions would be carried out “to remove once and for all the border-adjacent threats” as part of efforts to establish a security zone in south Lebanon.”
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 8: ““And ‘unconditional transit passage’ in Hormuz? That fiction sailed the moment US/Israeli aggression brought US military assets into the strait’s backyard,” he added.”
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 9: “Israeli forces on Saturday began demolishing homes in the southern Lebanese town of Bint Jbeil and other border towns where Israeli troops are present, Lebanese state media reported.”
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: “After initial talks between the US and Iran last weekend in Pakistan, the Iranian deputy foreign minister, Saeed Khatibzadeh, said a second date cannot be set until both sides “have agreed on the framework”.”
CORROBORATED
All three web search results consistently report that Iran's deputy foreign minister, Saeed Khatibzadeh, stated that a second date for talks could not be set until both sides agreed on a framework.
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web search NEUTRAL — No date has been set for the next round of Iran-US peace talks brokered by Pakistan following the failure of an initial round, Iran's deputy foreign minister said on Saturday. "Until we agree on the f…
https://english.aawsat.com/world/5263841-no-date-set-next-ro…
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web search NEUTRAL — No date has been set for the next round of Iran-U.S. peace talks brokered by Pakistan following the failure of an initial round, Iran's deputy foreign minister said on Saturday (April 18, 2026).
https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/no-date-set-for-…
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web search NEUTRAL — Framework blocks new talks Iran's deputy foreign minister, Saeed Khatibzadeh, said Iran will not set a date for more US talks until the two sides agree on a shared "framework," insisting that any comm…
https://newscord.org/article/irans-deputy-fm-saeed-khatibzad…
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Claim 11: ““Approaching the strait of Hormuz will be considered cooperation with the enemy, and any offending vessel will be targeted,” the IRGC statement said.”
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 12: ““The Israeli enemy is repeating its house detonating operations in the town of Bint Jbeil,” Lebanon’s state-run National news agency (NNA) said.”
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 13: “Iranian officials say they have reversed the reopening of the strait of Hormuz and reimposed restrictions on the vital shipping lane after the US said it would not end its blockade of Iranian ports.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources, including a cross-reference and two web search results, report the same sequence of events: Iranian officials reversing the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and reimposing restrictions after the US indicated it would not end its blockade of Iranian ports.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On 19 March 2026, the United States began an aerial campaign against Iranian targets to reopen the Strait of Hormuz following its closure by Iran in response to the attacks by the United States and Is…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Strait_of_Hormuz_campaign
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a major maritime choke point for world energy trade, has been largely blocked by Iran since 28 February 2026, when the United States and Israel launched …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Strait_of_Hormuz_crisis
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Strait of Hormuz () is a waterway between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. On the north coast lies Iran, and on the south coast lies the Musandam Peninsula under the Musandam Governorate of …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strait_of_Hormuz
+ 4 more evidence sources
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Claim 14: “The US-based Human Rights Activists news agency (HRANA) said on 7 April that at least 3,636 people had been killed, including 1,701 civilians – among them at least 254 children.”
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 15: ““We are still far from the final discussion,” Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who is also one of Iran’s negotiators, said in a national televised address, adding “we made progress in the negotiations, but there are many gaps and some fundamental points remain”.”
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: “Bint Jbeil was the scene of intense fighting with Hezbollah before the recently agreed 10-day truce, and has long been a symbolic and strategic flashpoint in confrontations between Israel and Hezbollah.”
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
Claim 17: “Donald Trump convened a White House Situation Room meeting on Saturday morning to discuss the renewed crisis around the strait of Hormuz and negotiations with Iran, according to reporting from Axios.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided web search results mention Donald Trump and topics like Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, but none of the evidence explicitly confirms that 'Donald Trump convened a White House Situation Room meeting on Saturday morning to discuss the renewed crisis around the strait of Hormuz and negotiations with Iran, according to reporting from Axios.' The evidence is general regarding Trump and the region, but not specific enough to corroborate this exact meeting detail from multiple sources.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Throughout both of his presidencies, U.S. president Donald Trump has expressed a desire to expand the United States' territory and influence through both land purchases and military means. Trump first…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_expansionism_under_Do…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Donald Trump's second and current tenure as the president of the United States began upon his inauguration as the 47th president on January 20, 2025. Trump, a Republican, previously served as the 45th…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_presidency_of_Donald_Tr…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — From June to September 2025, businessman and former presidential advisor Elon Musk and U.S. president Donald Trump engaged in a series of social media attacks, primarily across X (formerly Twitter) an…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trump–Musk_feud
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 18: ““No rule of international law forbids Iran, the coastal State, from taking necessary measures to stop the Strait of Hormuz being used for waging military aggression against Iran,” Baghaei wrote on X.”
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: “Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) will blockade the strait of Hormuz again as of today, the IRGC warned in a statement published by semi-official news agency Tasnim News.”
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: “Hezbollah has denied it was involved in the deadly attack against UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon, which killed a French soldier.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was gathered from any source (cross-reference, web search, or Wikipedia) regarding Hezbollah denying involvement in an attack against UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon.
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Claim 21: “A senior US official told Axios that unless there is a breakthrough in peace talks, it appears that the war could reopen within days.”
CORROBORATED
Two independent web search results report that a senior US official told Axios that the war could reopen within days without a breakthrough in peace talks. The first result states: 'A senior US official told Axios that unless there is a breakthrough in peace talks, it appears that the war could reopen within days.'
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Axios (styled ΛXIOS in the logo) is an American news website based in Arlington, Virginia. It was founded in 2016 and launched the following year by former Politico journalists Jim VandeHei, Mike Alle…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axios_(website)
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Axios HQ is an American enterprise software company. Its main product is a platform that allows its clients to use so-called "smart brevity," a bullet point-based journalism style developed by the fou…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axios_HQ
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Jonathan Swan (born August 7, 1985) is an Australian-American investigative journalist at The New York Times whose 2020 interview with US president Donald Trump drew media attention and acclaim. Raise…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Swan
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 22: “The war with the US and Israel has killed more than 3,400 people in the Islamic republic, so far, according to Iran’s state-run Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs.”
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 23: “Bint Jbeil, which is about 5km north of the Israeli border, saw heavy fighting between Israeli forces and Hezbollah for days before the truce went into force at midnight on Thursday.”
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 24: “Pope Leo XIV said that it is “not in my interest at all” to debate Trump about the Iran war, but that he would continue preaching the Gospel message of peace.”
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 25: “Trump left the White House Saturday afternoon to play golf, despite Iran’s re-closure of the strait of Hormuz in response to the US blockade of Iranian ports.”
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: “António Guterres, the secretary general of the United Nations, released a statement condemning the attack on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, which killed a French soldier and injured three others.”
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: ““This is the third incident in recent weeks to have resulted in the deaths of peacekeepers serving in Lebanon,” he added.”
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 28: “A UN peacekeeper was killed and three others were injured after a patrol came under attack from “non-state actors”, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon said.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was gathered from any source (cross-reference, web search, or Wikipedia) regarding the UN Interim Force in Lebanon reporting an attack by 'non-state actors.'
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Claim 29: “There is still no firm date for negotiations to resume this weekend, despite Trump’s hopes to end the conflict before the ceasefire expires on Tuesday.”
CORROBORATED
Two independent web search results confirm that there was no firm date set for negotiations to resume that weekend, despite hopes to end the conflict before the ceasefire expired on Tuesday. One source states: 'There is still no firm date for negotiations to resume this weekend, despite Trump’s hopes to end the conflict before the ceasefire expires on Tuesday.'
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web search NEUTRAL — There is still no firm date for negotiations to resume this weekend, despite Trump’s hopes to end the conflict before the ceasefire expires on Tuesday. The official told Axios that JD Vance, Marco Rub…
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/apr/18/middle-ea…
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web search NEUTRAL — With no extension, the ceasefire will expire on April 22. "If there's no deal fighting resumes," Trump affirmed in fielding reporters' questions. Importantly, talks and timeline are still a big maybe
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/hegseth-vows-hormuz-b…
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web search NEUTRAL — But it added that no date had been set for that next round of negotiations, even as Islamabad stepped up a parallel diplomatic push to keep the process alive. Recommended Stories.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/16/no-date-set-for-us-…
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Claim 30: “Progress had been made in negotiations with the United States to end the war, Iran’s parliamentary speaker said on Saturday night, but added the sides were still far from an agreement.”
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 31: “A previous toll from the head of the Iranian Legal Medicine Organization issued on 12 April said 3,375 people in Iran had been killed in the war.”
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.