World Echo

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh said Tehran rejects any temporary ceasefire and is seeking a comprehensive end to the war across the region. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, Khatibzadeh said any ceasefire must include all conflict zones “from Lebanon to the Red Sea,” describing it as a “red line” for Iran. “We are not accepting any temporary ceasefire,” he said, adding that the cycle of conflict “should end here once and for all.” Khatibzadeh said Pakistan’s mediation aims to achieve that goal. On the Strait of Hormuz, he said the waterway has historically remained open, noting that it lies within Iran’s territorial waters but has long been accessible. Also Read: Trump says Iran war should end 'soon', says Hezbollah should support truce He accused the US and Israel of triggering instability in the region, saying their actions have negatively affected global trade and the wider economy. Khatibzadeh said Iran remains committe...

Iran's ambassador to the United Nations Amir Saeed Iravani criticised the draft resolution put forth by Bahrain in close coordination with the Gulf Cooperation Council at a UN General Assembly meeting on April 16 to discuss the vetoing of said draft. The resolution was tabled at the UN Security Council initially on April 7 and was vetoed by China and Russia, which had put forward an alternative, balanced draft resolution to facilitate a negotiated solution. As per Iran's Tasnim News report, Iravani argued that it ignored the root cause of the crisis: the “illegal and savage” war imposed by the United States and Israel against Iran on February 28, assassinating the former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He said in his statement, "During the Council meeting, my delegation made clear that the text was one-sided and ignored the root cause of the crisis: the illegal and savage war of aggression by the United States and Israel against Iran on 28 February 2026." ...

The European Union is drafting plans to tackle ​a looming jet fuel supply crunch and maximise refinery output, officials said. European airlines have warned of jet fuel shortages within weeks as ‌a result of the US-Israel war against Iran, disrupting travel ahead of summer. Europe is more dependent on jet fuel imports, with some 75% from the Middle East, than on any other transport fuel. From next month, the European Commission will introduce EU-wide mapping of refining capacity for oil products and introduce measures "to ensure that existing refining capacity is fully utilised and ​maintained", a draft proposal seen by Reuters said. The EU is also working on measures targeting jet fuel supply, but those are still in development, ​officials familiar with the proposals said. The Commission declined to comment on the draft plans, which are due to be ⁠published on April 22. Jet fuel prices have soared since the blocking of the Strait of Hormuz, and European airlines are warning ...

As the second energy shock in four years roils global markets, the contrasting experiences of Pakistan and Bangladesh underscore the costs to emerging market countries from relying on fuel imports and the case for cleaner power sources. After South Asian countries were rocked by widespread electricity ​outages and inflation in 2022 due to soaring liquefied natural gas prices following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a consumer-led solar revolution swept ‌Pakistan, while Bangladesh signed long-term LNG deals to fuel its power plants. The fallout from the war with Iran that began with US and Israeli airstrikes on February 28 has highlighted the consequences of these divergent paths. Iran blocked the Strait of Hormuz in response, cutting off contracted long-term LNG supplies and prompting Bangladesh to buy 11 cargoes from the spot market for delivery from ​March to May. Also Read: US-sanctioned supertankers enter Gulf despite blockade Bangladesh paid an average of $21.35 per million Bri...

A fire at the largest of Australia's two oil refineries has hit petrol production, company and government ‌officials said on Thursday, just as the nation faces pressure to shore up fuel security with the Iran war disrupting global supply. State fire authorities said the blaze, which broke out at a 120,000 barrels-per-day refinery run by Viva Energy on Wednesday night, had been brought "under control" at noon (6pm PKT) on Thursday. The fire came at a bad time for Australia as it depends on imports ​for 80% of its fuel needs and has been racing to replace supply disrupted by the Middle East conflict, which has driven up energy ​prices worldwide. "This is not a positive development, but obviously there's a long way to go in terms of working out just ⁠what the impact is," Energy Minister Chris Bowen told Channel Nine. Viva Energy's refinery supplies over half of the fuel in Australia's second most populous state, Victoria, and ​a tenth of the country...

South Korea secured 273 million barrels of crude oil from the Middle East and Kazakhstan through the end of the year, with supplies routed outside the Strait of Hormuz, presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik said on Wednesday. Asia's fourth-largest economy has also secured 2.1 million metric tons of naphtha over the same period, Kang said at a press briefing following his visit as a special presidential envoy to Kazakhstan, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Qatar over the past week. "In particular, the crude oil and naphtha secured this time will be sourced through alternative supply routes unrelated to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and will therefore make a direct and tangible contribution to stabilising domestic supply," Kang said. Read: Trump says Iran war is ‘close to over’ amid optimism about next round of talks in Islamabad Saudi Arabia had agreed to ship about 50 million barrels of crude oil already allocated to South Korean companies, using alternative ports near t...