US says Iran ceasefire proposal is better than we expected as Putin offers Tehran support - Live updates

The White House has said that Irans ceasefire proposal is better than expected, raising hopes that the US and Iran may soon bring the ongoing war in the Middle East to a close.

Two months after the US and Israel began their offensive against Iran, peace talks to end the Middle East war and fully reopen the vital strait have so far proven inconclusive since a ceasefire came into force.

Yesterday, US president Donald Trump met with top officials to discuss Irans proposal, in which it spelled out its red lines in negotiations, including on nuclear issues and the Strait of Hormuz.

Speaking to Fox News last night, Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed they were better than what we thought they were going to submit, but questioned whether they were genuine.

We have to ensure that any deal that is made, any agreement that is made, is one that definitively prevents them from sprinting towards a nuclear weapon at any point, he said.

Meanwhile, Irans foreign minister said Russian leader Vladimir Putin has offered the Kremlins support in ending the war.

Abbas Araghchi decried the US approach to negotiations, saying: The US approaches caused the previous round of negotiations, despite progress, to fail to reach its goals because of the excessive demands.

06:18

Rubio: Iran's ceasefire proposal better than expected

Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State, told Fox News last night that Iran's ceasefire proposals were 'better than what we thought they were going to submit.'

However, he questioned whether they were genuine.

Tehran earlier passed 'written messages' to Washington via Pakistan, spelling out its red lines in negotiations, including on nuclear issues and the Strait of Hormuz.

06:28

Putin ally's superyacht storms through Hormuz despite blockade

A superyacht linked to sanctioned Russian billionaire and Putin ally Alexey Mordashov sailed through the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, new shipping data has revealed.

Nord - a 465-foot yacht worth over $500million (£369million) - left a Dubai marina at around 2pm on Friday, crossed the strait on Saturday morning, and arrived in Muscat early on Sunday.

This makes it one of very few vessels to transit the blockaded shipping lane at the heart of the US-Iran conflict.

It is not clear how the multi-deck pleasure vessel gained permission to use the route. Since February, Iran has severely restricted traffic through the strait, which typically handles around one-fifth of the world's oil supply.

06:22

Starmer to lead committee talks on economic fallout of Iran war

Sir Keir Starmer will lead talks on the economic fallout of the Iran crisis amid renewed calls from dozens of nations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

The Prime Minister will convene the meeting of the Middle East Response Committee with ministers and representatives from the Bank of England on Tuesday to discuss the ongoing economic impact of the war.

Ministers are expected to gather in one of the Cabinet Office briefing rooms.

The Government previously warned that the economic impact could last for eight months after the war’s end.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer delivers a speech to the Usdaw conference at the Winter Gardens Blackpool, in Lancashire, setting out efforts to crack down on retail crime. Picture date: Monday April 27, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Temilade Adelaja/PA Wire

06:21

Middle East crisis is major blow for starving Somali children

For Somalia's malnourished children, already suffering the twin catastrophes of looming famine and radical cuts in foreign aid, the US-Israeli war on Iran means more than soaring petrol pump prices; it is a matter of life and death.

Shortages of lifesaving therapeutic foods exacerbated by shipping disruptions are forcing clinics to turn away severely malnourished children and ration supplies, Reuters reporting shows.

Almost half a million children under 5 suffer from 'severe acute malnutrition' or 'wasting', the most life-threatening form of hunger, and the delays are worsening the effect of the aid reductions.