LIVE! 2 US warships cross Strait of Hormuz; US-Iran hold talks in Islamabad

An India-flagged liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanker, Jag Vikram, has crossed the Strait of Hormuz, marking the first such transit by an Indian vessel since a temporary two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran was announced.

Ship tracking data showed the tanker moved through the strategic waterway between Friday night and Saturday morning (April 11), and was located in the Gulf of Oman, east of the Strait on Saturday afternoon, proceeding eastwards.

The vessel movement was also confirmed by a government statement giving an update on developments in West Asia.

"The India-flagged LPG vessel Jag Vikram has safely crossed the Strait of Hormuz today (Saturday)," it said. "The vessel is carrying approximately 20,400 tonnes of LPG cargo with 24 seafarers onboard. It is expected to arrive at Mumbai on April 15, 2026."

Jag Vikram is the ninth Indian vessel to exit the Persian Gulf since early March, while about 15 India-flagged ships remain in the region, awaiting passage. Owned by Mumbai-based Great Eastern Shipping Company, Jag Vikram is a mid-sized gas carrier with a deadweight capacity of over 26,000 tonnes.

According to MarineTraffic data, hundreds of vessels remain in the region, including 426 tankers, 34 LPG carriers, and 19 LNG vessels, many of which had been effectively stranded amid the disruption.

Civil defence crews used cranes on Saturday (April 11) to search through partially-collapsed apartments, three days after Israeli strikes hit a six-storey building in Beirut's seaside neighbourhood of Caracas.

The Israeli military struck some 100 sites that it said were connected to Hezbollah in the capital and other parts of Lebanon on Wednesday (April 8), killing more than 300 people, including more than 100 women and children.

Civil defence officials said six people were killed in the Caracas building and a missing teenager was believed to be buried under a collapsed roof.

Najib Merhi, the owner of a snack shop on the bottom floor, said the strike came as a shock because “this is a touristic area, a safe area, an area that is shared between all the social fabric of this country".

Sri Lanka on Saturday (April 11) backed the dialogue between Iran and the US, saying it hopes the ongoing diplomatic process, following a temporary ceasefire, would lead to a durable peace in West Asia. A US delegation led by Vice-President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, and an Iranian team of negotiators led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, are in Islamabad to attend the Pakistan-mediated peace talks, four days after Iran and the US announced a two-week ceasefire.

Welcoming the announcement of the temporary ceasefire and the "forthcoming dialogue", the Foreign Ministry described it as a "significant step towards de-escalating tensions in the region and alleviating profound human suffering" caused by the conflict.

"We strongly encourage all stakeholders to seize this opportunity to work towards a permanent and durable solution through an inclusive peace process, which ensures long-term stability and security for all peoples in the region," it said.

The ministry, without naming the mediating countries, also appreciated the diplomatic efforts that led to the ceasefire and the planned talks.

"Sri Lanka also recognises with appreciation the role of all parties whose diplomatic efforts and resolve have been instrumental in facilitating this significant development of establishing dialogue," it said.