LIVE! 2 US warships cross Strait of Hormuz; US-Iran hold talks in Islamabad
Israeli attacks kill more people in Lebanon; Trump claims Iran is “losing big” and that tankers from many countries are headed for the US to load up with oil
Here is the top, trending news of Saturday, April 11, 2026, including the Iran war, Indian politics, states’ politics, geopolitics, federal issues, economics, development issues, sports, entertainment, and so on.
Scroll below for Live updates.
Live Updates
- 11 April 2026 2:57 PM IST
Iran struggles to clear mines in Strait of Hormuz: Report
Iran is reportedly struggling to reopen the Strait of Hormuz after laying mines in the waterway during recent tensions.According to US officials cited by The New York Times, Tehran cannot locate all the mines it deployed, creating a dangerous situation for global shipping. The strait is a critical chokepoint, carrying nearly a fifth of the world’s oil supply, and Washington has warned Iran to clear the passage quickly.The mines were reportedly laid by small boats last month, following joint US-Israeli airstrikes and renewed concerns over Iran’s nuclear activities. However, it remains unclear whether Iran kept accurate records of their placements.Some mines that were recorded were positioned to drift, making them harder to track and remove. This uncertainty has heightened risks around ongoing peace talks with the US in Islamabad, as the unresolved threat continues to complicate negotiations. - 11 April 2026 2:08 PM IST
Injured Mojtaba Khamenei governs remotely after deadly airstrike
Iran’s newly installed Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is recovering from serious injuries sustained in the airstrike that killed his father, Ali Khamenei, at the outset of the conflict, reported Reuters, quoting sources.
The February 28 strike targeted the leadership compound in central Tehran, leaving Mojtaba Khamenei with severe facial injuries and significant damage to his legs. Several members of his family, including his wife and in-laws, were also killed in the same attack.
Despite the extent of his injuries, he is said to remain mentally alert and engaged. Two sources told Reuters he continues to participate in high-level discussions through audio links, weighing in on wartime decisions and sensitive exchanges with Washington.
There has been no official Iranian account detailing his condition. Since his appointment on March 8, no verified images or recordings have been released, adding to uncertainty around both his health and authority.
The report further stated he is believed to have lost a leg, while Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth earlier said he was “wounded and likely disfigured.”
Within Iran’s system, the Supreme Leader holds ultimate authority, though analysts say Mojtaba Khamenei is still consolidating control. “Mojtaba will be one voice, but it will not be the decisive one. He needs to prove himself as the credible, powerful, overriding voice,” said Alex Vatanka.
- 11 April 2026 12:12 PM IST
JD Vance arrives in Islamabad for crucial talks
US Vice-President J D Vance arrived in Pakistan on Saturday to hold crucial peace talks with an Iranian delegation led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, aimed at ending the conflict in West Asia.
Vance was received at the airport by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Army chief Asim Munir at the Nur Khan Air Base.
He was accompanied by the US President's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
Before he departed for Pakistan, Vance said he was looking forward to the negotiation and hoped that it would be "positive".
"As @POTUS said, if the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith, we're certainly willing to extend the open hand. If they're going to try to play us, then they're going to find that the negotiating team is not that receptive," Vance had said before boarding the plane.
The Iranian delegation, led by its Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, along with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, arrived early on Saturday. The talks are taking place amid a two-week halt in the US-Israeli war on Iran, which began with the former launching attacks on the latter on February 28.
- 11 April 2026 11:16 AM IST
Maharashtra: Parts of Hingoli district jolted by earthquake of 4.7 magnitude
An earthquake of 4.7 magnitude struck parts of Hingoli district in Marathwada region of Maharashtra on Saturday (April 11) morning, while tremors were also felt in parts of neighbouring Nanded and Parbhani districts, officials said.
There are no reports of immediate loss to life, they said. Some houses and community halls in Pangra Shinde village developed cracks, Hingoli Collector Rahul Gupta told PTI over the phone.
Nanded district officials cited a reading in the National Centre for Seismology that calculated the magnitude of the earthquake at 4.7, recorded at 8:45 am. The epicentre was located at a depth of 10 kilometres below the ground at Shirli village in Vasmat taluka of Hingoli district, they added.
Tremors were also felt in neighbouring Nanded city and rural areas, talukas of Ardhapur, Hadgaon, and Himayatnagar, and in parts of Parbhani district, officials said.
- 11 April 2026 10:26 AM IST
Supporter of CPI(M) rebel V Kunhikrishnan targeted, car burnt in Kannur
A car belonging to a CPI(M) rebel supporter was partially burnt at Madamangalam in Mathamangalam here, police said on Saturday (April 11).
The incident occurred at the house of M K Narayanan at Peroor in Mathamangalam around midnight. Narayanan has lodged a complaint with the Peringome police station and a preliminary investigation has been launched, officials said.
According to police, Narayanan, amid heavy rain and strong winds, woke up and noticed people moving around inside his house's compound. When he rushed out, they fled from the spot.
However, his car was found partially burnt, allegedly by the miscreants.
Police said the complainant suspects that the attack could be linked to his social media posts supporting CPI(M) rebel leader V Kunhikrishnan, who contested as an Independent candidate backed by the UDF in Payyannur.
Meanwhile, a shed on land owned by Kunhikrishnan in Payyannur was also set on fire by unidentified persons on Friday night.
- 11 April 2026 9:48 AM IST
Youth Congress leader killed in Karnataka's Dharwad
Unidentified assailants allegedly killed a Youth Congress leader after barging into his residence in the city, police said on Saturday (April 11). The deceased was identified as Fairoz Pathan, they said.
The incident took place at his house in the Hashminagar area on late Friday, creating panic among residents.
Police said that four unidentified assailants barged into his house and attacked him with lethal weapons.
After committing the crime, the accused fled from the spot. The entire act has been captured on nearby CCTV cameras, providing crucial leads for the investigation, a senior police officer said.
Upon receiving information, police from the Sub-Urban Police Station rushed to the spot and conducted an inspection. The exact reason behind the murder is yet to be ascertained, he said.
Police have registered a case and launched an investigation to identify and apprehend the accused.
- 11 April 2026 9:09 AM IST
Don't compare Vijay with MGR, says AIADMK chief Palaniswami
AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami has asked people not to compare actor-politician Vijay with AIADMK founder M G Ramachandran and indicated that the late CM was far superior as he lived and served people in his lifetime and bequeathed his property to the deaf and dumb home.
Also, he took potshots at Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, saying one required "dignity and discipline" in criticising others and claimed that he belonged to the "political school" of MGR and late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.
"Don't compare him with MGR (as M G Ramachandran was fondly addressed), who is a God (to us). MGR spent the money he earned from acting in films for the people and always strived for the people's well-being in his lifetime. After his demise, he donated his property to the deaf and dumb home. That excellent man is our leader," Palaniswami said, and the crowd responded with a thunderous applause - 11 April 2026 9:01 AM IST
West Bengal polls: Modi to address three rallies
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to address three rallies in poll-bound West Bengal on Saturday, as the BJP steps up its campaign ahead of the assembly elections.
Modi will hold the rallies at Katwa in Purba Bardhaman, Jangipur in Muslim-majority Murshidabad district and Kushmandi in Dakshin Dinajpur.
These programmes are aimed at consolidating the BJP's support in central and north Bengal, where the party is seeking to make deeper inroads and sharpen its challenge to the ruling TMC.
This will be Modi's third visit to the state since the Election Commission announced the poll schedule in mid-March, underscoring the importance the BJP leadership attaches to West Bengal, one of the party's key electoral battlegrounds.
On Thursday, Modi had addressed three rallies at Haldia, Asansol and Suri, where he sharpened the BJP's campaign pitch by foregrounding issues such as "industrial decay" and the "infiltration menace" in the state.
At those meetings, the Prime Minister also offered what he described as a "six-point guarantee" to the people of Bengal, presenting it as an alternative to the "sins" of the Mamata Banerjee-led government.
Modi had launched his campaign on April 5 from Cooch Behar in north Bengal, where he made the gherao of judicial officers engaged in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise the centrepiece of his attack on the Trinamool Congress, accusing the ruling party of fostering "lawlessness" in the state.
The BJP has been seeking to turn the election discourse towards issues such as infiltration, corruption, women’s safety and governance, while also targeting the TMC over unemployment and the state's "industrial decline".
- 11 April 2026 7:03 AM IST
Don't play, Vance warns Iran ahead of talks
US Vice-President J D Vance on Friday warned Iran not to “play” the US as he headed overseas for negotiations aimed at ending the war.
President Donald Trump has tasked the member of his inner circle who has seemed to be the most reluctant defender of the six-week-old conflict with Iran to now find a resolution and stave off the US president's astonishing threat to wipe out its “whole civilisation”.
Vance, who has long been scepticalns are willing to negotiate in good faith, we're certainly willing to extend the open hand,” Vance told reporters before boarding Air Force Two to make his way to the talks in Pakistan.
But he added, “If they're gonna try and play us, then they're gonna find that the negotiating team is not that receptive.” Vance's trip comes as a tenuous, temporary ceasefire appears to be on the precipice of collapsing.
The chasm between Iran's public demands and those from the US and its partner Israel seems irreconcilable. And in the US, where Vance might ask voters in two years' time to make him the next president, there is growing political and economic pressure to wrap it up.
As Vance made his way to the Pakistani capital of Islamabad, Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said in a social media post that a ceasefire in Lebanon, where Israel is targeting Iran-backed Hezbollah militants, and the release of blocked Iranian assets “must be fulfilled before negotiations begin.” He did not elaborate further.
- 11 April 2026 7:02 AM IST
What Trump told JD Vance before the latter's departure for Pakistan
President Donald Trump has expressed confidence ahead of talks between the United States and Iran on a resolution to the conflict, expected to start Saturday in Islamabad, with Vice-President JD Vance leading the US delegation.
“I wished him luck. He's got a big thing,” Trump said in his parting message to Vance before he began his journey to lead the president's delegation for the critical talks.
“We'll find out what's going on. They're militarily defeated.” Trump, who spoke to reporters before boarding Air Force One to head to a Friday evening fundraiser in Charlottesville, Virginia, also reiterated his confidence that the Strait of Hormuz will soon be opened up.
“And now we're going to open up the Gulf with or without them,” Trump said, referring to the Iranians, who have effectively shuttered the critical waterway.
“But that'll be open,” he said.
