Top 5 International News Stories Today
US President Donald Trump has claimed that China is “very pleased” with US efforts to “permanently” reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has warned that US ships in the Strait of Hormuz will be sunk if Washington decides to “regulate” the strategic shipping route.
Trump also claimed that, in exchange for Washington’s efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Beijing has agreed to no longer send weapons to Iran. This unilateral claim by Trump has not been confirmed by Chinese authorities.
Meanwhile, Mohsen Rezaei, former supreme commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, who serves as military advisor to Iran’s supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, stated that US ships “will be sunk by Iranian missiles”.
In addition to that news, here are the international stories that caught the attention of detikcom readers today, Thursday (16/4/2026):
- Trump Claims China is Pleased with US Permanently Reopening Strait of Hormuz
US President Donald Trump has emphasised that he has “permanently” reopened the Strait of Hormuz. Trump even claimed that China is “very pleased” with the US efforts.
Not only that, Trump also claimed that, in exchange for Washington’s efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Beijing has agreed to no longer send weapons to Tehran. This unilateral claim by Trump has not been confirmed by Chinese authorities.
Trump’s statement, delivered via the social media platform Truth Social, as reported by The Hill and Independent.co.uk on Thursday (16/4/2026), has raised many questions about what the US President actually meant by reopening the Strait of Hormuz after imposing a naval blockade in those waters.
- US Rejects Russia Taking Over Iran’s Uranium Stockpile
The Kremlin, or the Russian presidential office, stated that the United States has rejected Moscow’s offer to take ownership of Iran’s enriched uranium as a diplomatic solution to the ongoing conflict.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, as reported by Reuters and Anadolu Agency on Thursday (16/4/2026), said that Russia proposed taking over Iran’s highly enriched uranium, but the US rejected the offer.
Peskov said that President Vladimir Putin had proposed this several times and described it as a “very good solution” that was ultimately rejected by the US side.
- Heating Up! Iran Threatens to Sink US Ships in Strait of Hormuz
Military advisor to Iran’s supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei has warned that Tehran will sink United States ships in the Strait of Hormuz if Washington decides to “regulate” the main shipping route for global energy supplies.
The US, under orders from President Donald Trump, imposed a military blockade on the waters around the Strait of Hormuz after Iran blocked shipping in the strategic waterway for six weeks during the raging war, marked by a fragile two-week ceasefire.
“Mr Trump wants to be the policeman in the Strait of Hormuz. Is this really your job? Is this the job of a strong army like the US?” said Mohsen Rezaei, former supreme commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, who was appointed as advisor by Mojtaba last month, as reported by AFP on Thursday (16/4/2026).
- Trump Says Israel-Lebanon Leaders to Dialogue, First in 34 Years
US President Donald Trump stated that the leaders of Israel and Lebanon will hold talks on Thursday (16/4) local time. Trump claimed that the meeting between the leaders of the two countries will be the first in nearly 34 years.
However, Beirut authorities responded that they are “unaware” of any scheduled direct contact with Tel Aviv in the near future.
The plan for talks between the Israeli and Lebanese leaders was announced by Trump in his latest statement via his Truth Social social media account, as reported by AFP and Reuters on Thursday (16/4/2026).
- US Republican Senators Block Efforts to Limit Trump’s War Powers
The majority of US Senators, controlled by the Republican Party, rejected a resolution proposed by the Democratic side to limit President Donald Trump’s war powers. This rejection thwarted the Democrats’ efforts to stop the war against Iran.
In the vote held on Wednesday (15/4) US time, as reported by Reuters on Thursday (16/4/2026), 52 US Senators rejected passing the resolution on presidential war powers. Another 47 US Senators supported the resolution but lost by numbers.
The voting result underscores the Republican Party’s ongoing support for Trump’s war policies, which ordered military operations against Iran for more than six weeks, specifically the war since 28 February. The two-week ceasefire has been in place since 7 April.