Morning Briefing: April 26, 2026

Merve Berker

By Merve Berker

ANKARA (AA) – Here’s a rundown of all the news you need to start your Sunday, including US President Donald Trump saying he is willing to deal with “whoever runs the show” to reach an agreement with Iran; Trump cancelling his envoys trip to Pakistan for talks with Iran; and Germany announcing it would deploy naval units to the Mediterranean ahead of a potential Strait of Hormuz mission.

TOP STORIES

• Trump says willing to deal with ‘whoever runs the show’ to reach agreement with Iran

US President Donald Trump said he is willing to deal with “whoever runs the show” to reach an agreement with Tehran, claiming that “there’s tremendous infighting” on the Iranian side.

“They’re probably fighting for leadership. In many cases, I think they’re fighting not to be the leader, because we knocked out two levels of leaders, but I’ll deal with whoever we have to,” Trump claimed while talking to reporters before departing the state of Florida via Air Force One.

“We have all the cards. They have no military left, practically. They have no leaders left. We don’t know who the leaders are… I don’t think they know who the leaders are,” Trump said.

• Trump cancels his envoys Witkoff, Kushner’s trip to Pakistan for talks with Iran: Reports

US President Donald Trump said he canceled the trips of US special envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner to Pakistan for talks with Iranian officials, according to media reports.

“I’ve told my people a little while ago they were getting ready to leave, and I said, ‘Nope, you’re not making an 18-hour flight to go there. We have all the cards. They can call us anytime they want, but you’re not going to be making any more 18-hour flights to sit around talking about nothing,'” Trump told Fox News via phone.

Separately, Trump also told Axios he sees “no point of sending them on an 18-hour flight,” adding, “We can do it just as well by telephone. The Iranians can call us if they want. We are not gonna travel just to sit there.”

• Germany to deploy naval units to the Mediterranean ahead of potential Strait of Hormuz mission

Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced the deployment of German naval units to the Mediterranean in preparation for a possible mission in the Strait of Hormuz.

Specifically, a minesweeper and a command and supply ship are to be sent. The goal is to be ready to act quickly in the event of a mandate from parliament, Pistorius told the Rheinische Post newspaper.

He did not specify exactly when the ships are scheduled to depart.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• Local elections began in the West Bank and the city of Deir al-Balah in the Gaza Strip, according to the Palestinian Central Elections Commission.
• Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met Pakistan’s army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir in Islamabad, amid efforts to revive stalled peace talks between the US and Iran to end an eight-week war.
• The Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran resumed some international flights, state broadcaster IRIB reported.
• The Israeli army warned residents of some southern Lebanese villages not to return, citing military activity despite a ceasefire that was extended this week.
• Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said “deliberate efforts” are being made to redraw the map of the Middle East.
• Fighting was ongoing near the Senou military camp, close to the Bamako-Senou International Airport in Mail, after coordinated attacks struck multiple locations across the country.
• A group of former British diplomats urged the UK and its allies to take stronger action against Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank, warning that current policies risk enabling annexation and undermining international law.
• Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his delegation met with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir in Islamabad, amid efforts to revive stalled peace talks between the US and Iran to end their eight-week war.
• Four people were killed in Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon, in the latest violations of a ceasefire, according to the state media.
• Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran has shared a “workable framework” with Pakistan aimed at permanently ending the US war
• Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in the Omani capital, leading a diplomatic delegation, according to the Tasnim news agency.
• Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a call with Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, discussing the evolving regional situation and diplomatic efforts to promote peace and stability, the Prime Minister’s Office said.
• Turkish foreign minister held separate calls with his Iranian and Pakistani counterparts, the Foreign Ministry said.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• China warns against US export control bill, vows to ‘firmly’ safeguard its ‘legitimate’ rights

China warned against a recently introduced package of export control legislation in the US House of Representatives that seeks to impose stricter export controls on the equipment used to manufacture cutting-edge chips, state news agency Xinhua reported.

The House Foreign Affairs Committee passed the Multilateral Alignment of Technology Controls on Hardware, known as the MATCH Act, and several other export control bills, earlier this month.

Reiterating its opposition to the “over-extension of the concept of national security and the abuse of export controls,” a spokesperson of the Chinese Commerce Ministry said if enacted, the bills would seriously undermine the international economic and trade order and significantly disrupt the stability of global semiconductor industrial and supply chains.

• British Airways warns of higher ticket prices amid fuel crisis

British Airways’ parent company has warned that ticket prices could rise as a fuel crisis linked to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz drives up oil costs.

International Airlines Group (IAG) said the war in the Middle East is increasing jet fuel prices, which could be passed on to passengers despite efforts to shield costs through fuel hedging.

The company said it was “not immune” to the broader effect of the crisis, though it has not yet experienced disruptions to fuel supply.

• Russia’s Medvedev proposes tariffs on exports to EU

Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev proposed imposing tariffs on Russian exports, including fertilizers, to the EU after calls from Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal to tax Russian imports to fund Ukraine’s reconstruction.

Medvedev, who served as Russian president from 2008 to 2012, said Moscow “should respond in kind” to Estonia’s proposal.

“Let their food prices go up, while we get more missiles, drones, and heavy guided bombs for the special military operation!” he wrote on Russian social media platform Max.