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Friday, April 17, 2026

Iran says it still controls Hormuz transit, warns of response to US blockade

 

Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Iran has “no new agreement” on the reopening of Hormuz, stressing that current arrangements for shipping in the Strait are based on the April 8 ceasefire understanding with the United States.

He said Iran had pushed for the ceasefire to extend to Lebanon, adding that the Strait was reopened once a truce was reached overnight after “significant efforts from various sides.”

Baghaei reiterated that Iran’s commitments remain unchanged, including allowing commercial vessels to transit the strait “in coordination with Iran,” along routes designated by Iranian authorities and under the supervision of relevant bodies.

He also dismissed what he described as conflicting narratives from the opposing side, urging media and the public not to be swayed by what he called a “media game.”

“Iran is the guardian of the Strait of Hormuz,” he said, adding that Tehran would not hesitate to implement measures necessary to protect its national interests.

“If the other side chooses to break its commitments—which it appears it intends to do—and if the naval blockade continues, the Islamic Republic of Iran will take the necessary reciprocal measures. There is no doubt about that,” he said.

https://www.iranintl.com/en/liveblog/202604159162

Iran lawmaker says Araghchi would face impeachment over Hormuz tweet

 

Iranian lawmaker Morteza Mahmoudi said Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi would have faced impeachment over his recent tweet if not for wartime considerations, accusing him of repeatedly making ill-timed remarks that help calm global oil and energy markets.

Trump: US troops will not participate in uranium removal

 United States President Donald Trump insisted in a telephone interview with CBS News published on Friday that his country's troops will not be involved in removing enriched uranium from Iran.

"We'll go down and get it with them, and then we'll take it. We'll be getting it together because by that time, we'll have an agreement and there's no need for fighting when there's an agreement. Nice right? That's better. We would have done it the other way if we had to," Trump explained. "Our people, together with the Iranians are going to work together to go get it. And then we'll take it to the United States."

Earlier in the day, Trump claimed that Iran agreed "to everything" to get a deal, including stopping its enriched uranium program and transferring its stockpiles to the US.

https://breakingthenews.net/Article/Trump:-US-troops-will-not-participate-in-uranium-removal/66095300

Anthropic’s Amodei to Meet Wiles With US Seeking Mythos Access

 


Anthropic PBC Chief Executive Officer Dario Amodei is scheduled to meet on Friday with White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, according to people familiar with the matter, as the Trump administration seeks wider US government access to the company’s powerful new Mythos artificial intelligence model.

The discussions could set the stage for major federal agencies to eventually start using Mythos. Gregory Barbaccia, federal chief information officer of the White House Office of Management and Budget, said in an email Tuesday that OMB is setting up protections that could allow their agencies to begin using the closely guarded AI tool.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-04-17/anthropic-s-amodei-to-meet-wiles-with-us-seeking-mythos-access

Kura 44% response, 94% disease control for darlifarnib plus cabozantinib in clear cell renal cell carcinoma

 

Kura Oncology reports 44% response, 94% disease control for darlifarnib plus cabozantinib in cabozantinib-pretreated clear cell renal cell carcinoma

  • Preliminary subset results are from the FIT-001 trial in cabozantinib-pretreated clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

Immuron reports unaudited Q3 FY26 Travelan sales growth across Australia, Canada and the U.S.

 


  • Australia Travelan sales rose 15% year-on-year in unaudited Q3 FY26.
  • Canada Travelan sales increased 82% quarter-on-quarter in unaudited Q3 FY26.
  • U.S. Travelan sales rose 1% on the prior corresponding period in unaudited Q3 FY26.

Polymarket Data Shows 54% Chance of U.S.-Iran Peace Deal

 On April 17, 2026, the likelihood of a U.S.-Iran peace agreement has surpassed 50% for the first time, with Polymarket indicating a 54% probability of a deal by April 30. This marks a significant increase of 32 percentage points recently. Iran has reopened the Strait of Hormuz for commercial shipping following a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. The trading activity has been vigorous, exceeding $12 million, reflecting strong investor interest and a belief in a potential diplomatic resolution despite past volatility in negotiations. 

https://www.gurufocus.com/news/8801090/polymarket-data-shows-54-chance-of-usiran-peace-deal