Israel-Lebanon talks begin as attacks continue; Pakistan proposes new round of U.S.-Iran negotiations; Congress prepares to reauthorize FISA section 702
Drop Site Daily: April 14, 2026
Pakistan proposes to host second round of talks on Iran war. At least 3 ships pass through Hormuz on first day of blockade. Vice President JD Vance discusses Islamabad talks, U.S. demands. Iran says damaged railway infrastructure repaired. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer rejects U.S. blockade push, calls for Lebanon ceasefire extension. HRW: Israel’s oil depot strikes in Iran likely war crimes. Most Israelis oppose Iran ceasefire, poll finds. Israel and Lebanese ambassadors set to meet in Washington. Hezbollah leader rejects talks between Israel and the Lebanese government. Israel continues to violate ceasefire, strikes Gaza City. President Donald Trump sparks backlash after posting AI image depicting himself as Jesus Christ. Rep. Eric Swalwell and Rep. Tony Gonzales announce resignations from Congress. Trump says “we may stop by Cuba.” Congressional Black Caucus set to back warrantless surveillance reauthorization, Rep. Lauren Boebert registers objection. Minnesota county investigates ICE arrest of American citizen as a potential kidnapping. Dozens arrested at NYC protest against the Iran war and arms sales to Israel. Sudanese army drones kill at least 20 civilians across Darfur. Former Brazilian intelligence chief detained by ICE in Florida. Philippines says China is using cyanide to poison contested maritime region. Police attempt to suppress Indian factory workers’ protest in Noida. Islamist militants kill seven soldiers at Nigerian army base near Chad border. U.S. military kills two in latest vessel strike in the Pacific.
From Drop Site: Prominent journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin has been in jail for six weeks in Kuwait. Former contractor outlines abuses at GHF aid sites. Leaked documents reveal secret Pakistan-Saudi defense pact. Student faces up to 34 years on felony charges over 51-second dispute.
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U.S.-Iran War
Pakistan proposes to host second round of talks: Pakistan has proposed hosting a second round of talks between the United States and Iran in Islamabad in the coming days, according to the Associated Press. A Pakistani official told Al Jazeera that the country is ready to host the process to bring peace for as many rounds as it takes.
At least 3 ships pass through Hormuz on first day of blockade: Three Iran-linked tankers have passed through the Strait of Hormuz on the first full day of the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports, according to shipping data. The three vessels were not heading to Iranian ports and so they were not covered by the blockade, Reuters reported. The U.S. military blockade of all Iranian ports and coastal areas along the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, which Trump announced on Sunday, was supposed to go into effect at 10 a.m. ET on Monday. Trump told reporters that he did expect other countries to assist in the blockade, before refusing to name these countries. “We don’t need other countries,” he said. He also suggested that his threats against Iran still stood, saying he didn’t want to comment directly on those remarks, but that “it won’t be pleasant for them” if they refuse to meet the U.S. demands.
Vance discusses Islamabad talks, U.S. demands: Vice President JD Vance discussed the peace talks in Pakistan over the weekend with Fox News, saying that “the meeting was useful in acquiring knowledge about how they are negotiating,” and saying that it is “up to the Iranians to take the next step.” In the same interview, Vance said that uranium enrichment was a non-negotiable red line for the U.S. delegation. Axios reported Monday that the United States proposed a minimum 20-year moratorium on uranium enrichment in Islamabad, with Iran countering with a “single digit” number of years. The U.S. also demanded Iran remove all highly enriched uranium from the country, while Tehran offered a “monitored process of down-blending” as an alternative. Vance told Fox News that the U.S. is insisting Iran fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz. “We need to see the Straits of Hormuz fully open,” he said, and warned that if Iran does not “continue to make progress” with the Strait, it would “fundamentally change the negotiations.”
Iran says damaged railway infrastructure repaired: Iranian state-linked Tasnim News Agency reported on Monday that six railway sites struck in recent U.S.-Israeli attacks have been repaired and returned to service. The strikes damaged several bridges across the country, including in Qom, Kashan, and Zanjan, as well as along the Tehran-Mashhad line. Tasnim said a key bridge near Qom was rebuilt in under 40 hours, with repairs at the remaining sites taking longer to complete. Tasnim also reported on Monday that more than 40,813 residential units in Tehran were damaged during the war. Of those, 34,348 require minor repairs, 4,483 need moderate repairs, and 779 require structural reinforcement.
Two tankers reverse course near Strait of Hormuz: At least two tankers reversed course near the Strait of Hormuz on Monday following the start of the U.S. blockade, according to MarineTraffic data. Both vessels had been eastbound out of the Gulf, with one departing the United Arab Emirates en route to China before turning back; one of the two ships was fully laden at the time of the course reversal. Trump claimed in a post on Truth Social that 34 ships went through the Strait on Sunday, a claim which no independent ship traffic monitor has confirmed and which all available data contradicts.
Starmer rejects U.S. blockade push, calls for Lebanon ceasefire extension: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer dismissed U.S. calls to support a multinational blockade of the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, insisting the waterway must remain open and free of tolls, and announced that the United Kingdom and France will co-host a high-level summit this week to establish a “peaceful multinational mission” aimed at restoring freedom of navigation there. Addressing members of Parliament following a three-day visit to the Middle East, Starmer called Israel’s ongoing bombardment of Lebanon “wrong” and demanded the strikes “stop now.” He urged that Lebanon be “included urgently” in the fragile ceasefire between the U.S., Israel, and Iran. European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas made similar calls for an international coalition on maritime security during remarks at the United Nations Security Council on Monday.
Spain becomes first Western nation to reopen embassy in Tehran: Spain formally reopened its embassy in Tehran on Monday, becoming the first Western country to restore a diplomatic presence in Iran since the ceasefire, with Ambassador Antonio Sánchez-Benedito declaring he had returned “in order to join in efforts for peace from every possible quarter.” The embassy had closed on March 7 when staff evacuated amid U.S.-Israeli airstrikes.
HRW: Israel’s oil depot strikes in Iran likely war crimes: Human Rights Watch said that Israeli attacks on four oil depots in and around Tehran last month violated international law and are likely war crimes. “Israel’s March 7 attacks on oil depots surrounding Tehran may have devastating consequences on the environment and people’s health for many years and likely amount to war crimes,” Bahar Saba, senior Iran researcher at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement. “Israeli forces don’t appear to have factored in the foreseeable long-term harm in the Tehran vicinity, for which they should be held accountable.” Read Drop Site’s coverage of the strikes here.
Iran formally demands war reparations at the UN Security Council: Iran’s United Nations envoy Amir Saeid Iravani formally submitted a letter to the Security Council on Monday, demanding reparations from Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan, accusing all five of facilitating or directly participating in the U.S.-Israeli assault on Iran. Tehran claims the states allowed their territory to be used for attacks and, in some cases, took part in strikes on civilian targets, and says it has submitted documented evidence based on military assessments to support its case.
Bahrain summons Iraqi envoy over drone attacks: Bahrain summoned Iraq’s chargé d’affaires Ahmed Ismail al-Karawi on Monday to deliver a formal protest over continued drone attacks launched from Iraqi territory against Bahrain and other Gulf Cooperation Council states, one day after Saudi Arabia took similar diplomatic action. Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry strongly condemned what it called “continued malicious drone attacks” and called on Baghdad to address the threat “urgently and responsibly.”
Pro-Iran hackers claim to have shut down major Bahraini and Saudi steel producers: The Handala cyber group claimed Monday to have hacked and disabled all operations at Bahraini steel producer Fulat and Saudi Arabia’s SULB, describing the operation as retaliation for recent attacks on Iran’s infrastructure, according to Iran’s Fars News Agency.
Most Israelis oppose Iran ceasefire, poll finds: Nearly two-thirds of Israelis oppose the U.S.-Iran ceasefire, according to a new poll from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Agam Labs, conducted April 9 and 10 among over 1,300 respondents. Thirty-nine percent said Israel should resume attacks on Iran, 41 percent said it should respect the ceasefire, and 19 percent were unsure. More than 61 percent of Israelis said the ceasefire should not extend to the conflict in Lebanon.
Lebanon
Casualty count: The death toll from Israel’s assault on Lebanon has risen to at least 2,089—with 6,762 wounded—since March 2, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. That figure includes more than 166 children and 88 health care workers.
Continuing Israeli attacks: At least six people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Lebanon on Tuesday, according to the National News Agency, including three people from one family in Sahmar in west Bekaa where a series of air raids hit the town, destroying more than 10 homes. Three people were also killed in Israel strikes in the Sidon district in southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah conducts series of attacks, kills Israeli soldier: Hezbollah said it conducted a series of attacks on Israel and on military troops on Lebanese territory. The group said it struck Israeli artillery positions established in the town of Biyyada in southern Lebanon. It said it also targeted the Kfar Jaladi outpost with attack drones, followed by rockets targeting the Misgav Am settlement. The Israeli military said one soldier was killed and three seriously wounded during fighting in southern Lebanon.
Red Cross calls attacks on Lebanese medics “gravely concerning”: The International Committee of the Red Cross on Monday condemned a pattern of attacks on medical personnel in Lebanon as “gravely concerning,” after a strike hit a Red Cross facility in the Sour district of southern Lebanon on Monday, killing one person and damaging vehicles. The organization said it was also “deeply distressed” by the death of Lebanese Red Cross paramedic Hassan Badawi, who was killed while conducting a rescue mission in the south. At least 88 medical workers in Lebanon have been killed in Israeli attacks since March 2.
Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors set to meet in Washington: Israeli and Lebanese officials are scheduled to meet in Washington, DC, today for their highest-level direct talks in decades. Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh and Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter are due to meet at 11 a.m. ET according to a schedule published by the State Department. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will join the talks. Lebanon’s presidency has said the talks would focus on announcing a ceasefire and setting a start date for bilateral talks. However, Israel has said it would not discuss a ceasefire during the talks and instead would focus on disarming Hezbollah and establishing peaceful relations between Israel and Lebanon.
Hezbollah leader rejects talks between Israel and the Lebanese government: Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem in a televised address Monday rejected the planned meeting between the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors in Washington on Tuesday, calling the talks “futile” and urging the Lebanese government to take “a historic and heroic stance” by refusing to attend. Qassem said the negotiations are a ploy to pressure Hezbollah into disarming, noting that Netanyahu has openly stated disarmament as the talks’ objective. “We will not rest, stop or surrender. Instead, we will let the battlefield speak for itself,” he said.
Genocide in Gaza, the West Bank, and Israel
Israel continues to violate ceasefire, strikes Gaza City:
The Israeli military bombed a police vehicle in Gaza City on Tuesday killing four Palestinians and wounding nine others, according to Drop Site contributor Mohammed Ahmed. Earlier on Monday, one Palestinian was killed in an Israeli bombing in Beit Lahia.
Israeli forces attacked a cafe near Dawood Tower in central Gaza City on Monday evening, WAFA reported, killing one and injuring several others. Earlier Israeli gunfire had left two Palestinians wounded, in the neighborhoods of Shujaiyya and Zeitoun east of Gaza City.
Former contractor outlines abuses at GHF aid sites: A former British security contractor who managed a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation aid site in central Gaza between August and October 2025 has given his first on-record account of Israeli soldiers routinely and indiscriminately firing on unarmed Palestinians seeking food, telling Drop Site News and Middle East Eye that the killing of a boy of around 12 years old at the site was “straight up murder.” David McIntosh, a former Royal Marines commando, said Israeli soldiers positioned near Site 4 in the Netzarim corridor would open fire on crowds of Palestinians lying in a dry riverbed from 4 a.m. each morning, with snipers, machine guns, and tanks targeting anyone who moved. McIntosh said he filed detailed daily reports on the incidents to his employer, logistics firm Safe Reach Solutions, and never received a response. Read more about McIntosh and the abuses of GHF, in her latest for Drop Site News available here.
U.S. News
By Julian Andreone, with Ryan Grim. Have a tip on Capitol Hill? Email Andreone at Julian@dropsitenews.com.
Trump sparks backlash after posting AI image depicting himself as Jesus Christ: President Donald Trump faced criticism from across the Christian political spectrum Monday after posting an AI-generated image of himself in a white robe performing what appeared to be a healing. He later claimed the image depicted him as “a Red Cross worker” or a “doctor.” Columnists and conservative activists accused the president of blasphemy for his post, and the criticism crossed political lines, with progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) posting on X: “Trump is now attacking the pope for speaking out against war while posting images of himself as a messianic figure. This is not only offensive. It is deranged, egomaniacal behaviour.”
Swalwell and Gonzales announce resignations from Congress: Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) announced Monday he will resign from Congress, one day after suspending his campaign for California governor amid multiple allegations of sexual assault and misconduct. Swalwell apologized for what he described as “mistakes in judgment” from his past but explicitly denied the sexual assault claims and said he intends to fight them. Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) also announced Monday that he will resign from Congress. Gonzales, a third-term Republican whose border district stretches from San Antonio to El Paso, faced mounting bipartisan pressure after text messages documenting his pursuit of a female staff member, Regina Santos-Aviles, became public earlier this year. Santos-Aviles, who worked in Gonzales’s Uvalde district office, died by suicide in September 2025. Gonzales was subsequently accused of pursuing a second staff member, reportedly pressing her for nude photographs and sex in 2020. “When Congress returns tomorrow, I will file my retirement from office,” Gonzales said in a social media post Monday.
Trump says “we may stop by Cuba”: While addressing reporters after DoorDash-ing McDonald’s to the White House on Monday, President Trump threatened Cuba once again, saying that “we may stop by Cuba after we are finished with this,” referring to the war on Iran. “We’re gonna see with Cuba,” he said before calling it a “failing nation” and accusing the government of being oppressive, of “beating up” its citizens and “mugging” them.
Congressional Black Caucus set to back warrantless surveillance reauthorization, Boebert registers objection: Congressional Black Caucus is quietly preparing to support a clean reauthorization of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) this week, according to The American Prospect, which grants U.S. officials, in theory, the right to collect communications data from foreign targets living abroad, but in practice has been used to conduct warrantless surveillance on Americans and collect troves of their data. The CBC intends to support the law, despite its use to collect the personal data of 130 Black Lives Matter activists in 2020. The caucus’s shift follows behind-the-scenes lobbying by Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, who persuaded CBC leadership to drop its push for reforms; CBC chairwoman Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.), who had opposed Section 702 as far back as 2010 and voted against its last reauthorization in 2024, appears to have reversed course. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) registered her objection to the provision, writing to NSA director Gen. Joshua Rudd and demanding answers over agency analysts’ use of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to search the private communications of individuals they had met on dating apps and a prospective tenant for a personal rental property, abuses first disclosed in a 2023 Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board report. For more on the potential renewal of 702 by Congress, read the latest The American Prospect, here.
Minnesota county investigates ICE arrest of American citizen as a potential kidnapping: Ramsey County Attorney John Choi and Sheriff Bob Fletcher announced Monday they are investigating the January 18 arrest of ChongLy “Scott” Thao, a 56-year-old Hmong American man and longtime U.S. citizen, as a potential case of kidnapping, burglary, and false imprisonment after ICE agents broke down the door of his St. Paul home at gunpoint without a warrant, according to Ramsey County’s preliminary findings. The agents reportedly removed Thao in his underwear and a blanket in freezing temperatures, before eventually realizing that he had no criminal record and was a U.S. citizen, returning him home after several hours. Homeland Security later claimed ICE had been seeking two convicted sex offenders with ties to the property, but Thao said he had never seen the men.
Energy secretary talks Hormuz, Venezuela: U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Monday at the Semafor World Economy Forum in Washington that oil prices will continue rising until “meaningful” vessel traffic resumes through the Strait of Hormuz, predicting a peak within weeks. Wright also highlighted rapid growth in Venezuelan oil exports, saying roughly 150 million barrels have been sold since January 3 following the forced ouster of Nicolás Maduro, with production up approximately 25% over the same period. He said five U.S. companies are currently operating inside Venezuela and that a sixth is expected to be announced soon.
Dozens arrested at NYC protest against the Iran war and arms sales to Israel: Nearly 100 people were arrested in New York City on Monday at a protest against the war on Iran and U.S. arms sales to Israel. Hundreds of demonstrators attempted to stage a sit-in inside the Manhattan offices of Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer (D) and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D). After security blocked the demonstrators from entering the building, the protest continued on the street outside. Jewish Voice for Peace, which helped organize the protest, said among those arrested was whistleblower Chelsea Manning and New York City Council Member Alexa Aviles.
Other International News
Sudanese army drones kill at least 20 civilians across Darfur: The Sudanese armed forces launched a series of drone strikes across East, West, and North Darfur on Sunday and Monday, killing at least 20 civilians, according to Sudan Tribune. In West Darfur, five people were killed and 20 others were wounded when a strike hit the crowded Al-Jumruk market, leaving bodies charred and the facility completely burned; five more civilians died when a separate drone struck a vehicle on the road linking Zalingei and Geneina in the Sisi area. In Ed Daein, East Darfur’s capital, at least 10 civilians were killed, including five environmental health workers, with strikes hitting multiple sites, including the General Intelligence Service headquarters, which the RSF uses as a detention center.
Former Brazilian intelligence chief detained by ICE in Florida: Alexandre Ramagem, former head of Brazil’s intelligence agency under ex-President Jair Bolsonaro, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Florida on Monday after fleeing Brazil last year, according to Reuters. Ramagem had been convicted and sentenced to more than 16 years in prison for his role in a plot to overturn Brazil’s 2022 presidential election won by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and Brazilian authorities had requested his extradition in 2025. U.S. officials said he is being held on immigration grounds rather than in connection with the extradition request, with reports indicating he was initially stopped in Orlando before being referred to ICE. Ramagem also faces accusations of using Brazil’s intelligence apparatus to surveil political opponents and judges during his tenure.
Philippines says China is using cyanide to poison contested maritime region: The government of the Philippines announced Monday that laboratory tests confirmed the presence of cyanide in bottles seized by the Philippine navy last year from Chinese boats at Second Thomas Shoal, a submerged reef in the Spratly Islands, and suggested that the substance may have been used to deliberately kill local fish populations and damage the reef, where a Philippine warship had intentionally grounded itself to reinforce Manila’s maritime claim to the area. National Security Council spokesperson Cornelio Valencia said the cyanide represented “a form of sabotage” that could deprive navy personnel of a vital food source and ultimately compromise the vessel’s structural stability. China’s Foreign Ministry rejected the allegations as a “stunt.”
Police attempt to suppress Indian factory workers’ protest in Noida: Police fired tear gas and deployed anti-riot personnel Monday to contain a factory workers’ protest in Noida, one of Asia’s largest planned industrial townships on the outskirts of New Delhi, after demonstrations entered their fourth day with vehicles torched and stones thrown at security forces. Workers are demanding fixed hours, paid overtime, and compliance with India’s federal labor guidelines, grievances amplified by rising living costs linked to fuel supply disruptions from the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. The unrest follows similar protests last week in the auto-manufacturing state of Haryana, where the government responded by ordering a 35% hike in minimum wages.
Islamist militants kill seven soldiers at Nigerian army base near Chad border: Islamist militants riding motorbikes stormed an army base in Monguno, near Nigeria’s northeastern border with Chad, late Sunday, killing the base commander and six other soldiers, according to Reuters. The attack on the base was carried out by members of both Boko Haram and its splinter group Islamic State West Africa Province, the sources said, and came days after a string of coordinated attacks on military positions elsewhere in Borno State. At least 12 militants were also killed in a gunfight with officers.
U.S. military kills two in latest vessel strike in the Pacific: The U.S. military conducted a strike against a boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Thursday, killing two people, according to U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM). SOUTHCOM posted a video of the strike and said, “Two male narco-terrorists were killed during this action” without providing evidence. At least 170 people have been killed in dozens U.S. strikes on vessels in the Pacific and Caribbean since September.
Italy suspends defense agreement with Israel: Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni announced on Tuesday she was suspending Italy’s defense agreement with Israel “in light of the current situation,” according to Italian news agency Ansa. The agreement, first launched in 2005 and automatically renewed every five years, was designed to promote trade deals between Italy and Israel, particularly in the defense sector, according to Corriere della Sera.
More from Drop Site
Leaked documents reveal secret Pakistan-Saudi defense pact: Classified documents obtained by Drop Site News reveal that Pakistan is bound by a secret defense agreement with Saudi Arabia that has never been reviewed by its parliament and that obligates Islamabad to send forces to the kingdom for defensive purposes—a treaty that directly complicates Pakistan’s posture as a neutral mediator in the U.S.-Iran conflict. Read about the history and contents of this agreement in Murtaza Hussain’s latest for Drop Site, available here.
Student faces up to 34 years on felony charges for pro-Palestine protest: Muhammad Ali, a 23-year-old Muslim American college student, faces felony charges carrying a maximum sentence of 34 years in prison stemming from a 51-second confrontation at a pro-Palestine encampment at the University of Pittsburgh on June 3, 2024. Body camera footage shows Ali briefly pulling on a metal barrier before stepping back with his hands raised. Ali was expelled from the University of Pittsburgh one semester short of graduating and lost nearly a year of classes. He hopes to attend law school, but whether that’s possible depends on the outcome of his trial, which is scheduled for May. Drop Site contributor Mehr Shehr writes about Ali’s egregious case in her latest, available in full here.
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Why would Lebanon believe anything that Israel would say?
Trump now attacks the Pope and doesn't give a dam and will do as much damage to America as he can in what alittle over 2 years left. He has time to start trouble with China over Taiwan.