LIVE UPDATES: Conflict in the Middle East (April 25, 2026)

The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) on Saturday announced that expired or soon-to-expire Seafarer’s Record Books (SRBs), Seafarer’s Identification and Record Books (SIRBs), and Seafarer’s Identity Documents (SIDs) of Filipino seafarers affected by the Middle East conflict will be given a 3-month extension.

MARINA said the extension is for seafarers on board vessels affected by the conflict and currently unable to disembark due to crew change issues.

The changes are automatically applicable to documents expiring on or before June 30.

The Department of Agriculture on Saturday appealed to the national government for an additional P30 billion to provide fertilizers and subsidies to farmers amid high fuel costs. 

“About P30 billion. Kasama na rito ‘yung para sa fertilizer at saka ‘yung additional subsidy para sa ating mga magsasaka,” DA Assistant Secretary Arnel De Mesa said in a Dobol B TV interview.

(This includes fertilizers and additional subsidies for our farmers.)

The DA is currently implementing a nationwide rollout of the P10 billion Presidential Assistance for Farmers and Fisherfolk Program (PAFFP)—aimed at providing a critical financial cushion for agricultural producers grappling with volatile fuel and production costs.

The Department of Energy (DOE) reported Saturday that five renewable energy projects with a combined capacity of 128.9 MW were now operational, citing these as early gains towards boosting the country's green energy portfolio within April 2026.

Marked as newly operational facilities as of April 17 are solar and biomass projects in Hermosa, Taft, Cordon, and Arayat.

ISLAMABAD/WASHINGTON - US negotiators are scheduled to leave for Pakistan on Saturday, but Iran said its officials did not plan to meet the Americans to discuss ending the war that has killed thousands and roiled global markets.

President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner are due to depart on Saturday morning for talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, the White House said.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters that Iran had a chance to make a "good deal" with the United States.

"Iran knows that they still have an open window to choose wisely," he said. "All they have to do is abandon a nuclear weapon in meaningful and verifiable ways."

Iran plans to make an offer, Trump says

Araqchi arrived in the capital, Islamabad, on Friday. But an Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson posted on X that Iranian officials did not plan to meet with US representatives and that Tehran's concerns would be conveyed to mediator Pakistan.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Iranian statement.

Washington and Tehran are at a costly impasse as Iran has largely closed the Strait of Hormuz, which normally carries one-fifth of global oil shipments, while the US blocks Iran's oil exports. The conflict, entering its ninth week, has pushed energy prices to multi-year highs, stoking inflation and darkening global growth prospects.

Trump told Reuters on Friday that Iran planned to make an offer aimed at satisfying US demands but that he did not know what the offer entailed. He declined to say who Washington was negotiating with, "but we're dealing with the people that are in charge now".

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the US had seen some progress from the Iranian side in recent days and hoped more would come this weekend, while Vice President JD Vance was ready to travel to Pakistan as well.

Vance, Witkoff, Kushner and Araqchi, as well as the speaker of Iran's parliament, Mohammad Baqer ?Qalibaf, took part in inconclusive talks in Islamabad two weeks ago.

Araqchi, who posted on X that he would also be visiting Pakistan, Oman and Russia, met Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday at the Serena Hotel, where the earlier talks were held, while a US logistics and security team was in place in Islamabad, Pakistani sources said.

Ceasefires in place, few ships crossing Hormuz

Trump unilaterally extended a two-week ceasefire on Tuesday to allow more time to reconvene the negotiators.

Oil prices surged this week, with Brent crude futures soaring 16%, on uncertainty over the fate of the peace talks and as violence flared in the region.

Shipping data on Friday showed that five ships had crossed the Strait of Hormuz in the previous 24 hours, compared to around 130 a day before the war that the US and Israel launched on February 28. The ships included an Iranian oil-products tanker but none of the vast crude-carrying supertankers that normally feed global energy markets.

On Thursday, Israel and Lebanon extended their ceasefire for three weeks at a White House meeting brokered by Trump, but there was little sign of an end to the fighting in southern Lebanon.

Israel invaded its northern neighbor last month to root out Iran's Hezbollah allies after the militant group fired across the border. Tehran says a ceasefire there is a precondition for talks.

Lebanese authorities reported six people were killed by an Israeli strike and Hezbollah downed an Israeli drone. Israel's military said it had killed six armed Hezbollah members in southern Lebanon. —Reuters

The Department of Energy (DOE) and the Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC) have procured 21,000 metric tons of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from the United States as part of government efforts to assure a stable and reliable fuel supply amid the Middle East crisis.

In a statement on Saturday, the Energy Department said, "The incoming shipment, scheduled for delivery from May 20 to 31 and to be discharged in Batangas, will boost the country's LPG inventory and strengthen supply buffers for households and businesses."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused the United States of abandoning internationally recognized diplomatic conventions in pursuit of its own interests, particularly in dominating energy markets, in an interview broadcast on Friday.

Lavrov, interviewed by Russian state television, said Washington, in its dealings with Latin America and the Middle East, was "taking us back to a world where nothing existed" in international law.

"The United States has officially declared that no one can dictate to it," he said in the interview, the text of which was posted on the Foreign Ministry's website.

"It cares only about its own well-being and is ready to defend that well-being by any means - coups, kidnappings or assassinations of leaders of countries that possess natural resources the Americans need.

"Venezuela, Iran, our American colleagues do not hide that this is about oil. They have a doctrine of dominance in global energy markets."

Lavrov was alluding to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a January US military operation and the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in joint US-Israeli airstrikes at the end of February.

The United States, Lavrov said, had "cut off" Europe, urging European states to abandon the now-damaged Nord Stream pipeline carrying Russian gas to Germany and backing European Union calls to discourage Hungary and Slovakia from buying Russian gas.

"This is not an approach to international relations. It is an attempt to return to the colonial era," Lavrov said, denouncing European policy as being driven by "arrogance and contempt for others."

Even in seeking a settlement of the four-year war in Ukraine, he said, the United States was promoting the benefits of "huge economic opportunities."

"At the same time, everything I just described is happening in parallel. We are being pushed out of all global energy markets," he said.

"If we are ready to carry out mutually beneficial projects on our territory and provide Americans with what interests them ... then our interests must also be respected. So far, we do not see this." —Reuters

The remains of a Filipina who was among those who died in a missile attack in Haifa, Israel have been brought home to Kolambogan, Lanao del Norte.

Lucille Jean Olasiman Gersovich, an OFW, died during the missile strike on April 5, 2026, amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Her parents were devastated upon receiving the news from the Philippine Embassy in Israel the next day.

“Sakit kaayo sa akong hunahuna nga gumikan sa gyera didto Iran, US ug Israel, nga daghang nadamay nga mga inosente labi na sa akong anak,dayon sa iyang pangidaron di gyud unta ko kadawat,daghan kaayo moingon nga dawaton naku pero dili pa jud ko kadawat sa akong anak nga mawala,” Lucille’s mother, Lucita Olasiman, said.

Lucille’s family clarified that she was not a nurse. She had moved to Israel six months ago after marrying her husband, an Israeli national whom she met in Cebu.

The missile also struck not at a hospital but at the house of her Israeli in-laws, where they were staying temporarily.

The attack reportedly occurred shortly after her father-in-law was discharged from the hospital.

Her husband and his parents also died in the attack.

Her body is scheduled to be laid to rest on Sunday, April 26, 2026.

Some representatives from the Israeli Embassy visited her wake and extended assistance to the bereaved family. —GMA Regional TV

ISLAMABAD/WASHINGTON - Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi arrived in the Pakistani capital Islamabad on Friday to discuss proposals for restarting peace talks with the US, offering some hope for an end to the eight-week war that has killed thousands and sown turmoil in global markets.

US President Donald Trump told Reuters on Friday that Iran plans to make an offer aimed at satisfying US demands, but said he did not yet know what the offer entailed.

When asked who the US was negotiating with, Trump said: "I don't want to say that, but we're dealing with the people that are in charge now."

But Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson said on X that Iranian officials did not plan to meet with US representatives, even though US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner planned to travel to Islamabad. Iran's concerns would be conveyed to Pakistan, the spokesperson said.

After a US bombing campaign and Iran's blocking of the strategic Strait of Hormuz, the two countries are at a costly impasse, with Iran's oil exports blocked and US gasoline prices at multi-year highs.

Speaking before the Iranian foreign ministry's statement, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Witkoff and Kushner would leave for Pakistan on Saturday morning for talks with Araqchi.

Leavitt struck an upbeat tone, saying the US had seen some progress from the Iranian side in recent days and hoped more would come this weekend.

She added that US Vice President JD Vance, who earlier this month led a first round of unsuccessful talks with Iran to end their war, is ready to travel to Pakistan as well.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Iranian statement.

Pakistani sources said earlier that a US logistics and security team was already in place in Islamabad for potential talks.

Pakistan's foreign ministry confirmed Araqchi's arrival in Islamabad, where a heavy military and paramilitary presence was visible across the central parts of the city.

Araqchi went straight into a meeting with Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar at the Serena Hotel, where the first round of talks with the US was held, two government sources said.

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani pledged his country's support for mediation efforts by Pakistan in a phone call with Trump, Qatar's state news agency reported.

Araqchi wrote on X that he was visiting Pakistan, Oman and Russia to coordinate with partners on bilateral matters and consult on regional developments. The tour will include consultations on the latest efforts to end the war, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson later told state media.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told a briefing earlier on Friday that Iran had a chance to make a "good deal" with the United States.

"Iran knows that they still have an open window to choose wisely," he said. "All they have to do is abandon a nuclear weapon in meaningful and verifiable ways."

The last round of peace talks had been expected to resume on Tuesday but never took place, with Iran saying it was not yet ready to commit to attending and a US delegation led by Vance never leaving Washington.

Trump unilaterally extended a two-week ceasefire on Tuesday to allow more time to reconvene the negotiators.

Oil prices remained volatile on Friday, as traders weighed potential disruption from the worst oil shock in history amid the prospect for further talks.

Brent crude futures LCOc1 settled at $105.33 a barrel, about 0.3% higher, while US West Texas Intermediate futures CLc1 were down 1% at $94.88.

Hezbollah dismisses Lebanon ceasefire extension

On Thursday, Israel and Lebanon extended a separate ceasefire for three weeks at a White House meeting brokered by Trump.

The war in Lebanon, which Israel invaded last month to root out Iran's Hezbollah allies after the militant group fired across the border, has run in parallel with the wider Iran war, and Tehran says a ceasefire there is a precondition for talks.

There was little sign of an end to the fighting in southern Lebanon. Lebanese authorities reported two people were killed by an Israeli strike and Hezbollah downed an Israeli drone.

While the ceasefire that came into force on April 16 has led to a significant reduction in hostilities, Israel and Hezbollah have continued to trade blows in southern Lebanon, where Israel has kept soldiers in a self-declared "buffer zone."

"It is essential to point out that the ceasefire is meaningless in light of Israel's insistence on hostile acts, including assassinations, shelling, and gunfire" and its demolition of villages and towns in southern Lebanon, Hezbollah lawmaker Ali Fayyad said in response to the extension of the ceasefire.

Israel's military said it had killed six armed Hezbollah members in southern Lebanon on Friday.

Strait of Hormuz blockade

Trump on Thursday said he wanted an "everlasting" agreement with Iran, while asserting the US had an upper hand in the standoff in the Strait of Hormuz, the world's most important energy shipping route.

The US has yet to find a way to open the strait, where Iran has blocked nearly all ships apart from its own since the start of the war eight weeks ago. Iran showed off its control this week by seizing two huge cargo vessels there.

Trump imposed a separate blockade of Iranian shipping last week. Iran says it will not reopen the strait until Trump lifts his blockade.

Only five ships crossed the strait in the last 24 hours, shipping data showed on Friday, compared to around 130 a day before the war. Those included one Iranian oil products tanker, but none of the vast crude-carrying supertankers that normally feed global energy markets. —Reuters

Naiuwi na sa Kolambogan, Lanao del Norte ang mga labi ng isang Pilipina na kabilang sa mga nasawi sa nangyaring missile attack sa Haifa, Israel noong Abril 5, 2026.

Sa ulat ni James Paolo Yap sa GMA Regional TV News nitong Biyernes, sinabing nasawi si Lucille Jean Olasiman Gersovich, sa kainitan ng sigalot ng Amerika at Israel, laban sa Iran sa Gitnang Silangan.

Labis na nagdadalamhati ang kaniyang mga magulang nang malaman nila mula sa Embahada ng Pilipinas sa Israel ang malungkot na balita tungkol sa nangyari sa kanilang anak.

Ayon kay Lucita Olasiman, marami ang nagpapayo sa kaniya na tanggapin na ang nangyari sa kaniyang anak pero hindi umano niya matanggap na wala na ang kaniyang anak.

Masakit umano sa kaniyang kalooban na nawalan siya ng anak, at maraming inosente ang nadamay dahil sa giyera ng Amerika at Israel laban sa Iran.

Nasawi rin sa nangyaring pag-atake ang asawa at mga biyenan ni Lucille.

Dadalhin sa kaniyang huling hantungan si Lucille sa Linggo, April 26, 2026.

Ilang kinatawan naman na mula sa embahada ng Israel ang nagtungo sa burol ni Lucille para makiramay sa naulilang pamilya, at magkaloob ng tulong. – FRJ GMA News

Several taxi drivers seeking temporary relief from high fuel prices were not on the lists of recipients of the P5,000 subsidy. 

According to a "24 Oras" report by Oscar Oida on Friday, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board noted that there were more drivers lining up who were not part of the list, which was why they decided to create two lines.

Drivers who were part of the list of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) would receive their payouts from the LTFRB, while those not included would get payouts from the Land Transportation Office (LTO).

“Itong preliminary namin, talagang inaasa lang namin sa mga operator na bigyan kami mga listahan. Ang problema, yung listahan ng operator di kumpleto. Gusto namin kumpletong listahan ng driver niyo,” said LTFRB Chairman Vigor Mendoza.

(For the preliminary release, we are really just depending on the operator to give us a list. The problem is that the lists from the operators are incomplete. We want a complete list of drivers.)

“Pinapapasok ko na lahat agad yung nakapila sa labas, lalo na yung mga senior citizen natin, para makaupo naman, and LTFRB is going to provide mga tubig, the little things para kahit papaano maibsan yung pag-aantay nila,” added Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez.

(I immediately allowed those lining up outside to enter, especially our senior citizens, so that they can sit down and the LTFRB can provide them with water and the little things so that their waiting can be comfortable.)

Authorities assured that all legitimate taxi drivers would get a subsidy.

“Ang kailangan natin malaman kung sila ba ay driver, tapos kung sila ba ay taxi driver. Kailangan naming malaman diyan, may lisensya ba siya. We will make sure naman na we will be going to deliver what’s due to them and bibigyan natin sila ng subisidiya,” Lopez said.

(We need to find out if they are drivers and if they are taxi drivers. We need to know if they have licenses. We will make sure that we will deliver what’s due to them, and we will give them subsidies.)

Meanwhile, DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian said that it was “unfair" to social workers to be provided with lists full of errors and duplicates.

“Kami ang nabubulyawan sa labas samantalang di naman kami ang gumawa ng listahan. Pinangakuan kami ng clean list; pagdating namin sa labas, di pala clean list. It’s a junk list, and I use junk kasi basura yung sinubmit ng mga TNC (transportation network companies),” he said.

(We are the ones getting shouted at outside when we didn’t even make the list. We were promised a clean list, but when we go to the field, it turns out that it’s not a clean list. It’s a junk list, and I use junk because what was submitted by the TNCs is garbage.)

Gatchalian gave TNCs until Monday to provide a final clean list of names and said it is up to the DOTr to decide how to hold those who submitted lists with errors accountable. — Jiselle Anne Casucian/VBL, GMA News