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On April 18, Naghdi, an advisor to the commander-in-chief of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said in an interview that Iran's missile and drone production is still ongoing.

April 18 - According to Iranian media reports on the 18th, the US has put forward new proposals following a visit to Iran by a senior Pakistani military official who was involved in the mediating negotiations. Iran is reviewing these proposals and has not yet responded.

According to Iranian media Mizan, Iran will not open the Strait of Hormuz while the US blockade remains in place, and Iran is reviewing recent proposals from the US.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the U.S. Department of Justice has informed French law enforcement that it will not assist them in investigating Elon Musk's social media platform, X.

US President Trump: The executive order will reclassify the regulatory status of any psychedelic drugs approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The UK Maritime Trade Operations Office has received reports of an incident 3 nautical miles east of Oman. The captain of a cruise ship reported seeing splashes of water near his vessel.

US President Trump announced historic reforms to accelerate access to psychedelic-based medical research and treatments.

On April 18, it was learned from the Ministry of Public Security that on April 17, eight departments—the State Taxation Administration, the Ministry of Public Security, the Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuratorate, the People's Bank of China, the General Administration of Customs, the State Administration for Market Regulation, and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange—held a national meeting in Beijing on April 16 to promote the normalized joint crackdown on tax-related crimes. The meeting discussed and deployed key tasks for the next stage, focusing on promoting the normalized joint crackdown mechanism on tax-related crimes to play a greater role, effectively safeguarding a fair and law-based economic and tax order, and better serving high-quality development. The meeting emphasized that all departments should strengthen the construction of a full-chain, integrated crackdown mechanism from administrative law enforcement to criminal justice; deepen multi-departmental data sharing, information exchange, joint analysis, and coordinated crackdowns; intensify efforts to combat tax-related crimes such as invoice violations, export tax fraud, and fraudulent tax benefits; strengthen case-based tax education and legal interpretation; continuously strengthen warnings and deterrence; and continuously improve the effectiveness of joint punishment, further creating a new situation in the joint crackdown on tax-related crimes by the eight departments.

On April 18, Turkish Foreign Minister Fedan stated that Israel uses security as a pretext to seize more land, but true peace requires an end to the use of force against other countries. AFP reported that Fedan, speaking at the Antalya Diplomatic Forum in Turkey, said, "Israel is not pursuing its own security, but more land. The Netanyahu government is using security as a pretext to occupy more land." "Israel has created a false impression internationally, claiming it is acting for its own security. But the facts are very clear, especially in recent years… its aims go far beyond that," Fedan said.

German Finance Minister: Structural reforms are a certainty.

German Finance Minister: Germany has indicated its willingness to cooperate with the Global South on the issue of UN Security Council reform.

ECB Governing Council member Demarco: The risks of rushing into interest rate action outweigh those of waiting.

Israel Defense Forces: Actions taken in self-defense and to eliminate direct threats are not subject to the ceasefire agreement.

On April 18th, the secretary of the Iranian Airlines Association stated that nationwide ticket sales will be suspended until airlines obtain the necessary permits from the Civil Aviation Organization (CAO). He further pointed out that under the current circumstances, ticket sales are not permitted, and airlines, whether operating domestic or international flights, must apply for the relevant permits for each flight. Ticket issuance is contingent upon CAO approval. He also stated that some websites currently displaying available tickets are actually unavailable for purchase, preventing users from successfully placing orders. Earlier on the 18th, the Iranian CAO announced the reopening of some Iranian airspace and several airports.

On April 18th, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) warned that the Middle East conflict could trigger aviation fuel rationing measures, with flight cancellations in Europe potentially starting as early as the end of May. IATA urged governments to develop coordinated and comprehensive response plans as soon as possible to mitigate the impact on flight operations. According to Lianhe Zaobao, IATA Director General Walsh stated on Friday (April 17th) that the International Energy Agency's earlier assessment that European aviation fuel shortages could begin within about six weeks should be taken very seriously. Walsh said, "Based on the current situation, Europe could begin canceling flights due to aviation fuel shortages as early as the end of May, and similar situations have already occurred in parts of Asia."

The China Earthquake Networks Center automatically determined that an earthquake of approximately magnitude 6.0 occurred at 18:48 on April 18 near the Kermadec Islands of New Zealand (32.07°S, 178.13°W). The final result is subject to the official rapid report.

On April 18, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh stated that Iran will never accept a US blockade of its ports or any other "orders" issued by the US. "There will never be any blockades in the future," he said. "The era of colonialism must end," he added. The US "cannot dictate to other countries."

The UK Maritime Trade Operations Office has received reports of an incident occurring 20 nautical miles northeast of Oman.