The Brief

The U.S. military will block ships from entering or exiting Iranian ports on Monday after the U.S. and Iran failed to reach an agreement in direct talks over the weekend.

The U.S. Central Command, known as CENTCOM, said the blockade would be enforced from 10 a.m. Eastern Time.

"The blockade will be enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman," CENTCOM posted on social media on Sunday.

CENTCOM said it "will not impede freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports."

President Trump said Sunday he instructed the U.S. Navy "to seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran."

"No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas," he added.

The decision to block vessels entering and leaving Iranian ports came after the U.S. and Iran failed to reach an end to the war, during the direct talks that took place in Islamabad, Pakistan, over the weekend.

Israel and Hezbollah continued to trade strikes on Monday as efforts were underway for Israeli and Lebanese officials to meet in Washington for ceasefire talks.

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron announced preparations for a "peaceful multinational mission aimed at restoring freedom of navigation" in the Strait of Hormuz. He said he would be convening a conference on these plans "in the coming days" together with Britain.

Brent crude oil, the international standard, jumped to $102.24 a barrel on Monday.

Vice President Vance waves while boarding Air Force Two as he leaves Islamabad on Sunday. Vance spent 21 hours on the ground in Islamabad and stated an agreement was not made with Iran.

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Here are more updates from the region:

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France and U.K. reactions | Iran on Strait of Hormuz| U.S.-Iran talks | Lebanon | U.S. warships | Iran executions

British PM says UK will not join blockade, French president proposes 'peaceful multinational mission'

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Monday the United Kingdom will not join President Trump's blockade of Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz. Starmer said his focus was to keep the waterway open.

Speaking to BBC Radio, Starmer said he would not go into operational matters, but that the UK's efforts would be aimed at reopening the strait.

"All of the marshalling diplomatically, politically and capability, we do have minesweeping capability… That's all focused from our point of view, on getting the straits fully open," Starmer said.

He said that was the only way to get energy bills down for people in the U.K. who, according to him, were paying the price of the war in Iran.

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that "in the coming days," France and Britain will organize a conference with "those countries prepared to contribute alongside us to a peaceful multinational mission aimed at restoring freedom of navigation" in the Strait of Hormuz.

"This strictly defensive mission, separate from the warring parties to the conflict, is intended to be deployed as soon as circumstances permit," Macron posted on X.

Iran says warships "will be met with strong" response

Trump wrote on social media on Sunday that the talks between the U.S. delegation led by Vice President Vance and the Iranian delegation failed because "IRAN IS UNWILLING TO GIVE UP ITS NUCLEAR AMBITIONS!"

Tehran has repeatedly said that its nuclear program is a civilian one, and that it has a right to continue to enrich uranium for that purpose.

In a series of posts on social media on Sunday, Iran's military spokesman, Ebrahim Zolfaghari, said "warships nearing the Strait of Hormuz will be met with a strong and decisive response."

Zolfaghari also threatened to block the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, in response to U.S. action. The waterway is tucked between Yemen and the Horn of Africa, connecting the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea to the Suez Canal.

Last week's ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran had minimal impact on the movement of goods through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran had largely shut down the strait to commercial vessels and in some cases demanded steep tolls for ships to pass. The decision by the Trump administration to block Iran's ports is likely to further heighten tensions and exacerbate fuel shortages worldwide.

Nearly 20% of the global supply of oil and gas normally moves through the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has largely blocked since the joint U.S. and Israeli strikes against it began on Feb. 28.

Commuters wait on the platform for their metro train to arrive in the capital Tehran on April 13, 2026.

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U.S. and Iran talks fail, sides signal they are far apart on nuclear enrichment

The U.S. and Iran failed to reach an agreement in highly anticipated face-to-face peace talks that took place over the weekend in Islamabad. On Sunday, after 21 hours of talks, Vice President Vance said Iran chose "not to accept our terms."

Asked what the major sticking point had been that led to the breakdown in negotiations, Vance said: "The simple fact is that we need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon, and they will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon."

For its part, Iran said the two sides had "reached an understanding on a number of issues, but ultimately the talks did not lead to an agreement."

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghachi, a member of the Iranian negotiating team, said Sunday his country "engaged with (the) U.S. in good faith to end the war," adding that when the two sides were close to reaching an understanding, "we encountered maximalism, shifting goalposts, and blockade."

The status of the two-week ceasefire, which extends until April 22, is now uncertain. But Vance left open the possibility that an agreement could still be reached, saying: "We leave here with a very simple proposal: a method of understanding that is our final and best offer." He added: "We'll see if the Iranians accept it."

The talks in Islamabad were the first face-to-face engagement between the U.S. and Iran since 2015, when the Obama administration negotiated a nuclear deal with Iran that was later scrapped by Trump. They were also the highest-level discussions since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

In a Fox News interview on Sunday, Trump doubled down in his stance that Iran should not have a nuclear weapon, and said he believes Iran will "come to the table" and give up its nuclear weapons efforts. Asked if he will continue to "destruct" Iran if they don't give up their nuclear weapons program, Trump said: "If they don't give that plan up, yeah."

On Saturday, Trump said "We win, regardless" of the outcome of negotiations, adding, "we've totally defeated that country."

US warships pass through Strait of Hormuz

As the talks between the U.S. and Iran were underway, two U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, a U.S. official told NPR, marking the first transit of American warships since the start of the Iran war six weeks ago.

CENTCOM said it had begun setting conditions to clear Iranian sea mines planted throughout the waterway to "encourage the free flow of commerce."

Israel and Hezbollah continue to trade strikes

Attacks continued in Lebanon on Monday as Israeli airstrikes hit border villages that Israel says is it seizing from Lebanon, in order to create a buffer zone to prevent militant group Hezbollah from firing cross-border rockets.

Lebanese authorities said more than 100 people were killed over the weekend from Israeli attacks.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who crossed into Lebanon on Sunday, said those displaced from southern Lebanon will not be allowed to return to their homes. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the goal of Israel's campaign is to destroy houses in the area to prevent Hezbollah from using them.

Their statements came as preparations were under way for Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors to meet on Tuesday in Washington for ceasefire talks, the first direct official talks between the two countries since 1983. The talks are not supported by Hezbollah, which held a rally in Beirut over the weekend, filling several blocks of the capital.

The Lebanese government said Israel has destroyed around 40,000 houses in the past 35 days.

Lebanese Red Cross volunteers inspect the damage to their rescue ambulances at the site of an Israeli drone strike that targeted their headquarters in the southern city of Tyre on April 13, 2026.

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The Lebanese Red Cross said that one of its ambulance teams was directly targeted by an Israeli drone over the weekend, killing one paramedic and wounding another. The death brought the number of the medics killed to at least 57 in the past six weeks, according to Lebanese authorities. Israel denies it is targeting medics and accused Hezbollah of transporting weapons in ambulances.

Human rights groups say Iran increased executions

At least 1,639 people were executed in Iran in 2025, according to a joint report by the Norwegian organization Iran Human Rights and Paris-based Together Against the Death Penalty.

According to the two watchdogs, the figure represents an increase of 68% over the previous year.

A wave of arrests and executions followed the country-wide protests that started in December of 2025 and trailed into January.

Mass arrests have also been regularly reported in Iran's state media since the start of the war, with authorities accusing those it rounds up of having ties to Israel or aiding terrorist groups.

Betsy Joles in Islamabad, Lauren Frayer in Beirut, D Parvaz in Van, Turkey, Fatima Al-Kassab in London and Tina Kraja in Washington, DC contributed to this report.

Copyright 2026 NPR

Southern California was built on radio.

"I can still hear the jingle KFWB News 98,” wrote  Taline in Los Feliz, during a recent conversation on LAist's daily news show, AirTalk, which airs on 89.3 FM. “I grew up hearing that in my dad's minivan on the way to and from school. It has a special place in my heart.”

Back in April, broadcast company Audacy announced KNX News — one of the last-remaining all-news FM stations — was leaving the FM dial where it had simulcast on 97.1 FM since 2021. The station, which is also one of the oldest in L.A., is not budging from 1070 AM where it has been on the air for more than 100 years. The move away from FM officially happened in May to make way for a new sports talk station, which Audacy officials called an area of growth for advertisers in today’s media landscape.

The move is one in a long line of changes for radio and a reminder that before podcasts, playlists and algorithms, many Southern Californians built their days around radio broadcasts.

Radio, a daily ritual

The construction of KNX

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Michael Jackson, a well-known KNX, personality

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Larry Mantle, now in his 41st year hosting AirTalk, remembers being a kid and dreaming of what it might be like to be behind the mic at one of these radio stations.

“ I grew up with KNX," he said. “My dream job as a kid was to be an anchor on KNX or KFWB, the two local all-news radio stations, 'cause there was nothing like hosting AirTalk that even existed at that point.”

Mantle opened up the phone lines on a recent show to hear from his fellow SoCal radio lovers about the shows they miss and the memories they have. Here's what they had to say:

A love for radio, then and now  

A pilot of KMPC's traffic alert helicopter pictured with his daughter and grandson.

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A 1963 picture of Valley State College (now Los Angeles Valley College) preparing to launch KVCM

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“When you'd walk down Hollywood Boulevard where the station was, you could hear it playing as you went down the street,” said  Olivia in Glendale about KLAC 570 with Al Jarvis.

 Larry in Yorba Linda shouted out KBCA Jazz for its 24-hour jazz, saying “When I first moved out here in '68 from Phoenix, which had like an hour a week, it was a real wonder.”

 Mark in Glassell Park emailed that he loves KCRW’s Henry Rollins, writing, “I used to bristle at his unique DJ persona, but over time, I came to love him and his crazy eclectic playlists. I find his knowledge in history and punk rock fascinating. He's a gem and a legend."

"I'd like to give a shout-out to all the DJs working at KXLU, the college station at Loyola Marymount University, said  Jeremy in Culver City in an email. “That station's been on the air for nearly 60 years. I believe it's one of the best examples of what's possible with radio."

"KFWB and KRLA back in the day when they were rock music stations —  Dr. Demento, one of my favorite on-air personalities, also had eclectic music taste," said  Carrie in Desert Edge.

“ Dr. Demento was must listening when I was a kid in junior high school at Le Conte Junior High in Hollywood,” Mantle added. “Every Sunday night on KMET, we would make sure we were listening to Dr. Demento and his funny records.”

The question remains…

An 11-year-old winning a car in a KMPC contest in 1963.

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Listener support is vital to any radio station, and it’s clear KNX has many lifelong fans. AirTalk listeners highlighted their support for household KNX names over the decades like Bill Keene, Melinda Lee, Mike Roy and Jackie Olden.

As KNX makes changes, many are watching closely and thinking about the future of radio.

Listeners like Tommy in La Quinta are left wondering if the radio dial will be the same…

“I’m a hardcore listener, but I don't know about casual listeners [and] if they'll tune to AM,” he said.

After months of hand-wringing, Los Angeles and LA28 have come to a tentative agreement on how Olympics organizers will reimburse the city for its expenses for the 2028 Summer Games.

According to the deal, the private Olympic organizing committee will pay upfront for the estimated cost of services that are not eligible for federal reimbursement, like trash pick-up and traffic control. Under another proposal, the city would also be able to tap an LA28 contingency fund if it isn't fully repaid by the federal government for policing costs at Olympic venues.

The agreement is nearly nine months overdue and still needs approval by Mayor Karen Bass and the City Council.

The 2028 Olympics are intended to be privately financed, and an existing city agreement with LA28 states that the Olympics organizers, not L.A., will pay for extra costs for public services in support of the Games. But L.A. is the financial back-stop for the Olympics, meaning if LA28 goes in the red, taxpayers will pick up the bill.

Beyond that, the city services agreement presents another area where L.A. could incur additional unexpected expenses for hosting the Games. L.A. City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez warned LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover earlier this year that a bad deal could "bankrupt" the city.

Jacie Prieto Lopez, an LA28 spokesperson, and Paul Krekorian, who leads the city's office of major events, said in statements that the freshly inked agreement would help deliver a fiscally responsible Games.

"Mayor Bass’ priority is that the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games be fiscally responsible, protect taxpayers, and benefit Angelenos for decades to come. This agreement helps deliver that commitment," Krekorian said.

But the contract between the two parties doesn't fully resolve one of the biggest areas of financial risk for the city: the enormous cost of security for an event as extensive and high-profile as the summer Olympics and Paralympics.

Organizers are counting on the federal government to pay for public safety at Olympic venues that are considered part of a "national special security event." That includes costs for LAPD staffing. LA28 has not included security costs in its $7.1 billion budget — a fact that City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto criticized earlier this year.

The federal government has so far allocated $1 billion for security costs for the Olympics. Exactly where those federal funds will go has not yet been determined, and there's no guarantee they will cover all of L.A.'s policing costs.

To address this, city officials have also proposed an amendment to a 2021 agreement between the city and LA28. That amendment would establish that if L.A. is not reimbursed by the federal government for all its eligible expenses, it could dip into LA28's contingency fund of $270 million before the private organizing committee could use those funds for any legacy projects.

But that bucket of money will first be used for any costs that Olympics organizers still owe if they run out of revenue — meaning if the Olympics don't turn a profit, the city's access to that money will depend on how much is left for the taking.

Civil rights attorney Connie Rice, who has been tracking the city's negotiations with LA28, told LAist the agreement was a "PR document" not a deal. She pointed out that if the federal government does not pay up for security spending as expected, L.A. could be in trouble.

" It leaves the taxpayers with a GoFundMe strategy," she said.

The city services agreement lays the groundwork for more negotiations between LA28 and the city. Each venue will require its own agreement, to be negotiated by July 1, 2027. Venues in the city of L.A. include Dodger Stadium, the L.A. Convention Center, L.A. Memorial Coliseum and the Venice Beach Boardwalk.

The City Council's ad-hoc committee on the 2028 Games will meet Tuesday afternoon to vote on the agreement.