U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the United States has no closer friend than Britain, as he welcomed King Charles III to the White House on a state visit clouded by tensions over the Iran war.

Speaking after a pomp-filled welcome on the South Lawn featuring a 21-gun salute, Trump's tone was a world away from his recent jibes at British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for failing to join in against Tehran.

“They want us to “Open the Hormuz Strait,” as soon as possible, as they try to figure out their leadership situation,” U.S. President Donald Trump posted on social media.

Efforts to end the Middle East war appeared at a standstill on Tuesday, with the US considering Tehran's latest offer to unblock the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran saying Washington could no longer dictate terms.

Iran has blockaded the waterway -- a vital conduit for oil and gas shipments -- since the start of the U.S.-Israeli offensive two months ago, sending shockwaves through the global economy.

Ukraine used interceptor systems to shoot down more than 33,000 Russian drones of various types in March, a record monthly figure since Moscow launched its all-out invasion more than four years ago, Ukraine's defense minister claimed.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's domestically developed long-range attack drones struck a Russian oil refinery and terminal on the Black Sea for the third time in less than two weeks, prompting the evacuation of local people as a precautionary measure.

President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday slammed Israel for allegedly accepting shipments of Ukrainian grain "stolen" by Russia, which occupies swathes of Ukrainian agricultural land.

"Another vessel carrying such grain has arrived at a port in Israel and is preparing to unload," Zelensky wrote in a statement on social media.

A series of deadly attacks in Colombia's southwest raised security concerns ahead of the country's presidential election in May.

Rebel groups have staged over two dozen attacks against civilians and military bases since Friday.

Rescuers finished removing victims from a damaged commuter train car Tuesday, confirming that the crash outside Indonesia's capital killed 14 people, all of whom were women.

The crash occurred Monday when a long-distance train crashed into the rear car of the stopped commuter train at Bekasi Timur Station outside Jakarta. The car was one designated for women only, a common accommodation to stop harassment.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says a purported offer from Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz under strict conditions is not acceptable to the United States or others.

U.S President Donald Trump met with his top security advisors Monday to discuss an Iranian proposal that would reportedly re-open the Strait of Hormuz as broader negotiations over the war continue, the White House said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin told Iran's top diplomat that Moscow would do everything it could to help secure peace in the Middle East, during a meeting in Saint Petersburg on Monday.