Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said in a written message on Thursday that the United States had been defeated in its war with the Islamic republic, as the Iranian leadership defied President Donald Trump's warnings of a prolonged blockade.

The first direct commercial flight between the United States and Venezuela is scheduled to land on Thursday in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, seven years after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security ordered an indefinite suspension, citing security concerns.

The resumption of a commercial flight between the two countries comes in the wake of the U.S. capture of Nicolás Maduro in a stunning nighttime raid on his residence in Caracas, Venezuela's capital, in early January.

U.S. President Donald Trump warned Tehran on Wednesday that it should "get smart soon" and capitulate to Washington's demands for tight controls on its nuclear program, as a U.S. naval blockade turned the screws on Iran's economy.

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth was due to testify before Congress later in the day, but U.S. press reports suggested Trump has already decided to reject Iran's latest proposed deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

U.S. President Donald Trump has told U.S. national security officials to prepare for a long blockade of Iran's ports in order to compel Tehran to give up its nuclear program, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Trump, according to the report, does not believe that Iran is negotiating in good faith and hopes it can be forced to suspend uranium enrichment for 20 years and accept tight restrictions thereafter.

Russia's traditional parade marking the 81st anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II will take place without military equipment, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement late Tuesday.

It will be the first time since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 that no military equipment will rumble through Moscow's Red Square on May 9, the day Russia celebrates its most important secular holiday and showcases its military might.

King Charles III and Queen Camilla are headed to New York on Wednesday as part of their closely watched diplomatic visit to the U.S.

The royal couple's swing through the city comes midway through a four-day trip marking 250 years of American independence. It will be the first trip to New York by a reigning British monarch since Queen Elizabeth II visited in 2010.

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.