The current oil and gas crisis triggered by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is “more serious than the ‌ones in 1973, 1979 and 2002 together”, the head of the International Energy Agency (IEA) Fatih Birol has said.

“The world has never experienced a disruption to energy supply ⁠of such magnitude,” he told Le Figaro newspaper

He said the European countries, as well Japan, Australia and others will suffer, but the countries most at risk were developing nations which will suffer from higher oil and gas ‌prices, ⁠higher food prices and a general acceleration of inflation.

The IEA member countries agreed last month to release part of their strategic reserves. Some of this had ⁠already been released and the process continues, said Birol.

Following strikes by Israel and the United States, Iran has effectively restricted transit through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital corridor for about 20% of the world’s oil and gas, driving energy prices higher.

Three people were killed and two ‌police officers were injured in a gunfire incident near the building housing the Israeli consulate in ⁠Istanbul on Tuesday, Reuters reported citing local media.

Reuters video showed a police officer pulling out a gun and taking cover as gunshots resounded. One person was seen covered ‌in ⁠blood.

A strong armed police presence is always maintained in the area near the ⁠Israeli consulate. Television footage showed armed police patrolling in the ⁠area after the shooting.

Daily Sabah reported that three people were “neutralized” after the shootout.

Broadcaster NTV said one gunman was captured injured, and the other one was killed.

Unconfirmed reports say the suspects fired at police officers stationed near the building, which is located in a key business hub also housing the headquarters of Türkiye’s major banks, according to Daily Sabah. 

It is unknown at this time whether the assailants targeted the consulate.

U.S. President Donald Trump once ‌again warned Iran to make a deal by his Tuesday deadline, saying a “whole civilization will die tonight” if ⁠an agreement is not reached to end the conflict. Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform. 

“I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will. However, now that we have Complete and Total Regime Change, where different, smarter, and less radicalized minds prevail, maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, WHO KNOWS?

“We will find out tonight, one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the World. 47 years of extortion, corruption, and death, will finally end. God Bless the Great People of Iran!” he posted.

Trump had earlier said he would strike Iranian power plants and bridges if Tehran did not sign a deal. The U.S. president gave Iran until 4 a.m. Yerevan time on April 8, after which, he said, there would be no more bridges or power plants in Iran.

Iran’s First Vice President, Mohammad Reza Aref, responded to the latest threats by U.S. President Donald Trump, stating that his country is not afraid.

“Iran is not a mere ‘incident’ in history, but history itself,” Aref wrote in a post on X.

He stressed that Iran “will not be intimidated by Trump’s threats,” adding that the country’s response to what he described as the enemy’s brutality is to stand firm and rely on the internal strength of the Iranian nation.

Russia has evacuated another 175 of its personnel from Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant via Armenia, the Russian Embassy in Armenia said, expressing gratitude to the Armenian authorities for their assistance.

“On April 6, another 175 Russian citizens who had been evacuated from the Bushehr nuclear power plant and arrived in Armenia from Iran through the Norduz–Agarak checkpoint departed from Yerevan to Moscow on a special flight,” the embassy said in a statement.

The embassy noted that, thanks to the coordinated and complex efforts of Russian diplomats and representatives of the Armenian side, a total of 509 Russian citizens have returned to Russia via Armenia since the beginning of the war in Iran.

“We express our deep gratitude to the authorities of the Republic of Armenia for their kind attitude toward the employees of the state corporation Rosatom and for the prompt processing of their entry,” the embassy said. 

Speaker of Parliament of Armenia, Alen Simonyan, spoke by phone on Tuesday with Chairwoman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, Valentina Matviyenko.

Simonyan congratulated Matviyenko on her birthday.

The speakers discussed interparliamentary relations and the bilateral agenda, according to a readout from the Armenian parliament’s press service.

Members of Parliament Arusyak Julhakyan and Alkhas Ghazaryan from the ruling Civil Contract faction have drafted a bill proposing amendments to the Electoral Code.

The bill introduces new grounds for declaring a ballot invalid. According to the proposal, in parliamentary elections and municipal council elections held under the proportional system, a ballot will be considered invalid if either the ballot paper or the envelope contains any markings or notes, or if the envelope includes any item other than the ballot itself. Under current regulations, the presence of another item in the envelope does not automatically invalidate the ballot.

The lawmakers also propose that the name of a political party alliance must not include personal names, the names of state or local self-government bodies, or any names that could be confusingly similar to them, including grammatical variations. In addition, the proposed rules would prohibit alliance names containing offensive or defamatory language.

The draft further stipulates that the chairperson of a district electoral commission must not hold any object while removing the envelope from the ballot box and extracting the ballot paper.

Parliament adopted at first reading the bill banning electoral blocs from using personal names.

The bill, co-authored by Civil Contract MPs Arusyak Julhakyan and Alkhaz Ghazaryan, was adopted with 66 votes in favor and 16 against.

The bill also introduces new grounds for declaring a ballot invalid. According to the proposal, in parliamentary elections and municipal council elections held under the proportional system, a ballot will be considered invalid if the envelope includes any item other than the ballot itself.

Lawmakers also propose that the name of a political party alliance running in the elections must not include personal names, the names of state or local self-government bodies, or any names that could be confusingly similar to them, including variations. In addition, the proposed rules would prohibit alliance names containing offensive or defamatory language.

The draft further stipulates that the chairperson of a district electoral commission must not hold any object while removing the envelope from the ballot box and extracting the ballot paper.

The bill was adopted amid an ongoing protest outside the parliament building by Strong Armenia Party members and supporters, who recently named their electoral bloc “Strong Armenia with Samvel Karapetyan” and intend to run for parliament. They argue that the new law is undemocratic and that such changes should not be made just two months ahead of the polls.

Both opposition parties in parliament, the Hayastan (Armenia) and Pativ Unem (I Have the Honor) blocs, opposed the bill.

MP Julhakyan, in response to the criticism, noted that the Venice Commission recommends against making changes shortly before elections; however, the changes in the bill she co-authored do not pertain to any of the Commission’s recommendations.

According to the Commission, it is not advised to implement modifications in the electoral system, the rules for membership in election commissions, or to alter electoral districts close to the elections. Julhakyan emphasized that the technical change proposed by them does not relate to any of these three areas.

Armenia’s Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, Arsen Torosyan, held a meeting on Tuesday with the Ambassador of Qatar to Armenia, Mansoor Abdullah Al-Sulaitin.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, several issues related to deepening bilateral cooperation in labor and social protection were discussed, with an emphasis on the importance of existing potential in strengthening collaboration between the two countries.

The discussion also addressed the implementation of obligations under the agreement on regulating the employment of Armenian citizens in the State of Qatar, signed by the governments of Armenia and Qatar. The parties highlighted the importance of continued efforts on labor migration and human capital development.

Additionally, priorities concerning persons with disabilities were discussed, particularly the implementation of the small-group home model, and the potential support of the State of Qatar in this process was considered.

At the conclusion of the meeting, both parties agreed to take the necessary steps to facilitate experience-sharing and the implementation of targeted programs in the sector.

Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan spoke by phone on Tuesday with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission Kaja Kallas.

According to the Foreign Ministry’s readout, Mirzoyan and Kallas discussed ongoing efforts aimed at the consistent implementation of the strategic agenda of the Armenia–EU partnership. They also reviewed the agenda for upcoming high-level visits and events, as well as related initiatives aimed at ensuring tangible and sustained results.

Mirzoyan and Kallas also exchanged views on developments in the Middle East and possible ways to resolve the situation.