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The latest immigration proposal is just amnesty with a new sales pitch
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Whenever Washington politicians tell you that a new, 250-page bipartisan immigration bill isn’t amnesty, it’s probably amnesty. And sure enough, the “Dignity for Immigrants while Guarding our Nation to Ignite and Deliver the American Dream” (DIGNIDAD) Act of 2025… is amnesty.
Like Hollywood executives incapable of telling original stories anymore, Washington’s corporate establishment is trying to reboot a failed franchise — Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR) — that audiences never embraced in this first place. DIGNIDAD is the legislative equivalent of Howard the Duck II.
Like all CIR proposals, DIGNIDAD ostensibly improves immigration enforcement policy in exchange for amnestying millions of illegal immigrants. It would legalize — and create a pathway to citizenship for — aliens who came here illegally as children. Second, it would create an all-new amnesty program for illegals who came here prior to Joe Biden’s open-borders fiasco in 2021. Third, it gives amnesty to a spouse or child of a U.S. citizen, even if they had a visa denied or received a deportation order.
BORDER CROSSINGS HIT 55-YEAR LOW — AFTER DEMOCRATS SAID REFORM WAS THE ONLY FIX
The 19 Republicans who have co-sponsored the bill insist that their new “Dignity” amnesty would be temporary — apparently unaware that this makes the legislation worse. If 10 million illegal immigrants are granted seven years of amnesty, then in seven years’ time, the American people will be emotionally blackmailed into making the amnesty permanent.
In the meantime, temporary amnesty will give the bill’s real authors — the U.S. Chamber of Commerce — what they want most: a huge population of cheap, legally vulnerable foreign workers they can underpay and exploit.
DIGNIDAD’s combination of faux-libertarian lawlessness, elitist exploitation, and corporate welfare is what the Washington Establishment calls a “win-win.” The American people might use a more colorful term.
All the old arguments against CIR apply to DIGNIDAD, too.
First, while the amnesty half of the bill is real, the enforcement half is fake. Establishment presidents of both parties have shown they have no compunction about ignoring immigration laws to facilitate illegal in-migration. Trading phony enforcement for real amnesty is not a compromise — it’s a scam.
Second, even if the new enforcement measures were implemented, they would be inadequate to the challenges we face. Indeed, they would impede enforcement. For instance, DIGNIDAD would bar federal agencies from sharing information about red-flagged illegals who failed to qualify for amnesty, effectively using federal resources to aid and abet federal criminals.
Finally, amnesty would only invite more illegal immigration. It would signal the rest of the world that if you can get in, even by breaking our laws, you’ll be able to stay. That is what happened after the infamous 1986 CIR deal. It is what the Gang of Eight was up to in 2013. And rest assured, it is absolutely the intent of the corporate lobbyists who actually drafted this legislation.
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The real problem with DIGNIDAD — and CIR in general — is that it’s an elitist solution in search of a problem. The bill’s supporters — on Capitol Hill, K Street, and Wall Street — believe that the only problem with American immigration law is that America has immigration law.
They look at the 20 million foreigners residing here illegally and take for granted that it’s on us to figure how they can stay. As if the fundamental problem with these 20 million people is their legal status. No. The problem is their presence. The problem is they broke our laws coming here and continue to break them by staying.
We already have a simple solution to that problem, as President Donald Trump and Border Czar Tom Homan have shown for the last 15 months. Secure the border so no new illegal immigrants enter the country, and send home those already here.
Illegal immigrants don’t need a path to citizenship. They already have citizenship — in their own countries.
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That this approach is inconvenient to corporate elites and the bipartisan politicians whose campaigns they finance is not the American people’s problem. Our problem is the 20 million foreigners that the Washington establishment invited into our country to suppress workers’ wages, drive up housing prices, and drain government budgets. Amnesty undermines the rule of law, social solidarity and cultural assimilation, and treats working Americans like second-class citizens.
The lawless, globalist, elitist DIGNIDAD Act is everything congressional Republicans were elected to stop.
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OpenAI locks GPT-5.5-Cyber behind velvet rope • The Register
OpenAI is lining up a limited release of its new GPT-5.5-Cyber model to a handpicked circle of “cyber defenders,” just weeks after taking a swipe at Anthropic for doing almost exactly the same thing.
CEO Sam Altman said in a post on X that the rollout will begin “in the next few days,” with access restricted to a group he described as trusted defenders working to secure critical systems.
“We will work with the entire ecosystem and the government to figure out trusted access for cyber,” he wrote, adding that the goal is to “rapidly help secure companies and infrastructure.”
GPT-5.5-Cyber is built to spot flaws before anyone else abuses them. OpenAI says it can pentest, find bugs, exploit them, and tear apart malware, but as we have already seen, tools that break systems rarely stay in the right hands for long.
OpenAI’s announcement comes just weeks after Anthropic rolled out its own cyber-focused model, Claude Mythos, to roughly 50 organizations under tight controls, saying it would never be made publicly available – and Altman was not impressed.
As reported by TechCrunch, he took aim at what he framed as exclusivity dressed up as caution during an appearance on the Core Memory podcast.
“There are people in the world who, for a long time, have wanted to keep AI in the hands of a smaller group of people,” he said. “You can justify that in a lot of different ways.” He went further, likening the approach to selling fear. “We have built a bomb, we are about to drop it on your head. We will sell you a bomb shelter for $100 million.”
Now OpenAI is, if not building the same shelter, at least checking IDs at the door.
Independent testing suggests the model is not just marketing fluff. The UK’s AI Security Institute said this week that GPT-5.5-Cyber is “one of the strongest models we have tested on our cyber tasks,” and noted it is only the second system to complete one of its multi-step attack simulations end to end.
It may be pitched as protection, but when the tools can both break and fix systems, the difference often comes down to who gets there first. ®
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First Thing: Trump doubles down on rift with Germany, Italy and Spain amid war on Iran | US news
Good morning.
Donald Trump has threatened to withdraw US troops from Italy and Spain a day after he saying was looking at curtailing the number deployed in Germany.
The US president’s threat to Germany came after the country’s chancellor, Friedrich Merz, said America was being “humiliated” by Iran. Trump has severely criticised Nato allies for not sending their navies to help open the strait of Hormuz, a crucial commercial shipping corridor.
At an Oval Office event on Thursday, Trump was asked if he would consider withdrawing troops from bases in Spain and Italy over their unwillingness to get involved in his war on Iran.
“Yeah, probably,” the president replied. “Why shouldn’t I? Italy has not been of any help to us and Spain has been horrible, absolutely horrible.”
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What has Congress been saying about the war? A senior Democrat in the Senate grilled the US secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, on Thursday, accusing him of failing to give Trump an accurate picture of the war on Iran while resorting to “dangerously exaggerated” statements to create an inaccurate picture of a US military triumph.
Video shows moment shooter tried to storm White House dinner
Federal prosecutors released footage on Thursday of the moment officials say Cole Tomas Allen tried to storm last week’s White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in an alleged attempt to kill Donald Trump.
Amid questions about whether or not Allen fired his weapon before being subdued, Jeanine Pirro, the top federal prosecutor in Washington DC, released edited security camera footage of the incident in a social media post.
In a caption, Pirro claimed the video showed Allen casing the hotel location the night before Saturday’s dinner, and then shooting a Secret Service agent as he rushed through a metal detector at a checkpoint while officers were in the process of removing at least one of the two magnetometers used for screening guests.
60 Minutes journalist decries ‘spread of corporate meddling’ at CBS News
The veteran 60 Minutes correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi expressed concern about “the spread of corporate meddling and editorial fear” at CBS News and her uncertainty about whether she will keep her job after she pushed back on a directive to change her December segment on Venezuelans who were sent to the Cecot prison in El Salvador.
Alfonsi spoke about the incident for the first time on Thursday evening after receiving the Ridenhour prize for courage at the National Press Club in Washington. Her comments come as the Trump administration has piled pressure on US media, and follow the CBS News editor Bari Weiss’s decision to shelve the Cecot segment on the flagship news program.
Alfonsi had alleged at the time that Weiss had spiked the story for political purposes, a significant accusation of journalistic impropriety. Weiss argued that the segment was delayed because it did not sufficiently include the perspective of the Trump administration.
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What did she say about her job? Alfonsi’s future at the network is said to be in jeopardy. She acknowledged that uncertainty in her remarks. “Thank you for this award. I didn’t know that the theme was hope. My hope recently has been that I still have a job,” she said.
In other news …
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The voting rights advocates who fought for majority-minority districts across the US south are organizing their next steps after a supreme court ruling on the Voting Rights Act that eviscerated much of the work of the civil rights era.
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The Oscar statuette belonging to Pavel Talankin, the star and co-director of the Academy Award-winning documentary Mr Nobody Against Putin, has disappeared after officials at New York’s John F Kennedy airport confiscated it before he boarded a flight.
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The Fifa president, Gianni Infantino, confirmed his intention to stand for re-election for a third full term after an attempt to orchestrate a handshake between the Palestinian and Israeli delegates at the Fifa congress backfired.
Stat of the day: Press freedom at lowest level in 25 years amid growing authoritarian pressure
Press freedom around the world is at its lowest ebb in a generation, according to an influential annual index that highlights growing authoritarian pressure on the media. The average score for the 180 countries assessed by the World Press Freedom Index, compiled by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), was the lowest in the index’s 25-year history. Donald Trump’s repeated attacks on the press and journalists were described as a “systematic policy”, pushing the US down to 64th place in the index.
Culture pick: What The Devil Wears Prada 2 gets right about millennial life
Runway magazine is collapsing, Miranda is eating in the cafeteria and flying economy. In place of the glossy fantasy of the original The Devil Wears Prada, the new sequel reflects a struggling media industry. Andy is back, and while she may be accomplished, she is still grappling with job insecurity and whether she can afford to have children – echoing a wider generational shift.
Don’t miss this: Why the outrage over this dress worn to the White House correspondents’ dinner?
Although far less important than the political violence at the White House correspondents’ dinner in Washington over the weekend, Jennifer Rauchet, the wife of Pete Hegseth, caused partisan uproar by wearing a dress that resembled a gown listed on the fast-fashion outlet Shein for $42, sparking debate about what it says about our attitudes to fast fashion.
Climate check: Hope is contagious and science is king – 10 big lessons on ending the fossil fuel era
After a landmark climate meeting in Santa Marta, Colombia, where nearly 60 countries gathered to discuss ending the production and use of planet-heating fossil fuels, one thing stood out: a shift in mood. UN’s annual climate summits, or Cops, can often feel stuck and frustrating, but delegates in Colombia described the atmosphere as “euphoric”.
Last Thing: ‘Don’t fall!’ – foil boarders describe hair-raising shark chase caught on video off California coast
Ron Takeda and Tavis Boise were a few miles off the coast of Santa Barbara when they noticed a large mass trailing behind them. They quickly determined it was a massive shark in hot pursuit of Takeda. Footage of the chase has gone viral. In the video, Boise can be heard shouting: “Don’t fall!”
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DOJ releases haunting images from WHCA Dinner attack and more top headlines
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Good morning and welcome to Fox News’ morning newsletter, Fox News First. And here’s what you need to know to start your day …
TOP 3
1. DOJ releases haunting images from WHCA Dinner attack
2. Groups mobilize 3,000 May Day protests
3. Trump slams US ally as ‘absolutely horrible’
MAJOR HEADLINES
CLASSROOM CONTROVERSY — GOP lawmakers seek to defund HBCU after it canceled Republican’s commencement speech. Continue reading …
THRONE FOR A LOOP — Comedian calls out ‘No Kings’ hypocrisy during historic royal visit to Congress. Continue reading …
‘ACTIVE AND ONGOING’ — Three months after Nancy Guthrie’s abduction, sheriff’s office renews plea as key questions remain unanswered. Continue reading …
CAMPUS CHAOS — King Charles’ ‘Just give us a ring!’ quip leads viral moments from royal US tour with Queen Camilla. Continue reading …
TWISTED KIN — Slain beauty queen’s mother-in-law arrested after execution-style killing, manhunt. Continue reading …
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POLITICS
EARLY START — Vance, Cruz, head to Iowa on 2026 missions as 2028 GOP race to succeed Trump heats up. Continue reading …
LIGHTS BACK ON — Trump ends DHS’ months-long nightmare that left immigration enforcement without funding. Continue reading …
CAPITOL GRILLING — Hegseth fires back at Warren’s insider trading comments tied to Iran war. Continue reading …
CONTROVERSY RETURNS — Crockett draws fresh backlash after appearing to mock Abbott’s disability. Continue reading …
MEDIA
CULTURE CLASH — Liberals rage as Trump hails USA’s ‘Anglo-Saxon’ heritage during King Charles visit. Continue reading …
‘INSANE’ — Minnesota mayors drag ‘ridiculous’ bill penalizing cities for not flying new controversial flag. Continue reading …
THRONE FOR A LOOP — Comedian calls out ‘No Kings’ hypocrisy during historic royal visit to Congress. Continue reading …
WASP STINGS BACK — Marvel star torches Disney for axing artists she says built the franchise. Continue reading …
OPINION
ERFAN FARD — Trump is trying to negotiate with an Iranian regime at war with itself. Continue reading …
DR. BEN CARSON — I know how bad the SPLC was, it came after me and put me at risk. Continue reading …
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IN OTHER NEWS
ROYAL CHARM — From feeding chickens to cracking history jokes, King Charles wins over America. Continue reading …
FAMILY BUSINESS — Trump weighs in about his son taking over iconic reality TV franchise. Continue reading …
DIGITAL’S NEWS QUIZ — What was King Charles’ gift to Trump? What was this arrested library worker’s fate? Take the quiz here …
SACRED SECRETS —Christian leader’s treasure found after decades-long mystery. Continue reading …
DERBY DELICIOUS — Paula Deen reveals her favorite thing about Kentucky Derby weekend. See video …
WATCH
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP — We’ll see about a potential ‘The Apprentice’ return. See video …
PAUL MAURO — This is the troubling part about the WHCA Dinner shooting. See video …
LISTEN
Tune in as a high-profile endorsement reshapes California’s gubernatorial race, spotlighting debates over economic policy, party unity, and the state’s political direction. Check it out …
FOX WEATHER
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Peptide market called ‘Wild West’ as FDA considers loosening rules
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The peptide boom is under scrutiny as the FDA weighs easing restrictions on several drugs in the category.
Peptides, which are short chains of amino acids that serve as the building blocks of proteins, have gained popularity among wellness influencers and fitness gurus as a means of building muscle, healing injuries or appearing younger.
Similar to how GLP-1s (glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists) suppress appetite and trigger weight loss, peptides can signal other functions, like the release of growth hormones.
SUPPLEMENT SOLD AT GAS STATIONS SPARKS HEALTH FEARS AS PEOPLE REPORT ADDICTION SYMPTOMS
But unlike GLP-1 drugs — which were extensively studied and regulated — many peptides lack comparable evidence and oversight, said New York endocrinologist Dr. Philip Rabito, adding that some are “not reviewed by the FDA for safety, effectiveness or quality before marketing.”
Peptides under FDA review, including BPC-157, are often marketed for tendon and gut healing, injury recovery and inflammation reduction, despite warnings about the risks of unapproved treatments.
Similar to how GLP-1s, such as Ozempic, suppress appetite and trigger weight loss, peptides can signal other functions, like the release of growth hormones. (iStock)
Even as regulators consider loosening restrictions, the market has been widely described as a “Wild West,” with various versions sold online without a prescription.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, board-certified internist and longevity expert Dr. Amanda Kahn, who prescribes peptides in her own New York practice, confirmed that interest has grown “significantly” across the U.S.
Peptides are popular because they “sit at the intersection of wellness optimization and medicine,” according to the doctor.
STUDY COMPARES ZEPBOUND AND WEGOVY FOR WEIGHT LOSS IN DIRECT COMPARISON
“As a class, they are targeted biosimilar molecules that can influence specific pathways like inflammation, recovery and metabolism in a way that feels more biologically synergistic than traditional pharmaceuticals,” she said.
Most patients spend a few hundred to thousands of dollars on these drugs per month, according to Kahn. Costs can be high because peptides are often custom-made and must meet strict quality and sterility standards.
Peptides are popular because they “sit at the intersection of wellness optimization and medicine,” according to one doctor. (iStock)
“At the same time, patients today are far more proactive and invested in their health,” Kahn added. “They’re not waiting to get sick; they want to feel better, recover faster and age more intentionally.”
CAN’T STOP THINKING ABOUT FOOD? EXPERTS POINT TO AN UNEXPECTED CAUSE
Peptides have evolved rapidly from just a few years ago, when they were largely focused on weight loss, the expert said, with growing interest in energy, post-illness or injury recovery, muscle preservation and sleep quality.
But these drugs are not one-size-fits-all, experts warn, especially when not prescribed by a professional or cleared by a reputable pharmacy.
There is growing interest in peptides for more muscle preservation and sleep quality, an expert said. (iStock)
Peptides dos and don’ts
Experts shared the following guidance on using peptides.
Do use peptides within reason
Kahn recommends using peptides with “a clear, clinical rationale, not just because they’re trending.”
“Think of peptides as part of a broader health plan, not a standalone solution,” she advised.
OPRAH JOINS WAVE OF CELEBRITIES WHO REVEALED DRAMATIC WEIGHT LOSS IN 2025
Kahn said patients often come into her practice focused on weight or appearance, but in-depth testing may uncover underlying issues such as inflammation, metabolic dysfunction, hormonal imbalance or recovery deficits.
“It’s both aesthetic and medical, but the trend in my internal medicine practice has always been toward specific health concerns,” she added.
Do work with a clinician
Dr. Kent Bradley, chief medical officer at 10X Health in California, recommends approaching peptides with “curiosity and rigor” and discussing the science with a physician.
“Work with a clinician who provides a baseline of biomarkers before you introduce peptides,” he recommended during an interview with Fox News Digital. “You will need to know where you’re starting in order to measure the impact.”
Experts recommend working with a physician to determine which peptides are right for you. (Getty Images)
Do find a credible source
Peptides should always be purchased from “reputable compounding pharmacies by prescription,” Kahn emphasized.
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“While they are powerful signaling molecules, when used appropriately, they can be very safe and effective,” she said. “When used incorrectly, [with] the wrong dose, wrong indication or poor sourcing, they can be dangerous or ineffective.”
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She added, “The key is clinical oversight, proper selection and individualized use.”
The current peptide ecosystem — including unlicensed providers and “gray market” access — is “more dangerous than the molecules themselves,” Kahn warned.
It’s important to use pharmacies that meet FDA 503A or 503B regulations to ensure consumer safety, the expert added.
Don’t stack peptides without a purpose
Multiple peptides should not be combined without understanding how they interact with each other, nor should they be injected as mixtures, Kahn warned.
Some products marketed as “natural” online may still have the capacity to cause complications, an expert warned. (iStock)
“Don’t treat them as risk-free supplements,” she said. “They are biologically active and should be used thoughtfully.”
“Peptides should be cycled, paused and re-assessed — don’t ‘set it and let it go.’”
Don’t self-prescribe
Dose-response and drug interactions require medical oversight, and peptides should be prescribed by a doctor, according to Bradley. Some products that are marketed as “natural” may still have the capacity to do harm to the body, he warned.
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Don’t use them as a shortcut or substitute
Fundamental pillars of health, like sleep, nutrition and exercise, should be addressed before using a peptide as a “shortcut” to fix health complications, Kahn said.
Bradley agreed, adding that “the same instinct that drives patients toward unnecessary surgery drives them toward complex peptide stacks when the real leverage is upstream and boring.”
Younger individuals most likely don’t need to take peptides for muscle building, according to a fitness expert. (iStock)
Kenny Santucci, a fitness expert and founder of Strong New York, shared with Fox News Digital that he takes peptides for muscle building himself – but noted that it’s not right for everyone.
Especially for younger individuals, whose bodies are “already working at optimal levels,” peptides may be unnecessary, he said.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
“If you take care of yourself — if you’re eating right, sleeping right, working out — you probably don’t need much,” he said.
“I think as you get older, these things start to help out a little bit, or if you suffer from an injury and you want to take something that will help repair the tissue quicker, that’s great.”
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Microsoft now lets admins choose pre-installed Store apps to uninstall
Microsoft has updated a Windows 11 in-box app removal policy introduced in October to include a dynamic list that lets IT admins choose which preinstalled Store apps to uninstall.
The updated RemoveDefaultMicrosoftStorePackages policy enables admins to remove any preinstalled MSIX/APPX app by referencing its Package Family Name (PFN) using Group Policy Object (GPO) or a custom OMA-URI for mobile device management (MDM).
“IT admins, you can now simplify Microsoft Store app management with dynamic removal on more devices across your enterprise. Use policy to remove any preinstalled MSIX/APPX app by referencing its Package Family Name (PFN),” Microsoft said on Thursday.
To get this new feature, admins must ensure that their devices have at least the April 2026 Windows non-security update deployed. Windows Insiders can get it after installing the March 13, 2026, builds in the Dev and Beta channels.
To make it work using Group Policy, admins have to:
Microsoft has also extended support for the RemoveDefaultMicrosoftStorePackages policy to systems running Enterprise and Education editions of Windows 11 24H2. Microsoft introduced the policy in October 2025, but it was only made available on devices running Windows 11 25H2 or later.
“The updated app removal policy is now extended to Windows 11, version 24H2 Enterprise and Education editions. Originally, you could only use this feature on devices running Windows 11, version 25H2 or newer,” Microsoft added. “If your organization has standardized on the 2024 release, you can benefit from policy-driven app management without a full OS version upgrade.”
The complete list of supported apps and detailed guidance on applying the policy to a single device via the Local Group Policy Editor or to multiple Active Directory-joined devices are available here.
While the Intune entry for this policy does not include the dynamic list option, Microsoft has said it will become available in the coming months.
“When this feature becomes generally available in Intune, search for ‘Remove Default Microsoft Store packages’ in the settings picker to locate it,” it noted.
Earlier this month, Microsoft also announced that IT admins can now uninstall the AI-powered Copilot digital assistant from enterprise devices using the new RemoveMicrosoftCopilotApp policy setting after installing the April 2026 Patch Tuesday cumulative updates.
AI chained four zero-days into one exploit that bypassed both renderer and OS sandboxes. A wave of new exploits is coming.
At the Autonomous Validation Summit (May 12 & 14), see how autonomous, context-rich validation finds what’s exploitable, proves controls hold, and closes the remediation loop.
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More than 40 Iranian seafarers killed during US-Israeli war: Union leader | US-Israel war on Iran News
EXCLUSIVE
The Iranian Merchant Mariners Syndicate has blamed US and Israeli attacks on Iran’s ports and commerical fleet for civilian deaths.
At least 44 Iranian seafarers have been killed and 29 injured since the start of the United States-Israel war on Iran, according to the head of the country’s merchant marine union.
Among them were 22 civilian sailors, 16 fishermen and six dock workers, who were killed between February 28 and April 1, Iranian Merchant Mariners Syndicate (IMMS) general secretary Saman Rezaei told Al Jazeera on Friday.
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list of 4 itemsend of listAl Jazeera could not independently verify the list of deceased, which Rezaei said was compiled by Iran Ports and Maritime Organization and members of his union. The list does not include members of Iran’s navy killed by US and Israeli forces, he said.
Rezaei submitted his findings in several letters of complaint to the United Nations’ International Maritime Organization (IMO) during March and April, attributing the deaths to “attacks by US and Israeli armies on Iranian ports and commercial fleets” across Iran’s territorial waters and the Gulf. His letters state that at least 29 Iranian seafarers were also injured and nine are missing.
The IMMS is affiliated with the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and represents workers during negotiations with Iranian shipping companies. Since the war began, it has also offered humanitarian, medical and repatriation assistance to stranded seafarers.
“The humanitarian crisis is affecting all seafarers in the Persian Gulf, including the crews of Iranian-flagged ships. However, they [Iranian seafarers] face a unique and terrifying set of pressures,” Rezaei said.
He said seafarers were not only concerned about supplies running low, but also faced “severe psychological distress” after spending 60 days trapped in a war zone spanning the Gulf to the Indian Ocean.
US and Israeli forces have carried out more than 3,000 air strikes across Iran since February 28, according to the independent conflict monitor Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED), while Iran carried out nearly 1,600 retaliatory strikes across the Middle East.
A US-Iran ceasefire has been in force since April 8, but the US separately launched a naval blockade of all Iranian ports on April 13 to cut off Iran’s oil exports and pressure Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
The waterway, through which a fifth of the world’s energy and gas exports normally flow, has been de facto closed since the start of the war. The shutdown has stranded 20,000 seafarers in and around the strait for at least two months.
Despite the ceasefire, Iranian forces have continued to fire on ships trying to exit the Strait of Hormuz, and on April 22, seized two Panama and Liberia-flagged cargo ships.
US forces separately seized the Iranian-flagged MV Touska and detained its crew in the Gulf of Oman on April 19, with the US Central Command (CENTCOM) accusing the vessel of violating its naval blockade.
The Touska is also reportedly under US sanctions due to its “prior history of illegal activity”, according to US President Donald Trump.
Rezaei told Al Jazeera that those detained on board the Touska included 23 crew members, two cadets, two women and one child, although these figures could not be independently verified.
He said the two women and the child were among the six members of the Touska released this week by US forces and returned to Iran.
According to the IMO, Iran’s attacks on vessels in the Gulf or those attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz have also killed at least 10 seafarers since the start of the war.
The IMO did not respond to Al Jazeera’s emailed request for comment.
Stephen Cotton, the general secretary of the ITF, told Al Jazeera it was important to remember that the seafarers caught up on either side of the war are civilians.
“The point is, these are seafarers. You can say they are under an Iranian flag, and there are sanctions, but not everybody agrees with the sanctions,” he said.
![A letter from the Iranian Merchant Mariners Syndicate (IMMS) to the International Maritime Organization dated April 1, 2026. [Courtesy of IMMS]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/S1405004-1777632502.jpg?w=595&resize=595%2C841&quality=80)
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