politics

Lebanon-Israel 10-day ceasefire begins

A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon has taken effect, with US President Donald Trump saying a White House meeting could follow within two weeks and a deal to end the Iran war is “very close”. He suggested talks could resume in Islamabad this weekend. The Lebanese army has accused Israel of violating the truce with shelling in the south, while Benjamin Netanyahu says Israeli forces will stay in southern Lebanon and Hezbollah warns it may respond to attacks. Follow our live coverage for the latest updates:

08:02 AM, 17 April 2026

Trump hails Israel-Lebanon ceasefire as ‘historic day’

In two social media posts Thursday night, US President Donald Trump said that Thursday could have been “a historic day for Lebanon.”

In a separate Truth Social message after the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon went into effect, Trump added that he hoped the Lebanon-based, Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group “acts nicely and well.” “It will be an GREAT moment for them if they do,” Trump added.

07:20 AM, 17 April 2026

US deploys 12 ships, 100 aircraft to enforce blockade on Iranian ports

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) on Thursday (local time) said that US forces are actively enforcing a large-scale maritime blockade targeting Iran’s ports and coastline, involving more than 10,000 personnel, over a dozen naval vessels, and upwards of 100 aircraft.

In a post on X, CENTCOM said, “USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) transits the Arabian Sea as the United States blockades Iran’s ports and coastline. US forces are not blockading the Strait of Hormuz. More than 10,000 American service members, 12+ ships, and 100+ aircraft have enforced the blockade in regional waters, ensuring that no vessels violate the President’s proclamation.”

USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) transits the Arabian Sea as the United States blockades Iran’s ports and coastline. U.S. forces are NOT blockading the Strait of Hormuz. More than 10,000 American service members, 12+ ships, and 100+ aircraft have enforced the blockade in regional… pic.twitter.com/yQP4J1uSha

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) April 16, 2026

The deployment includes the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) operating in the Arabian Sea, highlighting the scale of the US naval presence in the Iranian waters amid escalating tensions.

In another update, CENTCOM added, “Sailors aboard guided-missile destroyer USS Delbert D Black (DDG 119) stand watch as US forces remain vigilant and enforce the blockade against ships attempting to enter or depart Iranian ports and coastal areas.”

The USS Delbert D Black (DDG 119) is among the warships tasked with monitoring an interceptingvessels in the vicinity of Iranian waters.

Sailors aboard guided-missile destroyer USS Delbert D. Black (DDG 119) stand watch as U.S. forces remain vigilant and enforce the blockade against ships attempting to enter or depart Iranian ports and coastal areas. pic.twitter.com/oHSq4RhiVd

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) April 17, 2026

06:30 AM, 17 April 2026

Australia says no request from US on Hormuz after Trump criticism

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the US has made “no new requests” to help in Iran after Trump said he was “not happy with Australia”.

US security ally Australia has said it is not involved in the Iran conflict but has an interest in the Strait of Hormuz reopening to fuel shipments.

Trump has repeatedly criticised Australia for not helping in the Iran war. “I’m not happy with Australia because they were not there when we asked them to be there,” he told reporters in Washington Thursday. “They were not there, having to do with Hormuz,” he said.

Albanese told reporters Trump had made it clear he has “got this” when it came to Iran.

“There’s been no new requests at all,” he said.

Australia is also in talks with France, Britain and the US over the Strait of Hormuz, Defence Minister Richard Marles said on Friday.

Canberra was asked by Washington last month to assist with the defence of Gulf states, and responded by sending an E7 Wedgetail surveillance aircraft and missiles to protect the United Arab Emirates, Australian officials said.

06:12 AM, 17 April 2026

Trump characterises Iran war as a ‘little diversion’

President Donald Trump said Thursday the US war with Iran was a “little diversion” during his second term in power, as recent polling shows the conflict’s unpopularity with the American public.

At an event in Las Vegas, Nevada touting his “no tax on tips” measure from the major tax reform bill passed last year, the 79-year-old president boasted about his economic record since returning to office in 2025.

“We had the best economy in the history of our country in my first term. And we’re blowing it out now…And despite our little diversion to the lovely country of Iran, lovely place,” Trump told the crowd of supporters.

“But we had to do that, because otherwise, bad things could happen, the really bad thing,” he continued, referencing Iran’s apparent nuclear potential.

An Ipsos poll conducted last weekend found 51 percent of the more than 1,000 respondents thought the Iran war was not worth the costs associated with it.

Less than a quarter of respondents, 24 percent, said the opposite.

Another recent poll published Wednesday by Quinnipiac University found 65 percent of US voters blame Trump for the recent rise in gas prices prompted by the Strait of Hormuz closing since the start of the Iran war.

The same poll reported only 36 percent of voters approved how Trump was handling the situation with Iran, while 58 percent disapproved.

06:12 AM, 17 April 2026

Trump says Iran war ‘going along swimmingly’

The president said in a Las Vegas speech he was feeling pretty positive about the Iran war, despite the energy price spikes, the death and destruction and the anxiety about the future of NATO and the Middle East.

“I will say the war in Iran is going along swimmingly,” Trump said. “It should be ending pretty soon.”

Trump added that the war was “was perfect” as he praised the power of the US military.

05:01 AM, 17 April 2026

Trump continues attacks on Pope Leo

US President Donald Trump renewed his criticism of Pope Leo XIV, repeating a claim that the pontiff supports Iran having a nuclear weapon. The assertion is not supported by the pope’s public statements.

Asked by CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins why he was “fighting with the pope,” Trump said he had “nothing against the pope” but added, “I have to do what’s right.” He then said: “The pope made a statement. He says, Iran can have a nuclear weapon. I say Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.”

Pope Leo XIV has not said Iran should possess nuclear weapons and has repeatedly denounced nuclear arms and called on nations to abandon them. Pope Francis also taught that both the use and the possession of nuclear weapons are “immoral” due to their indiscriminate destructive power and the false sense of security they create.

The disagreement over the Iran war has escalated into a rare and public spat between the White House and the Vatican. US President Donald Trump and Vice-President JD Vance have repeatedly assailed the Pope Leo, accusing him of being “weak on crime” and overstepping into politics. The pontiff has refused to back down, insisting he will continue to speak out for peace.

04:30 AM, 17 April 2026

UN chief welcomes Israel and Lebanon ceasefire

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres hopes the ceasefire will pave the way for negotiations toward a long-term solution to the Israel-Hezbollah conflict, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said.

Guterres commends the United States for facilitating the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, he said.

The secretary-general reaffirms UN support for all efforts to end hostilities and the suffering of people on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border, Dujarric said.

04:25 AM, 17 April 2026

Lebanon army reports Israeli ‘acts of aggression’

Lebanon’s army reported “acts of aggression” by Israel that it said violated a ceasefire which took effect at midnight Friday local time.

Lebanon’s army in an X post early on Friday called on residents in the south to exercise caution “in light of a number of violations” of the ceasefire agreement by “several Israeli acts of aggression.”

03:27 AM, 17 April 2026

Strait of Hormuz must reopen, but “not at any price”: France minister

French Finance Minister Roland Lescure told reporters Thursday that the Strait of Hormuz needs to reopen “but not at any price,” adding that G7 leaders stand ready to mitigate the war’s economic fallout.

Finance ministers and central bank governors from the Group of Seven advanced economies added in a statement that “it is urgent to limit” the global economic cost of an enduring conflict in the Middle East.

02:55 AM, 17 April 2026

Gunfire erupts in Beirut as ceasefire with Israel kicks in

Gunfire erupted in Beirut’s southern suburbs as a ceasefire with Israel came into effect at midnight on Friday (2100 GMT Thursday), according to AFP journalists.

01:00 AM, 17 April 2026

10-day ceasefire in Lebanon begins

A 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel went into effect, pausing more than six weeks of intense fighting between Israeli forces and the Iran-aligned militant group Hezbollah, US officials said.

The truce started at 5 pm Eastern Thursday (1am, Friday, April 17), Donald Trump announced. He spoke separately with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and welcomed the pause as a step toward broader peace. Analysts caution the truce is fragile, especially because Hezbollah itself was not a direct party to the agreement and has issued mixed signals about complying with the pause.

The ceasefire could ease hostilities and create breathing room for further diplomatic engagement, bridging local conflict and the broader US–Iran negotiations.

12:02 AM, 17 April 2026

UAE welcomes Lebanon-Israel ceasefire

The UAE has welcomed the announcement by US President Donald Trump of a ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel, commending the diplomatic efforts that led to the breakthrough.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed hope that the development would represent a positive step towards fostering a supportive environment for regional stability. The ministry underscored the importance of continued international coordination to prevent further escalation and to mitigate the humanitarian and security repercussions across the region.

politics

Trump says Iran deal ‘very close

Washington, United States: President Donald Trump said Thursday that the United States and Iran were “very close” to a peace deal and that he would consider going to Pakistan to sign an agreement.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump added that Tehran had agreed to hand over its store of enriched uranium, as the two countries mull further talks in Islamabad.

“We’re very close to making a deal with Iran,” Trump said as he left to board his helicopter for a trip to Las Vegas.

.@POTUS: “I could make a little deal, but I don’t want to do that. I want to get it done… We had to do something. We had to make sure that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon.” pic.twitter.com/pnR1gZdn1z

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 16, 2026

“We had to make sure that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon… They’ve totally agreed to that. They’ve agreed to almost everything, so maybe if they can get to the table, there’s a difference.”

Asked if he might travel to Pakistan to sign an agreement, Trump added: I might go, yeah. If the deal is signed in Islamabad, I might go.”

The US leader praised Pakistan’s “really great” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and powerful army chief Asim Munir for their role in brokering the talks with Iran.

Vice President JD Vance led a US delegation to Islamabad last weekend for talks with Iranian officials but came away empty handed. The White House says it is in discussions about a second round of talks that would likely be in Pakistan again.

Trump added that Iran had agreed to hand over its store of enriched uranium — a key sticking point for any deal — although he gave no details about any such agreement.

“They’ve agreed to give us back the nuclear dust,” Trump said, using his name for the enriched uranium stockpile that the United States says could be used to build nuclear weapons.

politics

U.S.–Iran may meet in Pakistan for talks next week

The U.S. and Iran will likely return to Pakistan next week for a second round of peace negotiations, two senior Pakistani officials told MS NOW on Wednesday.

The latest sign of the countries’ continuing efforts to reach a diplomatic end to the war came from officials who are involved in finalizing decisions with the U.S. and Iranian teams, but did not want to be named because of sensitivities around negotiations, MS NOW reported.

The step toward resuming the stalled peace talks came as tensions in the Persian Gulf continued to rise, further imperiling a shaky two-week ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran.

Oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains at a trickle as Iran continues to pose threats to passing vessels and the U.S. enforces a retaliatory blockade of Iranian ports.

President Donald Trump, who said last week that the ceasefire agreement was subject to the strait being fully reopened, had complained about the lack of activity in the vital shipping route prior to announcing the blockade.

On Wednesday, Iranian state news outlet Fars reported that Tehran was suspending all petrochemical exports until further notice.

Still, the White House said Wednesday it is optimistic about a possible peace agreement coming into view.

“Discussions are being had,” and “we feel good about the prospects of a deal,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters at a White House briefing, while cautioning that the next round of in-person talks hasn’t yet been made official.

Leavitt also said those talks would “very likely” be held in Islamabad, “the same place as they were last time.” Pakistan has facilitated communications between the warring powers.

The first round of negotiations last weekend — a marathon 21-hour session led on the the U.S. side by Vice President JD Vance and special envoys Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner — ended in no deal.

Pakistan is “the only mediator in this negotiation,” Leavitt said as she praised the regional power for its help so far.

Leavitt also said it is “not true” that the U.S. has requested an extension of the ceasefire, which is set to expire next Tuesday.

A senior U.S. official told CNBC on Wednesday morning, “The United States has not formally agreed to an extension of the ceasefire. There is continued engagement between the U.S. and Iran to reach a deal.”

CNBC

politics

US halts Iran sea trade despite hopes for talks

The United States said on Wednesday its military had completely halted trade going in and out of Iran by sea, while President Donald Trump said talks with Tehran on ending the war could resume this week, sending oil prices down for a second day.

Trump said negotiations between U.S. and Iranian officials could resume in Pakistan in the next two days and Vice President JD Vance, who led weekend talks that ended without a breakthrough, said he felt positive about where things stood.

“I think you’re going to be watching an amazing two days ahead,” Trump told ABC News reporter Jonathan Karl, adding he did not think it would be necessary to extend a two-week ceasefire that ends on April 21. “It could end either way, but I think a deal is preferable because then they can rebuild,” Trump said, according to a post by Karl on X. “They really do have a different regime now. No matter what, we took out the radicals.”

Officials from Pakistan, Iran and the Gulf also said negotiating teams from the U.S. and Iran could return to Pakistan later this week, although one senior Iranian source said no date had been set.

Despite the optimistic note, more vessels were being turned back under the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports, including a U.S.-sanctioned and Chinese-owned tanker Rich Starry that was making its way back to the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday after exiting the Arabian Gulf.

Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of the U.S. Central Command, said American forces had completely halted economic trade going in and out of Iran by sea, which he said fuels 90% of Iran’s economy.

“In less than 36 hours since the blockade was implemented, U.S. forces have completely halted economic trade going into and out of Iran by sea,” Cooper said in a post on X.

U.S. and Iran begin a battle of economic endurance in the Strait of Hormuz

Earlier the U.S. military said it had intercepted eight Iran-linked oil tankers since the start of the blockade on Monday, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Trump, speaking to the New York Post on Tuesday, said his negotiators are likely to be back, thanks largely to the “great job” Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, was doing to moderate the talks.

Later on Tuesday, at an event in Georgia, U.S. Vice President JD Vance said Trump wanted to make a “grand bargain” with Iran but there was a lot of mistrust between the two countries.

“You are not going to solve that problem overnight,” he said. The signs of diplomatic engagement to end the conflict that began on Feb. 28 helped calm oil markets, pressing benchmark prices below US$100 for a second day on Wednesday. Asian stocks rose while the safe-haven dollar stabilized after falling for a seventh straight session overnight.

China’s Xi warns global order ‘crumbling’ amid Iran war chaos

However, the market stands to lose access to further supply as the U.S. does not plan to renew a 30-day waiver of sanctions on Iranian oil at sea that expires this week, according to two U.S. officials, and quietly let a similar waiver on Russian oil run out on the weekend.

The war has prompted Iran to effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial global waterway for crude and gas transport, and cut shipments from the Gulf to global buyers, particularly in Asia and Europe, leaving importers scrambling to secure alternative supplies. About 5,000 people have died in the hostilities, including about 3,000 in Iran and 2,000 in Lebanon.

Sticking points

Iran’s nuclear ambitions were a key sticking point at the weekend talks. The U.S. had proposed a 20-year suspension of all nuclear activity by Iran, while Tehran had suggested a halt of three to five years, according to people familiar with the proposals.

Speaking in Seoul, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, said the length of any moratorium on Iranian uranium enrichment was a political decision and it was possible Tehran might accept a compromise as a confidence-building act.

The U.S. has also pressed for any enriched nuclear material to be removed from Iran, while Tehran has demanded that international sanctions against it be removed.

Israel and Lebanon meet in Washington for first direct diplomatic talks in decades

One source involved in the negotiations in Pakistan said back-channel talks since the weekend had produced progress in closing that gap, bringing the two sides closer to a deal that could be put forward at a new round of talks.

However, in a major complication for peace prospects, Israel has continued to attack Lebanon as it targets Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group. Israel and the U.S. say that campaign is not covered by the ceasefire, while Iran insists it is. On Tuesday, the U.K., Canada, Japan and seven other countries condemned the killings of UN peacekeepers in Lebanon and called for “an urgent end to hostilities.”

Reuters