Live updates: Iran warns of 'strong responses' as Israel's attacks on Lebanon threaten ceasefire
This version of Live Updates Iran War Ceasefire Trump Hormuz Israel Lebanon Rcna267390 - World News | NBC News Clone was adapted by NBC News Clone to help readers digest key facts more efficiently.
No new attacks were reported in the Gulf today as the truce appeared to be holding there, but there was little sign that the crucial Strait of Hormuz trade route had meaningfully reopened.
What to know
- CEASEFIRE UNDER THREAT: The truce between the United States and Iran was in doubt this morning following Israel's deadly new attacks on Lebanon. Iran said the strikes, which killed hundreds, were a "grave violation" of the deal and warned of "strong responses." America and Israel insisted Lebanon was not included in the ceasefire, though mediator Pakistan says it was.
- HORMUZ WARNING: There was little sign that the crucial Strait of Hormuz trade route had meaningfully reopened despite American claims of an increase in traffic. Iran even suggested it had put sea mines into the waterway as it offered alternative routes for the few ships transiting the strait.
- TRUMP'S WARNING: President Donald Trump said that all U.S. ships, aircraft and military personnel will remain in place around Iran until a real agreement is reached and "fully complied with." No new attacks were reported in the Gulf, however, as the ceasefire appeared to be holding there.
- U.S.-IRAN TALKS? Vice President JD Vance, set to lead a U.S. team in peace talks Friday in Pakistan, said Lebanon was a "legitimate misunderstanding" and Iran would be "dumb" to let talks collapse over it. Iran’s ambassador in Islamabad wrote on X that its negotiating team would arrive in the Pakistani capital tonight, but later deleted the post.
- DEATH TOLL: Iranian officials have not released a recent death toll, but the U.S.-based rights group HRANA put the total killed at almost 3,400, including more than 1,600 civilians. More than 1,700 people have been killed in Lebanon, and 23 have died in Israel. Thirteen U.S. service members have been killed, and two more died of noncombat causes.
- INSIGHTS AND ANALYSIS: Get exclusive analysis and insight into the Middle East conflict by becoming an NBC News subscriber.
'Hard to argue' Israel's Lebanon strikes were in self-defence, E.U.'s Kallas says
It is "hard to argue" that heavy Israeli strikes in Beirut yesterday were carried out in self-defence, Kaja Kallas, the European Commission’s vice president, has said.
"Hezbollah dragged Lebanon into the war, but Israel’s right to defend itself does not justify inflicting such massive destruction," Kallas wrote in a post on X this morning.
The heavy bombardment, which killed more than 200 yesterday according to the Lebanese Health Ministry, makes it “hard to argue that such heavy-handed actions fall within self-defense,” she added.
She warned that Israel’s actions were putting the U.S.-Iran ceasefire under “severe strain,” adding that the truce should “extend to Lebanon.”
Oil prices rise above $100 again as doubts set in about the U.S.-Iran ceasefire
The price of oil rebounded today, as doubts began to set in about the state of the Iran ceasefire announced just two days earlier by Trump.
Chief among them was that fewer than a half-dozen ships had been observed transiting the Strait of Hormuz yesterday.
Trump asked Netanyahu to scale back Israel’s strikes in Lebanon
Trump asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a phone call yesterday to scale back Israel’s strikes in Lebanon to help ensure the success of the Iran negotiations, a senior administration official said.
While the Trump administration and Israel have both said Lebanon is not covered by the ceasefire, Israel agreed “to be a helpful partner,” the official said.
The phone call came after Netanyahu publicly vowed on Wednesday to continue striking Lebanon forcefully, the official said. Iranian officials have threatened to respond to strikes and end the ceasefire.
A spokesperson for the Israeli embassy did not respond to a request for comment.
Iran was 'on the verge of responding' to Israeli strikes on Lebanon yesterday, minister says
Saeed Khatibzadeh, Iran’s deputy foreign minister, said Iran was considering responding to Israel's continued strikes on Lebanon yesterday, but mediator Pakistan intervened.
"Any peace in the region must include Lebanon, and the coming hours are very critical," Khatibzadeh said, according to Mizan, the Iranian judiciary's official news agency.
"Iran was on the verge of responding to the ceasefire violation last night," he said. "Pakistan intervened and conveyed messages indicating that the United States would control Israel." The U.S. must convince Israel to stop its strikes on Lebanon, he added.
Pakistani and Iranian officials have said that Lebanon was part of the ceasefire agreement, but U.S. and Israeli officials say it is not. Vice President JD Vance said yesterday that he believed there was a "legitimate misunderstanding," adding that while Iran thought the ceasefire included Lebanon, the U.S. never agreed to that.
IDF warns southern Beirut residents to evacuate as strikes continue
Israel's military has issued a warning to thousands of people living in southern districts of Beirut, the Lebanese capital, as airstrikes continue despite warnings from Iran that further strikes on Lebanon could put the ceasefire deal at risk.
Avichay Adraee, the IDF's Arabic spokesman, said on X that the force "continues its operations and strikes against military infrastructure belonging to the terrorist Hezbollah in various parts of the southern suburbs."
"Out of concern for your safety, you must evacuate immediately," he said. Alongside a map, Adraee listed eight neighborhoods that should be evacuated.
Earlier, amid apparent confusion on whether the ceasefire included strikes on Lebanon, Iranian figures said that continued attacks on Lebanon would nullify the truce and render meaningless the peace talks planned for this weekend.
A man inspects a residential building that was hit by Israeli strike in Beirut's Corniche Al-Mazraa district today. Murat Sengul / Anadolu via Getty Images
Iran's blackout has lasted for nearly 1,000 hours, internet tracker says
Iran's internet blackout has lasted for 41 days, an internet monitoring group said, with the regime’s ban on access to global networks continuing past 960 hours.
"The measure, unprecedented in scale and duration for a connected society, continues to violate Iranians’ rights to communicate and stay informed," NetBlocks said in a post on X earlier today.
Lebanon to file complaint with U.N. over Israel's escalation, restrict weapon possession to army
Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said the country’s Cabinet has decided to file an urgent complaint with the United Nations Security Council regarding the escalation of Israeli attacks on Lebanon and instruct the country’s security forces to immediately reinforce the state’s full control over the Beirut governorate.
In a post on X, the Lebanese presidency account said Israel’s “dangerous escalation” yesterday is in defiance of all efforts to end the war in the region and blatantly disregards the principles of international law and international humanitarian law.
It added that the possession of weapons in the Beirut governorate, where many of the Hezbollah militia’s operations are based, will be restricted to legitimate security forces only, to ensure “safety, security, and property of citizens.”
Shipping analyst says no ships are currently moving through the Strait of Hormuz
No ships are moving through the Strait of Hormuz today, according to Muyu Xu, a Singapore-based analyst with data analytics firm Kpler.
She said there were Chinese ships in the long line waiting for clearance to leave the strait but added that the overall picture is confused and unclear. She said last week that Iran said it was accepting Chinese renminbi, or yuan, as payment, but this changed to a preference for cryptocurrency.
"They don't know whether they need to pay first, or they go past first and then Iran sends a bill? It's just a lot of uncertainty here," she said.
And this is in addition to the very real uncertainty over whether paying Iran would put shipping companies in violation of international sanctions that prohibit supporting or doing business with the regime.
Iranian and Saudi foreign ministers hold first call since start of war
In their first call since the start of the war, Iran’s foreign minister spoke with his Saudi counterpart, the kingdom’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Abbas Araghchi spoke with Faisal bin Farhan to discuss the latest developments and a path forward.
“During the call, they discussed the latest developments and ways to reduce tensions in order to contribute to the return of security and stability to the region.”
Although Saudi Arabia is not directly involved in the U.S. and Israel’s war with Iran, it has been the frequent target of Iran’s retaliatory attacks.
Israel’s attacks devastate Beirut and threaten U.S.-Iran ceasefire
Mounting global condemnation of Israel was matched by confusion this morning over whether Lebanon was part of the truce deal agreed to by President Donald Trump.
In the capital, Beirut, the deadliest day of the current Israeli military campaign saw rescue workers search the rubble overnight as stunned civilians reeled from the surprise attacks.
Adam Nsouli, a 25-year-old nurse at the American University Hospital in Beirut, said he was haunted by what he witnessed after the Israeli strikes, which killed at least 200 people.
“The smell, the smoke — you can barely see — the fire, the sound of the screams,” he recounted to NBC News today. “All the destruction ... it’s like a Hollywood movie.”
'TODAY': New strikes in Middle East threaten fragile U.S.-Iran ceasefire
Israel launched powerful attacks on Lebanon yesterday, killing at least 250 people, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. Iran says the new attacks are a violation of the ceasefire with the United States, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists the temporary agreement does not include Hezbollah.
Iranian president: Continued Lebanon attacks 'will render negotiations meaningless'
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said that Israel's attacks on Lebanon are “a clear violation of the initial ceasefire agreement” and warned that if they continue, they would make peace talks "meaningless."
He said on X that "this is a dangerous sign of deception and lack of commitment to potential agreements. The continuation of these actions will render negotiations meaningless. Our hands remain on the trigger. Iran will never leave its Lebanese brothers and sisters alone."
A man tries to retrieve some belongings from his destroyed home after an Israeli airstrike in Beirut today. Emilio Morenatti / AP
Iran’s parliamentary speaker says Lebanon is an 'inseparable' part of the ceasefire
Ceasefire violations carry “explicit costs,” Iran’s parliament speaker said, as he insisted Lebanon forms an “inseparable” part of the two-week agreement brokered between Iran and the U.S. yesterday.
In a post on X earlier today, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said there was “no room for denial and backtracking” that the ceasefire meant to include Lebanon. But both Israel and the U.S. say the fighting in Lebanon was not included in the ceasefire agreement.
“Extinguish the fire immediately,” Qalibaf wrote, saying “STRONG responses” would follow any ceasefire violations.
Abu Dhabi oil giant's CEO says 'the Strait of Hormuz is not open' despite ceasefire
“The Strait of Hormuz is not open” despite the ceasefire deal, Sultan Al Jaber, the UAE minister of industry and the CEO of state-run oil giant ADNOC, said in a LinkedIn post today. "Access is being restricted, conditioned and controlled," he wrote.
"Conditional passage is not passage. It is control by another name. The Strait must be open — fully, unconditionally and without restriction. Energy security and global economic stability depend on it," Al Jaber added in his post.
Yesterday, Trump floated a "joint venture" with Iran over control of the strait. But Al Jaber said "no country has a legitimate right to determine who may pass and under what terms."
The CEO said that by his count, "an estimated 230 vessels sit loaded with oil and ready to sail," but conditions must improve. "Markets remain at a critical crossroads," he continued, while noting that the situation is "particularly urgent for Asia, where 80% of these cargoes are bound and half the world's population lives."
He concluded his message by writing: "Stability now depends on restoring real flows. Not partial access, not temporary measures, not controlled passage, but full and reliable supply. That is how we slow the economic shockwave already moving through the system."
Al-Aqsa Mosque reopens after 41-day closure by Israel
Palestinian Muslims entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the Old City of East Jerusalem early today, as it reopened for worship after 41 days of closure. Israeli authorities cited security reasons for the shutdown, driven by their joint attacks with the U.S. on Iran.
The gates of the Haram al-Sharif opened with the morning call to prayer as hundreds of worshippers streamed inside.
Mostafa Alkharouf / Anadolu via Getty Images
Mostafa Alkharouf / Anadolu via Getty Images
Mostafa Alkharouf / Anadolu via Getty Images
Mostafa Alkharouf / Anadolu via Getty Images
UAE confirms 'airspace free of any air threats,' a sign ceasefire is holding in the Gulf
The United Arab Emirates said that its airspace has been "free of any threats during past hours," a sign the ceasefire is now holding across the Gulf after some attacks yesterday in the region and in Iran.
In a post on X, the UAE defense ministry said that its "air defense systems did not detect any ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, or UAVs launched from Iran" today.
It said that no injuries or deaths were recorded in recent hours, leaving the total number of dead in the emirate at two since the start of the conflict.
The statement added that the UAE "affirmed its full readiness to address any threats and to respond firmly to any attempts that aim to undermine the UAE’s security, ensuring the protection of its sovereignty, security and stability, and safeguarding national interests."
Strait of Hormuz is open with permission, Iran's deputy foreign minister says
The Strait of Hormuz is open to shipping and anybody who communicates with the Iranian authorities will have permission to pass, Iran’s deputy foreign minister said.
In a clip released by British broadcaster ITV news earlier today, Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh said there were “technical restrictions because of the war zone” for ships trying to pass.
“This is why all the ships that would like to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, they have to communicate with our army and military,” he said.
“Those technical restrictions are very much connected to the wartime conditions, and it takes time to be removed,” Khatibzadeh added. “So safe passage is secured. Strait of Hormuz is open. But of course, every each tanker and every each vessel should make necessary arrangements with the Iranian authorities to be able to securely pass the strait.”
However, neighboring nations dispute this. The United Arab Emirates' industry minister, Sultan Al Jaber, wrote on LinkedIn: "This moment requires clarity. So let’s be clear: the Strait of Hormuz is not open. Access is being restricted, conditioned and controlled."
He called on Iran to unconditionally open the strait, through which only five ships passed yesterday, according to data analysis firm Kpler.
Fortified Islamabad awaits Pakistan-hosted U.S.-Iran peace talks with tight security
Pakistani authorities have stepped up security in the capital, Islamabad, deploying hundreds of additional police and paramilitary forces ahead of much-awaited peace talks between the United States and Iran.
The talks, seen as a potentially significant diplomatic opening to end the war in the region, will begin later this week.
Army troops patrol today to ensure security ahead of possible U.S.-Iran negotiations in Pakistan's capital. Anjum Naveed / AP
Security personnel stands guard outside the foreign ministry office in Islamabad today. Aamir Qureshi / AFP via Getty Images
Iran has not said who will represent its delegation, which is due to arrive in Islamabad later Thursday. The White House, however, has confirmed that Vice President JD Vance will lead the U.S. negotiating team in talks with Iran aimed at reaching a permanent end to the war.
Britain calls for no tolls, restrictions in Strait of Hormuz
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has called for the Strait of Hormuz to be fully reopened after ships in the Gulf were warned by the Iranian navy that those without permission to pass through faced attack.
Cooper told the BBC there should be no tolls or restrictions on the critical shipping route, as ships face uncertainty on possibly making payments to Iran to secure safe passage.
She also called for Lebanon to be “urgently included” in the ceasefire agreement.
Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrived in Abu Dhabi earlier this morning as part of his visit to the Gulf.
China calls for the U.S. and Iran to ‘seize the opportunity for peace’
China called for the U.S. and Iran to “seize the opportunity for peace” through dialogue and diplomacy.
“We hope that the relevant parties will seize the opportunity for peace, bridge differences through dialogue and consultation, and promote the early restoration of peace and stability in the Gulf and Middle East regions,” foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said during a regular briefing today.
When asked about Israel’s ongoing strikes, he said that Lebanon’s sovereignty and security “should not be violated” and that the safety of civilians “must be protected.”
Trump has previously said that he believes China played a role in getting Tehran to the ceasefire negotiating table.
Last remaining bridge linking southern Lebanon to the rest of the country damaged by Israel
An image released today shows the last remaining bridge linking southern Lebanon to the rest of the country, located in Qasmiyeh, damaged after it was struck by Israel yesterday.
Reuters
Americans, Trump ‘absolutely not trustworthy,’ Iran army spokesman says
The U.S. and President Donald Trump have proved that they are not trustworthy, Iran’s army spokesman said today, as the tense ceasefire between Iran and the U.S. continues.
In a statement carried by the hard-line Student News Network close to the Iranian regime, Mohammad Akraminias said Iran’s armed forces were on alert and fully prepared.
“The Americans, especially Trump, have proven that they are absolutely not trustworthy,” Akraminias said, according to SNN. “Our hand is on the trigger and listening to the orders of the Commander-in-Chief.”
Rescue teams search for survivors after Israeli strike in Beirut
Rescue teams worked through the night to pull survivors from a damaged building in Beirut after Israel carried out a series of strikes across Lebanon. Israel said it targeted more than 100 Hezbollah command centers in the largest coordinated strike since the conflict began. Lebanese officials said at least 200 people were killed and over 1,000 injured across the country.
Pakistan condemns Israeli strikes in Lebanon
Pakistan has condemned ongoing Israeli strikes in Lebanon, the country’s ministry of foreign affairs said in a statement.
“Israeli actions undermine international efforts to establish peace and stability in the region,” the statement said.
Pakistan has emerged as an unlikely mediator as a two-week ceasefire agreement was reached in the U.S. and Israel’s war with Iran.
More than 10 people, including children, were killed during an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon.
Only 5 ships crossed Strait of Hormuz yesterday, analytics firm says
Only five ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz on the first day of the ceasefire between Iran and the U.S. yesterday, according to Kpler, a data and analytics firm.
All five ships were bulk carriers and none were oil and gas tankers.
Before the U.S. and Israel launched their bombing campaign on Feb. 28, around 110 ships were passing through the strait every day, data from Lloyd’s List Intelligence shows.
Traffic jams and clear skies: Life goes on in the Gulf as attacks stop amid ceasefire
In the wake of the this week’s fragile ceasefire, Saudi Arabia is getting on with life.
On a more than four-hour drive from the capital, Riyadh, to the Gulf coast yesterday, roads were busy — there were traffic jams leaving Riyadh — and there were lines of trucks on the desert highway.
Today in Al Khobar, a Saudi coastal town overlooking Bahrain, the skies are clear of drones and missiles. This region of the Gulf has been particularly hard hit by Iran during weeks of war. But for the first time in a long time there appears to be a lull in attacks, with none reported across the Gulf overnight.
Bahrain’s defense force said in a statement today that its air defense systems "continue to confront successive waves of sinful Iranian terrorist aggressions," but so far its interior ministry website has not announced more strikes today.
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan received a phone call from his Iranian counterpart today. The readout from Riyadh says they "discussed ways to reduce tensions to restore security and stability in the region."
How Gulf countries get back to some kind of normalcy is a question for later. For now, there appears to be a welcome respite amid the diplomacy.
Spain to reopen embassy in Iran
Spain is reopening its embassy in Tehran in hopes of achieving peace in the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares told reporters earlier today.
“I’ve instructed our ambassador in Tehran to return, to take up his post again and reopen our embassy, and for us to join in this effort for peace from every possible quarter, including from the Iranian capital itself,” Albares said.
Spain, a traditional U.S. ally, has been one of the loudest critics of Trump's operation in Iran, rejecting the war as reckless and illegal while banning U.S. aircraft from using jointly operated bases in southern Spain in the Iran offensive.
Trump has threatened to cut trade with Madrid in response, as he has also complained about lukewarm support for his war on Iran from NATO allies.
Israel’s pounding of Lebanon is ‘deeply damaging,’ U.K. foreign secretary says
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said Israel’s pounding of Lebanon is “deeply damaging” and poses a risk to the two-week ceasefire in the U.S. and Israel’s war with Iran.
“We want to see Lebanon included in the ceasefire,” Cooper told Times Radio. “We want it extended to cover Lebanon, because otherwise that will destabilize the whole region.”
“That escalation that we saw from Israel yesterday was deeply damaging, and we want to see an end to hostilities.”
Despite a fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran, Israel has launched its biggest attacks yet against Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon. Iran maintains the ceasefire extends to Lebanon, a claim rejected by both the U.S. and Israel.
Crude oil price rises on supply uncertainty, edging toward $100 a barrel
The price of crude oil has risen following uncertain news from the Strait of Hormuz and the apparent continuation of Iran's blockade of the vital waterway, which carries 20% of the world's oil supply.
Despite the opening of the strait being a U.S. condition of the ceasefire, only a handful of ships have sailed through it, while hundreds remain in the Gulf waiting to leave.
Brent crude, the global benchmark, rose to $97 a barrel today after falling sharply from $102 following news of a ceasefire deal between the U.S. and Iran.
West Texas Intermediate, the U.S. benchmark, rose 3% to more than $97 a barrel, after also falling this week on the ceasefire news.
The U.S. produces much of its own oil but is not immune from changes to the global energy market, and retail gas prices have risen to an average of $4.10 for regular fuel and $5.68 for diesel, close to its all-time high of $5.81.
Iran’s nuclear agency chief says its right to enrich uranium is ‘necessary’ for U.S. talks
The chief of Iran’s nuclear agency said that protecting Tehran’s right to enrich uranium is “necessary” for any ceasefire talks with the United States.
Mohammad Eslami, who leads the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, made the remarks to journalists including one from The Associated Press in Tehran, Iran, during commemorations for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“It is a part of the necessary [things] that nobody speaks about,” Eslami said, referring to the U.S. refusal to acknowledge enrichment as one part of Iran’s 10-point plan for a permanent ceasefire.
Netanyahu vows Israel will continue to strike Hezbollah in Lebanon
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to continue striking Iran-backed Hezbollah militants with “strength, precision, and determination,” despite mounting global backlash.
In a message on X earlier this morning, Netanyahu reiterated the IDF’s earlier claim of the killing of the nephew of Hezbollah's chief and attacks on the militant group's command centers overnight.
“Our message is clear: whoever acts against Israeli civilians will be targeted,” Netanyahu said. “We will continue to strike Hezbollah wherever necessary, until full security is restored to the residents of the north.”
Photos: First responders in Beirut search for people under the rubble after deadly Israeli strikes
Lebanese civil defense workers have been searching this morning for victims in the rubble of buildings destroyed by Israel's attacks.
Hassan Ammar / AP
Emilio Morenatti / AP
Emilio Morenatti / AP
Emilio Morenatti / AP
Hussein Malla / AP
The widespread strikes yesterday killed at least 182 people and wounded 890 others, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry.
Israel’s strikes on Lebanon 'intolerable,' French foreign minister says
Israeli strikes on Lebanon are “intolerable attacks” that could undermine the ceasefire reached by Iran and the United States, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said earlier today.
In an interview with radio station France Inter, Barrot said France denounces the “massive strikes” yesterday and that “Lebanon must absolutely be covered by this truce.”
Iran must stop terrorizing Israel through Hezbollah, a military group it backs, which must be disarmed and surrender its weapons to the Lebanese state, Barrot added. “The destruction of the Lebanese state will not destroy Hezbollah; on the contrary, it would strengthen it,” he said.
Hezbollah says it targeted 2 Israeli communities near Lebanese border
The Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group said it targeted two Israeli border communities overnight and into this morning in response to Israeli attacks.
In statements issued on Telegram, the group said it hit the border town of Kiryat Shmona with a barrage of rockets earlier this morning, and vowed that this response will continue until “the Israeli-American aggression against our country and our people cease.”
The statements also said that Hezbollah fighters have hit an Israeli tank and personnel in the town of Taybeh in southern Lebanon.
Overnight, the group said it also targeted the community of Manara in northern Israel.
New Israeli strike kills more than 10 people in Lebanon, state media reports
More than 10 people, including children, were killed as Israeli strikes continued in southern Lebanon, state media reported this morning.
The strike targeted a residential building in Zrariyeh, a town in southern Lebanon, according to the report.
Although a two-week ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran has been reached, Washington and Israel say it does not include Lebanon. Iran rejects that claim.
Israeli military says nephew of Hezbollah chief killed in strike
The Israeli military has said it “eliminated” the personal secretary and nephew of Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem.
In a post on Telegram this morning, the IDF said Ali Yusuf Harshi was killed when it struck the Beirut area yesterday. Harshi was a close associate and personal advisor to Qassem, it added, and played a central role in managing and securing his office.
A series of what the IDF called Hezbollah’s “terror infrastructure sites” were also struck overnight, the statement added.
Israel's assault on Lebanon a 'grave violation' of truce, Iranian minister says
Israel's assault on Lebanon is a "grave violation" of the truce, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh said today.
"You cannot have a cake and eat it at the same time," Khatibzadeh told the BBC's "Today" program this morning. He said that was the message that Iran sent "crystal clearly" to Washington a day before after Israel launched a sweeping barrage of strikes on Lebanon, including across its capital, Beirut.
A rescuer in Beirut this morning stabds near a building damaged by an Israeli strike yesterday. Louisa Gouliamaki / Reuters
Iranian officials have maintained that Lebanon was included in the truce announced by Washington and Tehran, with the ceasefire bringing a temporary halt to a conflict that has seen thousands killed across the region.
Israel and the U.S. have both insisted it is not included.
Iran's ambassador says peace talks delegation to arrive in Pakistan tonight, then deletes post without explanation
Iran’s envoy to Pakistan said in a post on X this morning that the country's delegation for peace talks with the U.S. would arrive tonight, before deleting the post without explanation.
Ambassador Reza Amiri Moghadam said that “despite skepticism of Iranian public opinion due to repeated ceasefire violations by the Israeli regime,” the delegation — invited by Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif — would travel to Islamabad.
“Iranian delegation arrives tonight in Islamabad for serious talks based on 10 points proposed by Iran,” he said in a post on X.
He offered no reason or further comment after deleting the post less than an hour later.
The 10-point plan as outlined by Iranian state media calls for Iran to keep control of transit through the Strait of Hormuz and for the complete withdrawal of United States combat forces from bases across the region. Trump has suggested that is not a plan he said could form the basis for a deal.
Iran suggests it may have mined Strait of Hormuz, announces alternative shipping routes
Ships have been directed to use alternative shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz to avoid potential naval mines in the main traffic zone, the Iranian Ports and Maritime Organization announced today, according to the SNN news agency.
The ports organization said that “due to the wartime situation,” vessels should coordinate with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps navy and use the outlined detours, the statement said.
It included recommendations for both an inbound and an outbound route.
Iran’s naval forces have issued a map identifying alternative shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz in order to avoid sea mines. Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting via X / via X
The chart showed a large circle marked “danger zone” in Farsi over the Traffic Separation Scheme, which was the route ships take through the strait, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which 20% of all oil and natural gas traded once passed.
The chart suggested ships travel further north through waters closer to Iran’s mainland near Larak Island, a route that some ships were observed taking during the war. It was dated from Feb. 28 until Thursday, April 9, and it was unclear if Iran had cleared any mining since then.
Trump in late-night post warns ‘Shootin’ Starts’ if agreement is broken
Trump threatened Iran on Truth Social shortly before midnight Wednesday, one day after a ceasefire agreement was reached.
“All U.S. Ships, Aircraft, and Military Personnel, with additional Ammunition, Weaponry, and anything else that is appropriate and necessary for the lethal prosecution and destruction of an already substantially degraded Enemy, will remain in place in, and around, Iran, until such time as the REAL AGREEMENT reached is fully complied with,” the post read.
“If for any reason it is not, which is highly unlikely, then the ‘Shootin’ Starts,’ bigger, and better, and stronger than anyone has ever seen before,” the post continued.
Trump’s post also said the Strait of Hormuz should be open.
“In the meantime,” it said, “our great Military is Loading Up and Resting, looking forward, actually, to its next Conquest.”
Trump, also on Truth Social, had warned Tuesday that “a whole civilization will die tonight” if an agreement with Iran was not reached, extreme rhetoric that prompted accusations that he was threatening war crimes.
