Live updates: Trump announces ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon

Trump told a group of reporters in Washington today that the ceasefire with Iran, which is scheduled to expire on Wednesday, could be extended if necessary.

“I don’t know that we’ll have to. Ideally, we wouldn’t but if I needed to I would,” he said.

He added, “I’m not sure it needs to be extended. Just so you know, Iran wants to make a deal, and we’re dealing very nicely with them.”

Trump also warned of serious consequences if no agreement can be reached with Iran.

“If there’s no deal, fighting resumes,” he said.

The ceasefire deal commits Israel and Lebanon to "engaging in good-faith direct negotiations, facilitated by the United States, with the objective of achieving a comprehensive agreement that ensures lasting security, stability, and peace between the two countries," the State Department said in a statement, which it says was agreed to by Lebanon and Israel.

The initial 10-day period for the ceasefire "may be extended by mutual agreement between Lebanon and Israel if progress is demonstrated in the negotiations and as Lebanon effectively demonstrates its ability to assert its sovereignty," according to the statement.

It continues: “Israel shall preserve its right to take all necessary measures in self-defense, at any time, against planned, imminent, or ongoing attacks. This shall not be impeded by the cessation of hostilities. Besides this, it will not carry out any offensive military operations against Lebanese targets, including civilian, military, and other state targets, in the territory of Lebanon by land, air, and sea.”

Lebanon must "take meaningful steps to prevent Hezbollah and all other rogue non-state armed groups in the territory of Lebanon from carrying out any attacks, operations, or hostile activities against Israeli targets," the statement adds.

Trump told a group of reporters in Washington that he is “very close” to making a deal with Iran and, if it happens, oil prices will drop.

The president also said he thinks Hezbollah will stick to the ceasefire, and that he plans to host talks between Israel and Lebanon.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he agrees to a 10-day temporary ceasefire, but said Israeli forces will remain in southern Lebanon.

Netanyahu said he welcomes the pause “in order to try to advance the agreement" discussed at talks in Washington on Tuesday.

“We have an opportunity to achieve a historic peace agreement with Lebanon,” he said.

Netanyahu said Israel continues to demand the disarmament of Hezbollah, and would not agree to Hezbollah's demand to withdraw from all Lebanese territory.

“We are remaining in Lebanon in an expanded security zone,” he said, adding that this was necessary due to the “danger of an invasion” and to prevent firing directed toward Israel.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Lebanon has pursued a ceasefire “since the first day of the war” and welcomed Trump’s announcement.

“While congratulating all Lebanese on this achievement, I offer my condolences to the families of the martyrs who fell, and I express my solidarity with them, with the wounded, and with the citizens who were forced to flee their cities and villages. I sincerely hope they will be able to return as soon as possible,” Salam said in a statement.

“I also extend my gratitude to all the regional and international efforts that contributed to reaching this outcome, particularly those of the United States of America, France, the European Union countries, and all our Arab brothers, especially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Arab Republic of Egypt, in addition to the State of Qatar and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.”

The Republican-controlled House voted today to reject a resolution ordering Trump to end the war with Iran.

The vote was 213-214, almost entirely along party lines, as Republicans overwhelmingly stick with Trump, refusing to slap guardrails on his military campaign.

Just one Republican, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, voted for it, while one Democrat, Rep. Jared Golden of Maine, voted against it. Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, who previously voted to end the Iran war, voted “present.” Three Republicans did not vote.

Read the full story here.

In a Truth Social post, Trump announced that Israel and Lebanon have agreed on a 10 day ceasefire that will begin at 5 p.m. ET today.

“I just had excellent conversations with the Highly Respected President Joseph Aoun, of Lebanon, and Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, of Israel,” Trump wrote. 

“These two Leaders have agreed that in order to achieve PEACE between their Countries, they will formally begin a 10 Day CEASEFIRE at 5 P.M. EST."

“I have directed Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Rubio, together with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Dan Razin’ Caine, to work with Israel and Lebanon to achieve a Lasting PEACE.”

Israel launched attacks in Lebanon about six weeks ago, targeting Iran-backed militia and political group Hezbollah, which is not party to the Lebanon-Israel talks. More than 1 million Lebanese have been displaced during the fighting.

Trump said he would also be inviting Aoun and Netanyahu to the White House for “meaningful talks.”

“Both sides want to see PEACE, and I believe that will happen, quickly!” he wrote.

Smoke rises from an airstrike today in Nabatieh, Lebanon.  Adri Salido / Getty Images

President Donald Trump spoke with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun amid a push for a ceasefire, the Lebanese presidency account said in a post on X.

The Lebanese presidency confirmed a call took place this afternoon and thanked Trump for his attempts "to reach a ceasefire in Lebanon and secure lasting peace and stability, paving the way for achieving the peace process in the region."

"He wished for the continuation of these efforts to stop the fire at the earliest possible time," the post read. "Trump responded with his support for President Aoun and Lebanon, and his emphasis on his commitment to meeting the Lebanese request for a ceasefire at the earliest possible time."

U.S. Central Command shared a video of U.S. forces executing a blockade on vessels attempting to enter and exit Iranian ports.

“After 72 hours of enforcement, 14 vessels have turned around to comply with the blockade at the direction of American forces,” CENTCOM said in a post on X.

Google is seemingly available again in Iran following a blackout, according to Mehr news.

The agency announced the news today in a Telegram post and included a screenshot of the Google homepage.

“The Google search engine, which was unavailable at the beginning of the US and Israeli aggression against the country and the international internet shutdown, has been made available to users again,” the post read.

But Netblocks, which monitors global internet connectivity, said on X that the internet blackout was ongoing and had hit its 48th day.

"The censorship measure, unsurpassed in scale and severity in a connected society, has had an economic impact of ~$1.8bn to date per COST methodology in addition to human rights harms," the post read.

Adm. Brad Cooper, who recently visited the region, joined the Pentagon briefing today. Previous briefings were led alone by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Cooper is the commander of U.S. Central Command.

Asked about lessons learned in the war, Cooper said, "We have collected dozens, if not hundreds, of lessons learned."

"If I think about a football analogy, if it's between, if it's halftime or between the third and fourth quarter, great teams are always adjusting, and we are certainly a great team, and that's what we're doing right now, taking the lessons and applying them in a meaningful way," he said.

Congress has failed to pass limits on President Donald Trump’s war powers, but a growing number of Republicans are voicing their concern about the war on Iran and its political impact.

Several Republicans are now suggesting that the 60-day mark for the war could be an inflection point because the law requires congressional approval for military action that lasts longer than that.

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Iran obtained a satellite from China in late 2024 that it has used to monitor U.S. military sites across the Middle East this year, according to a person with knowledge of the satellite. Some of the monitored sites were later struck by Iran. The Financial Times first reported on the existence of the satellite. 

The device, a TEE-01B, captured images of Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia in over several days in mid-March, the person said. President Donald Trump wrote in a Truth Social Post on March 14 that five planes at the Saudi base had been hit by Iran but had suffered little damage. There were no casualties. 

Video footage shows motorists in the southeast African country of Mozambique waiting for hours at fuel stations as shortages grip the country, with lines of traffic stretching for blocks and drivers traveling between multiple stations in search of petrol or diesel.

The fuel shortages come amid heightened tensions between the United States, Israel and Iran, raising concerns over disruptions to shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil supplies.

Residents describe increasingly chaotic conditions as they struggle to find fuel. “It’s chaotic because I went to four or five fuel stations, but there was no fuel,” Maputo resident João Luís Nhanbe told Reuters. “Sometimes there is petrol but no diesel.”

Others say the shortages have persisted for days, forcing them to continue searching. “I have been looking for fuel since yesterday. In Matola, only a few fuel stations have supplies.”

Economist Filimone Chirime said the situation could worsen because disruptions to the Strait of Hormuz, which transports about 12% of the world’s fuel, would increase fuel prices, transport costs and insurance rates.

Government officials warn the crisis is already affecting the cost of living.

Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that enforcement of the U.S. blockade will take place "inside Iran's territorial seas and in international waters."

The military has said that the blockade impacts Iran's ports and coastal areas, but not ships going to and from other locations through the Strait of Hormuz.

U.S. military forces "will actively pursue any Iranian-flagged vessel or any vessel attempting to provide material support to Iran," including so-called "dark fleet vessels carrying Iranian oil," Caine said.

U.S. forces have turned around ships 13 times since the blockade began but have not boarded any ships, he said.

More than 10,000 service members are taking part in the mission, he said.

Hegseth said the U.S. Navy controls traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, not Iran.

"The United States Navy controls the traffic going in and out of the strait because we have real assets and real capabilities, and we’re doing this blockade, performing it with less than 10% of America’s naval power," he said at this morning's briefing.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth began today's Pentagon press briefing with a message to Iran, saying, "We're watching you."

He said that the U.S. was ready for further strikes, if needed.

Hegseth says U.S. is 'locked and loaded' if Iran talks fail

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"As you expose yourself with your movement to our watchful eye, we are locked and loaded on your critical dual-use infrastructure, on your remaining power generation and on your energy industry," he said. "We'd rather not have to do it, but we're ready to go at the command of our president and at the push of a button."

He said that the blockade of Iranian ports and coastal areas was "the polite way that this can go."

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has spoken with Secretary of State Marco Rubio this morning, Aoun's office said.

It made no mention of plans for a call between Aoun and Netanyahu, after Trump said the two leaders would speak today.

Aoun "thanked Rubio for Washington’s efforts to achieve a ceasefire and for its support at all levels," according to his office.

Rubio "affirmed his continued commitment to the ongoing efforts to reach a ceasefire as a prelude to establishing peace, security, and stability in Lebanon, emphasizing his support for and appreciation of President Aoun’s positions," it said.

The State Department did not immediately confirm the call.

Pope Leo XIV has assailed the “handful of tyrants” he said are ravaging the world.

“The world is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants," the American pontiff said as he preached a message of peace here in western Cameroon, the epicenter of a separatist conflict considered one of the world’s most neglected crises.

Pope Leo arrives in Bamenda, Cameroon, today. Patrick Meinhardt / AFP via Getty Images

“Blessed are the peacemakers!” he said. “But woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic and political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth.”

The pope was speaking on an 11-day trip to Africa that has been shadowed by attacks from Trump over Leo's Iran war criticism.

Europe has “maybe 6 weeks or so (of) jet fuel left,” the head of the International Energy Agency has said.

Fatih Birol warned of possible flight cancellations “soon” if the war leaves oil supplies blocked, describing this as “the largest energy crisis we have ever faced.”

“In the past there was a group called ‘Dire Straits.’ It’s a dire strait now, and it is going to have major implications for the global economy. And the longer it goes, the worse it will be for the economic growth and inflation around the world,” Birol told The Associated Press.

The impact will be “higher petrol (gasoline) prices, higher gas prices, high electricity prices,” he said.

Birol said that the economic pain from this will not be felt evenly. Some countries will be “hit worse than the others,” he said, naming Japan, South Korea, India, China, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

A video posted earlier today shows a bridge on the Litani River destroyed.

NBC News geolocated the video to a bridge close to Qasmiyeh. It appears to be a key bridge connecting Tyre and Sidon, two major coastal cities in the country.

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported that the Israeli military struck and entirely destroyed the bridge. The Israeli military said it did not strike the bridge but “struck adjacent to it.”

It comes amid Israeli attacks that have targeted a number of bridges across the Litani, severing the south's connection to the rest of the country in a campaign it says is aimed at the Hezbollah militant group.

The bridge was partially destroyed by an Israeli strike earlier this month. A Reuters video that NBC News geolocated showed people could still cross the river over the bridge following the strike.

A ceasefire in Lebanon "is as important as a ceasefire in Iran," Iran's powerful parliament speaker has said this morning in a call with his Lebanese counterpart.

"In the Islamabad negotiations and afterwards, we have been seriously pursuing efforts to compel the adversaries to establish a permanent ceasefire in all areas of conflict," Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf told Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, according to Iranian state news agency IRIB.

Israeli warplanes have unleashed an intense barrage of strikes on the southern town of Nabatiyeh, sending giant plumes of black smoke billowing over the regional hub of southern Lebanon.

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said the attacks Thursday hit near the town’s industrial zone and outside a supermarket along Nabih Berri Avenue, a main thoroughfare lined with shops and residential buildings. The strikes, among the heaviest in the area since the start of the war, also hit several surrounding suburbs.

Israel has intensified its aerial bombardment of southern Lebanon in recent days as it seeks to extend security control into Lebanese territory in its war with Iran-backed Hezbollah. The Israeli military on Wednesday targeted three teams of medics from Nabatiyeh in successive strikes as they were working to administer aid to civilians and rescue each other, killing four medical workers and wounding six others.

Images published by Iranian state media show Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf meeting with Pakistan’s army chief, Asim Munir.

Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf in Tehran today.  Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting

The two men are seen smiling and shaking hands, with the flags of their respective countries in the background.

Pakistan has played a key mediating role between the U.S. and Iran, with Munir thought to be in Tehran to push for a second round of peace negotiations in Islamabad, the country’s capital.

Ghalibaf has emerged as a key figure on the Iranian side.

A satellite image shows smoke still rising a week after explosions were reported at Sirri Island, indicating that the fire likely continues burning on this Iranian oil export hub.

The image from the E.U.’s satellite service Copernicus yesterday shows smoke billowing into the sky, with destruction seen on the land. Another image from last Friday shows possible explosions at the same place.

Visible smoke rising from Sirri Island on both April 10, above, and April 15, below.  Copernicus Sentinel/European Union

Multiple explosions were reported by Iranian state media on April 8 after Trump announced a two-week ceasefire plan in the region.

The same scale of heat can be detected since then, according to NASA’s fire information website.

The cause of the blasts remained unknown as Israel said it stopped bombing Iran amid the ceasefire.

Russia has joined discussions on navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, the country’s deputy foreign minister said.

Speaking to a Russian newspaper, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Alimov said a joint draft resolution with China has been submitted at the United Nations.

“Our joint draft resolution with China is on the negotiating table at the U.N.; it has been officially submitted,” Alimov said, adding that Russia is monitoring ongoing negotiations between Iran and the U.S. 

“One round has already taken place,” he said. “We hope that the negotiations are not over and will continue.”

Jailed Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi is showing “clear signs of deterioration,” her family has said, with her condition described as “critical” less than a month after she suffered a heart attack in an Iranian prison.

Narges Mohammadi in Tehran in 2025. Nooshin Jafari / Middle East Images via AFP via Getty

Mohammadi, who has spent more than 100 days at Zanjan Central Prison, is being held in a cell with prisoners “charged with murder and has been threatened with death,” according to a statement attributed to her brother, Hamidreza Mohammadi.

“She has become extremely weak and has suffered significant weight loss,” he added.

The Nobel Peace Prize laureate is serving a sentence of 13 years and nine months on charges including collusion against national security and propaganda against Iran’s government. She has also supported nationwide protests sparked by the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini, during which women openly defied authorities by refusing to wear the hijab.

Ghadir Baalbaki, 19, was killed on Tuesday in an Israeli airstrike on Tyre, southern Lebanon. She was buried at a temporary mass grave in Tyre yesterday, with family in attendance.

 Hussein Malla / AP

 Hussein Malla / AP

 Hussein Malla / AP

 Hussein Malla / AP

Iran’s Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref said Trump has effectively turned the United States into Israel’s “seventh province,” according to a statement carried by the semiofficial Fars News Agency.

“Today, the leaders of the White House who came to power with the slogan ‘America First’ have in practice turned the country into Israel’s seventh province,” Aref said, adding that American citizens must be unhappy that the U.S. “lacks independence.”

“Unlike Trump, who has neither a strategy nor any clear thought or plan behind his actions, we have both a clear strategy and well-developed short-term and long-term plans,” he added.

No date has been set for a second round of talks between the U.S. and Iran, Pakistan’s foreign ministry has said, adding that a ceasefire in Lebanon is “essential.” 

“Peace in Lebanon is essential for [Iran] peace talks,” said Tahir Andrabi, a spokesperson for the foreign ministry, according to Reuters.

The first round of talks between the two countries took place in Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital, but no agreement was reached after 21 hours of continuous negotiations. A Pakistani delegation is in Tehran today to try and push ahead.

An Iranian army spokesperson said a ceasefire agreement with the U.S. “does not make much difference,” according to a statement carried by the semiofficial Tasnim News Agency.

“We are on high alert; a ceasefire does not make much difference to us compared to wartime conditions,” Brig. Gen. Mohammad Akraminia said.

A damaged residential building in Tehran on Tuesday. Majid Saeedi / Getty Images

He added that based on an order from the commander-in-chief of the Iranian army, any ground invasion must be “confronted decisively.”

“Not even a single invader should remain alive,” he said.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino expressed optimism that Iran’s soccer team will come to the World Cup in the U.S. this summer, despite the war currently paused by a temporary ceasefire.

“The Iranian team is coming, for sure, yes,” Infantino said yesterday at CNBC’s Invest in America Forum.

“We hope that by then of course the situation will be a peaceful situation. As I said, that will definitely help,” he said.

Iran’s team has qualified and is scheduled to play in the Los Angeles area and in Seattle in June. Iran sought to have the matches moved to Mexico, which along with Canada is also hosting games, but FIFA declined.

“We are subject to the decisions of the relevant officials, but personally I do not agree to extend the ceasefire,” said Mohsen Rezaei, formerly a commander in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps who now advises Mojtaba Khamenei on military affairs, Iranian state media reported.

Rezaei also urged officials to be more cautious than they had been before in negotiations over economic matters with the U.S.

He said Iran was setting the preconditions in the next round of talks, not the U.S.

“Unlike the Americans who are afraid of continuous war, we are fully prepared and familiar with a long war,” he said, according to the report.

China’s foreign minister stressed the importance of resuming trade through the Strait of Hormuz in a call with his Iranian counterpart.

Satellite imagery of the Strait of Hormuz on Apr. 7. maps4media / Getty Images

“The current situation has reached a critical juncture between war and peace, and a window for peace is opening,” Foreign Minister Wang Yi was quoted as saying yesterday by Xinhua, China’s state-run news agency.

Wang said that Iran’s sovereignty must be respected, according to the outlet.

“At the same time, freedom and security of navigation through international straits should also be ensured, and efforts to restore normal passage through the strait represent a consensus of the international community,” he said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will speak today with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, a member of Israel's security Cabinet has said this morning.

The comments by minister Gila Gamliel on Army Radio come after Trump said the two leaders would speak in an effort to “get a little breathing room” as fighting rages between Israel and the Tehran-backed militant group Hezbollah.

There has been no public confirmation from Lebanon.

Any talks between the leaders would be the first in decades, and follow rare direct talks between the two countries in Washington this week. Iran has been pushing for a ceasefire in Lebanon as part of any broader peace deal with the U.S.

Senate Republicans blocked for a fourth time a Democratic measure that would prohibit Trump from taking further military action in Iran without congressional approval. 

The war powers resolution, which required a simple majority to pass, was voted down 47-52, largely along party lines. Once again, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., was the only Republican to vote for the measure, while Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., was the only Democrat or independent to vote against it. (Sen. Jim Justice, R-W.Va., missed the vote.)

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said Democrats hoped to bring another war powers resolution before the Senate as early as next week.

“We’re going to do it again and again and again and again,” he said on MS Now. “We’re going to hold Republicans accountable.”

Nine people, including at least two children, were killed in two separate Israeli strikes in Lebanon, the country’s health ministry said this morning. 

In one attack, five people — including two children — were killed in Sidon, a historic city on Lebanon’s Mediterranean coast, it said. Five others were reported injured. 

In a separate incident, four people — including two women — were killed in Nabatieh, a city in southern Lebanon, the ministry said.

Since the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports began, American warships have issued warnings to 10 vessels, prompting them to turn around, U.S. Central Command said yesterday.

No shots were fired in the encounters, according to a U.S. official, and U.S. personnel did not board any of the vessels before they reversed course.

At least five of the ships were carrying oil, according to the official. Two of the oil-carrying ships turned back in the first two hours after the blockade went into effect Monday morning. An Iranian-flagged cargo vessel tried to evade the U.S. blockade but was redirected by the Navy destroyer USS Spruance.

Trump announced the blockade Sunday after negotiations with Iran failed to produce an agreement to end the war. Since the U.S. and Israel launched attacks on Iran in late February, traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has been at a near-standstill, sparking a rise in the prices of oil and other key goods.

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