Iranian officials arrived in Pakistan on Friday for peace talks with the United States as Tehran insisted on a truce in Lebanon and unfreezing of its assets for the negotiations to go ahead.

US President Donald Trump vowed meanwhile to have the Strait of Hormuz open "with or without" Iran's cooperation and said his top priority at the Islamabad talks was to ensure the Islamic republic cannot have a nuclear weapon.

Trump has dispatched Vice President JD Vance to Pakistan to meet with the Iranians in a bid to reach a peace deal in the Middle East war following a two-week ceasefire that was agreed on Tuesday.

(AFP)

An airstrike hit a police checkpoint in Bureij camp in the central Gaza Strip early on Saturday, killing at least six people and injuring several others, medics said.

It was not immediately clear whether all those killed were police members. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.

Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf shared a picture from his flight to Islamabad where negotiation talks will be held with US. The picture shows bload soaked schools bags, shoes placed on the seats with pictures of children killed in US-Israel strike.

همراهان من در این پرواز#Minab168 pic.twitter.com/xvXmDlSDiF

— محمدباقر قالیباف | MB Ghalibaf (@mb_ghalibaf) April 10, 2026

Israel said Friday it will not discuss a ceasefire with Hezbollah when it holds talks with Lebanon's government next week in Washington.

Meeting with his Lebanese counterpart to set up the talks, Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter "refused to discuss a ceasefire with the Hezbollah terrorist organization," he said in a statement afterward.

Iran War: President Donald Trump told reporters on Friday that the US will have the Strait of Hormuz "open fairly soon" but did not elaborate and acknowledged that it will not be an easy step.

Attacks intensified Friday between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah ahead of direct talks between the Lebanese government and Israel set to begin next week.

A delegation of top Iranian officials has arrived in Islamabad ahead of ceasefire talks with the United States in the Pakistani capital, Iranian state television reported on Friday.

The delegation was led by Iran parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, along with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and other security and economic officials, state broadcaster IRIB said on its website. It reiterated Iran's position, however, that talks would only begin if Washington accepts Iran's preconditions.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Friday that leaders of both Iran and the United States would attend ceasefire talks set to take place in Islamabad.

"In response to my sincere invitation, the leaderships of both countries are coming to Islamabad. There, negotiations will be held for the establishment of peace," Sharif said in an address to the nation.

US Vice President JD Vance was on his way to Pakistan, but Tehran has said certain conditions must be met before negotiations can occur, casting some doubt on the process.

Iran-backed Hezbollah fired around 30 projectiles from Lebanon into Israel on Friday, the Israeli military said, reporting that some strikes caused damage.

Air‑raid sirens were activated across northern Israel near the Lebanese border, where Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants have continued to exchange fire despite a truce in the broader conflict involving Iran.

Israeli emergency services reported a strike in Safed, where a direct hit damaged several vehicles.

The emergency services reported additional impacts in the Galilee region, including in Baana and Deir al-Assad, where a building was hit.

President Donald Trump said Friday that US warships are being reloaded with weaponry to strike Iran if talks in Pakistan fail to produce a deal, in an interview with the New York Post.

"We have a reset going. We're loading up the ships with the best ammunition, the best weapons ever made -- even better than what we did previously and we blew them apart," the Post quoted Trump as saying.

"And if we don’t have a deal, we will be using them, and we will be using them very effectively."

In a brief and cryptic message on his Truth Social network earlier, Trump had spoken of the "WORLD’S MOST POWERFUL RESET!!!"

Vice President JD Vance headed to Islamabad on Friday to lead the US delegation in this weekend's talks with Iran, with a warning to Tehran not to "play" Washington.

The Israeli military said Friday that it had "dismantled" more than 4,300 Hezbollah sites in Lebanon since fighting with the militant group began last month.

"More than 1,400 Hezbollah terrorists eliminated and over 4,300 terrorist infrastructure sites dismantled," the military said.

Lebanon's health ministry reports that at least 1,888 people have been killed in the country -- including 163 children -- since fighting erupted between Israel and Hezbollah on March 2.

"We continue to reach out to countries in the Gulf region. At the direction of the Prime Minister, our ministers are visiting Gulf countries to strengthen our energy security," says MEA Spox Randhir Jaiswal

MEA Official Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal says, "We are closely following developments in West Asia. We continue to reach out to countries in the Gulf region. At the direction of the Prime Minister, our ministers are visiting Gulf countries to strengthen our energy security. The External Affairs Minister is presently visiting Mauritius, from where he will be travelling to the UAE on 11th and 12th April, 2026. He will hold discussions with leaders in the UAE to foster stronger India-UAE ties. Even as we work to strengthen our energy security, we are also providing support to our neighbouring countries as per their request to meet their energy needs. We supplied 38 metric tons of petroleum product to Sri Lanka two weeks ago. We are finalising a government-to-government agreement for the supply of oil and gas, which will play an important role in reinforcing the energy security of Mauritius...Our Minister of Petroleum is visiting Qatar on the 9th and 10th of April. Presently, he is in Qatar. Qatar is an important supplier of energy to India...Qatar Energy Minister reaffirmed Qatar's commitment to remain a reliable energy supplier and looks forward to continuing and strengthening energy relations and cooperation with India"

India has sounded the alarm about the “large number of civilian casualties” caused by Israeli attacks in Lebanon.

Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India finds the current trajectory of events “very disturbing,” as a country which contributes troops to the UN peacekeeping force UNIFIL and which is “invested in Lebanon’s peace and security”.

“Observing international law and respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states is essential,” Jaiswal added.

Lebanon is facing a food security crisis as the Iran war disrupts supplies of goods inside the country, the United Nations World Food Programme said.

"What we're witnessing is not just a displacement crisis, it is rapidly becoming a food security crisis," said World Food Programme country director Allison Oman, speaking via video link from Beirut. She warned that food was becoming increasingly unaffordable due to rising food prices and rising demand among displaced families.

Lebanon faces a two-layered crisis, in which some markets have fully collapsed - especially in the south, where more than 80 per cent of markets are no longer functioning - while those in Beirut are under increasing strain, Oman said.

Two Lebanon towns targeted by Israeli strikes despite reports of Trump asking Netanyahu to 'scale back' attack.

Ukrainian military personnel shot down Iranian-designed Shahed drones in multiple Middle Eastern countries during the Iran war, President Volodymyr Zelensky said, describing the operations as part of a broader effort to help partners counter the same weapons used by Russia in Ukraine.

Zelensky made his first public acknowledgment of the operations in remarks to reporters that were embargoed until Friday.

Zelensky said Ukrainian forces took part in active operations abroad using domestically produced, battle-tested interceptor drones.

Airline pilots who have safety concerns about flying in the Middle East during the Iran war have told a global aviators' union group they fear blowback ranging from lost pay to being fired if they refuse assignments, its president Ron Hay said. 

Pilots from Lebanon to India have voiced "widespread" concerns they could face sanctions if they do not fly in often unpredictable conditions where airspace can close with little notice due to missile or drone strikes, according to the head of the International Federation of Air Line Pilot' Associations.

"There is an underlying fear of retribution," Hay told Reuters in his first interview on the matter. 

(Reuters)

The Middle East war is expected to drag on Asia's economies over this year and next, the Asian Development Bank warned Friday, as it predicted growth to slow to 5.1 percent across the world's most populous region.

That prediction could prove optimistic, however, if new evidence suggesting a "more prolonged conflict and more persistent disruptions" bore out, it said.

Growth predictions could fall to as low as 4.7 percent for 2026 and 4.8 percent in 2027 should the US-Israeli war with Iran drag into the third quarter.

"Most economies in developing Asia and the Pacific will see their growth outlook worsen this year and in 2027," was the bank's stark assessment.

(AFP)

Oil prices rose in early trading on Friday following attacks on Saudi energy infrastructure, and as markets evaluated the risk premium from the ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz, despite a fragile truce agreed between the US and Iran.

Brent crude futures gained 83 cents, or 0.87%, to $96.75 a barrel as of 0100 GMT. West Texas Intermediate futures were up $1.04, 1.06%, at $98.91 a barrel.

"The initial wave of relief following President Trump's two-week ceasefire announcement has quickly given way to underlying doubts," IG market analyst Tony Sycamore said in a note.

Iran and the US agreed on Tuesday to a two-week ceasefire brokered by Pakistan, but fighting was still ​taking place following the announcement.

(Reuters)

The dollar on Friday was heading for its largest weekly drop since January as other currencies gained on optimism that a ceasefire in the Gulf will hold and oil shipping will resume.

Further direction for markets is likely to hang on the outcome of weekend talks between the US and Iran in Islamabad.

The dollar had towered in March as one of the few bastions of safety as the US and Israeli war on Iran sent oil prices rocketing, hit stocks and gold and inflation worries sank bonds.

But since a shaky ceasefire was agreed on Tuesday those positions are being unwound, with the US dollar index losing 1.3% so far this week.

(Reuters)

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and US President Donald Trump on Thursday agreed the "need for a practical plan" to get shipping moving again through the Strait of Hormuz following the US-Iran ceasefire, the UK leader's office said.

The two leaders "agreed that now there is a ceasefire in place and agreement to open the Strait, we are at the next stage of finding a resolution," the prime minister's office said.

"The leaders discussed the need for a practical plan to get shipping moving again as quickly as possible," and agreed to speak again, Downing Street said.

(AFP)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserted that there is "no ceasefire in Lebanon" and vowed to continue military operations with "full force" against Hezbollah.

Air raid alerts rang out across Israel early Friday, including in the commercial hub of Tel Aviv and in the southern coastal city of Ashdod following rocket fire from Lebanon. 

Continued fighting between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah is testing a fragile truce reached between the United States and Iran. 

Israel and Hezbollah exchanged fire repeatedly on Thursday. 

A former Iranian foreign minister, Kamal Kharazi, died Thursday from wounds suffered in US-Israel strikes on April 1, Iranian media reported.

Kharazi, 81, had been serving as the head of the Strategic Council for International Relations, which is part of the foreign ministry.

The veteran diplomat, "who was injured in a terrorist attack carried out by the American-Zionist enemy a few days ago, died a martyr tonight", the Mehr and Isna agencies reported on Telegram.

His wife was killed in the strike on their home in Tehran, media reported.

US President Donald Trump on Thursday warned Iran against imposing a toll for ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, after Tehran agreed to reopen the crucial route as part of a two-week ceasefire.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke with US President Donald Trump on Thursday about the need for a plan to restore shipping through the Strait of Hormuz "as quickly as possible," following a US ceasefire with Iran, Downing Street said.

Starmer discussed with Trump the UK's efforts to convene partners to agree to a "viable plan" on restoring freedom of navigation in the waterway. 

Lebanon's health ministry said Thursday that Israeli strikes across the country a day before killed more than 300 people and wounded at least 1,150.

In a statement, the ministry said "the Israeli enemy's airstrikes yesterday, Wednesday, resulted in a preliminary toll of 303 martyrs and 1,150 wounded", adding that the cumulative toll since the start of the war between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah on March 2 rose to 1,888 dead and 6,092 wounded.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday said the Iran war must become a turning point for Britain after two decades of crises, and he promised to strengthen the country's economy and military to cope with a more "volatile and dangerous" world.

On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire in the six-week-old Iran conflict, but there is no sign yet of Tehran lifting its near-total blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which has caused the worst disruption to energy supplies in history.

Starmer said the crisis, which has already pushed up fuel prices in Britain and is expected to drive further inflation and economic disruption, had to become "a line in the sand" for the country.

The European development bank said Thursday that it was unlocking five billion euros ($5.9 bn) to aid economies hit by the Middle East war.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development -- founded to help former Soviet bloc nations embrace free-market economies before extending its reach to the Middle East and Africa -- said it will "deploy 5 billion pounds in 2026 in economies impacted by Middle East conflict".

(AFP)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that he has authorised direct negotiations with Lebanon "as soon as possible". The move comes as a fragile two-week truce between the US, Israel, and Iran hangs by a thread following the intensification of Israel's military campaign in Lebanon.

The International Monetary Fund expects to have to provide up to $50 billion in immediate financial assistance to countries affected by the Middle East war, its managing director said on Thursday, with the crisis likely to have lasting economic effects.

"Given the spillovers of the Middle East war, we expect near-term demand for IMF balance-of-payments support to rise to somewhere between $20 billion and $50 billion, with the lower bound prevailing if the ceasefire holds," Kristalina Georgieva said, according to prepared remarks shared with AFP.

She added that food insecurity due to transport and supply chain disruptions caused by the war was expected to affect at least 45 million people.

(AFP)

Trump has repeatedly called NATO a "paper tiger" and threatened to withdraw from the 32-member transatlantic alliance in recent weeks, arguing that Washington's European allies have relied on US security guarantees while providing inadequate support

Trump attacks "disappointing" NATO in a cryptic post, saying countries don't understand anything unless pressure is applied on them.

Trump attacks "disappointing" NATO in a cryptic post, saying countries don't understand anything unless pressure is applied on them.

Calls were mounting on Thursday for the ceasefire between the US and Iran to be extended to Israel's war with Hezbollah after a massive wave of Israeli strikes on Lebanon killed more than 200 people.

Attacks on Lebanon "flagrant violation" of ceasefire agreement, our "hands will remain on the trigger", says Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian

تجاوز دوباره رژیم صهیونیستی به لبنان نقض آشکار توافق اولیه آتش‌بس است. این نشانه خطرناکی از فریب و عدم پایبندی به توافقات احتمالی است. تداوم این اقدامات، مذاکره را بی‌معنا خواهد کرد. دست‌های ما بر ماشه باقی است. ایران هرگز خواهران و برادران لبنانی را تنها نخواهد گذاشت. https://t.co/T3Wy3qBqcE

— Masoud Pezeshkian (@drpezeshkian) April 9, 2026

More than 3,000 people were killed throughout Iran during the war that began on February 28, Iran's forensic chief told state media on Thursday, adding that 40% of the dead needed forensic work to be identified and returned to families.

(Reuters)

The European Union on Thursday called on Israel to halt its strikes on Lebanon which it said were endangering the US-Iran ceasefire.

"Israeli actions are putting the US-Iran ceasefire under severe strain. The Iran truce should extend to Lebanon," the European Union's top diplomat Kaja Kallas said.

"Hezbollah dragged Lebanon into the war, but Israel's right to defend itself does not justify inflicting such massive destruction," she said.

(AFP)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that Israel would keep hitting Iran-backed Hezbollah "wherever necessary", the day after Israeli strikes pummelled Lebanon.

"We are continuing to strike Hezbollah with force, precision, and determination," Netanyahu said on his personal X account. 

"Our message is clear: anyone who acts against Israeli civilians -- we will strike them. We will continue to hit Hezbollah wherever necessary, until we fully restore security to the residents of the north" of Israel, he added.

(AFP)

Air France has extended the suspension of flights to key destinations in the Middle East until May 3, citing security risks from the war between the US and Israel and Iran.

Major airlines have largely halted flights to the Middle East since the start of the war, triggered by US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February.

A source close to the matter told AFP on Thursday that France's flagship carrier had made the decision to extend the suspensions before the announcement of a fragile two-week ceasefire between Washington and Iran on Tuesday.

"The airline is obliged to extend the suspension of its flights to and from Tel Aviv, Beirut, Dubai and Riyadh until May 3, 2026 inclusive (or until May 4, 2026 for flights departing from Dubai)," Air France said in a statement on its website on Tuesday.

(AFP)

Iran's ambassador to Pakistan deleted a social media post saying an Iranian delegation would arrive in Islamabad on Thursday night, a move an embassy official later told AFP had been sent prematurely.

Ambassador Reza Amiri Moghadam said in a post on X on Thursday morning that an Iranian delegation would arrive "tonight in Islamabad for serious talks based on 10 points proposed by Iran". The post was deleted shortly after.

An official at the Iranian embassy in Islamabad told AFP the post was removed "because of some issues", declining to say whether the delegation was still expected Thursday.

When asked further, the official said: "Timing -- we were not supposed to send it."

(AFP)

Israel's military said Thursday it had struck and killed a close adviser to Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem in Beirut a day earlier, when Israeli strikes pummelled Lebanon.

"Yesterday, the IDF struck in the Beirut area and eliminated Ali Yusuf Harshi, the personal secretary and nephew of Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem," a military statement said.

Harshi was "a close associate and personal adviser to... Qassem and played a central role in managing and securing his office", it added.

(AFP)

🔴ELIMINATED: Ali Yusuf Harshi, the personal secretary to Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem in Beirut.
A close associate and personal advisor, Harshi played a key role in managing and securing Qassem’s office.
The IDF also struck two key crossings used by Hezbollah to…

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) April 9, 2026

Beijing said on Thursday that Lebanon's sovereignty "should not be violated" after Israel carried out strikes on the country, threatening a fragile truce.

"Lebanon's sovereignty and security should not be violated. The safety of civilian lives and property must be guaranteed," Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told a regular press conference, adding Beijing urged restraint and "a cooling down of the regional situation".

(AFP)

The International Monetary Fund approved a further $700 million in loans for Sri Lanka on Thursday, while urging Colombo to accelerate reforms to guard its post-2022 economic recovery and address shocks from the Middle East crisis.

The Fund mission approved the latest tranche of its four-year $2.9 billion bailout provided officials restore cost recovery in energy pricing, among other conditions.

The government has said it will spend nearly $200 million on fuel subsidies after an energy crunch caused by the Iran war forced it to raise retail prices by a third, in line with global trends.

(AFP)

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri will make an official visit to Qatar on April 9 and 10, authorities in New Delhi said on Thursday, as the world's most populous country reels from disruptions to LPG supply. 

The visit follows Tuesday's news of a ceasefire between the United States and Iran, but Israel continues to pound Lebanon with its heaviest strikes.  

(Reuters)

An Iranian delegation will arrive in Pakistan on Thursday night ahead of talks with the United States, Iran's ambassador to Pakistan Reza Amiri Moghadam said.

"Despite skepticism of Iranian public opinion due to repeated ceasefire violations by Israeli regime to sabotage the diplomatic initiative, invited by Hon. PM Shehbaz Sharif, Iranian delegation arrives tonight in Islamabad for serious talks based on 10 points proposed by Iran," he said in a post on X.

(AFP)

British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper will say on Thursday that shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which carries around a fifth of the world's oil and gas, must be toll-free, countering a push by Iran to control the vital waterway.

Iran has said it wants to charge fees for ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Before the US-Israeli war with Iran, the strait was formally treated as an international waterway.

"The fundamental freedoms of the seas must not be unilaterally withdrawn or sold off to individual bidders. Nor can there be any place for tolls on an international waterway. Freedom of navigation means navigation must be free," Cooper will say in an annual foreign policy speech at Mansion House in London, according to advance extracts.

(Reuters)

Oil rose again to above $97 a barrel and Asian stocks were trading lower Thursday on skepticism over a fragile ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran.

Investors were closely watching whether a two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran was already slipping after a round of deadly Israeli strikes on Lebanon that killed and injured hundreds. Iran again closed the Strait of Hormuz, in response to the attacks in Lebanon.

Tokyo's Nikkei 225 dropped 0.9% to 55,824.30, while South Korea's Kospi lost 1.6% to 5,776.03.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 0.4% to 25,801.87. The Shanghai Composite index was down 0.7% to 3,965.70.

Australia's S&P/ASX 200 edged down 0.1%, while Taiwan's Taiex was also 0.1% lower.

US futures were down more than 0.1%.

(AP)

US President Donald Trump late Wednesday said US military deployed near Iran would remains stationed in the area until a "real agreement" is reached, as it enters a fragile two-week ceasefire with Tehran.

"All US 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," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

(AFP)

Gold prices held steady on Thursday as market players remained cautious about the direction of U.S.-Iran ceasefire talks, with a key U.S. inflation report due later in the day also in focus for interest rate clues.

Spot gold was little changed at $4,713.79 per ounce, as of 0311 GMT. U.S. gold futures for June delivery fell 0.8% to $4,736.50.

"It doesn't seem like gold is looking to do much at this moment. I think there's still a lot of speculation on what's going to happen after the ceasefire," said GoldSilver Central Managing Director Brian Lan.

Lan said he expected gold to consolidate between $4,607 and $4,860 in the near term.

(Reuters)

The dollar caught its breath in early Thursday trade after broad losses, as investors anxiously assessed whether a fragile two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran would hold.

The dollar index,, which measures the greenback against a basket of currencies including the yen and the euro, rose 0.03% to 99.09, with the euro down 0.07% at $1.1654.

The yen also gave back some of the previous day's gains, weakening 0.06% against the greenback to 158.7 per dollar. Sterling eased 0.04% to $1.3387.

(Reuters)

Iran announced alternative routes on Thursday for ships travelling through the Strait of Hormuz, citing the risk of sea mines in the main zone of the vital waterway.

Turkey "firmly condemns" ongoing Israeli strikes on Lebanon, which Israel and the United States say are not covered by the US-Iranian ceasefire, the foreign ministry said in a statement Wednesday evening.

"We firmly condemn the Israeli attacks that have intensified against Lebanon, causing numerous casualties," said the statement from Turkey, a key regional player.

"These attacks are worsening the humanitarian situation in the country," it added.

Iran War: Lebanon said at least 182 people were killed and hundreds were wounded, making it the deadliest day in the latest Israel-Hezbollah war.

French President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday that he urged his US and Iranian counterparts, Donald Trump and Masoud Pezeshkian, to include Lebanon in the ceasefire reached with Iran.

Israel announced Wednesday it did not consider Lebanon covered by the Iran-US truce announced overnight.

Its strikes on Lebanon Wednesday killed 182 people and wounded 890, according to an initial government toll, with the capital Beirut hit by the most violent bombardment since the start of the Israel-Hezbollah war last month.

US Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday urged Iran not to let the fragile ceasefire deal fall apart over Israel's attacks on Lebanon, days before he is due to lead talks with Tehran in Pakistan.

"If Iran wants to let this negotiation fall apart... over Lebanon, which has nothing to do with them, and which the United States never once said was part of the ceasefire, that's ultimately their choice," Vance told reporters in Hungary.

White House has dismissed the inclusion of Lebanon in the temporary ceasefire agreement, backing Israel's continued military operation against Hezbollah.

Qatar-based Al Jazeera condemned the Wednesday killing of one of its journalists in an Israeli strike on Gaza, calling the death "a deliberate and targeted crime". 

"Al Jazeera Media Network strongly condemns the heinous crime of targeting and killing Al Jazeera Mubasher correspondent Mohammed Wishah, following a strike on the vehicle in which he was travelling west of the Gaza Strip," the network said in a statement.

The channel said it "affirms that his killing was not a random act but a deliberate and targeted crime intended to intimidate journalists", adding it "holds Israeli occupation forces fully responsible".

The UAE said Wednesday that Iran should pay for damage caused by its Gulf attacks, adding that it was seeking clarification on how the truce will ensure Tehran ceases hostilities and reopens the Strait of Hormuz.

The United States and Iran agreed to a two-week truce after more than a month of hostilities, but the ceasefire has proved fragile with Iran reporting attacks and several Gulf states including the UAE saying Tehran had struck them.

During more than a month of war, Iran launched attacks on the Gulf in response to US and Israeli strikes that decapitated its leadership -- hitting the UAE more than any other country.

Iran, the United States and Israel agreed to a two-week ceasefire on Tuesday, an 11th-hour deal that headed off US President Donald Trump's threat to unleash a bombing campaign that would destroy Iranian civilization. Hours after the announcement, Iran and Gulf Arab countries reported new attacks Wednesday, though it was not clear if the strikes would scuttle the deal. 

 All sides have presented vastly different versions of the terms. Iran said the deal would allow it to formalize its new practice of charging ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Trump said the US would work with Iran to remove buried enriched uranium, though Iran did not confirm that.

A fresh diplomatic row has erupted after Iranian officials accused the United States of violating three clauses of the 10-Point Proposal, the agreed framework for upcoming negotiations.​

In a formal statement released late on Tuesday, Iran said its "deep historical distrust" of Washington had been reinforced by repeated violations of commitments. ​

The statement noted that while the President of the United States had described the 10-Point Proposal as a "workable basis on which to negotiate," three provisions had already been breached.​

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israel remains prepared to confront Iran if necessary, despite a truce reached between the United States and Iran.

"Let me be clear: We still have objectives to complete, and we will achieve them -- either through agreement or through renewed fighting," Netanyahu said in a televised statement.

"We are prepared to return to combat at any moment required. Our finger remains on the trigger. This is not the end of the campaign, but a step along the way to achieving all our objectives."

"Iran enters this pause battered, weaker than ever."

Netanyahu also hit back at opposition leaders who chastised him for agreeing to the truce before Israel achieved its objectives in the war.

The United States said Wednesday that Iran must open the Strait of Hormuz "immediately, quickly and safely" after reports that the strategic waterway was shut despite the US-Iran ceasefire.

Any closure "is completely unacceptable," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.

"I will reiterate the president's expectation and demand that the Strait of Hormuz is reopened immediately quickly and safely."

US President Donald Trump is dispatching his negotiating team, led by the Vice President of the United States, JD Vance, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and Kushner, to Islamabad for talks this weekend.

The first round of those talks will take place on Saturday morning, local time, and we look forward to those in-person meetings.

Less than 24 hours after US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire with Iran, the Islamic Republic has closed the Strait of Hormuz in response to Israeli attacks on Lebanon, the Associated Press reported.

The US and Iran announced a two-week ceasefire early Wednesday, as part of which Iran agreed to re-open the Strait of Hormuz, potentially restoring global energy supplies.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly shown support for the United States' decision for a ceasefire with Iran but said that it does not include Lebanon.

A US official said Wednesday that a 10-point ceasefire plan published by Iran is not the same set of conditions that were agreed to by the White House for pausing the war.

"The document being reported by media outlets is not the working framework," the senior official said on condition of anonymity.

(AFP)

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi raised "ceasefire violations" by Israel with Pakistani mediators on Wednesday, an Iranian ministry statement said, as reports citing senior officials warned that Tehran could pull out of the truce over attacks on Lebanon.  

Araghchi "discussed the Zionist regime's violations of the ceasefire in Iran and Lebanon", referring to Israel, in a call with the powerful Pakistani military leader Field Marshal Asim Munir, the statement said. 

Reports from Iranian media and Al Jazeera citing Iranian officials and well-informed sources said Tehran was prepared to withdraw from the ceasefire and retaliate over Israel's bombardments of Lebanon.

"Iran will withdraw from the agreement if Israel continues to violate the ceasefire in its attack on Lebanon," Iran's Tasnim news agency reported, citing a well-informed source. 

Iran's Revolutionary Guards vowed on Telegram to "punish Israel for the atrocities it has committed in Lebanon and violating ceasefire conditions".

Tehran has warned it will withdraw from the current ceasefire agreement if Israel continues to launch attacks on Lebanon, according to a report from Iran’s Tasnim News Agency on Wednesday. The warning follows reports of large-scale Israeli strikes in the region.

"Iran is currently considering the possibility of exiting the ceasefire agreement due to the Zionist regime's continued violations through its attacks on Lebanon," the agency reported, citing an official source.

The source emphasized that the cessation of war on all fronts, including actions against the "heroic Islamic Resistance in Lebanon," was a condition accepted by the United States as part of the two-week ceasefire plan.

"However, the Zionist regime has, since this morning, carried out brutal attacks on Lebanon in clear violation of the ceasefire," the official added.

Israel's Defence Minister, Israel Katz, said the military had carried out a surprise attack on Wednesday targeting hundreds of Hezbollah members across Lebanon. 

"The IDF carried out a surprise strike on hundreds of Hezbollah terrorists at command centres across Lebanon. This is the largest concentrated blow Hezbollah has suffered since Operation Beepers," Katz said in a video statement, referring to a major 2024 operation against Hezbollah involving pager bombs.

Iran will have to give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium or the United States will "get it," Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday, while remaining unclear on how that would be done.

The Pentagon chief said the United States has Iran's stockpile under observation and suggested that another bombing attack like one conducted against the suspected sites in June could be carried out.

"We're watching it. We know what they have, and they will give it up, and we'll get it, and we'll take it. If we have to, we can do it in any, any means necessary," Hegseth said.

"They'll give it to us voluntarily, we'll get it, we'll take it, we'll take it out, or if we have to do something else ourselves, like we did Midnight Hammer or something like that, we reserve that opportunity."

The United Arab Emirates said Wednesday that 17 Iranian missiles and 35 drones had targeted its territory despite a US announcement of a two-week ceasefire with the Islamic republic.

"Blatant Iranian attacks since the ceasefire took effect have reached 17 ballistic missiles and 35 drones, and the air defences have successfully dealt with them," the UAE's defence ministry said in a statement on X.

Israel launched a series of strikes in Beirut on Wednesday, causing panic among residents in the most violent attack on the capital since the start of the war with Hezbollah.

The Israeli military said it carried out its "largest coordinated strike across Lebanon".

Israel has insisted the two-week truce in its war with Iran does not apply to Lebanon.

Simultaneous strikes on the capital came without warning, prompting people on streets to start running and motorists to honk their horns in an effort to clear the way, according to AFP journalists.

"I saw the blast, it was very strong, and there were children killed, some with their hands cut off," Yasser Abdallah, who works in an appliance store in central Beirut, told AFP.

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said any country supplying Iran with military weapons will face immediate 50 per cent tariffs with no exemptions, announcing the duty in a social media post one day after agreeing to a two-week ceasefire with Tehran.

Trump wrote, "A Country supplying Military Weapons to Iran will be immediately tariffed, on any and all goods sold to the United States of America, 50%, effective immediately. There will be no exclusions or exemptions!"

Hours after Trump postponed strikes and announced a 2-week ceasefire, Iran Guards on Wednesday said that they have 'no trust' in US promises adding that they still have 'finger on trigger' despite truce.

An oil refinery on Iran's Lavan Island was hit in what Iranian authorities described as an "enemy attack" on Wednesday, hours after a two-week ceasefire between Iran and the United States took effect. The National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company reported the incident, according to Shana, the news outlet of the Iranian Oil Ministry. 

The company said the facility was struck around 10:00 local time. No casualties were reported. Safety and firefighting teams were deployed immediately to contain the blaze and secure the site.

A senior Hamas official on Wednesday hailed the ceasefire that halted the joint US-Israel military campaign against Iran, calling it a "significant step" in curbing American hegemony in the Middle East.

"The ceasefire ... is undoubtedly a significant step toward diminishing American hegemony in the region and paves the way for the imminent demise of the illegitimate entity," said Bassem Naim, a Hamas political bureau member, referring to Israel.

"The will of the free peoples, ready to pay the price for freedom and independence, has triumphed. Congratulations to the people and leadership of Iran, and our condolences to all the martyrs," he said in a statement.

(AFP)

US Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday welcomed a "fragile truce" with Iran, urging Tehran to negotiate in "good faith" to reach a long-team deal and warning US President Donald Trump was "not one to mess around".

"If the Iranians are willing in good faith to work with us, I think we can make an agreement," Vance said during a visit to Budapest.

He added if the Iranians don't come to the negotiating table, "they're going to find out that the President of the United States is not one to mess around. He's impatient. He's impatient to make progress."

(AFP)

A late-night post on X by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on efforts to stop the war in the Middle East has gone viral, with many users pointing out a "draft" word written on its initial version.

Sharif, who has acted as a mediator in the war, had initially posted "Draft - Pakistan's PM Message on X" with his message on Wednesday.

He quickly edited the post and dropped "Draft - Pakistan's PM Message on X" from his message, triggering speculation that the post was likely not written by his staff and could have been written either by the US or Israel.

His older post is still visible under the "edited" section.

US Vice-President JD Vance, a sceptic of the war on Iran, helped broker a two-week ceasefire via backchannel talks with Tehran officials facilitated by Pakistan.

Doha on Wednesday called on Tehran to halt any hostile acts, as it welcomed a deal between the United States and Iran for a two-week truce.

"Qatar expresses its welcoming of the announcement of the ceasefire... considering it an initial step toward de-escalation," the Gulf state's foreign ministry said in a statement.

"The ministry affirms the importance of full adherence to the ceasefire... emphasising the necessity for the Islamic Republic of Iran to take the initiative to immediately cease all hostile acts and practices that undermine regional stability," it added.

Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday hailed the ceasefire between the United States and Iran as a "sign of real hope".

"I welcome with satisfaction, and as a sign of real hope, the announcement of an immediate two-week truce. Only by returning to negotiations can we reach the end of the war," the Catholic leader said at the end of his weekly audience at the Vatican. 

European Union leaders on Wednesday welcomed the two-week ceasefire agreed by the United States and Iran.

"I welcome the two-week ceasefire the US and Iran agreed last night. It brings much needed de-escalation", European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on social media platform X, adding it was crucial negotiations continue for an enduring solution.

"I thank Pakistan for its mediation. Now it is crucial that negotiations for an enduring solution to this conflict continue. We will continue coordinating with our partners to this end," she added.

French President Emmanuel Macron said about 15 countries were planning to facilitate the resumption of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil supply usually flows, after a ceasefire between the United States and Iran was announced.

"About 15 countries are currently mobilised and are participating in the planning, under France's leadership, to enable the implementation of this strictly defensive mission in coordination with Iran to facilitate the resumption of traffic," Macron said on Wednesday, speaking at the start of his meeting on defence with advisers and members of his cabinet.

Macron said he welcomed the ceasefire between Iran and the United States, but added the situation in Lebanon remained critical and called for Lebanon to be included in the deal. France maintains close ties with Lebanon, a former protectorate.

"Our wish in this context is to be assured that the ceasefire fully includes Lebanon," Macron said.

(Reuters)

"We welcome the ceasefire reached and hope that it will lead to a lasting peace in West Asia," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

"As we have continuously advocated earlier, deescalation, dialogue and diplomacy are essential to bring an early end to the ongoing conflict," it added.

India noted that the war in the Middle East has already caused suffering to people and disrupted global energy supply and trade networks.

"We expect that unimpeded freedom of navigation and global flow of commerce would prevail through the Strait of Hormuz, it added.

Statement on the recent development in West Asia ⬇️
🔗 https://t.co/WwFCi4kXHg pic.twitter.com/wmsF4YUb7j

— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) April 8, 2026

Iran's parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, will head negotiations with the US in Islamabad, as per media reports.

Since February 28, when the United States and Israel struck Iran, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has been constructing its tollbooth with methodical precision. Ships wishing to transit must approach an IRGC-linked intermediary and submit documentation: the vessel's International Maritime Organization number, crew list, cargo manifest, destination, and automated identification system data. The IRGC screens the file. Nations are ranked one to five based on perceived friendliness; India, Pakistan, China, and Iraq are, for now, on the right side of that ledger. If the vessel passes, a clearance code and routing instructions follow. As it approaches the narrow channel north of Larak Island, off Bandar Abbas, it broadcasts its code over VHF radio and is met by an IRGC patrol boat, which escorts it through what Lloyd's List Intelligence has taken to calling Tehran's tollbooth. The charge for an oil tanker starts at approximately one dollar per barrel of cargo. For a Very Large Crude Carrier loaded with two million barrels, that is USD 2 million per transit, payable in Chinese yuan or stablecoins. Iran's Parliament passed a bill recently to formalise the arrangement, with tolls denominated in rials.

One should also look at the traffic data. Before the war, roughly 135 commercial vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz each day, carrying approximately 20 million barrels of oil and liquefied natural gas, one-fifth of global daily supply. In the last week of March, 24 vessels made the crossing. That is a decline of 96%. Since March 13, all 57 recorded transits have used the Larak detour. The normal shipping lane saw zero traffic since March 16, until the ceasefire that was announced today. 

It was Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of former supreme leader Ali Khamenei who was killed in an airstrike at the start of the war on February 28, who nudged his negotiators, for the first time since the war began, to move towards a deal, Axios reported.

Anwar Gargash, adviser to UAE President, said his country had emerged victorious from the US-Iran war after the two nations announced a two-week truce.

"The UAE emerged victorious from a war we sincerely sought to avoid," Gargash said in a post on X.

"Today, we are poised to navigate a complex regional landscape with greater resources, deeper understanding, and a more robust capacity to influence and shape the future," he added.

انتصرت الإمارات في حربٍ سعينا بصدق لتجنّبها، وانتصرنا بدفاعٍ وطني ملحمي، صان السيادة والكرامة وحمى المنجزات في وجه عدوان غاشم. ونتجه اليوم لإدارة مشهدٍ إقليمي معقّد برصيدٍ أكبر، ومعرفةٍ أدق، وقدرةٍ أرسخ على التأثير وصياغة المستقبل.
قوتنا وصلابتنا وثباتنا عزّزت نموذج الإمارات…

— د. أنور قرقاش (@AnwarGargash) April 8, 2026

The Israeli military warned residents of Tyre in southern Lebanon to evacuate as it continued to target the Iran-backed Hezbollah group.

"Urgent and repeated warning to residents of the city of Tyre, specifically in Shabriha ... you must evacuate your homes immediately," the military's Arabic-language spokesman Colonel Avichay Adraee said on X.

Earlier on Wednesday, Israel said it supported the two-week ceasefire deal between the United States and Iran but maintained the deal "does not include Lebanon", where it has been fighting  Hezbollah.

Three UN peacekeepers who died in Lebanon in March were likely killed by Israeli tank fire in one incident and by a Hezbollah improvised explosive device in another, according to a United Nations probe shared Tuesday.

"We have requested with the relevant parties that the cases be investigated and prosecuted by national authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice and ensure criminal accountability for crimes against peacekeepers," Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN secretary-general, told reporters.

India on Wednesday issued a fresh advisory for its nationals in Iran and "strongly advised" them to "expeditiously exit" the war-hit country.

In a post on X, the Indian embassy in Iran asked its citizens to leave the country using the routes they have suggested.

"It is again reiterated that there should be no attempt to approach any international land border without prior consultation and coordination with the Embassy," the post read.

The embassy's also gave its emergency contact numbers -- +989128109115; +989128109109; +989128109102; +989932179359, and mail id - cons.tehran@mea.gov.in.

⚠️ Advisory as on 08 April 2026. pic.twitter.com/pusFQIAKKI

— India in Iran (@India_in_Iran) April 8, 2026

Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz welcomed the ceasefire in the Middle East war and urged a definitive end to the conflict.

The goal now is "to negotiate a durable end to the war in the next days," he said in a statement. "This can only be achieved by diplomacy." 

He said that Germany would contribute "to guarantee freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz."

Oman said on Wednesday that it welcomed the announcement of a two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran.

Oman's foreign ministry said in a statement that it emphasised "the importance of intensifying efforts at this juncture to identify solutions capable of resolving the crisis at its roots and achieving a permanent cessation of the state of war," as it welcomed the ceasefire.

Israel's main opposition leader Yair Lapid sharply criticised the ceasefire with Iran, accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of failing to achieve the war's objectives.

"There has never been a political disaster like this in our entire history. Israel was not even close to the table when decisions were made concerning the core of our national security," Lapid wrote on X.

"The army carried out everything that was asked of it, and the public showed remarkable resilience, but Netanyahu failed politically, failed strategically, and did not achieve any of the goals he himself set."

Lapid believes it will take Israel years to repair the "political and strategic damage that Netanyahu bought due to arrogance, negligence, and a lack of strategic planning."

לא היה אסון מדיני כזה בכל תולדותינו. ישראל לא היתה אפילו ליד השולחן כשנעשו החלטות הנוגעות לליבת הבטחון הלאומי שלנו.
הצבא ביצע את כל מה שביקשו ממנו, הציבור הציג חוסן מדהים, אבל נתניהו נכשל מדינית, נכשל איסטרטגית, לא עמד באף אחת מהמטרות שהוא בעצמו הציב.
ייקח לנו שנים לתקן את…

— יאיר לפיד - Yair Lapid (@yairlapid) April 8, 2026

Explosions were heard in Bahrain's capital Manama on Wednesday morning, according to an AFP journalist, hours after the United States announced a ceasefire with Iran. 

The Gulf kingdom's interior ministry said in a statement that civil defence crews had succeeded in controlling a fire that broke out in a facility "targeted by the sinful Iranian aggression", with no injuries reported.

(AFP)

Japan said that "concrete steps" are needed to de-escalate the crisis, including ensuring the safe passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.

The world's fourth-largest economy is the fifth biggest importer of oil, with around 70 percent coming through the vital waterway before the war.

"The most important thing is that concrete steps will be taken to de-escalate the situation, including ensuring the safety of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz," Japanese government spokesman Minoru Kihara said. 

"We hope the final agreement will be reached through diplomacy at an early date." 

(AFP)

Iraq's foreign ministry said it "welcomes" the ceasefire but called for "serious and sustainable dialogue" between the US and Iran.

The ministry "calls for building upon this positive step by launching serious and sustainable dialogue tracks that address the root causes of the disputes and strengthen mutual trust," it said on X.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the US-Iran two-week ceasefire on Tuesday, his spokesperson said, while urging all parties to work toward long-term peace in the Middle East. 

"The Secretary-General welcomes the announcement of a two-week ceasefire by the United States and Iran," his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.

He added that the UN chief "calls on all the parties to the current conflict in the Middle East to comply with their obligations under international law and to abide by the terms of the ceasefire in order to pave the way toward a lasting and comprehensive peace in the region." 

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday the United States will help with the traffic buildup in the Strait of Hormuz.

"We'll be loading up with supplies of all kinds, and just 'hangin' around' in order to make sure that everything goes well," Trump said.

"There will be lots of positive action! Big money will be made. Iran can start the reconstruction process," he also said.

Trump on Tuesday agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran less than two hours before his deadline for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face attacks on its civilian infrastructure.

Calling it a "big day for world peace", US President Donald Trump said "Iran wants it to happen, they've had enough! Likewise, so has everyone else!"

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Wednesday welcomed a ceasefire in the Middle East struck between the US, Israel and Iran, while criticising the rhetoric of President Donald Trump.

Trump agreed to a two-week ceasefire less than two hours before his deadline for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face devastating attacks on its civilian infrastructure.

Albanese said in an interview with Sky News the ceasefire was welcome, but that Trump's rhetoric was worrying. 

"I don't think it's appropriate to use language such as that from the President of the United States, and I think it will cause some concern," he said.

(Reuters)

For a country to be a mediator in a conflict, it needs to be trusted by both parties. Iran no longer trusts its Arab neighbours owing to their deep ties with the US. In fact, Tehran even bombed the Gulf nations in retaliation for the US-Israel airstrikes. Pakistan shares a border with Iran, and the two countries have had a close diplomatic relationship, signalled by Araghchi referring to Sharif and Munir as "dear brothers". Also, Pakistan has no diplomatic ties with Israel owing to the Palestine issue, and this is another reason why Tehran would trust it.

As for the US, its ties with Pakistan have improved since last year. Islamabad also joined Trump's Board of Peace, which aims to ensure peace in Gaza. Trump has already referred to Pakistani Army Chief Munir as his "favourite Field Marshal". Munir, according to reports, has deep connections within the US and Iranian defence establishment, giving Pakistan an edge in such negotiations.

To add to this, Pakistan also enjoys good ties with other Gulf nations, enabling it to take everyone along to find a way out of the conflict.

Hours before the ceasefire, Trump said a "whole civilisation will die tonight, never to be brought back again". How then did Washington and Tehran manage to agree on the ceasefire? The answer lies in deft diplomacy led by US Vice President JD Vance, Iran's Foreign Affairs Minister Araghchi, and mediated by Pakistan's Field Marshal Munir.

Islamabad has been pushing for peace in the Gulf since late March. It hosted foreign ministers from Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt on March 29 to discuss a way out of the Middle East conflict.

As the war dragged on, Pakistan emerged as the key mediator in the backchannel talks as both Washington and Tehran sought an off-ramp. It was Pakistan that conveyed the US's 15-point proposal to Iran and later transmitted Iran's responses back to Washington.

China, Tehran's biggest trade partner, was likely a major guiding force behind the two-week ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran. According to US President Donald Trump, it was Beijing that helped get Tehran to the negotiating table.

"I hear yes," the US President told news agency AFP when asked if China was involved in getting Tehran to negotiate on a truce.

For Beijing, there is an incentive to see the war subside before Trump travels to China in mid-May to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping. Citing demands of the war, Trump has been postponing his China trip, initially set for the end of March.

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu backed US President Donald Trump's decision to suspend strikes against Iran for two weeks subject to Iran immediately opening the straits and stopping all attacks on the US, Israel and countries in the region.

"Israel also supports the US effort to ensure that Iran no longer poses a nuclear, missile and terror threat to America, Israel, Iran's Arab neighbors and the world," the statement from Prime Minister's office read.

"The United States has told Israel that it is committed to achieving these goals, shares by the US, Israel and Israel's regional allies, in the upcoming negotiations. The two-weeks ceasefire does not include Lebanon," it added.

Iranian men and women formed human chains around their country’s resources while western powers spoke in a despicable language, heralding the “end of a civilization”.
The world is watching and understanding as the veil of morality falls from across the face of the west.…

— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) April 8, 2026

Since the war began in the Middle East on February 28, Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened Iran, announcing deadline delays and proclamations that the negotiations were going well.

He had initially threatened Tehran on March 21 to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours.

"If Iran doesn't FULLY OPEN, WITHOUT THREAT, the Strait of Hormuz, within 48 HOURS from this exact point in time, the United States of America will hit and obliterate their various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST," he posted on Truth Social.

However, 12 hours before the deadline, Trump said that the US and Iran had "very good and productive" conversations toward concluding the conflict, which erupted on February 28 with deadly US-Israeli strikes on Tehran.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Tuesday praised the two-week ceasefire in the Iran war, calling it a "victory" for the United States.

"From the very beginning of Operation Epic Fury, President Trump estimated this would be a 4-6 week operation. Thanks to the unbelievable capabilities of our warriors, we have achieved and exceeded our core military objectives in 38 days," Leavitt wrote on X. 

Now that the Stratit of Hormuz will be reopened for the US, Leavitt credited Trump for this feat and said, "Never underestimate President Trump’s ability to successfully advance America’s interests and broker peace."
 

This is a victory for the United States that President Trump and our incredible military made happen.
From the very beginning of Operation Epic Fury, President Trump estimated this would be a 4-6 week operation.
Thanks to the unbelievable capabilities of our warriors, we have…

— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) April 8, 2026

US President Donald Trump told AFP on Tuesday he believed China had helped get Iran to the negotiating table to agree a two-week ceasefire deal.

"I hear yes," Trump said in a telephone call when asked if Beijing was involved in getting key ally Tehran to negotiate on a truce.

Trump is due to travel to Beijing in May to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping.

US President Donald Trump told AFP on Tuesday that Iran's uranium would be "perfectly taken care of" under a two-week ceasefire deal with Tehran.

"That will be perfectly taken care of or I wouldn't have settled," Trump said in a telephone interview when asked about what would happen to Iran's enriched uranium. 

President Donald Trump told AFP on Tuesday that the United States had won a "total and complete victory" after agreeing a two-week ceasefire deal with Iran.

"Total and complete victory. 100 percent. No question about it," Trump said in a brief telephone interview shortly after the announcement of the truce.

The FBI warned US state and local law enforcement of an elevated threat posed by Iran's government to targets in the United States last month even as the White House sought to downplay the likelihood of an attack, a law enforcement intelligence report reviewed by Reuters shows.

In the March 20 report, the FBI and other federal intelligence agencies cautioned that Iranian government "poses a persistent threat" to US military and government personnel and buildings, Jewish and Israeli institutions, and Iranian dissidents in the US Despite those warnings, the FBI and National Counterterrorism Center had not identified broad threats to the American public, the report said.

Brent crude fell sharply to $95.068 per barrel (from $109.77) on Wednesday after US President Donald Trump announced a two-week pause in strikes on Iran. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude also fell by nearly $20 per barrel after the announcement.

New Zealand welcomes the announcements by the United States and Iran over the past few hours, said Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters. 

"We welcome all efforts to bring an end to this conflict," he said, adding that his country will support all efforts to bring about a "lasting, durable end to this conflict."

Peters also thanked Pakistan, Turkiye and Egypt, for working towards finding a solution. 

New Zealand welcomes the announcements by the United States and Iran over the past few hours - as we welcome all efforts to bring an end to this conflict.
While this is encouraging news, there remains significant important work to be done in the coming days to secure a lasting…

— Winston Peters (@NewZealandMFA) April 8, 2026

According to a statement issued by Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Tehran emphasised fundamental points such as:

The White House is reportedly considering in-person talks with Iran but they have not been finalised.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has invited Iran and US to Islamabad for talks on April 10. 

White House officials framed the ceasefire as a "win" for President Donald Trump, saying that the president had aimed for an operation lasting four to six weeks and that the objectives had been achieved, News Nation reported.

According to the sources, the president and vice president's "tough negotiations" led to the ceasefire, and that the Strait of Hormuz would reopen, "without the help of NATO."

Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei instructed all military units to stop firing, according to a statement read on state-run IRIB.

"This is not the end of the war but all military branches should follow the Supreme Leader's order and cease their fire," the statement said.

China, which is Tehran's biggest trade partner, spoke with the Iranians to get them on board, according to two officials who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Chinese officials were in touch with Iranian officials to encourage Tehran to find a path to a ceasefire deal as the negotiations were evolving, the officials said.

Beijing primarily had been working with intermediaries, including Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt, as it tried to use its influence, said one of the officials, who was not authorized to comment publicly on the diplomatic matter.

The Chinese foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Earlier Tuesday, Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry, said, "All parties need to demonstrate sincerity and quickly end this war that should not have happened in the first place." She said China was "deeply concerned" about the impact the conflict has on the world economy and energy security.

(AP)

Asked for clarity on what Trump meant by the Iranian peace proposal being "workable," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, "President Trump's words speak for themselves: this is a workable basis to negotiate, and those negotiations will continue."

"The truth is that President Trump and our powerful military got Iran to agree to reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and negotiations will continue," Leavitt said in a statement.

(AP)

The two-week ceasefire plan includes allowing both Iran and Oman to charge fees on ships transiting through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf, a regional official said Wednesday.

The official said Iran would use the money it raised for reconstruction. It wasn't immediately clear what Oman would use its money for.

The strait is in the territorial waters of both Oman and Iran. The world had considered the passage an international waterway and never paid tolls before.

The official, who had been directly involved in the negotiations, spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

(AP)

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced that the United States, Iran, and all their allies have agreed to an immediate ceasefire everywhere, including Lebanon. Pakistan has been a key negotiator in attempting to reach a diplomatic solution between the two warring parties.

In his statement announcing the truce, the Pakistani PM invited delegations from Tehran and Washington to Islamabad on "Friday, 10th April 2026, to further negotiate for a conclusive agreement to settle all disputes."

With the greatest humility, I am pleased to announce that the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate ceasefire everywhere including Lebanon and elsewhere, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY.
I warmly welcome the…

— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) April 7, 2026

Minutes after US President Donald Trump announced a two-week ceasefire with Iran, Tehran accepted the deal. In a post on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi wrote: "If attacks against Iran are halted, our Powerful Armed Forces will cease their defensive operations."

In his statement, Araghchi expressed gratitude and appreciation for his "dear brothers" - Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir. He thanked them for their "tireless efforts to end the war in the region."

Statement on behalf of the Supreme National Security Council of the Islamic Republic of Iran: pic.twitter.com/cEtBNCLnWT

— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) April 7, 2026

Abu Dhabi authorities are responding to a fire incident at Habshan gas-processing facility.

Further information will be provided in due course.

The public is advised to obtain information only from official sources and to avoid circulating rumors or unverified…

— مكتب أبوظبي الإعلامي (@ADMediaOffice) April 8, 2026

"Based on conversations with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, of Pakistan, and wherein they requested that I hold off the destructive force being sent tonight to Iran, and subject to the Islamic Republic of Iran agreeing to the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz, I agree to suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks. 

This will be a double-sided CEASEFIRE! The reason for doing so is that we have already met and exceeded all Military objectives, and are very far along with a definitive Agreement concerning long-term peace with Iran, and PEACE in the Middle East. 

We received a 10-point proposal from Iran, and believe it is a workable basis on which to negotiate. Almost all of the various points of past contention have been agreed to between the United States and Iran, but a two-week period will allow the Agreement to be finalised and consummated. 

On behalf of the United States of America, as President, and also representing the Countries of the Middle East, it is an Honor to have this long-term problem close to resolution. Thank you for your attention to this matter."

Hours after threatening that "a whole civilisation will die tonight," US President Donald Trump early Wednesday said that he had agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran, stepping back from the threat of strikes on the country's power plants and bridges.

Trump announced the ceasefire on Truth Social, saying he had accepted a proposal put forward by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his Field Marshal Asim Munir. The proposal calls for a two-week halt to hostilities and the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, which handles about one-fifth of global oil shipments.

Trump said the United States would use the two-week window to work towards a final agreement with Iran.