Israel attacks Lebanon killing hundreds, Iran vows revenge for ‘savage massacre’: As it happened

08 April 2026

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei has accused the US of “reneging” on the terms of the ceasefire deal.

In an X post, he published a clip of White House press secretary Leavitt telling reporters earlier today that Lebanon is not part of the two-week ceasefire agreement.

Baghaei also shared the Pakistani PM’s post on X from yesterday, which stated that Iran and the US had “agreed to an immediate ceasefire everywhere including Lebanon.”

Trump’s abrupt shift from threatening to “destroy an entire civilization” to accepting a ceasefire based on Iran’s terms shows a person driven by “bluster and bluff” who had “created a situation for himself where there was no way out,” Greg Simons, a journalism professor at Daffodil International University in Dhaka, Bangladesh, has told RT. The US president is acting “like he was still on the set of The Apprentice,” he argued, calling Trump’s Easter F‑bomb‑laden posts a sign of “bad judgement” and a “low level of culture and intellect.”  

Simons said Washington is trying to present the truce as a victory, but in reality has “achieved nothing at all” except “higher fuel prices, energy prices, and a fertilizer crisis,” as well as an “economic shock” that analysts say could be “even worse than the 1973 crisis.” He described Trump and Netanyahu as “bad faith characters” whose word “isn’t worth the breath with which it is given,” adding that the war has been “an absolute humiliation” for US military power that may force a “rollback of the US military footprint in West Asia.”

A fragile US-Iran ceasefire is already under strain after Israel’s exclusion of Lebanon and increased strikes on the country, former British MP George Galloway has told RT, arguing that “everything looked different as the sun went down.” He said what initially appeared to be a “tremendous victory… for everyone” when Washington accepted Iran’s 10‑point proposal as a basis for talks has been undermined by Trump “explicitly” excluding Lebanon and by “savage” bombing that has killed or wounded up to a thousand people there in a single day.  

Galloway said he did not see “how anyone with a straight face could claim it was a victory for the US,” insisting Washington has “not achieved a single one of their goals” and that simply by surviving, Iran is “the winner.” He argued that US claims of having “decimated” Iran’s military are belied by continuing missile strikes on Israel and US bases, and that the biggest casualty of the conflict is America’s “military credibility,” adding: “They couldn’t beat Iran. What chance would they have against Russia and China?”

The UAE has said it is closely following the announced two-week US-Iran ceasefire, emphasizing the need for Tehran to “fully” halt its attacks and to reopen the Strait of Hormuz while ensuring “freedom of navigation.” In a statement posted on X, the Foreign Ministry called for a “comprehensive” response to what it described as Iranian “threats,” including missile and drone capabilities.

Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has accused the US of violating three key clauses of Tehran’s 10‑point proposal, which Washington has called a “workable basis” for the ceasefire talks. In a statement shared on X, he cited alleged non‑compliance with the Lebanon ceasefire, the intrusion of a drone into Iranian airspace, and “denial of Iran’s right to enrichment,” and argued that under such conditions “a bilateral ceasefire or negotiations is unreasonable.”

Lloyd’s List, a leading maritime industry source, has reported that only three vessels have transited the Strait of Hormuz since the US-Iran ceasefire was announced early on Wednesday, “all with current or past links to Iran.” A further three ships are “positioned to cross or are heading for the Iran‑approved detour route around Larak Island,” it said.

The US observed an uptick in traffic through the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, Leavitt has claimed. US Vice President J.D. Vance will reportedly lead the negotiating team in talks with Iran in Islamabad, with Trump envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff also set to take part in the first round on Saturday morning.

White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt has said Lebanon is not covered by the two‑week ceasefire arrangement between the US and Iran. “Lebanon is not part of the ceasefire,” she told reporters on Wednesday, adding that “this will continue to be discussed, I’m sure.”

Netanyahu has said Israel “has more goals to complete” despite the US-Iran ceasefire, warning that the country is “ready to return to fighting at any time.” In a video statement, he vowed those objectives would be achieved “either through agreement, or through renewed fighting,” adding that “the finger is on the trigger.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said that the Iran-US ceasefire terms are “clear and explicit,” warning that Washington must choose between enforcing the truce or backing Israeli attacks. In a post on X, he shared Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif’s announcement that Iran and the US “along with their allies” had agreed to an “immediate ceasefire everywhere including Lebanon and elsewhere,” adding, “The world sees the massacres in Lebanon… the ball is in the US court.”

Al Jazeera correspondent Mohammed Wishah has been killed in Gaza after an Israeli drone struck the vehicle he was driving on a main road in Gaza City, the network reports. With his death, the number of Palestinian journalists killed by Israel since October 2023 has reportedly risen to 262. Despite a US‑brokered truce in October 2025, the Gaza Government Media Office says the Israeli military has carried out around 2,000 violations in the territory.

Lebanon’s Civil Defense has reported a significantly higher toll from the latest Israeli strikes, saying 254 people have been killed and 1,165 wounded across the country. In a statement, it listed 92 dead and 742 injured in Beirut alone, and warned the numbers are likely to rise as rescue teams continue to pull survivors and bodies from under the rubble in “extremely dangerous and complex” conditions.

Italy has reportedly said that Israeli forces fired warning shots at a convoy of its UN peacekeepers in Lebanon on Wednesday, damaging at least one vehicle but causing no injuries. Defence Minister Guido Crosetto called the incident “unacceptable,” while Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani wrote on X that he has summoned Israel’s ambassador to Rome for clarification, saying: “Our soldiers are not to be touched.”

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said there have been “violations of ceasefire… at few places across the conflict zone,” warning they “undermine the spirit of the peace process.” In a post on X, he urged all parties to “exercise restraint and respect the ceasefire for two weeks, as agreed upon, so that diplomacy can take a lead role towards peaceful settlement of the conflict.”

Israeli forces have continued to attack Beirut, according to various videos from social media. The death toll in Lebanon from today’s strikes alone has reached 112, with 837 wounded, the Lebanese Health Ministry has said.

Iranian and Turkish Foreign Ministers, Abbas Aragchi and Hakan Fidan, held a phone call in which Aragchi emphasized Tehran's willingness to “accept a ceasefire as a basis for the complete end of the war,” as reported by Tasnim. He stated, “Considering the agreement to base negotiations on Iran's ten-point plan and if there is seriousness on the American side, achieving a complete end to the war and establishing lasting stability and security will be possible.”

Fidan also made a warning “about the destructive role of the Israeli regime” and called for vigilance from all parties regarding Israel's “plots” to stop the peace process.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has warned it will deliver a “regret-inducing response” if Israeli attacks on Lebanon do not stop immediately. In a statement carried by Tasnim, the IRGC said that only hours after the ceasefire was agreed, Israel had begun a “savage massacre” in Beirut, and issued a “strong warning” to the US and its “Zionist executioner partner” to halt the strikes.

Trump has claimed that “fraudsters” and “charlatans” are circulating fake proposals on the US–Iran ceasefire and upcoming talks, insisting that only one set of “meaningful ‘POINTS’” is acceptable to Washington. In a post on Truth Social, he said these points – which he did not disclose – form “the basis on which we agreed to a CEASEFIRE” and will be discussed “behind closed doors,” comparing other reported documents to “Fake News CNN” using a “source” with “no power or authority.”

The UN refugee agency in Lebanon has described the latest Israeli bombardment as “one of the largest waves of strikes so far,” saying more than 60 locations “across Beirut and beyond” were hit and sharing photos of massive destruction. “Deaths are mounting. Destruction is massive ... “ UNHCR Lebanon wrote on X.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry has reportedly said Israeli strikes across the country on Wednesday left at least 89 people dead and around 700 wounded. The ministry’s spokesperson told Reuters that 12 of those killed were medical personnel.

Trump has reportedly told PBS that Lebanon is not covered by the two-week US ceasefire agreement with Iran, calling increased Israeli attacks a “separate skirmish.” The channel’s correspondent Liz Landers wrote on X that Trump said “yeah they were not included in the deal,” adding this was “because of Hezbollah” and that the situation “will get taken care of too,” while insisting ongoing strikes on Lebanon are “part of the deal – everyone knows that.”

Similarly, Axios’ Barak Ravid has tweeted that White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has claimed that Lebanon is not included in the deal. This directly contradicts statements attributed to Iran, its semi-official news agency Mehr, the ceasefire broker Pakistan, as well as Chinese state media.

Kuwait’s military has said in a post on X that its forces intercepted four “hostile” ballistic missiles and 42 drones in the country’s airspace over the past 24 hours, in what it alleged was an Iranian attack. The strikes hit facilities belonging to the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, as well as power and desalination plants, the Defense Ministry said.

Iran’s National Security Committee spokesman Ebrahim Razaei has urged an “immediate halt” to ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz in response to what he called Israel’s “savage aggression” against Lebanon. In a post on X, he said Lebanese had “sacrificed their lives for us and we must not leave them alone even for a moment,” and insisted that a ceasefire must apply “on all fronts or on none.”

Several vessels in the Gulf have received radio messages claiming to be from Iran’s navy stating that the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, Reuters has reported, citing shipping sources. Iran’s Fars news agency has likewise said the passage of oil tankers through the strait has been halted following Israel’s increased attacks on Lebanon.  

Trump had earlier said the two‑week US-Iran ceasefire was contingent on Tehran agreeing to the “complete” and “immediate” opening of the waterway.

Moscow has described the US position in the Iran war as suffering a “crushing defeat” following the announced two-week ceasefire. Speaking to Sputnik Radio, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said rhetoric about being “more aggressive” and claiming that “victory” was near had once again been disproved, adding that this “one-track, aggressive, unprovoked attack” approach had failed.

A senior Iranian official has reportedly told Al Jazeera that Tehran will “punish Israel in response to the crime it committed in Lebanon and the violation of the ceasefire terms,” insisting the truce “includes the region” and that Israel “will only be deterred by bullets.”  

Israel has stepped up airstrikes across Lebanon, pounding central Beirut, with the number of dead and wounded described as “very high” by RT’s crew on the ground. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed that the US-Iran ceasefire “does not include Lebanon,” and has vowed to continue operations.

RT cameraman Ali Rida has filmed multiple drones flying over Beirut amid Israeli strikes on the Lebanese capital. The footage shows unmanned aircraft circling above residential districts already hit by shelling.

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The number of people killed and wounded in Israeli strikes on Lebanon is “very high,” RT correspondent Ali Rida has reported from the scene, adding that the attacks were carried out without evacuation orders or prior warning.

There were many people in the streets when the strikes happened, as the areas were considered safe, he said.

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has claimed that Tehran “begged” Washington for a ceasefire, adding that Donald Trump had “forged this moment” by showing unparalleled “courage and resolve” during the conflict.

”Operation Epic Fury was a historic and overwhelming victory on the battlefield. A capital V military victory. By any measure. Epic Fury decimated Iran’s military and rendered it combat-ineffective for years to come,” Hegseth claimed during a briefing.

Tehran earlier said the truce was a “historic and crushing defeat” for the US, and that Washington had been forced to accept Tehran’s ten-point plan in order to stop the fighting. Trump described Tehran’s proposals as a “workable basis on which to negotiate.”

The first vessel has traversed the Strait of Hormuz since the ceasefire between Tehran and Washington was announced, Iran’s IRIB new agency has reported. The vessel from an unspecified country was able to use the waterway after receiving permission from the Iranian authorities, the agency said.

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Footage captured by RT shows residential buildings in the Lebanese capital Beirut damaged by Israeli attacks. The IDF earlier said it had conducted “the largest coordinated strike” on Lebanon since it invaded the neighboring country in early March.

Tehran could unblock the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday or Friday, a senior Iranian official has told Reuters.

According to the official, the move preceded the meeting between the Iranian and US delegations in Pakistan aimed at settling the crisis in the Middle East.

The expansion of IDF strikes is a “very clear message from Israel is that there is no ceasefire in Lebanon,” RT correspondent Steve Sweeney said as he reported on the situation in the Lebanese capital, Beirut.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has reacted to the announcement of a ceasefire between Washington and Tehran by pointing out that Moscow's “principled position regarding the unprovoked American-Israeli aggression against Iran has proven to be correct and the only correct one.”

“In essence, [it is that] there is no military solution, and only a political and diplomatic settlement based on the negotiation process is possible,” Zakharova told Sputnik Radio.

The Israeli military has announced that it has carried out “the largest coordinated strike” on Lebanon since it invaded the neighboring country in early March.

Within10 minutes, more than a hundred Hezbollah targets, including its headquarters, military arrays and command-and-control centers, have been struck in Beirut, Beqaa and southern Lebanon, the IDF said in a statement on X.

Donald Trump has warned that any “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,” the president wrote in another message on his Truth Social platform.

US President Donald Trump has claimed that the US will make sure that Iran will not enrich uranium anymore. Washington and Tehran are also discussing sanctions relief as part of efforts to settle the conflict in the Middle East, the president wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform.

A video has emerged on social media purporting to show a major blaze caused by a strike on the Lavan oil refinery on Iran’s Sirri Island in the Persian Gulf. The attack is claimed to have taken place after the announcement of the ceasefire between Washington and Tehran.

Iran’s IRIB news agency confirmed the strike on the refinery, saying it did not result in any fatalities or injuries. Tehran responded by firing missiles and drones at Kuwait and the UAE, the agency said. The armed forces of the two Gulf nations later reported that their air defenses had engaged incoming aerial targets.

The UAE has joined Iran and the US in declaring itself the winner in the conflict in the Middle East.

Anwar Gargash, a senior advisor to the Emirati president, claimed that the Gulf nation has “emerged victorious from a war we sincerely sought to avoid, achieving a triumphant national defense… against a brutal aggression.”

“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,” Gargash wrote on X.

The UAE, which is an ally of the US, did not directly participate in the fighting, but was the country most targeted by Iran, enduring an onslaught of more than 2,400 drones and missiles since February 28.

The announcement of a ceasefire with Iran by Donald Trump is a “major defeat” for America and Israel, Tehran University professor, Seyed Mohammad Marandi, has told RT. The conflict has “shown the limitations of the empire,” he said, referring to the US.

Marandi stressed that Lebanon was included in the truce and that by continuing attacks there, Israel is “basically sending a message to the entire world that they don’t want the globe to have oil, and LNG, and fertilizers.” Tehran will not allow Israel to target the Lebanese and the Palestinians, he insisted.

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares has said Israel should stop its invasion of southern Lebanon after the US and Iran agreed a two-week truce.

“All fronts must cease, and all fronts also means Lebanon. It is unacceptable that Israel’s war, Israel’s invasion of a sovereign country like Lebanon… continues,” Albares told RNE radio.

French President Emmanuel Macron previously issued a similar call. Israel announced a halt in strikes against Iran earlier in the day, but claimed that that the ceasefire doesn’t cover its operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Iraqi Civilian Aviation Authority chief Bankin Rekani has said the country’s airports and airspace have reopened following the announcement of a ceasefire between the US and Iran. Baghdad and Irbil’s international airports have been subject to attacks since the outbreak of the conflict in the Middle East on February 28.

Israeli carrier Arkia announced that it is preparing for a gradual expansion of flights at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport. The company said it expects to resume a regular flight schedule from May 3 if the fighting doesn’t resume.

Moscow is pleased with the announcement of a ceasefire between the US and Iran, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has told journalists.

The Russian authorities “welcome the decision not to continue down the path of armed escalation, especially not to strike civilian and economic targets. We consider this very important,” he said.

”We hope that direct contacts between the Iranian and American delegations will take place in the coming days, which will further advance peaceful discussions,” Peskov added.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who has been the harshest critic of the US-Israeli war on Iran in the EU, has said that the ceasefire was “good news,” but stressed that “momentary relief cannot make us forget the chaos, the destruction and the lives lost.”

“The Spanish government will not applaud those who set the world ablaze simply because they show up with a bucket,” Sanchez wrote on X.

The EU, which has failed to condemn the US-Israeli attacks on Iran and at the same time infuriated Donald Trump with its reluctance to back the American war effort, now says it is eager to support the peace talks.

The bloc’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, said in a post on X that Brussels is ready to back efforts to settle the crisis in the Middle East in cooperation with its partners in the region. “The Strait of Hormuz must be open for passage again,” she insisted.

US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire with Iran because he has finally realized that his military approach has “backfired,” Amina Khan, Director of the Center for Afghanistan, Middle East and Africa at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI), has told RT.

The Pakistani political analyst expressed cautious optimism about the prospects of the talks between the sides, stressing that it is a “fragile process” and that “there is a long way to go” before a sustainable peace is reached.

She also insisted that the “US should no longer compromise its foreign policy for the sake of Israel.”

Oman, which had been a longtime mediator between the US and Iran, will provide support to the negotiations following the two-week ceasefire between Washington and Tehran, the Gulf nation’s foreign minister, Badr Al-Busaidi, has said.

Jakarta supports the ceasefire and calls upon the US and Iran to respect each other’s “sovereignty, territorial integrity, and diplomacy,” the Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Yvonne Mewengkang has said. She also urged a thorough investigation into the deaths of three Indonesian UN peacekeepers who were killed in Lebanon in late March amid the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

China-based foreign policy expert Nelson Wong has cautioned against optimism following the US-Iran ceasefire, warning the situation remains uncertain.

”This is not the time to celebrate,” said Wong, a Valdai Club expert and vice chairman of the Shanghai Center for International Studies, in an interview with RT. He added that it is unclear how planned negotiations in Pakistan later this week will unfold.

Wong said US President Donald Trump has been “very unpredictable,” making it difficult to rely on current commitments.

He also described the conflict as an “unprovoked war” that violates international law, noting China’s significant energy and investment interests in the region.

Beijing has so far maintained a restrained stance, calling for a ceasefire and renewed negotiations.

European stock markets have surged at the start of trading on the news of a two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran.

The Frankfurt index went up by 5%, Paris rallied by 3.5% percent, with London also growing by 3%. The airlines were among the biggest gainers amid a 13% drop in oil prices.

The Israeli military has announced that it has halted strikes on Iran “in accordance with the instructions of the political echelon.”

Despite the truce between Washington and Tehran, the IDF said it is continuing its operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

“The IDF continues to operate in all sectors to protect the State of Israel and its citizens,” a statement on X read.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said that deescalation in the Middle East was a “good thing,” but criticized Trump over his threats to target Iranian civilian infrastructure. “I don’t think it’s appropriate to use language such as that from the president,” Albanese noted.

Lebanon should be “fully” included in a ceasefire between the US and Iran, French President Emmanuel Macron has said, welcoming the truce but urging that it be respected across the region.

“We expect, for the coming days and weeks, that it can be fully respected throughout the region and allow negotiations to be held which, as France has been defending since 2018, make it possible to settle in a lasting way the nuclear, ballistic and regional issues relating to Iran,” Macron said.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed earlier that the truce will not extend to the IDF’s ongoing military operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

US Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has used the announcement of a ceasefire between Washington and Tehran to launch another attack on the  American president.

“I’m glad Trump backed off and is desperately searching for any sort of exit ramp from his ridiculous bluster,” the Democratic lawmaker wrote on X.

Oil prices have dropped following the announcement of a ceasefire between the US and Iran, with benchmark US crude, WTI, falling by 13.3% to $96 a barrel, and Brent crude, the international standard, dropping below $95 on Wednesday.

Both, however, remain much higher than the $65-$70 range per barrel before the outbreak of the conflict on February 28.

There has been an uptrend in early trading in Japan, Australia, South Korea, and China.

Shares in Russian energy companies fell after the news of the truce, with Rosneft losing 5.22%, Tatneft – 5.2%, Bashneft – 4.02% and Gazprom – 1.74%.

Japan views the truce as a “positive move,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara has said. Real deescalation in the Middle East is a top priority, Kihara stated, expressing hope that the sides will be able to reach a “final agreement” through talks soon.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said that deescalation in the Middle East was a “good thing,” but criticized Trump over his threats to target Iranian civilian infrastructure. “I don’t think it’s appropriate to use language such as that from the president,” Albanese noted.

The US “will be helping with the traffic buildup in the Strait of Hormuz,” Donald Trump has said in a post on his Truth Social platform.

”Big money will be made” as a result of the truce between Washington and Tehran, he wrote, adding that “Iran can start the reconstruction process.”

Republican US Senator Lindsey Graham, who has been one of the most vocal supporters of the war on Iran, has claimed that he now prefers a diplomatic solution to the crisis. He also demanded a Congressional review of any deal reached between Washington and Tehran.

President Trump had a phone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before announcing the two-week ceasefire deal with Iran, a White House official told CBS News.

Former US National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent, who resigned last month over his opposition to the Iran war, warned that Israel may try to “sabotage” the peace process.

“It’s absolutely essential that we ensure that the Israelis do not sabotage this two-week ceasefire or eventually the lasting peace that we’re trying to achieve with the Iranians,” Kent said in a video shared on X.

Kent insisted that “in order to ensure that we can restrain the Israelis, we actually have to start removing features of the military support that we give to them.”

“We’re on the cusp of being able to have the Strait of Hormuz reopened, to hopefully start to get the world energy supply and commerce back online. The last thing we need is the Israelis doing what they have done in past negotiations and targeting negotiators or taking a series of strikes that escalates the conflict.”

Iraq’s Foreign Ministry has welcomed the two‑week ceasefire between Iran and the US, calling for “serious and sustainable dialogue” to address the root causes of disputes. Iraq had been drawn into the war with pro‑Iranian groups and US forces striking each other inside its borders. Celebrations erupted in Baghdad following the announcement, according to videos shared by Press TV and Al Jazeera.

President Trump has declared “a big day for World Peace,” stating that Iran “has had enough” – while claiming that the United States will help manage traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.

“There will be lots of positive action! Big money will be made. Iran can start the reconstruction process,” he wrote in another post on Truth Social.

“We’ll be loading up with supplies of all kinds, and just ‘hangin’ around’ in order to make sure that everything goes well,” Trump posted, adding that the development could mark the “Golden Age of the Middle East.”

A suspected Israeli drone strike has targeted an ambulance in the town of Qlaileh, near the coastal city of Tyre, several Lebanese news outlets report, sharing a photo of the alleged attack. Al Jadeed TV also reports that Israeli forces have shelled the town of Baraachit in southern Lebanon.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has welcomed the announcement of a two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran, according to his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.

“He 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,” the spokesperson said, noting that Guterres’ personal envoy Jean Arnault is in the region to “support efforts toward lasting peace.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has said that Israel “supports” President Trump’s decision to suspend strikes against Iran for two weeks, as well as Washington’s ongoing “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 United States has told Israel that it is committed to achieving these goals, shared by the US, Israel and Israel’s regional allies, in the upcoming negotiations,” the prime minister’s office said in a statement.

“The two-weeks ceasefire does not include Lebanon,” the statement added, despite the Pakistani mediators’ insistence that Israel’s northern neighbor was covered by the tentative US-Iranian agreement.

President Trump has claimed that the United States had won a “total and complete victory” after agreeing a two-week ceasefire deal with Tehran.

“Total and complete victory. 100 percent. No question about it,” Trump told AFP in a phone call.

When asked about what would happen to Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium, the US president stated that it “will be perfectly taken care of or I wouldn’t have settled.”

The pro-Iranian Islamic Resistance in Iraq has announced that the armed group will suspend its military operations against “occupying forces” for a two-week period.

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Dan Caine are set to hold a press conference at 8am ET Wednesday. 

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has called a ceasefire with Iran “a victory for the United States that President Trump and our incredible military made happen.”

“The success of our military created maximum leverage, allowing President Trump and the team to engage in tough negotiations that have now created an opening for a diplomatic solution and long-term peace,” she said.

“Additionally, President Trump got the Strait of Hormuz reopened. Never underestimate President Trump’s ability to successfully advance America’s interests and broker peace,” she added.

The IDF has struck Lebanon at least twice since President Trump’s announcement of a ceasefire that, according to Pakistani mediators, is supposed to include Israel’s northern neighbor. Al Jazeera reports that one strike hit near a hospital in the city of Tyre, while another targeted the town of Machghara in the Bekaa Valley.

A senior Israeli official has claimed that Iran agreed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz “without getting any of its demands in advance” – including a commitment to a final end to the war, reparations, or the removal of heavy sanctions. The official said the Trump administration coordinated the two‑week ceasefire with Israel in advance, and that during upcoming negotiations, the US will demand that Iran remove all nuclear material, halt uranium enrichment, and eliminate its ballistic missile threat.

Chinese officials encouraged Iran to find a path to a ceasefire with the United States as negotiations evolved, according to two officials who spoke with AP on condition of anonymity. Beijing reportedly primarily worked through intermediaries including Pakistan, Turkey, and Egypt to leverage its influence as Tehran’s biggest trade partner. 

Crowds of people have taken to the streets of Tehran overnight to celebrate what Iranian media described as “Iran’s victory in the American-Zionist-imposed war.”

The Israeli Air Force continues to carry out strikes in Iran despite the announcement of a ceasefire by President Trump, a security official told the Times of Israel. The IDF previously accused Iran of launching at least two volleys of missiles at Israel after the ceasefire was supposed to take effect.

The two-week ceasefire plan includes allowing both Iran and Oman to charge fees on ships transiting through the Strait of Hormuz, according to a regional official, who had been directly involved in the negotiations, and who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.

Global oil prices plunged significantly after the announcement of a ceasefire with Iran, with US crude benchmark WTI sinking 14% to $96.7 a barrel, while the international standard Brent dropped 9% to around $95.5. Both, however, remain significantly higher than the $65–$70 range per barrel before the US and Israel started their war with Iran on February 28.

The White House has refused to speculate about what exactly President Trump meant when he called the 10-point Iranian proposal “workable.”

“President Trump’s words speak for themselves: this is a workable basis to negotiate, and those negotiations will continue,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt said. “There are discussions about in person talks, but nothing is final until announced by the President or the White House.”

Israel says it has detected the second volley of missiles launched from Iran in less than an hour after the announced ceasefire between the US and Iran. “Defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat,” the IDF said, urging residents to seek shelter.

Pakistan’s PM Shehbaz Sharif has said that the ceasefire agreement between Iran and the US, along with their allies, includes “Lebanon and elsewhere” and is effective immediately. 

“We earnestly hope that the ‘Islamabad Talks’ succeed in achieving sustainable peace,” he added. Sharif welcomed the “sagacious gesture” and extended gratitude to both sides, inviting their delegations to Islamabad on Friday, April 10, 2026, for further negotiations.

The US Department of War has been given the order to cease military offensive operations against Iran effective immediately, NBC and CNN report, citing multiple US officials.

President Trump has accused CNN of spreading “fake news” about the Iranian response to his ceasefire announcement, and threatened to pursue legal action.

“Authorities are looking to determine whether or not a crime was committed on the issuance of the Fake CNN World Statement, or was it a sick rogue player? CNN is being ordered to immediately withdraw this Statement with full apologies for their, as usual, terrible ‘reporting,’” Trump said.

It was unclear which “false statement” Trump meant, but CNN previously cited excerpts from a full statement by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council carried by multiple Iranian media outlets. Trump has insisted that the “Official Statement by Iran” was the brief version by Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi that he reported on Truth Social.

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The IDF has claimed that it “identified missiles launched from Iran toward the territory of the State of Israel” with the country’s defensive systems now “operating to intercept the threat.”

President Trump has shared on his Truth Social a brief version of Tehran's officials response by Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi.

Iranian media have published a list of 10 conditions they claim the US has “fundamentally committed to”:

• Non-aggression
• Continuation of Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz
• Acceptance of enrichment
• Lifting all primary sanctions
• Lifting all secondary sanctions
• Termination of all UN Security Council resolutions
• Termination of all IAEA Board of Governors resolutions
• Payment of compensation to Iran
• Withdrawal of US combat forces from the region
• Cessation of war on all fronts, including against the heroic Islamic Resistance of Lebanon

However, President Trump has previously insisted that the 10-point proposal is merely a “workable basis” for a final agreement yet to be negotiated.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, speaking on behalf of the Supreme National Security Council, has announced that if attacks against Iran are halted, Iran’s armed forces will cease their defensive operations. 

“For a period of two weeks, safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be possible via coordination with Iran’s Armed Forces and with due consideration of technical limitations,” he said.

Araghchi expressed gratitude to Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir for their efforts to end the war, adding that the announcement comes in response to a US request for negotiations based on its 15‑point proposal and President Trump’s acceptance of the general framework of Iran’s 10‑point plan as a basis for talks.

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council has announced that negotiations with the United States will begin on Friday, April 10, in Islamabad, allocating a two‑week period that may be extended by mutual agreement.

The Council declared a “historic and crushing defeat” for the US, claiming Washington has been forced to accept Tehran’s 10‑point plan as the basis for talks.

The plan allegedly includes US commitments to non‑aggression, Iran’s continued control over the Strait of Hormuz, acceptance of uranium enrichment, the lifting of all sanctions, termination of UN Security Council and IAEA resolutions, payment of war reparations, withdrawal of US combat forces from the region, and a halt to the war on all fronts, including against the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon.

The Council stressed that national unity must be preserved and that these negotiations are “an extension of the battlefield.” It warned that if the enemy’s surrender on the battlefield does not translate into a political achievement, “we will fight side by side on the battlefield until all the demands of the Iranian nation are met.”

Israel has agreed to the ceasefire and will also suspend its strikes on Iran for two weeks, according to an unnamed senior White House official cited by Axios reporter Barak Ravid. However, the ceasefire is expected to come into force when Iran opens the Strait of Hormuz, the source added.

President Donald Trump has suspended his looming attack on Iran’s energy infrastructure, announcing a two-week ceasefire to negotiate a long-term peace agreement based on a “workable” 10-point proposal from Tehran. 

He described the move as a “double sided CEASEFIRE,” adding that the US has “already met and exceeded all Military objectives.”

The president said Iran’s 10-point proposal offers a “workable basis on which to negotiate,” with most points of past contention already agreed upon.

Trump warned, however, that the Iranian proposal is “not good enough” in its current form, and that he would order devastating new airstrikes if no final deal is reached by the new deadline.

President Trump has announced a two-week suspension of bombing and attacks on Iran, agreeing to a “double sided CEASEFIRE” following requests from Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the suspension is contingent on Iran agreeing to the “COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz.”

Trump added the US has already met and exceeded all military objectives, and that a 10-point proposal from Iran provides a workable basis for negotiating a long-term peace agreement.

US Central Command has released before-and-after images of the Shahid Mahallati Naval Boatyard in Bushehr, claiming the destroyed facility manufactured and repaired small boats used by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps–Navy.

Vice President J.D. Vance is reportedly serving as the US interlocutor in the ongoing negotiations with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif over a potential ceasefire with Iran, according to Pakistani government sources and a source familiar with the matter who spoke to CBS News.

White House Press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that President Trump has been informed of Pakistan’s request for an extension. “The president has been made aware of the proposal, and a response will come,” she said in a statement.

At least four people, including a child, have been injured in Qatar after debris from intercepted missiles fell on a house, according to Qatar’s Interior Ministry.

“The security authorities have begun dealing with an incident resulting from the interception by Qatari air defenses of Iranian missiles, which led to the fall of shrapnel on the home of one of the citizens in the Muraikh area,” the ministry said in a post on X. “The incident resulted in four moderate injuries, including a Qatari child... Limited material damage was also reported at the site.”

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar briefed his Saudi, Egyptian and Turkish counterparts on Islamabad’s latest efforts to promote dialogue and diplomatic engagement for regional peace and stability. According to the Foreign Ministry, Dar spoke separately with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on a series of phone calls.

Iran’s Ambassador to Pakistan Reza Amiri Moghadam has called Islamabad’s request for the US to give diplomacy more time a “step forward” from a critical stage, promising to offer more details soon.

“As of now, a step forward from critical, sensitive stage ... In the next stage, respect and comity should be replaced by rethorics and redundancy,” he said in a post on X.

Pope Leo XIV has called threats against Iran “unacceptable,” noting that attacks on civilian infrastructure are against international law and urging for a return to the negotiating table.

“Today, as we all know, there has also been this threat against the entire people of Iran. And this is truly unacceptable! There are certainly issues of international law here, but even more, it is a moral question concerning the good of the people as a whole, in its entirety,” said the US-born pontiff, who has publicly criticized the American-Israeli war in the past.

“People want peace,” the pope told journalists in Castel Gandolfo earlier on Tuesday. “I would invite the citizens of all the countries involved to contact the authorities – political leaders, congressmen – to ask them to work for peace.”

President Donald Trump said his administration is still in “heated negotiations” with the Iranian side ahead of his deadline after which he has threatened to wipe out the country’s energy infrastructure potentially resulting in the death of “a whole civilization.”

“I can’t tell you, because right now we’re in heated negotiations,” Trump told Fox News in a brief phone interview, when asked about Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s proposal to give diplomacy more time.

“I can say this – that I know him very well. He’s a highly respected man, all over,” Trump said about Sharif.

An Israeli army spokesperson has issued a warning for residents of the Shabriha area in southern Lebanon’s Tyre, urging them to evacuate their homes immediately.

Israel’s military has issued threats of displacement affecting vast areas of southern Lebanon amid its invasion, resulting in the displacement of over 1 million people.

Iran is positively reviewing Pakistan’s request, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Tuesday.

Trump is also aware of the proposal from Islamabad, and a response will come soon, Axios reported, citing White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday asked US President Donald Trump for a two-week extension to a deadline he imposed on Iran to end its blockade of Gulf oil.

In his latest threat, Trump said “a whole civilization will die tonight” if Tehran does not yield to his demands by the cutoff time.

Pakistan has served as the primary intermediary for proposals between the warring powers. There has been no indication of a compromise so far.

“To allow diplomacy to run its course, I earnestly request President Trump to extend the deadline for two weeks. Pakistan, in all sincerity, requests the Iranian brothers to open Strait of Hormuz for a corresponding period of two weeks as a goodwill gesture,” Sharif said in a post on X.

B-52 bombers have been seen taking off from RAF Fairford in the UK, with multiple aircraft spotted fueled and loaded on the tarmac ahead of Trump’s deadline.

A 6-to-7-hour flight from Fairford to Iran would put the lead aircraft in striking range approximately two hours before the 8 PM EST deadline, according to media reports.

UN human rights chief Volker Turk has condemned “the sickening tirade” of rhetoric used in the Middle East war “by all parties,” including Trump’s latest threats to annihilate a whole civilization and to target civilian infrastructure.

Gulf states facing Iranian attacks do not have “limitless” restraint, Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani has warned after the UN Security Council failed to adopt a resolution calling on member states to “coordinate efforts” to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

”Our countries have exercised considerable restraint and patience in the face of ongoing Iranian aggression, but this restraint cannot be expected to continue without limit,” the foreign minister said.

Iran has pledged to target infrastructure across the Gulf if Trump follows through on his threat to launch broad strikes on Iranian infrastructure tonight.

Trump is bleeding support from some of his most loyal defenders. Alex Jones says he’s sick of “sitting there watching Trump wreck MAGA, wreck the Republicans, wreck the world economy, maybe even wreck the PLANET physically.”

Jones wants a coalition of Republicans and Democrats to pass a war powers resolution to “cut the damn funding to this.”

The US Senate and House of Representatives – both of which are held by Republicans – shot down a war powers resolution last month.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has sent his personal envoy, Jean Arnault, to the Middle East to push for a diplomatic solution to the US-Israeli war on Iran, spokesman Stephane Dujarric has announced.

Guterres “is deeply troubled by statements suggesting that entire civilian populations or civilisations may be made to bear the consequences of political and military decisions,” Dujarric told reporters.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has admitted it carried out a strike on a synagogue in Tehran earlier today. In a statement to the Times of Israel, the IDF said that a military officer in a nearby building was targeted, and that it “regrets the collateral damage to the synagogue.”

Iranian media footage showed members of Tehran’s Jewish community combing through the rubble after an Israeli missile flattened the house of worship.

Iran is home to as many as 20,000 Jews, more than half of them living in Tehran.

In the US, opposition to the war among Democrats has been intensifying – albeit slowly. Support for any war involving Israel is typically strong within both the Democrat and Republican establishment, but several top Democrats have launched scathing condemnations of Trump’s war on Iran.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called Trump “an extremely sick person,” over his threat to wipe out Iranian civilization, referring to the conflict as a “wanton war of choice.” That’s a notable turnaround from last year, when Schumer mocked Trump’s manhood for refusing to strike Tehran at the onset of the 12 Day War between Israel and Iran.

Senator Chris Murphy described Trump’s threat as “pure evil” – the exact same phrase right-wing commentator Tucker Carlson used to describe the war when it began.

Trump’s “verbal attacks against Iranian people are escalating in intensity and violence,” and may amount to “a threat of genocide,” Amnesty International Secretary General Agnes Callamard has warned.

"Who/what will stop this escalation which has only victims and losers, in the first place the people of Iran, Lebanon, Israel and the Gulf States?” Callamard asked.

Russia vetoed the UN resolution because it was “not able to support a text that would generate a dangerous precedent for international law,” Moscow’s permanent representative to the organization, Vassily Nebenzia, explained.

Russia called instead for a more “balanced” resolution, taking into account “the illegal and reckless acts by the US and Israel” that brought about the crisis in the first place., he said, adding that “our calls fell on deaf ears.”

The resolution’s call on member states to use force to reopen the strait, and other “confrontational elements,” have not disappeared from the text, Nebenzia pointed out.

Waltz went on to invoke the Bible, claiming that according to “the book I live by…God has provided a way out” for Iran. “Even now, on the heels of Holy Week,” he continued, “Iran can also choose to reverse its decision.” From Pete Hegseth to the military officers telling troops that the war will usher in the Biblical “rapture,” Waltz is the latest senior US official to describe the conflict in messianic terms.

Meanwhile, Trump’s secretary of state claims that Iran is run by “religious fanatic lunatics.”

Trump’s ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz, got booed and heckled when he mentioned “President Trump’s peacekeeping.” Delegates watching shouted “war criminal” and “praise be to Allah,” a reference to Trump’s promise to unleash “hell” on Iranian infrastructure later on Tuesday.

At his press conference in Budapest, US Vice President Vance hinted that the US could intensify attacks on Iran if Tehran does not come to terms.

”The president of the United States is a man who recognizes leverage, that if the Iranians want to exact a certain amount of pain, the United States has the ability to exact much, much greater pain,” Vance claimed. “The president doesn’t want to do that. I don’t want to do that. That’s why we’re negotiating so aggressively. But fundamentally, the ball is in the Iranians' court.”

Iran has released French nationals Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris after reaching a deal with France. The couple had been held by Iran since 2022 on espionage charges, which France dismissed as unfounded.

In exchange, France released Mahdieh Esfandiari, who was detained by French authorities for allegedly promoting terrorism on social media. Paris also withdrew a legal complaint against Iran at the International Court of Justice.

The Iraqi group Kataib Hezbollah has announced that it would release US journalist Shelly Kittleson, who was abducted by the Iran-aligned militants in late March in Baghdad.

The group has demanded that the journalist leave Iraq immediately.

Bahrain’s foreign minister has read out a statement on behalf of his country, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, and Jordan at the UN Security Council.

They “express their regret that the resolution” to protect commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz wasn't adopted.

“We had hoped that the draft resolution would present a step towards a permanent solution that would ensure navigational freedom in the Strait of Hormuz as an national waterway that no country has the right to obstruct… according to international law.”

Iran’s civilization has overcome the “delusions” of its enemies for thousands of years, its first vice president, Mohammad Reza Aref, has said in response to US President Donald Trump’s threats to wipe out the country. 

Aref stressed that Iran will not be intimidated by Trump’s “Stone Age rhetoric” and that the country’s response to brutality would be to “stand firm and rely on the internal strength of the Iranian nation.”

China and Russia have vetoed a Bahraini resolution at the UN Security Council that urged member states to coordinate efforts to protect commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. There were 11 votes in favor, while Colombia and Pakistan abstained.

A US assault on Kharg Island would likely result in heavy losses and a logistics nightmare for Washington, former US Army officer Stanislav Krapivnik has told RT, adding that Trump’s generals would likely avoid telling the president the truth about potential casualties.

Krapivnik said that Trump desperately needs a “win” as support for the US-Israeli war on Iran has continued to plummet, and could be pushed to attempt an assault on the strategic island.

Check out RT’s full analysis of what a potential invasion of Kharg Island would look like below.

US lawmakers have condemned Trump’s threat to eliminate “a whole civilization.” Democratic House leader Hakeem Jeffries called on Congress to “immediately end this reckless war of choice in Iran before Donald Trump plunges us into World War III.”

Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer described Trump as “an extremely sick person” while Congressman Jason Crow stated that the president’s threats is “a war crime” and called on the military to refuse orders.

A draft resolution submitted by the Gulf States to the UN Security Council has been leaked ahead of an upcoming vote to adopt it on Tuesday.

In the document, the countries, which include Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, urge the council to condemn Iran’s attacks on vessels in and near the Strait of Hormuz, reaffirm its commitment to the “sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of all States,” and urge an immediate end to the disruption of global energy supplies.

Iranians formed a ‘human chain’ on the White Bridge in the city of Ahvaz to protect the landmark structure from US-Israeli strikes. Videos from the scene show dozens of people holding a massive Iranian flag stretched out across the bridge, waving national symbols, and displaying signs indicating they are ready to sacrifice themselves for their country.

Tehran has urged people across the country to form similar chains around critical sites such as power plants and bridges, amid mounting US threats.

While most reports have been focused on the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran, the IDF has continued operations in the West Bank and Gaza. The Wafa news agency reported on Tuesday that Israeli forces had detained over a dozen Palestinians, including a child, across the West Bank and conducted several raids using military vehicles. 

Israeli settlers were also reported to have conducted raids in several towns and vandalized Palestinian property, including a shrine to Prophet Ghaith in the village of Deir Ammar.

At least ten Palestinians were also killed in Israeli airstrikes and fighting between Hamas and an Israel-backed Palestinian militia in central Gaza, local sources have reported.

The death toll from Israeli strikes on Lebanon has risen to more than 1,530 people, the country’s Health Ministry has reported. Another 4,812 people have been injured in Israeli attacks since March 2, the ministry said.

Israel has struck multiple railways and bridges across Iran, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced in a televised address, claiming that they were being used by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Israel had previously issued a warning, telling Iranians that their lives would be at risk if they used the country’s railways on Tuesday.

The IDF said the strikes targeted transport infrastructure in Tehran, Karaj, Tabriz, Kerman, and Qom.

The recent US-Israeli operation in Iran’s central Isfahan province ended in a “major strategic defeat” for the attacking forces, Press TV has claimed, citing what it described as exclusive information.

The report said the failed raid, linked by US officials to a mission to rescue a downed F-15 pilot, was in fact aimed at infiltrating and striking a nuclear facility. An abandoned airstrip near the site had reportedly been selected as a landing zone for C-130 transport aircraft.

Press TV said US and possibly Israeli forces lost multiple aircraft during reconnaissance missions ahead of the planned attack, including at least one A-10 Thunderbolt II and two Black Hawk helicopters.

It added that the operation’s “zero hour” was set during a closed White House meeting overseen by President Donald Trump, and said his recent threats to target Iran’s civilian infrastructure were a “direct consequence” of the reported setback in Isfahan.

Trump has once again exhorted Iran with fresh threats ahead of his Tuesday Strait of Hormuz deadline, warning of catastrophic consequences if no deal is reached.

”A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again… I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will,” he said on Truth Social, adding the moment could be “one of the most important… in the history of the World.”

His comments come hours before the deadline to reopen the strait, after he signaled potential strikes on bridges, energy and water infrastructure.