Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese Prime Minister Joseph Aoun

EA on TVP World: Iran Tightens Its Control of Strait of Hormuz

EA on International Outlets: After the US-Iran Talks in Islamabad

UPDATES: US-Israel War, Day 49 — Trump Camp Blusters Amid Its Blockade on Iran

UPDATE 1425 GMT:

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said Tehran is restricting passage through the Strait of Hormuz “until the end of the war is definitively concluded”.

The SNSC said that as long as the US blockades Iranian ports, this is “a breach of the ceasefire [which] will prevent the conditional and limited reopening of the Strait of Hormuz”.

The Council added that the head of Pakistan’s military Field Marshal Asim Munir, during a three-day trip to Iran, relayed new US proposals which Tehran “is considering and has not yet responded to”.

UPDATE 1150 GMT:

UN peacekeepers have been attacked in Lebanon, killing one French soldier and wounding three.

French President Emmanuel Macron said all signs indicate Hezbollah attacked: “France demands that the Lebanese authorities immediately arrest those responsible and take responsibility alongside UNIFIL [UN Forces in Lebanon].”

UNIFIL said a patrol clearing explosive ordnance “to re-establish links with isolated Unifil positions came under small-arms fire from non-state-actors”.

It also called for a swift investigation “to identify and hold the perpetrators accountable for the crimes committed”.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun expressed his condolences to Macron by condemning the incident, vowing that Beirut “will not hesitate to pursue those involved and bring them to justice”.

Earlier, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam posted:

I strongly condemn today’s attack on members of the French battalion serving with Unifil. I have given strict instructions for an immediate investigation to be carried out to establish the circumstances of this attack and to hold the perpetrators to account.

Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces confirmed carrying out strikes in southern Lebanon on Friday, claiming that it responded to ceasefire violations by Hezbollah.

UPDATE 1111 GMT:

At least two merchant vessels were hit by gunfire as they attempted to cross the Strait of Hormuz today, according to three maritime security and shipping sources.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations center added that a tanker came under fire near the Strait of Hormuz by two gunboats linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.

The incident happened 20 nautical miles northeast of Oman. The tanker and crew are safe.

Earlier, a convoy including four liquefied petroleum gas ⁠carriers and several oil ⁠product and chemical tankers tried to pass through the waterway.

UPDATE 0839 GMT:

Iran’s military has pulled back Friday’s announcement of the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, saying it has “reverted to its previous state” because of the “piracy” of the US blockade of Iranian ports.

The military’s operational command, Khatam Al-Anbiya, said:

This strategic waterway is under the strict management and control of the armed forces.

Until the US restores the complete freedom of navigation for vessels from an Iranian origin to a destination, and from a destination back to Iran, the situation in the Strait of Hormuz will remain strictly controlled.

UPDATE 0540 GMT:

Iran will shut the Strait of Hormuz if the US blockade on Iranian ports continues, Iran’s Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Ghalibaf has warned.

Earlier in the day, Tehran said it was opening the Strait to commercial traffic, along predetermined routes and with the permission of the Revolutionary Guards’ Navy.

Ghalibaf jabbed at Donald Trump’s declaration that the Strait had been completely freed by Iran: “The President of the United States made seven claims in one hour, all seven of which were false. They did not win the war with these lies, and they will certainly not get anywhere in negotiations either.”

He reiterated the conditions on passage: “Whether the Strait is open or closed and the regulations governing it will be determined by the field, not by social media.”

UPDATE 0530 GMT:

The first passenger vessel has crossed the Strait of Hormuz since the US-Israel War on Iran began on February 28.

>The Malta-flagged cruise ship, the Celestyal Discovery, had been stuck in Dubai for 47 days after arriving there in early March.

The ship is sailing without passengers.

UPDATE, APR 18:

The Trump Administration has extended the sanctions waiver on Russia’s maritime oil to May 16.

Last November, amid Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Administration had imposed tough sanctions on Russia’s largest oil companies and secondary measures against companies who imported their products. In January and February, Russian revenues fell 47%.

As global oil prices with the start of the US-Israel War on Iran on February 28, the Trump camp issued a 30-day waiver that expired on April 11. The Russian Government’s receipts from oil exports returned to the levels of early 2025, although they have been hampered by Ukrainian drone attacks on drones and oil terminals since then.

On Wednesday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the US would not be renewing the waiver.

UPDATE 1629 GMT:

In a recorded video address, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that while he has agreed to a temporary ceasefire in Lebanon at the request of Donald Trump, Israel is “not done yet” with Hezbollah.

Netanyahu said Israel had one hand holding a weapon while the other is extended in peace.

Minutes later, Donald Trump tweeted, “Israel will not be bombing Lebanon any longer. They are PROHIBITED from doing so by the U.S.A. Enough is enough!!!”

UPDATE 1623 GMT:

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced on social media:

A “senior military official” said ships must go through a determined route with permission from the navy of the Revolutionary Guard. Only commercial vessels can transit.

Global oil prices fell 10%. The futures price of Brent crude is $88.48 per barrel and West Texas Intermediate is $82.74.

Arsenio Dominguez, the Secretary General of the UN’s International Maritime Organisation, said the agency is “currently verifying the recent announcement related to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, in terms of its compliance with freedom of navigation for all merchant vessels and secure passage using the IMO established traffic separation scheme”.

Thomas Kazakos, the Secretary General of the International Chamber of Shipping, added:

While this announcement is a positive step, there is still much uncertainty around what it means in practice….

An orderly and sustained return to normal transit through the Strait will be essential. This will require close coordination between the International Maritime Organization, regional states, naval authorities, and the shipping industry to ensure that vessels can transit safely.

Above all, it is imperative that full freedom of navigation is respected by all parties in accordance with international law.

The US Navy cautioned in an advisory note, “STATUS OF MINE THREAT IN PARTS OF THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ NOT FULLY UNDERSTOOD AND AVOIDANCE OF AREA SHOULD BE CONSIDERED.”

UPDATE 1205 GMT:

Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun has posted:

Direct negotiations are delicate and crucial. There must be a unified sense of national responsibility in the coming phase, as the eyes of the world are on Lebanon.

The state’s position is to consolidate the ceasefire, ensure the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the occupied southern territories, secure the release of prisoners, and resolve outstanding border disputes.

The ceasefire is the gateway to proceeding with negotiations and is an option that enjoys both domestic and international support.

He emphasized the “key role” of the Lebanese military in “reassuring the people of the south upon their return to their villages and towns that there will be no armed forces other than the army and the legitimate security forces”.

In contrast, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the goal of disarming Hezbollah has not been achieved yet and an area of southern Lebanon “has not been demilitarized”.

“This would have to be done, either diplomatically or by resuming Israeli military activities at the end of the ceasefire,” he said.

UPDATE 0737 GMT:

French President Emmanuel Macron has cautioned that the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire “may already be undermined by the continuation of military operations”.

I call for the safety of civilian populations on both sides of the border between Lebanon and Israel. Hezbollah must renounce its weapons. Israel must respect Lebanese sovereignty and stop the war.

In contrast, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has hailed the “bold and sagacious diplomatic efforts led by president Donald Trump”.

UPDATE 0548 GMT:

The Lebanese army is restoring a link between southern Lebanon and the rest of the country.

A specialist army unit is working to fully reopen the Qasmiyeh-Tyre bridge, in cooperation with local councils and community organisations, following an Israeli attack on 16 April 2026.

One of the military units has taken up position in the vicinity of the bridge.

It also opened up new routes, after the Israel Defense Forces blew up all bridges over the Litani River as it enforced evacuation orders for all residents.

There is congestion on roads leading to southern Lebanon as people seek to return to their homes.

UPDATE 0544 GMT:

The spokesperson for UN head António Guterres, Stephane Dujarric, said in a statement: “The Secretary General welcomes the announcement of a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, and commends the role of the United States in facilitating [it].”

Guterres hoped the temporary halt to fighting will “pave the way for negotiations”.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: A 10-day ceasefire of Israel’s attacks on Lebanon took effect at midnight.

Donald Trump announced the halt on social media on Thursday afternoon after “excellent conversations” by phone with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He said Israeli and Lebanese leaders will meet in Washington next week.

Israeli ministers were angered at hearing about the ceasefire from the media, and without having voted on the matter. However, Netanyahu told an urgent meeting of the Security Cabinet, “When Israel’s greatest friend, President Trump, is acting alongside us in close coordination, Israel cooperates with him.”

“We have an opportunity to make a historic peace agreement with Lebanon,” Netanyahu said in a televised speech. He emphasized that his key demand is the dismantling of Hezbollah, and that Israel would maintain a 10km (6.2-mile) “security zone” along the border in southern Lebanon.

Having insisted on a halt to Israeli attacks before any talks with Netanyahu, Aoun rejected the Trump camp’s request for a direct phone call with the Israeli Prime Minister. He “reiterated his thanks for the efforts Trump is making to achieve a ceasefire in Lebanon and to secure lasting peace and stability as a prelude to implementing the peace process in the region”.

A senior Hezbollah official said any ceasefire must not allow unrestricted movement for Israeli forces in Lebanon: “As long as the occupation remains on our land, Lebanon and its people have the right to resist by all means to force it to withdraw.”

The US State Department said that under the agreement, Israel reserves the right to defend itself “at any time, against planned, imminent or ongoing attacks”. Otherwise Israel “will not carry out any offensive military operations against Lebanese targets, including civilian, military and other state targets”.

Lebanon’s toll from ongoing Israeli attacks has risen to 2,196 killed and 7,185 injured.

Hours before the ceasefire took effect, two paramedics were critically wounded when Israeli forces targeted an ambulance in the town of Tebnine in the Bint Jbeil district.