Here's the latest
• Ceasefire in effect: A 10-day truce in Lebanon appears to be holding despite the Lebanese army accusing Israel of violations. Israel said its forces would not withdraw from southern Lebanon, and Iran-backed Hezbollah warned it would only abide by the truce if Israeli attacks stopped.
• Diplomacy push: US President Donald Trump said a White House meeting between Israel and Lebanon could take place within two weeks. The conflict with Hezbollah has been a key sticking point in negotiations on the war with Iran. Trump also voiced confidence that a deal with Tehran will come soon, saying talks could happen this weekend.
• Strait of Hormuz: A virtual meeting of world leaders today will discuss efforts to reopen the vital trade chokepoint. A Pakistani-flagged tanker exited the Persian Gulf through the strait on Thursday in a rare journey, data shows.
• Israeli embassy: British police are investigating after an unnamed group said they targeted the Israeli embassy in London with drones carrying dangerous substances.
Lebanon accuses Israel of violating ceasefire as Trump says Iran deal close: Catch up here
The Lebanese army has accused Israel of violating an Israel-Lebanon ceasefire just hours after it came into effect.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said a White House meeting between the two nations could take place within two weeks.
Here’s the latest:
- Fragile ceasefire: Fireworks and celebratory gunfire rang out in the Lebanese capital Beirut as a 10-day Israel-Lebanon ceasefire went into effect at midnight local time. The agreement to pause hostilities followed days of pressure by the US on Israel, as the ongoing fighting between Israel and Hezbollah threatened to derail the shaky ceasefire between the US and Iran.
- Violation accusations: Just hours after it came into effect, the Lebanese army accused Israel of violating the ceasefire by firing on several villages in the south.
- Displaced people: People displaced from southern Lebanon by Israeli military actions have been returning to their homes in the wake of the Lebanon ceasefire. Video footage shows a succession of vehicles lining up to cross the Qasmiyeh bridge over the Litani River, which bisects the country.
- Iran deal: Trump said a deal with Iran is coming, claiming on Thursday that “we’re going to have victory. Very shortly.” The US president has given Tehran two weeks to agree a deal – an ambitious goal given the previous Iran nuclear agreement, which Trump withdrew from during his first term, took years to negotiate.
- Jet fuel: Airlines may have to start canceling European flights in late May because of jet fuel shortages, and governments should begin preparing a plan in case airports need to ration fuel, a consortium of more than 300 aviation companies said Friday.
- Oil prices drop: Oil prices were falling Thursday after Trump said talks with Iran could take place this weekend and the Lebanon ceasefire came into effect. By 6:04 a.m. ET Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was 3.2% lower on the day at $96.2 a barrel.
- Strait of Hormuz: A Pakistani-flagged tanker exited the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, according to Marine Traffic data reviewed by CNN, in a rare journey through the waterway amid a US naval blockade. The ship could, however, still be intercepted by the US navy before it reaches its final destination.
CNN’s Sophia Saifi, Billy Stockwell, Nadeen Ebrahim, Ivana Kottasová, Olesya Dmitracova, Jack Guy and Lex Harvey contributed reporting.
Counter-terror police investigate incident near Israeli embassy in London
British counter-terrorism officers, some wearing protective clothing, are examining the scene near the Israeli embassy in London after police said an unnamed group claimed to have targeted the building with drones carrying dangerous substances.
The Metropolitan Police said officers were examining items found in the vicinity and whether they were linked to the claim made in an online video.
The force said: “While we can confirm that the Embassy has not been attacked, we are carrying out urgent enquiries to determine the authenticity of the video and to identify any potential link between it and the items discarded in Kensington Gardens.”
The news comes as the Counter Terrorism Policing unit said it was investigating and making arrests in three separate recent arson attacks in London: an attack on Jewish community ambulances last month, and an attempted arson attack at a synagogue and an arson attack on the offices of a Persian language media organization, both of which happened on Wednesday.
Gulf energy production will take about two years to return to pre-war levels, official says
The war with Iran will have a lasting impact on global oil and natural gas markets. Output in the Gulf region could take around two years to recover.
The speed of the recovery will vary from country to country, the head of the International Energy Agency said in an interview published today.
“In Iraq, for example, it will take much longer than in Saudi Arabia. However, we estimate that it will take approximately two years overall to reach pre-war levels again,” Fatih Birol told the Neue Zürcher Zeitung, a German-language Swiss newspaper.
Birol also said investors were “understimating” what a continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz would mean. Oil prices have settled below $100 a barrel every day this week.
Before the war, several oil and natural gas tankers were already en route to their destinations and have now arrived, Birol noted. But no new tankers were loaded in March, with no fresh deliveries to Asia.
“This gap is now becoming apparent. If the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened, we must prepare for significantly higher energy prices,” he warned.
Pakistani-flagged tanker makes rare journey through Strait of Hormuz
A Pakistani-flagged tanker exited the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, according to Marine Traffic data reviewed by CNN, in a rare journey through the waterway amid a US naval blockade.
The Shalamar turns off its transponder at various points, Marine Traffic shows. The vessel is not sanctioned.
Marine Traffic data also showed the vessel to be partially laden. It exited the waterway with about 440,000 barrels of crude, a shipping source confirmed to CNN, adding that it is heading to the port of Karachi to discharge its cargo on April 19.
“This is most definitely a Pakistani vessel and has transited through the strait during the Iranian blockade before,” a senior Pakistani shipping source told CNN, adding that “both the Iranians and Americans would have known that its making its way through the strait.”
The source said the transponder being off would have been for “security reasons.”
The ship could, however, still be intercepted by the US navy before it reaches its final destination.
The United States’ blockade of Iranian ports has been “fully implemented,” the head of US Central Command said Wednesday (CENTCOM). CENTCOM said on Thursday that 14 vessels have turned around to comply with the blockade at the direction of American forces following 72 hours of enforcement.
Trump's bargaining with Iran stands in contrast with previous talks. Can it work?
US President Donald Trump said a deal with Iran is coming, claiming on Thursday that “we’re going to have victory. Very shortly.”
He did not give any details on the promise — but then again, details are not often part of Trump’s modus operandi, because they may take too long to agree on. The Iran talks illustrate this perhaps more than any other issue.
Trump has given Tehran two weeks to agree a deal. That’s an ambitious goal given the previous Iran nuclear agreement, which Trump withdrew from during his first term, took years to negotiate.
Known as the JCPOA (which stands for Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action), the agreement was struck in 2015 under then-President Barack Obama. But work on it started years before that, when Obama decided, after coming to power in 2009, to engage with Iran directly.
The Obama administration opened a secret back channel with Iran and, in 2012, presented Tehran with a new offer: Iran would limit its nuclear ambitions, cap its uranium enrichment and allow international inspectors to inspect its sites in exchange for the lifting of some sanctions and unfreezing billions in frozen Iranian assets.
It took 20 months of intensive negotiations for the US and its partners to get to the deal. Former national security adviser Jake Sullivan, who was part of the negotiations, said nuclear negotiations like this are “particularly challenging.”
“They are both highly political, meaning they involve issues that require political leadership on each side to contend with, and they’re highly technical because they involve an understanding of the nuclear fuel cycle of how verification works, how nuclear stockpiles work, how centrifuges work,” he told the Harvard Kennedy School last year.
Sullivan said this meant large teams of experts from many different fields were involved.
Now compare that to the Trump approach. Negotiations are being handled by special envoy Steve Witkoff, and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, both real-estate developers with little experience with nuclear negotiations, and the Vice President JD Vance who, according to Trump himself, is there mostly so that if the deal doesn’t happen, Trump has someone else to blame.
The team has been critized for having little technical understanding of the issues discussed, pressing instead for a quick headline deal that would allow Trump to take the win – with details to be ironed out later.
This approach may not be the traditional way to do diplomacy, but it has worked in the past in some cases – such as when Trump got a ceasefire agreement in Gaza.
Airlines urge governments to prepare for jet fuel rationing
Airlines may have to start canceling European flights in late May because of jet fuel shortages, and governments should begin preparing a plan in case airports need to ration fuel, a consortium of more than 300 aviation companies said Friday.
On Thursday, the International Energy Agency said Europe had only about six weeks of jet fuel remaining until it faced a shortage. Walsh, in his statement, called that assessment “sobering.”
Although most of the world is far from rationing, the fact that the airline industry is calling for a plan to prepare for significant fuel shortages demonstrates the stark reality airlines face from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
The price of jet fuel has roughly doubled during the course of the war with Iran. About 20% of the world’s jet fuel typically travels through the Strait of Hormuz, 69% of which is delivered to Europe, according to Kpler. The United Kingdom, France and the Netherlands are particularly reliant on Middle Eastern jet fuel.
Although the United States is more insulated from supply disruptions in the region, jet fuel trades on a global market, and airlines including United have already begun to cancel summer flights to compensate for price rises.
Oil prices fall on hopes of de-escalation in the Middle East
Oil prices are declining today after US President Donald Trump said talks with Iran could take place this weekend and a 10-day truce in Lebanon went into effect at midnight local time.
By 6:04 a.m. ET Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was 3.2% lower on the day at $96.2 a barrel. WTI, the US benchmark, fell 4% to $87.6 a barrel. On Thursday, Brent settled at $99.39 a barrel, the highest level since April 7.
“The retreat in oil from yesterday’s high came as President Trump struck an optimistic tone on prospects for resolution,” Deutsche Bank analysts wrote in a note today. “Earlier, Trump also announced a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon,” they added.
Trump also said a White House meeting between Israel and Lebanon could take place within two weeks, contributing to a more upbeat mood among investors.
Key bridge reopens, allowing displaced people to return to southern Lebanon
People displaced from southern Lebanon by Israeli military actions have been returning to their homes after a ceasefire between the two nations came into effect on Thursday.
Video footage shows a succession of vehicles lining up to cross the Qasmiyeh bridge over the Litani River, which bisects the country.
On Thursday, Lebanese state media reported that Israeli air strikes had destroyed the bridge, cutting off tens of thousands of residents from the rest of the country.
Qasmiyeh was the last operational crossing after Israeli forces “systematically destroyed or severely damaged all main bridges” connecting areas south of the Litani River to the rest of Lebanon, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW).
Now it appears that the bridge has been repaired, allowing displaced people to return to their homes.
Nonetheless, on Thursday the Israeli military warned residents not to move south of the river, saying its forces remain deployed there as the ceasefire in Lebanon takes effect.
The speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, Nabih Berri, also discouraged people from returning to their villages.
“We urge everyone to exercise patience and delay their return to their towns and villages until the situation and unfolding events become clear, in accordance with the ceasefire agreement,” he added.
However, video footage also shows residents of Nabatieh, a city in southern Lebanon, returning home after the ceasefire took effect.
Southern Lebanon — where Iranian-backed militant and political group Hezbollah has traditionally had a stronghold — has faced near-constant bombardment and ground assaults for over two years.
Scores of residents from villages in the south, near the Israeli border, have had to flee amid evacuation warnings from the Israeli military and a deepening ground offensive.
Trump keeps referring to enriched uranium as "nuclear dust" — but what is it?
US President Donald Trump yesterday claimed Iran has agreed it would not have a nuclear weapon and would hand over its “nuclear dust,” a term he uses to refer to Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
“Nuclear dust” is not a known term in the nuclear energy industry and experts say the way Trump and his lead negotiator Steve Witkoff have talked about uranium enrichment raises doubts about how well they actually understand the technicalities.
Since the US-Iran nuclear talks in February, Witkoff, a former real estate developer who has been leading US negotiations with Iran along with Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, has made claims that experts say betray a similarly weak expertise.
Uranium must be enriched in order to create enough of a nuclear chain reaction for weapons or energy production.
Uranium is abundant in Earth’s crust, but most of it — about 99% — is the relatively fission-resistant isotope uranium-238. A chain reaction calls for the uranium-235 isotope, which has an odd number of neutrons, making its nucleus easier to split.
To be used as fuel for nuclear reactors, or to make an explosive nuclear weapon, uranium is “enriched” to increase the concentration of uranium-235. Different levels of enrichment have very different uses and strategic significance.
Since Trump pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal in his first term, Iran had been enriching its uranium closer and closer to weapons-grade – meaning it can be used to make nuclear weapons.
Pakistan's prime minister welcomes ceasefire
Pakistan’s prime minister welcomed the ceasefire in Lebanon and pledged to keep supporting peace efforts.
“Pakistan reaffirms its unwavering support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon, and will continue to support all efforts aimed at lasting peace in the region,” Shehbaz Sharif said Friday on X.
Sharif also praised the “sagacious diplomatic efforts” led by US President Donald Trump and expressed hope it will “pave the way for sustainable peace.”
US and Iran must be on board, says think tank director as world leaders to meet on Strait of Hormuz
Today’s British and French-led virtual meeting of world leaders to discuss efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz is not likely to bear immediate results, Grégoire Roos, Director for Europe, Russia and Eurasia at Chatham House told CNN.
Leaders from 40 countries are expected to discuss supporting the fragile Iran ceasefire and securing shipping lanes through the strait. A statement from the British prime minister’s office said world leaders would establish an international mission to reopen the strait. The strictly defensive mission would involve deploying a combined military effort as soon as conditions allow, according to the statement.
For the mission to be successful, it must satisfy three conditions, Roos said. The US must endorse it, even if indirectly; the shipping industry and the Gulf states must buy into it; and Iran must not contest it.
“If Iran were to say ‘sorry, but this won’t happen,’ it won’t happen simply because they’ve shown that they’ve managed to keep the US at bay and block the strait,” he told CNN’s Kim Brunhuber.
“So you really have three groups of stakeholders here that you need to get on board.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to arrive in Paris on Friday morning to host the summit alongside French President Emmanuel Macron. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will also travel to Paris on Friday for the summit, according to a German government official.
The US is not among the countries attending the summit.
French president backs ceasefire but expresses concern
French President Emmanuel Macron said he fully supports the ceasefire that that could halt six weeks of fighting between Israel and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.
However, Macron also raised concerns that the agreement “may already be weakened by the continuation of military operations,” in an X post on Friday.
The Lebanese army said it recorded multiple ceasefire violations by Israel after the truce went into effect at midnight local time on Friday.
It accused Israel of committing “a number of acts of aggression,” saying intermittent shelling has impacted several villages in southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah said it will abide by the ceasefire if Israel does.
CNN’s Martin Goillandeau and Michael Rios contributed reporting.
Celebrations across Lebanon as ceasefire takes effect
Across Lebanon, people took to the streets with fireworks and celebratory gunfire as a 10-day truce took effect, aimed at putting a halt to the fighting between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah.
People took to the streets with fireworks and celebratory gunfire across Lebanon as a 10-day truce took effect, aimed at putting a halt to the fighting between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah.
Agreement with Lebanon is in Israel's interest but "devil is in the details," says former IDF official
Israel would benefit from an agreement with Lebanon but “the devil is in the details,” according to a former spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces.
And the “only, most important factor” that will influence peace and stability in both countries is whether or not Hezbollah is disarmed, Jonathan Conricus told CNN.
“If Hezbollah isn’t disarmed, that means future war and fighting and rockets and suffering — and it all boils down to whether or not the Lebanese government will actually be able to do what they have said and committed to doing but have so far not been able or willing to do.”
In January, Lebanon said it had completed the first phase of its plan to disarm Hezbollah and other militant groups in the country’s south but Israel said that progress was “far from sufficient.”
Two months later, Lebanon’s government declared Hezbollah’s military activities illegal, adding that it did not have the force required to effectively disarm Hezbollah on its own.
Asked whether Lebanon’s armed forces is capable of disarming Hezbollah today, Conricus said: “When you look at the balance of power between the two organizations, Hezbollah still needs to be weakened significantly, militarily speaking.”
Israel’s unprecedented attacks have devastated Lebanon
The ceasefire grants Lebanon a moment of reprieve, though the impact of the devastation will take time to recover from.
The Israeli government has said it is targeting fighters and infrastructure belonging to the Iranian-backed Lebanese militant and political group Hezbollah, which has engaged in decades of conflict with Israel. The aim, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is to secure his country’s northern border region. But across Lebanon, civilians are bearing the brunt of the conflict that flared up again when Hezbollah began firing at Israel at the start of the war with Iran.
The Lebanese government, which includes political representatives from Hezbollah, has also moved to put pressure on the group, outlawing its paramilitary wing and ordering the country’s security forces to rid the capital, Beirut, of all non-state arms. Hezbollah officials, however, argue that it, rather than a weak national military, is the only force capable of defending Lebanon against Israeli attacks and a potential occupation in the south.
The Lebanese Health Ministry says more than 2,000 people have been killed — including at least 172 children and 91 healthcare workers — and 7,000 wounded in the space of just six weeks. Israel’s airstrikes have killed and wounded civilians in their homes, at work and even while sheltering at makeshift displacement camps.
Iran welcomes Lebanon ceasefire: foreign ministry spokesperson
Iran welcomes the ceasefire in Lebanon, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson said, according to state media Tasnim.
The spokesperson reiterated that Lebanon is part of the truce negotiated between Iran and the US, Tasnim reported. The US has insisted that Lebanon was not covered by that agreement, with Vice President JD Vance saying there was a “misunderstanding.”
Iran has emphasized from the beginning “the necessity of establishing a simultaneous ceasefire across the entire region, including Lebanon, and has continued to pursue this matter seriously after the Islamabad negotiations,” the spokesperson said, according to Tasnim.
Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf earlier said the ceasefire in Lebanon was the result of Hezbollah’s “extraordinary steadfastness,” but he warned that Tehran will approach it “with caution.”
Trump suggested an Iran deal is close. Here's the latest on the war
President Donald Trump suggested Thursday that developments toward a deal with Iran could be imminent, and that a second round of negotiations could happen as soon as this weekend.
“We’re going to have victory. Very shortly,” Trump said. He claimed Tehran is willing to do things it wasn’t two months ago, citing an agreement that the country would not have a nuclear weapon and would hand over its “nuclear dust.”
The diplomatic push comes ahead of the expiration of the ceasefire with Iran next week, raising hopes that the war’s disruption of the global economy will ease.
Here are the latest headlines about the war with Iran:
- Ceasefire in Lebanon: The Lebanese army accused Israel of violating the ceasefire just hours after the 10-day truce went into effect. Hezbollah said it will abide by the ceasefire if Israel does.
- Trump touts US economy: Trump celebrated the economy under his leadership even as gas prices in Las Vegas, where he spoke at a campaign event, hovered around $5 per gallon as the war chokes global fuel supplies.
- Attack drones: Iran still retains “thousands of missiles” and one-way attack drones capable of threatening US and allied forces in the region, despite the US-Israeli bombardment of Tehran’s military assets, a senior US military official told lawmakers.
- Essential goods: A senior Iranian official said there was no concern about the supply of essential goods in Iran and the government is working “around the clock” to prevent disruptions to daily life. The war’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz has threatened the global supply of oil, food, fertilizer and other essential goods.
- Virtual meeting: The leaders of Britain and France will host a virtual meeting Friday to discuss efforts to reopen the strait. World leaders from 40 countries are expected to discuss supporting the ceasefire with Iran and the reopening and security of shipping routes through the strait.
CNN’s Tori B Powell, Mohammed Tawfeeq, Hira Humayun, Sean Lyngaas, Alejandra Jaramillo, Kit Maher and Sebastian Shukla contributed reporting.
Here's why the ceasefire in Lebanon is a major step toward an Iran deal
President Donald Trump’s announcement of a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon could mark a major step in advancing a peace deal with Iran.
After the two-week truce between Iran and the US was announced on April 7, Israel maintained its bombing campaign against Iranian proxy groups in Lebanon — a move Tehran argued was violating the ceasefire and threatened the fragile truce with the US.
The US and Israel insisted Lebanon was never part of the Iran ceasefire, claiming there was a “misunderstanding” on the part of Tehran. But behind the scenes, Trump officials had been working to get Israel to back off its offensive, concerned that it could undermine their peace efforts with Iran.
Trump himself had pushed for the two sides to talk, posting late Wednesday, “Trying to get a little breathing room between Israel and Lebanon. It has been a long time since the two leaders have spoken.”
After announcing the ceasefire, Trump said he’d invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to the White House for peace talks, which would mark the first time leaders of the countries have spoken directly in decades.
What to know about the fragile ceasefire in Lebanon
Fireworks and celebratory gunfire rang out in the Lebanese capital Beirut as a 10-day ceasefire went into effect at midnight local time. But just hours later, the Lebanese army had accused Israel of violating the ceasefire by firing on several villages in the south.
The agreement to pause hostilities followed days of pressure by the US on Israel, as the ongoing fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, the Lebanon-based, Iran-backed paramilitary group, threatened to derail the shaky ceasefire between the US and Iran.
Hezbollah will abide by the truce if Israel does, leading Hezbollah legislator Ibrahim Moussawi told CNN. Trump urged Hezbollah to “act nicely” and embrace peace.
Here’s what else to know about the fragile truce:
- Trump invites leaders to DC: Trump said Thursday he invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to the White House for more peace talks. He told reporters the meeting — which would be the first between Israeli and Lebanese heads of state in nearly 44 years — could take place “over the next week or two.”
- Israel warns residents: Israel’s military warned residents of southern Lebanon not to move south of the Litani River for their “safety.” Prior to the ceasefire, Israel demolished the final crossing over the river, , cutting off tens of thousands of residents in the south from crucial aid links, Lebanese state media reported. Netanyahu said Israeli forces will not withdraw from positions in southern Lebanon during the truce.
- Vance’s role: Vice President JD Vance played a role in brokering the ceasefire, a senior administration official told CNN. Vance “pushed the Israelis for days to be more careful in Lebanon,” the official said, adding that the vice president believed an end to the loss of life in Lebanon could calm regional tensions.
- Israel retains right to self-defense: Israel reserves the right “to take all necessary measures in self-defense,” according to a six-point statement on the truce released by the State Department. It describes the initial ceasefire as “as a gesture of goodwill” by Israel and said it is “intended to enable good-faith negotiations toward a permanent security and peace agreement between Israel and Lebanon.”
CNN’s Kristen Holmes, Jennifer Hansler, Tamara Qiblawi, Michael Rios, Dalia Abdelwahab, Hira Humayun, Mohammed Tawfeeq and Adam Cancryn contributed reporting.
Chicago cardinal responds to Trump's criticism of Pope Leo
Archbishop of Chicago Cardinal Blase J. Cupich talks with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour about Pope Leo’s comments after President Donald Trump attacked the pontiff for his stance on the war with Iran.
Archbishop of Chicago Cardinal Blase J. Cupich talks with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour about Pope Leo’s comments after President Donald Trump attacked the pontiff for his stance on the war with Iran.
