Here's the latest
• Diplomatic push: Iranian officials and Pakistan’s military chief will meet in Tehran today to discuss messages exchanged between Iran and the US. Yesterday, the White House expressed optimism about reaching a deal, noting that a potential second round of talks would likely be held in Pakistan.
• Pentagon briefing: US Central Command chief Adm. Brad Cooper said that troops in the Middle East are “rearming” despite the ceasefire.
• Israel-Lebanon developments: Lebanon’s president is not speaking today with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to a Lebanese official, despite US President Donald Trump’s assertion that they would. Israel has also destroyed a bridge in southern Lebanon, the last link for thousands of people to the rest of the country.
• Naval blockade: Iran’s military has threatened shipping in the Red Sea if the US continues its blockade of Iranian ports. Reports on traffic through the Strait of Hormuz differ, though the trade chokepoint remains effectively shut.
Hegseth says China has assured US it will not send Iran weapons
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth responded to reporting that China is planning to ship weapons to Iran, saying the US has been assured that will not happen.
“President Trump has a very strong and direct relationship with (China President Xi Jinping), and they communicated on that. China’s assured us that that is not going to happen,” Hegseth said at a press conference today.
CNN exclusively reported last week that US intelligence indicates that China is preparing to deliver new air defense systems to Iran within the next few weeks, according to three people familiar with recent intelligence assessments.
Trump in an interview that aired Wednesday said he had exchanged letters with China’s president.
“He responded to a letter that I wrote because I had heard that China is giving weapons to — I mean, you seeing it all over the place — to Iran,” Trump said, adding, “I wrote him a letter asking him not to do that and he wrote me a letter saying that essentially he’s not doing that.”
Trump is planning to visit Beijing to meet with Xi in May.
US commander says troops are "rearming" amid ceasefire
US Central Command chief Adm. Brad Cooper said during a news briefing Thursday that troops in the Middle East are “rearming” amid the ceasefire.
Cooper, who oversees US forces in the Middle East, said his “personal assessment” from his recent trips to the region, including one he took during the ceasefire, is “our troops are highly motivated.”
Lebanon's president declines to speak with Netanyahu, despite Trump saying they would
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has declined to speak to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a Lebanese official told CNN, after US President Donald Trump said the two leaders were set to hold historic talks.
“We told America we aren’t ready to take that step,” the official told CNN.
Officials in Lebanon have told Israel and the US they would not seek further negotiations until a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah is reached. Israel’s security cabinet met on Wednesday to discuss a possible truce.
Earlier on Thursday, Israeli officials said Netanyahu and Aoun were scheduled to talk – after Israel and Lebanon held their first direct discussions in more than four decades in Washington, DC, this week. Trump also said the leaders of Israel and Lebanon would speak in a social media post – without giving any details on where or how they would communicate.
Israel has said it is not yet seeking to end its war with the Iran-backed group, which has killed more than 2,167 people and uprooted over 1.2 million residents from their homes.
Hegseth warns Iranian regime to "choose wisely" or face continued blockade
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned Iranian leaders that the blockade of Iranian ports and economic pressure would continue unless they “choose wisely.”
“In the meantime and for as long as it takes, we will maintain this successful blockade. But if Iran chooses poorly, then they will have a blockade and bombs dropping on infrastructure and power and energy,” Hegseth said at a news conference this morning, adding that the Treasury Department is “maximizing economic pressure” as well.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan Caine reiterated Hegseth’s remarks, saying, “I’d like to emphasize during this pause that the United States joint force remains postured and ready to resume major combat.”
The Pentagon is holding a briefing
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine are briefing reporters at the Pentagon.
Adm. Brad Cooper, the commander of US Central Command, which oversees US forces in the Middle East, is also at the briefing.
We’ll bring you updates as we get them.
A Lebanon ceasefire is as important as an Iran truce, Iran's parliament speaker says
Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, one of the country’s most senior surviving civilian leaders, reiterated Tehran’s commitment to a ceasefire in Lebanon today.
“We have seriously pursued efforts to compel the enemies to establish a permanent ceasefire in all conflict zones, because for us, a ceasefire in Lebanon is as important as a ceasefire in Iran,” he said in a phone call to his Lebanese counterpart Nabih Berri, according to Iran’s state-affiliated news agency Fars.
“We have never forgotten our Lebanese brothers and consider them part of ourselves,” he added.
While a fragile ceasefire has paused the fighting in Iran and the Gulf, Israel has continued striking Lebanon, including last week’s violent assault which caused the country’s deadliest days since 2024. Tehran, and key mediator Pakistan, said the strikes violated the truce while Israel and the US insisted Lebanon was not included in the deal.
During the call, Berri and Ghalibaf also discussed Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon which are “similar to what occurred in the Gaza Strip,” a statement released by Berri’s political party alleged.
Israel’s continued bombardment of Lebanon comes even as regional officials push for diplomatic solutions to end the conflict there.
CNN’s Charbel Mallo contributed reporting.
Israel destroys last bridge over Litani River, completely isolating communities in the south
The Israeli military demolished the final crossing over the Litani River, which bisects Lebanon, on Thursday, according to Lebanese state media, cutting off tens of thousands of residents in the south from crucial aid links.
Israeli forces launched “two consecutive airstrikes” on the Qasmiyeh Bridge connecting the coastal city of Sidon to the southern city of Tyre, “completely destroying it,” the Lebanese National News Agency (NNA) reported.
“Prior to these airstrikes, a drone had also carried out two separate attacks near the same bridge,” NNA said.
A series of huge explosions lined the horizon near the bridge on Thursday, in footage from the aftermath, as huge clouds of smoke tumbled through green pastures.
The Israeli military claimed to CNN that forces “did not target” the bridge, but added that they did attack “in its vicinity.”
Israel has intensified deadly strikes in southern Lebanon recent days – even as regional officials push for a direct call between Israeli and Lebanese leaders to end the violence. Just on Wednesday, the Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir told troops to turn neighborhoods south of the Litani River into a “no-go zone for Hezbollah operatives.” Human rights advocates have repeatedly warned that Israeli attacks on vital infrastructure for civilians trying to access medical care, food and relief in Lebanon may amount to war crimes.
Between March 12 and April 8, 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), making the Qasmiyeh Bridge the “sole main remaining operational crossing” as of April 10.
“These strikes had significantly limited the ability of civilians to move safely and of state institutions, humanitarian organizations, hospitals, and healthcare facilities to deliver aid and provide medical care,” HRW added.
CNN’s Eugenia Yosef contributed reporting.
These are the sticking points that remain for a possible US-Iran deal
The US and Iran may be closing in on a deal, but key negotiating points around nuclear enrichment and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz could slow it down. CNN’s Nick Paton Walsh explains how both sides could reach a deal they can sell as a victory:
The US and Iran may be closing in on a deal, but key negotiating points around nuclear enrichment and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz could slow it down. CNN’s Nick Paton Walsh explains how both sides could reach a deal they can sell as a victory.
Clock ticking on global food crisis if strait shipping not restored, UN economist warns
“The clock is ticking” on a looming global food crisis as disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz are beginning to hit planting seasons worldwide, a United Nations economist has warned.
“Right now, we have a set of countries which are already in planting season, like Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, India, Sudan, Kenya,” plus Brazil and Thailand, said Maximo Torero, chief economist of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.
Even if a deal to reopen the strait is reached within the coming days, Torero warned the damage is underway and critical 90-day window is required to restart trade and allow markets to absorb the damages in the coming months.
“If they come to a deal, then we are in the window of 0 to 90 days. This is a critical window and will imply that in three to four months, markets could absorb most of the damage and distribution of fertilizers will move forward. That could calm the situation and avoid a potential food crisis,” he said.
Lebanese presidency “not aware” of call between Aoun and Netanyahu
The Lebanese presidency is “not aware of any call” between Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a spokesperson said Thursday, hours after US and Israeli officials posited direct talks between the two leaders.
“We are not aware of any call occurring; if one does happen, they will make an announcement,” a spokesperson for Aoun told CNN.
Earlier on Thursday, Israeli officials said Netanyahu and Aoun were scheduled to talk — after Israel and Lebanon held their first direct discussions in more than four decades in Washington, DC, this week.
US President Donald Trump also said the leaders of Israel and Lebanon would speak in a social media post — without giving any details on where or how they would communicate.
As diplomacy gathers pace, where is Iran’s supreme leader?
For decades, the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was the omnipresent voice of Iranian decision-making. Not a week passed without a speech, a ruling, a carefully timed intervention. During the Obama-era negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program he was very visible, sometimes derailing his own diplomats.
But all this changed following his assassination and the hasty appointment of his son Mojtaba as successor.
Iranians have not seen him or heard their new leader. His first purported message was read aloud by a state television anchor over a still photograph.
With the US and Iran now actively pursuing diplomacy it is an open question what, if any, role Khamenei the younger is playing. Is he in the loop? is he setting the parameters, drawing the red lines his negotiators need? Or is the office of the leadership functionally vacant, and the absence less a strategic choice than a political reality?
We simply do not know and Iran’s opaque political system makes finding answers all the more difficult. But the longer Khamenei stays out of the public eye, the louder the questions will become.
Until now, a deal without a supreme leader’s blessing was not a deal the Iranian body politic could hold together. Have we entered a new phase in Iranian politics where the visible buy-in of the leader is no longer required?
"Wait for death": Inside Iran’s psychological war against its enemies
In a country that bore the brunt of Iranian attacks as Tehran retaliated against Israel and the United States, authorities say the nation also faced barrages of a more insidious nature.
The UAE had already noticed a sharp spike in cyberattacks weeks before the war, Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, the head of cybersecurity for the UAE Government, told state media last month. In the early days of the war, he said, cyber-attacks from Iranian proxies grew to 500,000 a day, mostly targeting critical infrastructure
During the war, Iran and its proxies launched thousands of missiles and drones at as many as 12 American-allied states in retaliation against US-Israeli strikes on its territory. But it’s on the less visible front – the psychological and information war – where Tehran has had an outsized impact.
Read more about Iran’s psychological war on its enemies here.
Investors' bet "war is over" drives stocks higher, keeps a lid on oil prices
Stock markets are buoyant today as, for traders, signs that US-Iran talks are gaining momentum outweigh Iranian threats to disrupt shipping in the Red Sea.
Meanwhile, oil prices are rising but remain well below $100 a barrel. By 6 a.m. ET, Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was 1.7% higher at $96.5 a barrel. WTI, the US benchmark, rose 1.6% to $92.7 a barrel.
US stock futures pointed to a stronger open. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite closed at record highs Wednesday, capping off a recovery that has seen the indexes erase all losses tied to the US-Israeli war with Iran.
The rally continued in Asia, where major indexes closed higher Thursday. Leading European indexes were also positive in morning trade.
“Stocks have advanced to record highs as investors bet the war is over,” Neil Wilson, a strategist at online trading platform Saxo, wrote in a note. The actual route out of the conflict remained less important to traders “than the direction of travel,” he added.
The White House on Wednesday expressed optimism about reaching a deal with Tehran, noting that a potential second round of talks would likely be held in Pakistan. The leaders of Israel and Lebanon will also speak today for the first time in decades, according to US President Donald Trump and an Israeli official.
The diplomatic push comes as Iran has threatened to shut down shipping in the Red Sea if the United States continues its blockade of the country’s ports. That risks shutting off a vital new channel for Saudi Arabian oil exports and putting more upward pressure on oil prices.
Bank of England sees higher inflation in many countries, no UK interest rate cuts in 2026
Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey has warned that the energy crunch precipitated by the war with Iran will drive up prices in many countries and likely take interest rate cuts off the table in the United Kingdom.
“This is a very big energy shock,” he told the BBC in a broadcast interview Wednesday on the sidelines of the annual Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank in Washington, DC. For many parts of the world, “inflation is going to be higher and (the war) is going to have a negative effect on (economic) activity,” he said.
Higher inflation and weaker economic growth have left central banks with a “very difficult trade-off,” Bailey added. Before the war, he had expected “one or two” interest rate cuts this year in the UK, but that was no longer the BOE’s central forecast.
On the other hand, the central bank will not rush to raise interest rates but would rather wait to see how the war impacts the UK economy and inflation. “It’s really too early to form strong judgments on that,” he said.
Meanwhile, UK finance minister Rachel Reeves said it was a “mistake” for the United States to have ended talks with Iran and launched the war in the first place. “I’m not convinced that we are safer today than we were a few weeks ago,” she said Wednesday at the Invest In America Forum in Washington, DC.
A call between the leaders of Israel and Lebanon would be historic. Now it needs results
A direct call between the leaders of Israel and Lebanon would no doubt be an historic moment in the modern Middle East, especially in the midst of ongoing conflicts in Iran, Gaza, and in Lebanon itself.
Years of conflict, which includes Israel’s occupation of southern Lebanon from 1982-2000, mean that the two sides have no diplomatic ties.
But the question is whether this call will bring about real results, as the US is pushing for a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, and potentially a broader peace agreement. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun are expected to talk on Thursday, though the timing of the call is unclear. Lebanon’s presidency is yet to comment.
The war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon is still very much an active conflict — Israel is carrying out deadly strikes as the Iranian proxy launches rockets and drones.
But President Donald Trump wants a ceasefire, pressuring Israel recently to scale back its strikes in Lebanon. Israel, which has long been skeptical of the Lebanese government’s willingness or ability to deal with Hezbollah, has set the bar for an agreement high, including the disarmament of Hezbollah.
The US hosted direct talks between Israel and Lebanon on Tuesday, and Israel’s security cabinet discussed a ceasefire on Wednesday evening. Trump is eyeing a bigger deal with Iran, and Tehran is demanding a stop the fighting in Lebanon as part of the agreement.
Trump first announced the call between Netanyahu and Aoun on social media, saying it may provide “a little breathing room” between Israel and Lebanon. He also said it had been “like 34 years” since the two leaders have spoken, though it’s unclear to what contact or conversation he was referring.
In 1982, Israeli Prime Minister Menahem Begin met Lebanese President-elect Bachir Gemayel. Two weeks later, Gemayel was assassinated.
Pakistan keeping “open channels” between Iran and the US amid push for ceasefire extension
Pakistani officials have sustained “open channels of communication” between the US and Iran, a Pakistani government spokesperson said Wednesday, less than a week before a fragile truce between the warring parties is set to expire.
Pakistan is a key mediator in the conflict and is pushing for a second round of talks between Tehran and Washington to extend the two-week deal and definitively end the violence, which has killed thousands of people and uprooted communities from their homes.
Andrabi said Tehran’s nuclear program was among the issues being discussed but added no dates have been decided for more talks.
On Wednesday, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif embarked on a four-day tour to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey — after talks between Washington and Tehran failed to yield an agreement. That same day, Pakistan’s army chief landed in Tehran to bring Iran and the US back to the table.
Sharif also spoke to leaders from Qatar, Italy, the UK and Germany as part of “intense diplomatic exchanges with his counterparts across the globe,” Andrabi said.
US President Donald Trump raised the possibility of further talks on Tuesday, telling the New York Post that “something could be happening” in Pakistan over the coming days – without naming a specific date or time.
US military releases audio of its warning to ships in the Gulf of Oman
The US military appeared to release radio communications of American forces telling vessels in the Gulf of Oman to “discontinue transit to Iran” amid its blockade of Iranian ports.
The US military appeared to release radio communications of American forces telling vessels in the Gulf of Oman to “discontinue transit to Iran” amid the ongoing US blockade on Iranian ports.
Leaders of Israel and Lebanon to speak today, Israeli official tells CNN
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will speak with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun Thursday, an Israeli official told CNN.
Continued fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has threatened to derail the fragile ceasefire reached between the US, Israel and Iran. On Wednesday an Israeli source told CNN the Israeli security cabinet was to discuss a possible ceasefire with Lebanon.
Israel and Lebanon held their first direct talks in 40 years this week in Washington, DC. But fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has continued despite the negotiations.
On Thursday morning, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Arabic spokesperson issued an urgent evacuation warning to residents of southern Lebanon who are located south of the Zahrani River.
“Staying south of the Zahrani River may put your life and the lives of your families at risk,” the warning said.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah said it “engaged in direct fire clashes” with Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon near Qantara town Thursday morning, according to a statement posted to Telegram.
Trump said in a post to social media Wednesday night that the leaders of Israel and Lebanon were set to speak Thursday for the first time in decades.
Rare and expensive US Navy drone lost over Persian Gulf, data shows
The US Navy appears to have lost one of its most expensive aircraft over the Persian Gulf last week.
A report from Navy Safety Command released Tuesday lists an MQ-4C Triton drone as crashed on April 9. The location of the crash is shown as undisclosed, for operational security reasons.
A CNN search of data from flight tracker FlightRadar24 shows an MQ-4C departing Naval Air Station Sigonella in Italy and disappearing over the Persian Gulf on April 9.
The aircraft had been flying over the Strait of Hormuz, but after it left the skies over the strait, it dropped from an altitude of 50,000 feet to 9,000 feet, before losing radar contact.
Flight data shows the Triton squawking 7400 during its flight, meaning contact with its pilot on the ground had been lost, and then 7700 – indicating an emergency – about 70 minutes later as it dropped to 44,000 feet. It continued squawking at 7700 until 10:12 a.m. UTC when it dropped off radar at an altitude of 9,250 feet.
The reason for the loss cannot be determined from the flight tracking data, and the Navy has only released the information that an MQ-4C crashed.
Manufacturer Northrop Grumman calls the Triton “the world’s premier unmanned maritime intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and targeting aircraft.”
Powered by a jet engine and with a range of 8,500 miles, the MQ-4C can stay aloft for more than 24 hours.
The drone is one of the rarest aircraft in the Navy fleet – Northrop Grumman says it has produced just 20 of them – and also one of the most expensive at about $240 million per unit. That’s more than double the price of an F-35C stealth fighter jet.
Trump says leaders of Israel and Lebanon to speak today
President Donald Trump said the leaders of Israel and Lebanon will speak on Thursday.
He did not give any details on where or how they would speak.
Lebanon’s presidency declined to comment. CNN has reached out to the Israeli prime minister’s office and the Lebanese prime minister’s office.
Israel and Lebanon held their first direct talks in 40 years this week in Washington, DC. But fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has continued despite the negotiations.
On Thursday morning, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Arabic spokesperson issued an urgent evacuation warning to residents of southern Lebanon who are located south of the Zahrani River.
“Staying south of the Zahrani River may put your life and the lives of your families at risk,” the warning said.
