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• Follow the latest updates on the war with Iran here.
What we know so far
• New strikes after ceasefire announcement: Missile attacks were reported across the Gulf region and Israel shortly after President Donald Trump announced he’d agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran. An official says that the US military has paused strikes on Iran.
• Strait of Hormuz: Iran’s military will coordinate passage of vessels through the critical Strait of Hormuz during the ceasefire, Iran’s foreign minister said. Trump said reopening the strait was a key condition of the ceasefire deal.
• What happens next? Pakistan’s prime minister has invited delegations from both Iran and the US to Islamabad for talks on Friday. Earlier Tuesday, Pakistan proposed the two-week ceasefire to allow for diplomacy.
• Lebanon not included: Israel said it would suspend strikes against Iran but claimed Lebanon was not part of the ceasefire, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office.
Trump says US will help with “traffic buildup” through Strait of Hormuz
President Donald Trump on Wednesday said the US will be “helping with the traffic buildup in the Strait of Hormuz,” just hours after announcing a two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran contingent on the “COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING” of the critical waterway.
“There will be lots of positive action! Big money will be made,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social just after midnight. “Iran can start the reconstruction process. We’ll be loading up with supplies of all kinds, and just ‘hangin’ around’ in order to make sure that everything goes well. I feel confident that it will.”
Trump did not offer specific details about how the US would help in the strait. CNN has reached out to the White House for additional information.
Trump also celebrated: “A big day for World Peace! Iran wants it to happen, they’ve had enough! Likewise, so has everyone else!”
Background: Earlier, Iran’s foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz during the two-week period “will be possible via coordination with Iran’s Armed Forces and with due consideration of technical limitations.”
Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world’s oil typically travels, has largely stalled since the start of the war.
Trump has previously floated the possibility of joint US-Iranian control of the strait, telling CNN last month, “It’ll be jointly controlled. Me and the Ayatollah, whoever the Ayatollah is, whoever the next Ayatollah is.”
Iran's uranium will be "perfectly taken care of," Trump says
US President Donald Trump said Iran’s uranium will be “perfectly taken care of” in an interview with AFP news agency Tuesday following the ceasefire announcement.
Some context: Iran’s large stockpile of highly enriched uranium – a core component needed to build a nuclear weapon – has been a major concern during the war. US officials told the Wall Street Journal last month Trump was weighing a military operation to extract the uranium, though no decision had been made.
“That will be perfectly taken care of or I wouldn’t have settled,” Trump told AFP Tuesday, without giving more details.
Trump claims "total and complete victory" following Iran ceasefire deal
President Donald Trump said the US had won a “total and complete victory” after striking a two-week ceasefire deal with Iran.
“Total and complete victory. 100 percent. No question about it,” he said in an interview with AFP news agency Tuesday.
Trump would not say whether he planned to fulfill his prior threats to destroy Iran’s civilian infrastructure if Tehran reneged on the agreement.
“You’re going to have to see,” Trump told AFP.
Trump says he believes China helped get Iran to negotiate ceasefire
President Donald Trump said he believes China helped get Iran to negotiate a ceasefire, AFP news agency reported.
“I hear yes,” Trump said in a telephone call when asked by AFP if Beijing had been involved in pushing Tehran – a key ally – to negotiate on a truce.
Asked for comment on reports Beijing had nudged Iran towards the ceasefire, a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington told CNN that since the conflict began China had “been working to help bring about a ceasefire and end to the conflict.”
“China welcomes all efforts conducive to peace,” Liu Pengyu told CNN.
“We hope relevant parties will seize the opportunity for peace, bridge differences through dialogue and put an early end to the conflict.”
CNN has reached out to China’s foreign affairs ministry for comment.
Beijing previously played a key part in brokering a rapprochement between Iran and longtime rival Saudi Arabia in 2023. And Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s alternative vision for international security includes Beijing as a mediator.
Simone McCarthy contributed reporting
US, Israeli flags set on fire in Tehran as Iranians express skepticism over ceasefire
Iranians gathered in the streets of Tehran in the pre-dawn darkness on Wednesday after the ceasefire was announced –– though several voiced skepticism about the agreement.
Videos from the scene show some people burning American and Israeli flags, an action often seen at pro-regime rallies in Iran. Others waved the Iranian flag and held photos of Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and his slain father, former leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“America has shown itself a hundred times till now, we have gone to the negotiation table twice when it attacked us, said one woman at the scene, according to Reuters. She added that the US could use this ceasefire to “re-power itself.”
“Is the nature of America going to change? I have no idea why they have accepted … like always, they want to buy time for Israel,” she said.
Another woman questioned why Iran should declare a ceasefire, and why it should reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported.
In recent weeks, senior Iranian regime figures have repeatedly voiced their reluctance to trust the US in negotiations in public statements, pointing out that Iran had been attacked while it was negotiating with Washington when the war began – and when the 12-day conflict broke out last year.
Ceasefire deal does not include Lebanon, Israel says
Lebanon is not part of the two-week ceasefire between the US, Israel and Iran, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office.
“Israel supports President Trump’s decision to suspend strikes against Iran for two weeks subject to Iran immediately opening the straits and stopping all attacks on the US, Israel and countries in the region,” said a statement from Netanyahu’s office Wednesday.
“The two-weeks ceasefire does not include Lebanon,” it added.
Israel’s position is contrary to a statement from Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who helped broker the deal between the US and Iran, that said the agreement included Lebanon. US President Donald Trump made no mention of Lebanon in his statement. CNN has sought clarification from the White House.
The statement from Netanyahu’s office is the first comment from Israel’s leader since the ceasefire was announced.
Some context: Alongside its war on Iran with the US, Israel has been conducting a major military campaign in southern Lebanon since early March, targeting Iran-backed Hezbollah militants. At least 1,530 people have been killed by Israeli attacks in Lebanon since March 2, Lebanon’s health ministry said Tuesday, including 130 children.
Iran and Oman to charge ships passing through Strait of Hormuz during ceasefire, state media says
Iran and Oman plan to charge transit fees for vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz during the two-week ceasefire, according to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency.
The funds will be earmarked for reconstruction, Tasnim reported.
CNN has asked Oman’s foreign ministry for comment.
The strait has been effectively closed since the war began, with maritime tracking data showing that only about 5% of the pre-war volume of shipping is getting through. Some tankers have been able to pass through; for instance, Pakistan and India have negotiated with Iran for guaranteed passage of some of their flagged vessels.
Iran has reportedly been charging up to $2 million per vessel for passage trough Hormuz. It’s unclear if any ship operators have paid the fee.
White House deems two-week ceasefire "a victory for the United States"
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called the two-week ceasefire “a victory for the United States,” as she touted the US military’s efforts in the war with Iran.
“We have achieved and exceeded our core military objectives in 38 days,” she said on social media. “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. Additionally, President Trump got the Strait of Hormuz reopened.”
“Never underestimate President Trump’s ability to successfully advance America’s interests and broker peace,” Leavitt added.
Iran has issued multiple statements on the ceasefire. Here's what they say
Iranian officials have released multiple statements in both Farsi and English following the breakthrough announcement of a two week ceasefire with the United States.
Here’s what they say:
Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi released a statement on X that declared: “If attacks against Iran are halted, our Powerful Armed Forces will cease their defensive operations.”
Araghchi said that the country’s military will coordinate safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz during the ceasefire. He also said Iran was considering the 15-point proposal of the United States and said that Washington had accepted “the general framework” of Iran’s own 10-point proposal “as a basis for negotiations.”
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, the country’s top security body, released a more fiery statement that confirmed the ceasefire but also portrayed the agreement as a victory.
The statement was obtained by CNN from Iranian officials and reported on by multiple Iranian state media outlets.
The security council statement said talks between the US and Iran would take place in Islamabad and laid out key parts of Tehran’s 10-point plan. It included regulating passage through the Strait of Hormuz; terminating attacks on Iran and its regional proxy forces, the withdrawal of US forces from the region, compensation to Iran, the lifting of international sanctions and unfreezing of assets as well as and a binding UN resolution to secure any ultimate peace deal.
Versions of the security council’s statement that were widely distributed by Iranian state media in both Farsi and in English also included that the US has agreed in principle to accept Iran’s right to nuclear enrichment.
For context: Iran’s Supreme National Security Council is the primary body tasked with overseeing Iran’s national security interests and protecting its Islamic revolution. It is stacked with senior figures from the country’s security, military, and clerical establishment.
Asian markets surge on news of ceasefire
Equity markets in Asia, the first to open since the announcement of the two-week ceasefire, jumped on Wednesday morning, while oil prices plummeted, as investors wait to see if Iran will lift its effective blockade in the critical Strait of Hormuz.
Japan’s benchmark index Nikkei 225 surged 4.9% as of 10:41 am local time, while South Korea’s Kospi gained 5.7%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index rose 2.8%.
US West Texas Intermediate crude futures plunged more than 13% after hours to less than $98 a barrel - a significant drop, but still well above the $67.02 settled on February 27, before the war began. Brent crude futures, the global benchmark, declined 12.78% to $95.31.
But analysts warned that uncertainty remained over the extent of the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world’s oil traffic usually travels. Questions are also swirling over whether proposed US-Iran talks will lead to a durable end to the war.
Trump derides Iran statement claiming victory and outlining 10-point plan as a “fraud”
President Donald Trump tonight derided a statement from Iran’s Supreme National Security Council that claimed victory in the ceasefire deal as a “FRAUD,” attacking CNN for reporting on it.
The statement, which said Iran achieved a great victory and forced the United States to accept its 10-point plan as a basis for negotiations, was obtained by CNN from Iranian officials and reported on multiple Iranian state media outlets.
“The alleged Statement put out by CNN World News is a FRAUD, as CNN well knows,” Trump wrote. “The false Statement was linked to a Fake News site (from Nigeria) and, of course, immediately picked up by CNN, and blared out as a ‘legitimate’ headline.”
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council is the primary body tasked with overseeing Iran’s national security interests and protecting its Islamic revolution. It is stacked with senior figures from the country’s security, military, and clerical establishment. Until recently it was headed by Ali Larijani, a top security official who was assassinated last month by Israel and was a key architect of the country’s military and diplomatic strategy since the start of the conflict with the US and Israel.
Trump pointed instead to another, shorter statement from Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, which did not claim victory and confirmed passage through the Strait of Hormuz would be safe for the next two weeks.
Top House Democrat says two-week ceasefire is "insufficient"
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Tuesday night renewed his call for Congress to come back into session and vote to end the war with Iran, telling CNN the two-week ceasefire deal is “insufficient.”
“We need a permanent end to Donald Trump’s reckless war of choice, which is why House Democrats have demanded that Speaker Mike Johnson immediately reconvene the House back into session so we can move a war powers resolution that will end this conflict permanently,” Jeffries said on “Anderson Cooper 360.”
Earlier today, ahead of the original 8 p.m. ET deadline for Iran to make a deal and open the Strait of Hormuz, House Democratic leaders issued a joint statement calling on their Republican colleagues to return to session and vote to end the US war with Iran.
Jeffries said tonight that if a vote doesn’t happen this week, House Democratic leadership plans to present a war powers resolution “as soon as it becomes available to us to do so.”
Rubio announces release of kidnapped American journalist Shelly Kittleson
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said today that kidnapped American journalist Shelly Kittleson has been released by a pro-Iran militia in Iraq.
CNN previously reported that Kittleson had been released, according to a senior Iraqi government official.
“We are relieved that this American is now free and are working to support her safe departure from Iraq,” Rubio wrote.
Kittleson, a reporter specializing in the Middle East, had been taken captive by Kataib Hezbollah last month.
Pakistan helped broker the US-Iran ceasefire. Here’s why it could be a good venue for any peace talks
Pakistan has emerged as a major mediator between the US and Iran in recent weeks – with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif presenting the ceasefire plan to US President Donald Trump late Tuesday, which both countries have now agreed to.
Afterward, Sharif invited delegations from the US and Iran to Islamabad for further talks on Friday. US sources also told CNN that the Trump administration is preparing for potential in-person negotiations, likely in Islamabad.
There are several reasons why Pakistan would be an ideal venue for a meeting. It shares a long border and cultural and religious ties with Iran, and is home to the largest population of Shia Muslims outside of Iran.
Unlike Islamic countries in the Gulf, it does not host any US military bases, and has not been targeted by Iranian missiles and drones. Iran has also allowed some of its ships to pass through its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Islamabad has also re-emerged as an important US partner during Trump’s second term, thanks partly to the huge trove of rare earths and critical minerals it claims to be sitting on, which has sparked interest in Washington.
Trump’s also struck up a close rapport with the head of its powerful military, Asim Munir, whom he has met multiple times and refers to as his “favorite field marshal.”
Pakistan also has its own incentives for de-escalation, given its dependence on Middle Eastern energy supplies.
Several other nations, including Egypt, Turkey and Saudi Arabia, have acted as mediators between the warring countries.
Graham says Congress would need to approve the proposal to end Iran war
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, one of President Donald Trump’s fiercest advocates for military action in Iran, said that Congress will have to approve any proposal to end the war.
“As to an Iranian ten point proposal to end the war, I look forward to reviewing it at the appropriate time and its submission to Congress for a vote, like we did with the Obama JCPOA,” Graham posted on X, referring to the United States’ 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran.
“I want to reaffirm that from my point of view, every ounce of the approximately 900 lbs. of highly enriched uranium has to be controlled by the U.S. and removed from Iran to prevent them in the future from having a dirty bomb or returning to the enrichment business,” Graham added.
The White House has not detailed what the 10-point plan consists of, but press secretary Karoline Leavitt called it a “workable basis to negotiate.”
“We must remember that the Strait of Hormuz was attacked by Iran after the start of the war, destroying freedom of navigation. Going forward, it is imperative Iran is not rewarded for this hostile act against the world,” Graham said.
Later, the South Carolina Republican posted that he prefers “diplomacy if it leads to the right outcome regarding the Iranian terrorist regime.”
“At this early stage, I am extremely cautious regarding what is fact vs. fiction or misrepresentation. That’s why a congressional review process like the one the Senate followed to test the Obama Iranian deal is a sound way forward,” he said.
This post has been updated with additional comments from Graham.
Israel still carrying out strikes in Iran, military spokesperson tells CNN
Israel is still carrying out strikes in Iran, an Israeli military spokesperson has told CNN.
Israel is part of the ceasefire and has agreed to also suspend its bombing campaign while negotiations continue, a senior White House official earlier told CNN.
Missile attacks reported across Gulf and Israel after ceasefire announced
Sirens are sounding across the Gulf and in Israel as several countries report incoming missiles early Wednesday after President Donald Trump said the US had agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran.
Both Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates said they were working to intercept incoming drone and missile threats in posts to X from their respective militaries.
In Abu Dhabi, authorities said they were responding to a fire at the Habshan gas processing facility.
Qatar’s Ministry of Defense said it had successfully intercepted a missile attack.
Bahrain’s Interior Ministry said sirens were sounding and encouraged residents to seek safety, while Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defense issued an early warning of potential danger in the central governorate of Al-Kharj.
Israel’s military said it had identified several rounds of missiles launched from Iran and was working to intercept the threats. Emergency teams were responding to several impact sites in central Israel, according to Israel’s Magen David Adom (MDA).
Some context: Trump announced the ceasefire around 6:30 p.m. ET Tuesday, though he did not specify when it was to take effect.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has issued an order for all military branches to stop firing, Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB reported at around 8:30p.m. ET. During the war, Iran has boasted of a decentralized defense strategy, meaning its various regional military commanders work with a level of autonomy off predetermined target lists. This model means it could take time for the order to reach to individual military units.
Iran's state media says order has been given for all military units to stop firing
Iran’s supreme leader has instructed all military units to stop firing, according to a statement read out on state-run news channel IRIB about two hours after President Donald Trump said the US and Iran had reached a ceasefire deal.
“This is not the end of the war but all military branches should follow the Supreme Leader order and cease their fire,” said the statement
Pakistani leader hails Iran ceasefire agreement, invites US and Iran for further talks
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif welcomed the announcement of a ceasefire and invited the leadership of the US and Iran to come to his country for further talks to “settle all disputes.”
“I warmly welcome the sagacious gesture and extend deepest gratitude to the leadership of both the countries,” Sharif said in a statement on X.
Sharif invited delegations from both Iran and the US to engage in further negotiations “to settle all disputes” in Islamabad on Friday, April 10.
“We earnestly hope that the ‘Islamabad Talks’ succeed in achieving sustainable peace and wish to share more good news in coming days!” he said.
Pakistan has positioned itself as a peace broker in the conflict, leveraging its stable ties with Tehran and Washington. It shares a long border and cultural and religious ties with Iran and is home to the largest population of Shia Muslims outside of that country.
