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. The White House has expressed optimism about reaching a deal, noting that a potential second round of talks would likely be held in Pakistan.
• Latest from the Pentagon: US military officials said troops in the Middle East are “rearming” and stand ready to resume combat if negotiations fail.
• Naval blockade: The Joint Chiefs chairman warned that the US could use force against ships trying to bypass the blockade against Iranian ports, adding that the military will pursue vessels from any country providing “material support” to Iran.
• 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.
Israel strikes ambulance crews multiple times, Lebanese authorities say, killing 4 paramedics
The Israeli military launched three successive attacks on emergency crews handling a relief mission in southern Lebanon, according to Lebanese authorities, killing four paramedics and wounding several others.
CNN has reached out to the Israeli military for comment.
Israel struck rescue teams “three consecutive times” in the town of Mayfadoun, southern Lebanon, on Wednesday, the Lebanese Public Ministry of Health said. At least three paramedics were killed and six others injured, the health ministry added.
That death toll rose to at least four paramedics killed, Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported on Thursday. The crew were “on a relief mission following a raid that targeted the town,” NNA said.
“While they were in the area, they were targeted by a drone strike, which led to the martyrdom of the four paramedics,” the news agency added.
Israeli bombing on Lebanon after the Iran-backed group Hezbollah fired projectiles into Israel on March 2 has flattened neigborhoods and displaced 1.2 million people. Israeli strikes have killed at least 2,196 people in Lebanon, including 172 children and 93 health workers, the Lebanese health ministry reported on Wednesday. In the past 24 hours alone, at least 29 people were killed in Lebanon, the ministry added.
The UN’s human rights office (OHCHR) condemned the attack, warning that medical personnel must be protected under international law. “Intentionally attacking civilians amounts to a war crime. Accountability is essential,” OHCHR posted on X on Thursday.
CNN’s Dana Karni and Tamara Qiblawi contributed reporting.
Iran’s nuclear program presents a tough obstacle for mediator Pakistan
Key mediator Pakistan is intensifying its diplomatic efforts towards resolving the Iran conflict, with the country’s powerful army chief in Tehran and PM Shehbaz Sharif in Qatar. But what are they hoping to achieve?
A central aim is securing a new round of talks, sources close to the negotiations said, after the last round ended last weekend in Islamabad without any agreement. From the Pakistani side, at least, that goal appears on track.
But major obstacles remain, principally Iran’s nuclear program.
The US and Iran have long been at odds on this, with Tehran insisting on its right to peaceful enrichment.
Mediators must try to bridge this gap and resolve thorny questions – should Iran soften its stance – like what should happen to Iran’s nuclear facilities and what, if anything, gets removed.
Talks will succeed or fail on those handful of details, a source said.
Iran will likely be looking to lock in a permanent lifting of sanctions and seeking to save face, which could translate as wanting no more triumphant social media posts from Donald Trump proclaiming Tehran’s surrender.
But getting Iran to foreswear nuclear weapons in such a way that satisfies the Americans is a huge ask for the Pakistani team.
The latest on the flurry of diplomacy over Iran and Israel's strikes in Lebanon
The Israeli military destroyed a key bridge in Lebanon today, according to Lebanese state media, and diplomatic efforts seeking to implement a ceasefire there hit a stumbling block. Meanwhile, a push to bring Iran and the US back to the negotiating table inches forward.
Here’s what to know:
- Litani River: The Israeli military destroyed the last remaining bridge over the Litani River, which bisects Lebanon, according to Lebanese state media, completely isolating tens of thousands of residents in the south of the country. The Israeli military claimed to CNN that forces “did not target” the bridge, but added they did attack “in its vicinity.”
- Diplomatic efforts: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun declined to speak to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a Lebanese official told CNN, after an Israeli official and President Donald Trump said the two leaders were set to hold historic talks. Officials in Lebanon have told Israel and the US they would not seek further negotiations until a ceasefire between Lebanon and Hezbollah is reached.
- Iran’s alliance: As the fighting continues in Lebanon, Iran’s parliament speaker said a ceasefire in Lebanon is as important to Tehran as a truce in their own country. “We have never forgotten our Lebanese brothers and consider them part of ourselves,” he said, according to state-affiliated media.
- Pakistan’s mediation: Pakistani officials have sustained “open channels of communication” between the US and Iran, a spokesperson for the country’s foreign ministry said. Pakistan is pushing for a second round of talks between Tehran and Washington to extend the two-week ceasefire deal. Iranian officials will meet with Pakistan’s military chief as part of a push to resume talks with the US.
- Markets hopeful: Stock markets are buoyant today as traders bet on signs the US-Iran talks are gaining momentum, outweighing, for them, Iranian threats to disrupt shipping in the Red Sea. Oil prices are rising, but remain well below $100 a barrel.
- Flight disruption: Europe faces a raft of flight cancellations if oil supplies remain trapped in the Middle East, International Energy Agency chief Fatih Birol warned today. The continent has “maybe six weeks or so (of) jet fuel left,” he said. Meanwhile, several state-owned Chinese airlines have started quietly canceling international flights as global fuel prices surge.
CNN’s Sylvie Zhuang, Lex Harvey, Tamara Qiblawi, Eugenia Yosef, Charbel Mallo, Sana Noor Haq, Tal Shalev, Sophia Saifi, Hanna Ziady and Olesya Dmitracova contributed reporting.
US military will pursue vessels providing "material support" to Iran in other global regions
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine told reporters at a press conference this morning that the US military will pursue vessels from any country that may be providing “material support” to Iran in other regions.
“In addition to this blockade, the joint force, through operations and activities in other areas of responsibility, like the Pacific Area of Responsibility … will actively pursue any Iranian flagged vessel or any vessel attempting to provide material support to Iran,” Caine told reporters.
“This includes dark fleet vessels carrying Iranian oil. As most of you know, dark fleet vessels are those illicit or illegal ships evading international regulations, sanctions or insurance requirements,” he said.
Caine added that 10,000 sailors, more than a dozen ships and dozens of aircraft are involved in the mission.
Official says travelers in Europe may soon face flight cancellations due to lack of fuel
If oil supplies remain trapped because of the war with Iran, some upcoming flights in Europe may be canceled, the head of the International Energy Agency told the Associated Press today.
Europe has “maybe six weeks or so (of) jet fuel left,” Fatih Birol said, echoing his warning on an April 1 podcast that jet fuel and diesel shortages were likely in Europe this month or by early May.
Speaking today, he said that for Europe, if the Strait of Hormuz isn’t reopened, “soon we will hear the news that some of the flights from city A to city B might be canceled as a result of lack of jet fuel.”
Birol’s forecast of a looming jet fuel shortage is slightly more upbeat than another recent warning: On April 9, ACI Europe, which represents European airports, said Europe was only three weeks away from such a shortage.
Airlines have already been dropping some less profitable flights as jet fuel prices have soared since the start of the war.
US warns ships trying to bypass blockade that it could use force if they do not comply
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan Caine said Thursday that the United States has threatened to board or use force against ships that do not comply with the blockade of vessels coming to or from Iranian ports.
When the blockade started, Caine said “seven ships of interest” were a “concern” for US Central Command as he described the warning issued to vessels attempting to cross the blockade.
He explained that the blockade is impacting “all ships, regardless of nationality” and that enforcement will occur “inside Iran’s territorial seas and in international waters.”
So far, Caine said “13 ships have made the wise choice of turning around” and while the US is prepared to board ships or bring force, “As of this morning, US Central Command has not been required to board any particular ships.”
Hegseth says Iran is digging for "remaining launchers and missiles"
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said during a news briefing Thursday that Iran is “digging out” missiles and launchers from bombed facilities, arguing that the country is unable to “replenish” its military capabilities.
CNN has reported that satellite images have shown earth-moving equipment digging for missile launchers trapped underground amid the ceasefire.
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.
