US-Israel-Iran War Live News Updates: Lebanon, Israel Agree To Ten Day Ceasefire, Says Trump

Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israeli Defence Forces will remain in South Lebanon's buffer zone according to Israeli news agency N12 news agency. 

"In addition to the statement just issued, I will be inviting the Prime Minister of Israel, Bibi Netanyahu, and the President of Lebanon, Joseph Aoun, to the White House for the first meaningful talks between Israel and Lebanon since 1983, a very long time ago. Both sides want to see PEACE, and I believe that will happen, quickly!", Trump said in a post on Truth Social. 

"I just had excellent conversations with the Highly Respected President Joseph Aoun, of Lebanon, and Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, of Israel. These two Leaders have agreed that in order to achieve PEACE between their Countries, they will formally begin a 10 Day CEASEFIRE at 5 P.M. EST. On Tuesday, the two Countries met for the first time in 34 years here in Washington, D.C., with our Great Secretary of State, Marco Rubio. I have directed Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Rubio, together with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Dan Razin' Caine, to work with Israel and Lebanon to achieve a Lasting PEACE. It has been my Honor to solve 9 Wars across the World, and this will be my 10th, so let's, GET IT DONE!", Donald Trump said in a post on Truth Social. 

US Central Command made a post on social media platform 'X' stating that 14 vessels have turned around to comply with the US's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

(Source: Bloomberg)

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modu said that he has discussed the situation in the Middle East and the need to "restore safety and freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz" with France's President Emmanuel Macron.

Received a phone call from my dear friend President Emmanuel Macron. We discussed the situation in West Asia and agreed on the need to urgently restore safety and freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

We will continue our close cooperation to advance peace and stability…

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 16, 2026 

Iran's planned Hormuz toll will be paid via Iranian banks according to ISNA, which cited a parliament official.
 

Iran has told Pakistan that the US must fulfill commitments and drop excessive demands, according to Tasnim News Agency a semi-official news agency associated with Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corp as cited by Bloomberg.

US Joint Chief of Staff Chairman Dan Caine stated that the country will use force on whoever attempts to breaches the blockade (including ones supporting Iran). He also said that 13 ships have turned around due to it.

Caine said that the US will use force on whoever breaches the blockade. Ships that attempt to do so will face an "execution of pre-planned tactics" according to Caine. 

(Source: Bloomberg)

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said that the country will restart its war with Iran, if the latter rejects its deal. He further said that the US will maintain its blockade for "as long as it takes". Hegseth also said that the US will soon launch 'Operation Economic Fury' which will focus on heavy economic sanctions on Iran, targeting its banking and oil sales sectors.

(Source: Bloomberg)

Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun said that a ceasefire with Israel would be a “natural entry point for direct negotiations between the two countries,” at  Britain’s Minister of State for Middle East Affairs.

He also said that talks would be conducted by Lebanon's authorities to maintain the country's sovereignity.

(Source: Al Jazeera)

Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Ghalibaf met with Pakistan's Army Chief Asim Munir in Tehran according to Al Jazeera.

The US will now widen its shipping blockade to include contraband according to an RTRS report cited by Bloomberg.

Israel has carried out two strikes on the Qasmiyeh Bridge, the last bridge between the Tyre and Sidon regions, destroying it, according to Lebanon News Agency as cited by Al Jazeera.

Lebanon's Presidency stated that the US is continuing efforts to reach a ceasefire. Its President Joseph Aoun said that he received a phone call from the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. 

(Source: Bloomberg)

The ongoing Middle East conflict has significantly impacted India's aviation, tourism and hospitality sectors, leading to a 15-20% decline in inbound tourist traffic and an estimated net loss of Rs 18,000 crore for the aviation industry, according to a report released by the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI).

The aviation sector has emerged as the most affected, with airlines facing flight cancellations, airspace restrictions and rerouting of international flights. These disruptions have increased flying time by 2-4 hours on key routes, leading to higher fuel consumption and operating costs. Fuel already accounts for 35-40% of airline operating costs, further straining profitability.

(Source: ANI)

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his government has underwritten the first of two shipments of diesel fuel at prices inflated by the Iran war. Viva Energy is shipping more than 570,000 barrels of diesel from Brunei and South Korea, Albanese said Thursday at a news conference in Kuala Lumpur with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

He said it was “the first of many expected shipments” under his government's new strategic reserve powers.

Under terms announced last week with Australia's only refinery operators, Viva Energy and Ampol, the government will underwrite diesel and gasoline import contracts with prices that could prove commercially unviable.

Smaller fuel companies Park Fuels and IOR have since struck similar deals.

(Source: AP)

Israel's Minister of Science and Technology Gila Gamliel said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will speak with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Thursday, the first time the leaders of the two countries have spoken directly in more than 30 years.

The Prime Minister's Office and the Lebanese government did not immediately comment.

“Today the Prime Minister will speak for the first time with the president of Lebanon after so many years of a complete disconnection in the dialogue between the two countries,” Gamliel, a member of Israel's security cabinet, told Army Radio Thursday morning.
 

Pakistan foreign ministry says no dates decided for the next round of talks between the US and Iran, reports Al Jazeera.
 

BREAKING: Netanyahu to speak with Lebanese president, Israeli official says

🔴 LIVE updates: https://t.co/tEZpPaTj4b pic.twitter.com/tdPrToHVuI

— Al Jazeera Breaking News (@AJENews) April 16, 2026

Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the world is going through a "very serious and tense situation" and stressed that military conflict is not a solution to global crises.  “Today, the entire world is passing through a very serious and tense situation, and its impact is being felt by all of us,” Modi said.  Speaking on India’s position alongside Austria, he added: “In such a tense global environment, India and Austria, we are in agreement that military conflict cannot resolve problems.”  “Whether it is Ukraine or West Asia, we support a stable, sustainable, and lasting peace,” the Prime Minister said.

आज पूरा विश्व एक बहुत ही गंभीर और तनावपूर्ण स्थिति से गुजर रहा हैऔर इसका प्रभाव हम सभी पर पड़ रहा है।

ऐसे तनावपूर्ण वैश्विक माहौल में, भारत और ऑस्ट्रिया, हम एकमत हैं कि, मिलिटरी कॉन्फ्लिक्ट से समस्याओं का समाधान नहीं निकल सकता।

यूक्रेन हो या वेस्ट एशिया, हम एक stable,…

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) April 16, 2026

Lebanon is "not aware" of any upcoming contact with Israel, an official source has told AFP, after US President Donald Trump said the leaders of the two countries would speak on Thursday, AFP reported.

BREAKING Lebanon is "not aware" of any upcoming contact with Israel, an official source has told AFP, after US President Donald Trump said the leaders of the two countries would speak on Thursday pic.twitter.com/kxA6tcEYCH

— AFP News Agency (@AFP) April 16, 2026

Nepali national Amrit Jha, who was taken into custody by Iranian authorities during the ongoing conflict, has been released following an order by a local court, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said. The ministry said the Honorary Consul General of Nepal in Tehran informed that the 33-year-old was freed after legal proceedings and efforts were underway to complete formalities for his return to Nepal.

A resident of Triyuga Municipality in Udaypur district, Jha, a ship captain, was detained by the Iranian military while transporting fuel between Dubai and Iran. According to a report in The Kathmandu Post newspaper, Jha was among crew members taken into custody from Qeshm Island near the Strait of Hormuz, though details of his arrest, including the date and reasons, were not known.

(Source: AP)

Iran transitions all schools to virtual learning starting April 21, reports Al Jazeera.

BREAKING: Iran transitions all schools to virtual learning starting April 21

🔴 LIVE updates: https://t.co/KKc29LBgRR pic.twitter.com/CYBiDnU9Ti

— Al Jazeera Breaking News (@AJENews) April 16, 2026

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif assured the Kingdom of Pakistan's "full solidarity and support" and praised what he described as Saudi Arabia's restraint under the crown prince's leadership. Pakistan has a defense agreement with the Kingdom, which has faced retaliatory attacks from Iran in recent weeks, causing damage.

Paramedic groups say a fourth Lebanese rescue worker has died after three consecutive, targeted strikes by the Israeli military that also wounded six others.

The back-to-back Israeli attacks on the southern village of Mayfadoun, near the bigger town of Nabatiyeh, hit the first group of medics responding to a distress call from wounded civilians, a second group trying to assist their wounded colleagues and a third group rushing to aid the first two teams that had been targeted.

The Israeli military did not respond to a request for comment on the strikes beyond saying it was “looking into” what happened. It has previously accused the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group of using ambulances as cover for militant activities, without offering evidence.

The Israeli Defense Forces to the Arab media, Avichay Adraee, in a post on X, issued an urgent warning to residents of South Lebanon present south of the Zahrani river. The statement read:

• Hezbollah's terrorist activities are forcing the Defense Army to act against it forcefully in that area, and it does not intend to harm you.
• The airstrikes are ongoing as the Defense Army operates with great force in the area. Therefore, and out of concern for your safety, we reiterate and urge you to evacuate your homes immediately and head immediately north of the Zahrani River.
• Anyone present near Hezbollah elements, their facilities, or their combat means exposes their life to danger.
• To ensure your safety, we call on you to move immediately to the area north of the Zahrani River. Remaining south of the Zahrani River may expose your lives and the lives of your families to danger.
• Attention: Any movement southward may expose your lives to danger.

The parents of Jerin George, a native of Haripad in Alappuzha appealed to the authorities to help their son, who is stranded on an Iranian ship since the outbreak of the war in West Asia, return home. George, who works in the Iranian ship, had left home eight months back and was expected to return home by March 3.

"But the war broke out in February and the ship returned to Iran. He is in the ship since then and has not been able to return home. I just want my son to come back to me," his mother told a TV channel, breaking into tears.

She said that George was managing to survive somehow as food resources were scarce in the ship and they have been able to talk to him over the phone a few times. "We have not been able to see him as videocall was not possible," she said.

George's father said that they have given requests in writing to Congress general secretary K C Venugopal and party leader Ramesh Chennithala seeking their help in bringing their son back. "We want him to be returned to us," he added.

(Source: AP)

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Iranian counterpart that reopening the Strait of Hormuz was a unanimous demand from the international community.

Wang Yi told Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in a phone call that Iran's sovereignty, security, and legitimate rights should be respected as a littoral state of the Strait of Hormuz, but freedom of navigation and safety through the strait should be ensured.

“Working to resume normal passage of the strait is a unanimous call from the international community,” Wang was quoted as saying in a government statement late Wednesday.

Wang noted that the current situation had reached a critical juncture between war and peace and also said that the window of peace was opening.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said that Iran will participate in the World Cup “for sure” despite its war with the United States. Speaking at CNBC's Invest in America Forum, Infantino said it is important that Iran participates in the World Cup even though its participation has been in doubt since the U.S. and Israel launched airstrikes on the country.

“The Iranian team is coming for sure, yes,” Infantino said. “We hope that by then, of course, the situation will be a peaceful situation. As I said, that would definitely help. But Iran has to come. Of course, they represent their people. They have qualified. The players want to play.”

US President Donald Trump on social media platform Truth Social wrote, "Trying to get a little breathing room between Israel and Lebanon. It has been a long time since the two leaders have spoken, like 34 years. It will happen tomorrow. Nice! President DJT."

ANNOUNCEMENT: pic.twitter.com/t0i56pPbcS

— Department of War 🇺🇸 (@DeptofWar) April 16, 2026

Muslim organisations held a Taziyati Jansabha (condolence meeting) at Karbala ground in Jaipur where speakers called for global peace and unity while paying tributes to victims of ongoing conflicts from Gaza to Iran. The programme, organised by the Taziyati Sanyukt Samiti Jaipur, was themed "Manav Ekta ke Liye" (for the unity of humanity) and focused on expressing solidarity with civilians, including children, affected by violence in Gaza, Palestine, Lebanon and Iran.

Organisers said the event was a humanitarian initiative and not a political platform, aimed at promoting values of peace, brotherhood and communal harmony across religions and communities.

The US military said it carried out a strike on a vessel in the Eastern Pacific that killed three people. US Southern Command claimed the vessel was run by unnamed "designated terrorist organisations." It said no US forces were harmed and described those killed as "male narco-terrorists," but gave no further details.

The United States ruled out granting any further exemption from sanctions for the purchase of Russian or Iranian oil. US Treasury Scott Bessent made the announcement at a press conference at the White House. "We will not be renewing the general license on Russian oil, and we will not be renewing the general license on Iranian oil. That was oil that was on the water prior to March 11, so all that has been used," Bessent told reporters in Washington.

With no alternative route out of the Gulf, vessels appear more willing to take risks than in past crises, including off Venezuela or in the Red Sea, where they could reroute.

“There's a kind of pent-up pressure, especially among ships stuck inside the Gulf,” Tallis said, adding that it is pushing owners and captains toward decisions they might otherwise avoid. “We're seeing a higher tolerance for risk than in other scenarios.”

That pressure is compounded by murky visibility at sea. Not all “shadow vessels” broadcast their positions or destinations, and while large oil tankers are relatively easy to track, smaller ships carrying other cargo are harder to identify, creating openings some may try to exploit, he said.

The first Israel-Lebanon meeting in decades is key to moving Israel and Lebanon "towards breaking the recurrent rounds of violence that have caused considerable suffering for too long," UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq. "Maintaining dialogue will be essential in resolving outstanding issues and achieving progress towards stability," he said, adding that the UN is ready to support these efforts.

Despite the talks, Haq said the UN peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon known as UNIFIL continues to report ongoing hostilities in the Israel-Hezbollah conflict, with projectiles fired toward Israel and its forces in the south, and Israeli forces continuing airstrikes, armored vehicle movements and other activities.

Across southern and eastern Lebanon, dozens of locations are being hit daily by Israeli strikes, he said. At leader 35 villages in the south were reportedly struck Tuesday causing extensive damage to residential areas.

As a result of the ongoing hostilities, Haq said more than 1.2 million Lebanese people have now been displaced.
 

The US is imposing sanctions targeting an Iranian oil smuggling network tied to the deceased senior Iranian security official Ali Shamkhani. Sanctions include dozens of individuals and companies accused of transporting and selling Iranian and Russian oil through front companies, many of which are in the UAE.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement, that banks “should be on notice that Treasury will leverage all tools and authorities, including secondary sanctions, against those that continue to support Tehran's terrorist activities.”
 

The commander of Iran's joint military command on Wednesday threatened to halt trade in the Gulf region if the US does not lift its blockade on Iranian ports. No vessels have made it past US naval forces during the first 48 hours of the blockade, according to the US Central Command. 

The Republican-led Senate rejected the latest Democratic attempt to halt President Donald Trump's war in Iran, turning aside a resolution that would require the US to withdraw forces from the conflict until Congress authorises further action. The 47-52 vote was the fourth time this year that the Senate has voted to cede its war powers to the president in a conflict that Democrats say is illegal and unjustified.

Republicans say they will keep faith in Trump's wartime leadership, for now, citing Iran's nuclear capabilities and the high stakes of withdrawal. But GOP lawmakers are also anxious for the conflict to end — and they may not defer to the executive branch indefinitely.

Some Republicans have already made clear that they are eyeing future votes that could become an important test for the president if the war drags on.

The US and Iran may extend their ceasefire, set to expire Tuesday, by two more weeks to continue peace talks, Bloomberg reported, citing a source familiar with the matter. Mediators are trying to set up technical discussions on sticking points like reopening the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear enrichment program. If those talks progress, senior officials from both countries could meet for another round of negotiations, the report said.

Pakistan's Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir reached Tehran on Wednesday for talks with the Iranian leadership as part of his country's efforts to resolve the conflict between the US and Iran. Munir is part of a delegation that includes Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, the Inter-Services Public Relations, the media wing of the military, said in a statement.

"Field Marshal Asim Munir... and Mr Mohsin Naqvi, Interior Minister, along with the delegation, arrive at Tehran as part of the ongoing mediation efforts,” it said.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi welcomed the delegation members upon their arrival in Tehran, according to the Iranian media.