4m agoThu 16 Apr 2026 at 6:21pm
Israel-Lebanon ceasefire includes Hezbollah, Trump claims
US President Donald Trump now moves onto the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire he announced earlier in the day.
He says the 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon starting at midnight, local time, would include Iran-backed Hezbollah.
“Today they’re going to be having a ceasefire, and that’ll include Hezbollah,” he tells reporters.
36m agoThu 16 Apr 2026 at 5:49pm
Thirteen vessels turned around amid US Navy blockade
The US is continuing to enforce its naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and other Iranian ports, after the measure was announced earlier this week by US President Donald Trump.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine said as of Thursday morning, local time, the US military had not boarded any ships and that 13 had turned around.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine. (Reuters: Nathan Howard)
On Thursday, the US said it was widening its blockade on Iranian shipping to include what it called contraband, including weapons, weapons systems, ammunition, nuclear materials, crude and refined oil products as well as iron, steel and aluminium.
Any vessel suspected of trying to reach Iranian territory will be subject to “visit, board, search and seizure”, the US Navy said in an advisory.
Caine warned that the US was prepared to “use force” on any vessel not complying with its orders.
Reporting with Reuters
45m agoThu 16 Apr 2026 at 5:41pm
Israeli strike kills seven in south Lebanon, health ministry says
An Israeli strike in southern Lebanon overnight has killed seven people and injured 33, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.
Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a 10-day ceasefire from 7am AEST.
The strike on the town of Ghazieh was just hours before the ceasefire agreement was reached.
Smoke rises from a village in southern Lebanon following an Israeli strike. (Reuters: Florion Goga)
Lebanon’s health ministry said the death toll was “preliminary and not final” while Lebanese state media reported it as a “massacre against civilians”.
58m agoThu 16 Apr 2026 at 5:28pm
EU’s von der Leyen calls for ‘full respect’ of Lebanon’s territory
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has welcomed the 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, announced by US President Donald Trump.
“I welcome the announced 10 day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, mediated by President Trump. This is a relief, as this conflict has already claimed far too many lives,” wrote von der Leyen on X.
“Europe will continue to call for the full respect of Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. And we will keep supporting the Lebanese people through substantial humanitarian aid,” she added.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (AP Photo/Omar Havana)
The ceasefire announcement was also welcomed by the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas.
“A ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon will provide urgently the cessation of hostilities, the needed relief for civilians who have suffered a lot over the last few weeks.
“We hope that both parties also confirm this ceasefire. A ceasefire must be now used to step back from the violence and also create space for negotiations for a more lasting peace,” said Kallas.
Reporting with Reuters
1h agoThu 16 Apr 2026 at 5:23pm
Hezbollah may now agree to ceasefire if Israel stops fighting
Hezbollah’s Ibrahim al-Moussawi says it will respect a ceasefire if Israel stops attacking the militant group.
The ceasefire is due to come into effect at 7am AEST.
Hezbollah has not been part of the negotiations between Israel and Lebanon and has previously indicated it wasn’t willing to participate in a ceasefire.
But that may be changing.
“We in Hezbollah will cautiously adhere to the ceasefire on the condition that it is a comprehensive halt to hostilities against us and that Israel not use it to carry out any assassinations,” al-Moussawi told AFP.
“We express thanks to Iran for having applied pressure in Lebanon’s favour.
“The ceasefire would not have happened without Iran considering the ceasefire as equal to closing the Strait of Hormuz.”
Reporting with AFP
1h agoThu 16 Apr 2026 at 4:56pm
US House Republicans block latest bid to rein in Trump Iran war powers
The US House of Representatives has backed Donald Trump’s military campaign against Iran, narrowly defeating a Democratic-led resolution aiming to stop the war until hostilities are authorised by Congress.
The war powers resolution was defeated by 214 to 213 in the Republican-majority chamber, a day after a similar measure was blocked in the Senate.
The vote was almost exclusively along party lines, with every Republican except one opposing the resolution, and one voting present. One Democrat voted against it.
The vote underscored the continuing support among Trump’s fellow Republicans for the president’s war policy, more than six weeks after the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28.
Reporting with Reuters
1h agoThu 16 Apr 2026 at 4:52pm
Hegseth warns of strikes on Iranian power and infrastructure
In the last few hours, senior members of the Pentagon have been providing updates to the media.
In comments that sound remarkably similar to those used by Donald Trump in recent weeks, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth warned Iran to agree to a lasting peace deal or face “bombs dropping on infrastructure, power and energy”.
Trump was widely criticised for threatening to take such a step before Iran agreed to the current two-week ceasefire, with some arguing the destruction of civilian infrastructure would amount to a war crime.
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. (Reuters: Nathan Howard)
Hegseth said troops were poised to restart combat operations if a deal was not reached.
“We are reloading with more power than ever before, and better intelligence,” he told a Pentagon briefing.
“We are locked and loaded on your critical dual-use infrastructure, on your remaining power generation, and on your energy industry. We’d rather not have to do it.”
Reporting with Reuters
1h agoThu 16 Apr 2026 at 4:50pm
Iran ‘cautiously optimistic’ deal with US can be struck
Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations says he’s hopeful of a “meaningful outcome” with the United States and is “cautiously optimistic” about negotiations between the two countries.
There’s been a lot of suggestion a second round of peace talks between the US and Iran is in the works but no date has been set.
The first round of negotations last weekend in Pakistan failed to secure a deal on ending the war.
The ceasefire in place between Iran and the US expires on Wednesday.
“Despite our deep mistrust of the United States, stemming from its repeated betrayal of diplomacy, we nevertheless entered the negotiations in good faith and remain cautiously optimistic,” Amir Saeid Iravani said during a meeting of the UN General Assembly.
Amir-Saeid Iravani, Iran’s Ambassador to the United Nations, addresses the General Assembly. (REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton)
1h agoThu 16 Apr 2026 at 4:45pm
No date set for new US-Iran peace talks, Pakistan says
There has been no date set for the next round of peace talks, according to Pakistani foreign ministry spokesman Tahir Andrabi.
“Our role as a mediator and facilitator did not stop when the Islamabad talks, this last round, concluded – it continued,” he said.
The comments come as the United States hints at another round of peace talks with Iran.
US President Donald Trump has previously suggested it may take place this week while White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said further talks “would very likely” be in Islamabad.
A ceasefire in Lebanon was one of several key conditions Iran wanted in exchange for reaching a peace deal with the United States.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has metwith Qatar’s ruler Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani overnight as part of a push by Islamabad for a second round of peace talks between Washington and Tehran.
While Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir – who will mediate the talks – has been in Iran this week.
2h agoThu 16 Apr 2026 at 4:23pm
Trump invites Netanyahu and Aoun to White House for talks
US President Donald Trump says he will be inviting Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to the White House for talks.
Trump made the statement in a post on Truth Social, moments after confirming a 10-day ceasefire agreement had been reached.
He said he believed both leaders wanted to see peace in the region.
2h agoThu 16 Apr 2026 at 4:06pm
Lebanese President thanks Trump for commitment to ceasefire
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has thanked US President Donald Trump for his efforts to establish a ceasefire in Lebanon.
The office of Aoun confirmed he had spoken to Trump earlier in the day, hours before the 10-day ceasefire agreement was made.
Aoun urged Trump to continue his push to secure “lasting peace and stability as a prelude to achieving the peace process in the region.”
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. (Sarah Meyssonnier/Pool via AP)
President Trump responded by expressing his support for Lebanon.
Aoun’s office said Trump had emphasised the US’s commitment to fulfilling Lebanon’s request for a ceasefire.
2h agoThu 16 Apr 2026 at 4:00pm
Welcome to our live blog on the conflict in the Middle East
Good morning! Welcome to today’s live coverage of the war in Iran and across the Middle East.
There’s been some big developments overnight, including Lebanon and Israel agreeing to a temporary ceasefire.
Stay with us as we bring you all the latest news.