21m agoFri 17 Apr 2026 at 10:26pm
Disarming Hezbollah unlikely to be as easy as Trump suggests
For Israel, it is a non-negotiable demand — but analysts say it’s unrealistic to expect Hezbollah to give up its weapons while thousands of Israeli troops remain in southern Lebanon, writes ABC correspondent Bridget Rollason:
Inside Lebanon, especially, there is little agreement on how to disarm Hezbollah, or even whether that should happen.
Hezbollah has consistently refused calls to lay down its weapons. Its flag includes a hand gripping an assault rifle.
Government efforts to disarm the group could raise the risk of internal unrest, analysts say.
Read the full story below:
37m agoFri 17 Apr 2026 at 10:11pm
Iran denies Trump claims US will work with Iran to remove uranium
Iran’s foreign ministry says the country’s stockpile of enriched uranium “is not going to be transferred anywhere”, contradicting US President Donald Trump’s earlier claim that Americans would assist in its removal from the country once a peace deal is signed.
Foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei says recent talks between the two countries centred on resolving the conflict, not on Iran’s uranium stockpiles.
“Transfer of Iran’s enriched uranium to the US has never been raised in negotiations,” he tells Iranian state TV.
“The 10-point plan for lifting sanctions is very important to us. The issue of compensation for the damages incurred during the imposed war is of particular importance.”
1h agoFri 17 Apr 2026 at 9:15pm
Anthropic CEO spotted entering White House
Dario Amodei, chief executive of AI company Anthropic, has been spotted entering the White House, where he’s expected to meet with Trump administration officials including the president’s chief of staff, Susie Wiles.
Anthropic made headlines in February after it refused to allow the Pentagon to use its AI technology to direct autonomous weapons systems, prompting Donald Trump to order a six-month phase-out of its software across the federal government.
However, the company’s new AI model, Mythos, which is able to detect cybersecurity vulnerabilities at shocking speed, may have forced a reset in Anthropic’s relationship with the government, with The New York Times reporting that both the Treasury and the State Department have asked for access to the model.
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei approaches the White House. (Reuters)
Why do we think Amodei will be meeting with Trump administration officials, rather than the president himself?
Well, the president is currently in Air Force One, sitting on the tarmac in Phoenix, Arizona, where’s he’s about to address a Turning Point USA event at a mega-church.
That event has attracted a crowd of protesters, who are yelling anti-Trump slogans and calling for an end to the war with Iran.
Anti-Trump protesters outside Dream City Church in Phoenix, Arizona. (Reuters)
3h agoFri 17 Apr 2026 at 7:23pm
Are we any closer to a US-Iran peace deal?
With the Strait of Hormuz reopened and a ceasefire operational in Lebanon, thoughts are quickly turning to whether a peace deal can be negotiated between the US and Iran.
US President Donald Trump has spoken to reporters overnight. He insists a deal with Iran is almost done, that Tehran has agreed to give up nuclear weapons for decades and that the US will be able to collect the country’s enriched uranium.
He hinted fresh talks could take place as early as this weekend.
Meanwhile, a senior Iranian source has told Reuters that significant differences between Iran and the US remain.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said “no agreement has been reached on the details of the nuclear issues,” and serious negotiations are still required.
He said Tehran hoped that a preliminary agreement could be reached in the coming days with mediator Pakistan’s efforts, with the possibility of extending the ceasefire to “create space for more talks on lifting sanctions on Iran and securing compensation for war damages”.
“In exchange, Iran will provide assurances to the international community about the peaceful nature of its nuclear program,” the official said, adding that any other narrative about the ongoing talks “is a misrepresentation of the situation”.
3h agoFri 17 Apr 2026 at 7:22pm
Welcome to Saturday’s live blog
Thank you for joining us for our live coverage of the conflict in the Middle East.
Overnight, Iran declared the vitally important Strait of Hormuz open to commercial shipping, for the duration of the current ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran.
It comes after a 10-day ceasefire in Lebanon was agreed to by Israel.
You can read more about Iran’s announcement at the link below: