\u201cThey are PROHIBITED from doing so by the U.S.A. Enough is enough!!! Thank you!\u201d the US president wrote.<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n Key events<\/p>\n Show key events only<\/p>\n Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s state tv has reported that ships seeking passage through the strait of Hormuz can only go through a determined route and still need permission from Iran\u2019s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) navy, according to Reuters.<\/p>\n Only commercial vessels, and not military ships, can pass the waterway, Iran\u2019s state TV reported, citing a senior military official.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Trump says US naval blockade of Iranian ports will remain until deal is reached<\/p>\n Donald Trump has issued a further comment on the strait of Hormuz, saying it was \u201ccompletely open and ready for business\u201d.<\/p>\n In another all caps post on Truth Social, he said the US naval blockade of Iranian ports \u201cwill remain in full force\u201d until a deal is reached with Iran<\/a>. He added that the process should move quickly, given that \u201cmost of the points are already negotiated\u201d.<\/p>\n He wrote:<\/p>\n double quotation markTHE STRAIT OF HORMUZ IS COMPLETELY OPEN AND READY FOR BUSINESS AND FULL PASSAGE, BUT THE NAVAL BLOCKADE WILL REMAIN IN FULL FORCE AND EFFECT AS IT PERTAINS TO IRAN, ONLY, UNTIL SUCH TIME AS OUR TRANSACTION WITH IRAN IS 100% COMPLETE. THIS PROCESS SHOULD GO VERY QUICKLY IN THAT MOST OF THE POINTS ARE ALREADY NEGOTIATED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER!<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.38 EDT<\/p>\n Oil falls 10% after the reopening of strait of Hormuz<\/p>\n The oil price is tumbling, after Iran<\/a> announced that the strait of Hormuz is now open.<\/p>\n Crude oil has plunged on hopes that energy supplies could resume after weeks of disruption.<\/p>\n Brent crude, the benchmark for oil traded globally, has plunged below $90 a barrel, a 10% fall.<\/p>\n For the latest updates on the economic impact of the war in the Middle East and other financial news, you can follow our business live blog here:<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Trump reacts to announcement of strait of Hormuz reopening<\/p>\n Following Iran\u2019s announcement that the strait of Hormuz is open, Donald Trump has issued his response in an all caps post on his Truth Social app.<\/p>\n He wrote:<\/p>\n double quotation markIRAN HAS JUST ANNOUNCED THAT THE STRAIT OF IRAN IS FULLY OPEN AND READY FOR FULL PASSAGE. THANK YOU!<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Iran foreign minister says passage though Hormuz strait is open during ceasefire<\/p>\n Abbas Araghchi, Iran\u2019s foreign minister, posted on X <\/a>on Friday that \u201cpassage for all commercial vessels through strait of Hormuz is declared completely open for the remaining period of ceasefire\u201d.<\/p>\n The passage through the strait will be on the coordinated route announced by the Ports and Maritime Organisation of Iran<\/a>, Araghchi said.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.10 EDT<\/p>\n Yvette Cooper, the UK foreign secretary, on Friday called for the Lebanon<\/a> ceasefire to \u201copen a pathway to a lasting peace\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cA long-term political settlement, consistent with UN Security Council resolution 1701, is the only way to restore security and stability for the Lebanese and Israeli people,\u201d Cooper said in a statement posted on X<\/a>.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>How Pakistan\u2019s army chief became an unlikely peacemaker in the Iran war Pakistan has emerged as an unlikely diplomatic broker between Iran and the US, and Field Marshal Asim Munir is widely seen as a key driving force.<\/p>\n Pakistan\u2019s army chief<\/a> was one of the few able to get the US and Iranian leadership on the phone, passing along messages as a trusted intermediary to both sides. It is widely acknowledged that the negotiations have been coordinated from Rawalpindi, the seat of the army, rather than Islamabad, the seat of the parliament.<\/p>\n \u201cField Marshal Munir is the driving force \u2013 without him this would not work,\u201d said Maleeha Lodhi, who served as Pakistan\u2019s former ambassador to the UN, US and UK.<\/p>\n \u201cThe foreign ministry is just a junior partner. Countries like Iran and the US have this confidence in Asim Munir. Our government ministers are really an adjunct.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n The UN human rights chief, Volker T\u00fcrk, has expressed his hope that the 10-day ceasefire agreed by Israel and Lebanon<\/a> would serve as a basis for a longer-term solution.<\/p>\n In a post on X, he urged \u201call parties to ensure full and immediate implementation, in good faith\u201d of the ceasefire, adding:<\/p>\n double quotation markMeaningful efforts must now focus on a durable political solution that addresses the root causes of the conflict and ensures long-term protection on all sides for civilians, who have borne the brunt of weeks of unrelenting violence, destruction and displacement.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Here some images on the newswires of UK prime minister Keir Starmer being welcomed by French president Emmanuel Macron after he arrived in Paris for a summit on reopening the strait of Hormuz:<\/p>\n Photograph: Jeanne Accorsini\/SIPA\/Shutterstock Photograph: Jeanne Accorsini\/SIPA\/Shutterstock Photograph: Ludovic Marin\/AFP\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Video: celebrations and relief in Lebanon<\/a> as ceasefire with Israel begins<\/p>\n Celebrations have taken hold across Lebanon after a 10-day truce agreed with Israel<\/a> began on Friday morning. Celebratory gunfire erupted in Beirut\u2019s southern suburbs, and people beeped their car horns and cheered across the country as they returned to their homes after being displaced by Israeli strikes. While many appeared hopeful, some were still cautious. A man who had returned to his home in Nabatieh said he would be leaving again upon seeing the destruction in the city.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Lebanon president says ceasefire is ‘gateway’ to negotiations as he calls for withdrawal of Israeli troops<\/p>\n The Lebanese president, Joseph Aoun, has described the ceasefire with Israel as a \u201cgateway to proceeding with negotiations\u201d, saying he will prioritise the withdrawal of Israeli troops from occupied territories in southern Lebanon<\/a>.<\/p>\n In a statement on social media, he said:<\/p>\n double quotation markDirect negotiations are delicate and crucial; there must be a unified sense of national responsibility in the coming phase, as the eyes of the world are on Lebanon.<\/p>\n The state\u2019s position is to consolidate the ceasefire, ensure the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the occupied southern territories, secure the release of prisoners, and resolve outstanding border disputes.<\/p>\n The ceasefire is the gateway to proceeding with negotiations and is an option that enjoys both domestic and international support.<\/p>\n He continued:<\/p>\n double quotation markThe Lebanese army will play a key role following the withdrawal of Israeli forces, deploying as far as the southern international border, ending armed activities, and reassuring the people of the south upon their return to their villages and towns that there will be no armed forces other than the army and the legitimate security forces.<\/p>\n His statement came moments after the Israeli defence ministry issued remarks by Israel Katz (see previous post<\/a>) insisting the IDF will not leave areas it occupies in southern Lebanon and that Israel\u2019s remaining missions will be completed, by force if necessary.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a007.38 EDT<\/p>\n Israel defence minister says army ‘holds all territories’ it occupies in Lebanon<\/p>\n Israel\u2019s defence minister, Israel Katz, said the Israeli military \u201cholds and will continue to hold\u201d all positions it has \u201ccleared and captured\u201d in Lebanon<\/a>.<\/p>\n In a statement from his office on the first day of the temporary ceasefire in Lebanon, Katz said the Israel<\/a> Defense Forces (IDF) maintains a strip of land up to 10km (about 6 miles) deep along the border in southern Lebanon, indicating that the IDF would continue demolishing homes in villages he described as having been turned into \u201cterrorist outposts\u201d.<\/p>\n He said Israel\u2019s goals of disarming Hezbollah<\/a> have not been achieved yet and that an area of southern Lebanon \u201chas not been demilitarised\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cThis would have to be done, either diplomatically or by resuming Israeli military activities at the end of the ceasefire,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Summary of developments so far<\/p>\n Thousands of displaced families have begun making their way home to southern Lebanon after a 10-day ceasefire halting Israel\u2019s military campaign against Hezbollah<\/a> was announced. The current bout of fighting, which began on 2 March, has killed more than 2,100 people in Lebanon and displaced more than one million.<\/p>\n World leaders have welcomed the ceasefire but have expressed caution due to immediate reports of continued military actions. French president Emmanuel Macron called for Hezbollah to \u201crenounce its weapons\u201d and Israel to \u201crespect Lebanese sovereignty and stop the war\u201d. UN chief Ant\u00f3nio Guterres also urged \u201call actors\u201d to fully respect the truce.<\/p>\n The Lebanese army reported \u201ca number of violations\u201d of the ceasefire this morning. In a statement it said it renewed its call for people \u201cto refrain from returning to the southern villages and towns\u201d after \u201ca number of Israeli attacks \u2026 [and] intermittent shelling affecting a number of villages\u201d. The Israeli military has not commented on the reports.<\/p>\n The army also said it was working to \u201cfully reopen\u201d the Qasmiyeh-Tyre bridge over the Litani river in southern Lebanon. Images show a queue of cars stretching for miles as they wait to pass through one lane on the bridge after it was damaged by Israeli strikes yesterday. The key crossing links southern cities and villages in Lebanon to the rest of the country.<\/p>\n Vehicles line up on a road before the Qasmiyeh bridge as they return to their homes near Tyre, southern Lebanon. Photograph: Wael Hamzeh\/EPA<\/p>\n Hezbollah warned its fighters \u201cwill keep their fingers on the trigger\u201d. The statement by the Iran-backed group did not make a specific reference to the ceasefire but it said it was \u201cready to defend against the enemy\u2019s treachery and betrayal\u201d.<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) also threatened it was prepared with its \u201chand on the trigger\u201d to respond to any US-Israeli \u201caggression\u201d. In a statement, the IRGC said its fighters \u201ctogether with the Iranian army\u201d were ready to respond \u201cpowerfully, devastatingly, and with crushing force\u201d.<\/p>\n The Syrian president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, said talks between Syria and Israel<\/a> \u201chave not reached a dead end\u201d but were facing \u201cgreat difficulty\u201d due to what he described as Israel\u2019s insistence on remaining in Syrian territory. Sharaa stressed that Syria was \u201cserious about reaching a security agreement that preserves regional stability\u201d.<\/p>\n Keir Starmer said he would \u201cdo everything I can\u201d to alleviate the economic impact of the Iran war and reopen the strait of Hormuz. The UK prime minister arrived in Paris this morning where France and the UK are chairing a meeting of about 40 countries to draw up an international plan to secure the vital waterway.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a006.58 EDT<\/p>\n Starmer arrives in Paris for summit on reopening strait of Hormuz<\/p>\n UK prime minister Keir Starmer said he would \u201cdo everything I can\u201d to alleviate the impact of the Iran<\/a> war on the public and reopen the strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n Starmer has arrived in Paris where France and the UK are chairing a meeting of about 40 countries to draw up an international plan to secure the vital waterway.<\/p>\n The PA news agency has reported his remarks to reporters:<\/p>\n double quotation markIt is very important that we build a coalition of countries around the principle that the ceasefire should be permanent, there should be a deal, and that the strait of Hormuz is open.<\/p>\n It is in all of our interests to do that, because what\u2019s happening in the war in Iran is affecting each of our economies.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why countries are coming together. Everybody is clear that in order for that to happen, we need a diplomatic and political limb, we need a logistics and economic limb, and we need some military planning, and that is what we\u2019re coming together to do today.<\/p>\n And it\u2019s the right thing to do, because the longer this conflict goes on, the more the impact, and I\u2019m mindful that people across the United Kingdom, that\u2019s impact on them and the cost of living and I will do everything I can with other countries to alleviate that and get the strait open as soon as possible.<\/p>\n Starmer is also facing questions over his leadership after the Guardian revealed Peter Mandelson failed his security vetting clearance but the decision was overruled by the Foreign Office to ensure he could take up his post as ambassador to the US. You can follow the latest on that over on the UK politics live blog<\/a>.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a006.21 EDT<\/p>\n Nabih Berri, the speaker of the Lebanese parliament, has thanked the capital Beirut and northern areas of the country for opening their doors to the displaced, as people uprooted by war began to return to their homes in the south.<\/p>\n In a statement posted on social media, he said: \u201cI take this opportunity, as we are on the first day of the truce coming into effect and the start of the return of residents to their villages and towns, to renew my thanks to the capital, Beirut, which has opened its doors and neighbourhoods, as have the mountains and the north, to the displaced from the south, the suburbs and the Bekaa.\u201d<\/p>\n The UN said more than 1.2 million people \u2013 about a fifth of the Lebanese population \u2013 have been displaced across Lebanon<\/a>, many of them from the south after repeated warnings by the Israeli military to flee their homes.<\/p>\n![\"Hannah](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hannah_Ellis-Petersen.png\")
Hannah Ellis-Petersen<\/p>\n![\"Celebrations](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/3424.jpg\")
Celebrations and relief in Lebanon as ceasefire with Israel begins \u2013\u00a0video <\/p>\n