Iran closes strait of Hormuz in response to Israeli attacks on Lebanon \u2013 state media<\/p>\n
Iran has closed the strait of Hormuz in response to Israel\u2019s attacks on Lebanon today despite the ceasefire, Iranian state media reports, with Iran\u2019s authorities said to be treating the strait as still closed.<\/p>\n
The hours-old two-week conditional ceasefire<\/a> agreed between the US and Iran had a provision for the temporary reopening of the crucial maritime channel. Effectively, the strait has remained closed as traffic had not immediately increased inthe hours after the ceasefire announcement.<\/p>\n Tehran said on Wednesday that it would offer safe passage in coordination with its armed forces, though its coast guard said any ship trying to transit without permission would be \u201ctargeted and destroyed\u201d.<\/p>\n Israel has launched huge strikes across Lebanon today, killing over 250 people, with Trump later clarifying that Lebanon wasn\u2019t included in the ceasefire deal<\/a>.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a013.31 EDT<\/p>\n Key events<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 5m ago<\/p>\n ‘Remember Greenland,’ says Trump as he vents frustration with Nato<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 22m ago<\/p>\n Trump meets Nato leader amid musings US could pull out of alliance<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 2h ago<\/p>\n Ceasefire must include Lebanon to be ‘credible and lasting’, says Macron<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 2h ago<\/p>\n A tale of two ceasefires – the day so far<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 3h ago<\/p>\n Vance says US never promised Lebanon ceasefire<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 3h ago<\/p>\n US has violated three clauses of ceasefire deal, says Iran’s parliament speaker<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 4h ago<\/p>\n Netanyahu address Israel – key points<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 5h ago<\/p>\n Ceasefire must include Lebanon or war will continue, Iran\u2019s foreign minister says<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 5h ago<\/p>\n Nato was ‘tested and they failed’ by ‘turning its back’ on US, says White House<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 6h ago<\/p>\n White House: Trump floating idea of US earning revenue from strait of Hormuz<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 6h ago<\/p>\n White House reiterates that Lebanon is not part of the ceasefire<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 6h ago<\/p>\n Trump’s ‘tough style’ led to ceasefire, White House says of threat to wipe out a ‘whole civilisation’<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 6h ago<\/p>\n Vance, Witkoff and Kushner to attend talks in Islamabad<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 6h ago<\/p>\n White House says reports that strait of Hormuz is closed are ‘false’<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 6h ago<\/p>\n White House offers muddy explanation over 10-point plan as basis for ceasefire agreement<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 6h ago<\/p>\n Two-week ceasefire a ‘victory’ for the US, White House says<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 6h ago<\/p>\n Qatar condemns Israel’s ‘barbaric massacres and repeated attacks’ on Lebanon as ‘flagrant violation of international law’<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 7h ago<\/p>\n Death toll from Israeli attacks across Lebanon on Wednesday rises to 254<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 7h ago<\/p>\n Iran closes strait of Hormuz in response to Israeli attacks on Lebanon \u2013 state media<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 7h ago<\/p>\n The day so far<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 7h ago<\/p>\n \u2018A step back from the brink\u2019: European leaders welcome US-Iran ceasefire<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 8h ago<\/p>\n Erdogan warns of ‘sabotage’ threat to ceasefire<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 8h ago<\/p>\n Lebanon not included in ceasefire deal, says Trump<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 9h ago<\/p>\n Iranian navy threatens ships in strait of Hormuz without permission<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 10h ago<\/p>\n Analysis: US haste could offer opportunity to Iran<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 10h ago<\/p>\n Israel is killing unarmed civilians in Lebanon, says Lebanese PM<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 11h ago<\/p>\n Iran to hand over enriched uranium or US will ‘take it out’ \u2013 Hegseth<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 11h ago<\/p>\n US military objectives achieved, says Caine<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 12h ago<\/p>\n Hegseth: Iran ‘begged’ for this ceasefire<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 12h ago<\/p>\n Summary of developments so far<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 12h ago<\/p>\n Ten ships sail through strait of Hormuz, says AXSMarine<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 12h ago<\/p>\n Iran will cease uranium enrichment, Trump claims<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 13h ago<\/p>\n Ship movements resume in strait of Hormuz after ceasefire announcement, says MarineTraffic<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 13h ago<\/p>\n Lebanon president calls for inclusion of his country in ‘regional peace’<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 13h ago<\/p>\n Vance: Iran ceasefire a ‘fragile truce’<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 14h ago<\/p>\n Pakistan PM says Iran has confirmed it will take part in talks in Islamabad<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 14h ago<\/p>\n Iran president says ceasefire in line with ‘general principles desired by Tehran’<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 14h ago<\/p>\n IDF tells residents of southern suburbs of Beirut to flee after announcing continued combat and ground operations<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 15h ago<\/p>\n Oman foreign minister urges both sides to return to negotating table<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 15h ago<\/p>\n Will the ceasefire see a resumption of pre-war shipping on the strait of Hormuz?<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 16h ago<\/p>\n Israeli military ‘continues fighting and ground operations’ against Hezbollah in Lebanon, IDF says<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 16h ago<\/p>\n ‘Now it\u2019s time for diplomacy, legality and peace’, says Spanish PM<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 16h ago<\/p>\n Analysis: US learns a hard lesson about the folly of war<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 16h ago<\/p>\n ‘Unthinkable escalation has been avoided, but the ceasefire is not yet definitive’, says Spanish foreign minister<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 17h ago<\/p>\n Jet fuel supplies ‘will take months’ to recover, says IATA chief<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 18h ago<\/p>\n Keir Starmer says ceasefire ‘will bring a moment of relief to the region and the world’ as he heads to the Middle East<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 18h ago<\/p>\n Interim summary<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 18h ago<\/p>\n Ceasefire a ‘political disaster’ says Israel’s opposition leader<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 18h ago<\/p>\n Analysis: Trump’s ‘deal’ is a huge strategic failure for the US<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 19h ago<\/p>\n Donald Trump claims ‘a big day for world peace’<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 20h ago<\/p>\n Israel says ceasefire does not include Lebanon<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 20h ago<\/p>\n Summary<\/p>\n <\/a>Show key events only<\/p>\n Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature<\/p>\n ‘Remember Greenland,’ says Trump as he vents frustration with Nato<\/p>\n Further to that Trump-Rutte meeting and the US-Nato relationship, Trump has posted this on Truth Social just minutes ago:<\/p>\n double quotation markNATO WASN\u2019T THERE WHEN WE NEEDED THEM, AND THEY WON\u2019T BE THERE IF WE NEED THEM AGAIN. REMEMBER GREENLAND, THAT BIG, POORLY RUN, PIECE OF ICE!!! President DJT.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a019.44 EDT<\/p>\n Trump meets Nato leader amid musings US could pull out of alliance<\/p>\n Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte met behind closed doors with Donald Trump on Wednesday for discussions that were expected to focus on reopening the strait of Hormuz and soothing Trump\u2019s anger with Nato over the Iran war.<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t immediately clear how things went in the private meeting, ahead of which Trump had suggested the US may consider leaving the trans-Atlantic alliance after Nato member countries ignored his call to help.<\/p>\n However, during an interview with CNN after the meeting, Rutte was asked if he believed Nato countries were tested and failed.<\/p>\n \u201cSome of them yes, but a large majority of European countries, and that\u2019s what we discussed today, have done what they promised before in a case like this,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cI was also able to point to the fact that the large majority of European nations has been helpful with basing, with logistics, with overflights, with making sure that they lift up to the commitments.\u201d<\/p>\n Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte meets with the Rutte said he had a \u201cfrank and open\u201d discussion with Trump, where the US president expressed disappointment with America\u2019s allies.<\/p>\n The White House did not immediately offer an update on the conversation.<\/p>\n But earlier Wednesday, the White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, acknowledged that Trump had discussed leaving Nato. \u201cI think it\u2019s something the president will be discussing in a couple of hours with secretary-general Rutte,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a019.28 EDT<\/p>\n Reuters is reporting that Iran\u2019s Revolutionary Guards navy have posted a map showing alternative shipping routes in the strait of Hormuz to help transiting ships avoid naval mines, citing the semi-official Iranian news agency ISNA.<\/p>\n We\u2019ll have more on this as it develops.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Australia has called for the ceasefire to apply to Lebanon and for both Hezbollah and Israel to observe the ceasefire. In a radio interview on Thursday morning, Australia\u2019s foreign minister, Penny Wong, said:<\/p>\n double quotation markIf fighting continues in Lebanon, it risks the whole ceasefire across the region. So we called for that last night. We\u2019ve been joined overnight by the G7 and other countries saying the same thing, and we continue to assert that.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a019.02 EDT<\/p>\n The online betting market Polymarket is back in the news, after a group of new accounts on the platform made highly specific, well-timed bets on whether the US and Iran<\/a> would reach a ceasefire on 7 April.<\/p>\n The bets resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars in profits for those users.<\/p>\n Analysis of blockchain data shows at least 50 wallets placed substantial \u201cYes\u201d bets before Trump announced a two-week ceasefire on social media.<\/p>\n Polymarket labeled the ceasefire betting event as \u201cdisputed\u201d due to ongoing tensions, which means some payouts are on hold. This pattern of strategic bets has raised questions about insider trading.<\/p>\n For more on Polymarket and the Middle East conflict, here\u2019s this piece from Jillian Ambrose, our energy correspondent.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis says it would be \u2018completely unacceptable\u2019 for ships to have to pay a fee to cross the strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n Amid ceasefire talks, Tehran has proposed fees or tolls on vessels<\/a> to safely pass through the strait. Donald Trump on Wednesday suggested the US and Iran could collect tolls in a joint venture, while the White House said the priority was reopening the strait without limitations.<\/p>\n Mitsotakis said the strait always had freedom of navigation and that needs to continue.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think that the international community would be ready to accept Iran<\/a> setting up a toll booth for every ship that crosses the strait,\u201d Mitsotakis told CNN on Wednesday.<\/p>\n double quotation markThat seems to me to be completely unacceptable.<\/p>\n He said a separate international agreement regarding the strait may be necessary.<\/p>\n \u201cBut this agreement cannot, I repeat, cannot include a sort of a fee that ships will have to pay every time they cross the strait. This was not the case before the war started and it cannot be the case after the war finishes,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe would be setting a very, very dangerous precedent, if that were to happen, for the freedom of navigation.\u201d<\/p>\n Kyriakos Mitsotakis speaks at a press conference during the EU summit. Photograph: Nicolas Tucat\/AFP\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a019.01 EDT<\/p>\n Ceasefire must include Lebanon to be ‘credible and lasting’, says Macron<\/p>\n Emmanuel Macron has said he has told the presidents of the US and Iran that their ceasefire deal should include Lebanon.<\/p>\n In a post<\/a> on X, the French president said:<\/p>\n double quotation markI spoke today with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, as well as with US President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n I told both of them that their decision to accept a ceasefire was the best possible one.<\/p>\n I expressed my hope that the ceasefire will be fully respected by each of the belligerents, across all areas of confrontation, including in Lebanon. This is a necessary condition for the ceasefire to be credible and lasting.<\/p>\n He said that this would \u201copen the way to comprehensive negotiations\u201d that lead to a long-term peace deal.<\/p>\n Macron pledged that \u201cFrance will play its full part, in close coordination with its partners in the Middle East\u201d, and said he had also discussed his position today with the leaders of Qatar, the UAE, Lebanon and Iraq.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a018.59 EDT<\/p>\n A tale of two ceasefires – the day so far<\/p>\n The fate of the fragile two-week ceasefire looks increasingly uncertain on Wednesday, with Washington and Tehran giving decidedly different versions of what was agreed.<\/p>\n Iran and Pakistan, which brokered the 11th-hour truce<\/a>, have both asserted that the ceasefire included Lebanon. Israel\u2019s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, disagreed and Israeli forces unleashed their heaviest attack of the war<\/a> so far on more than 100 targets, killing at least 254 people and injuring at least 1,165 across Lebanon. The scale of the killing and destruction amid Israel\u2019s strikes on Lebanon is \u201chorrific\u201d<\/a>, UN high commissioner for human rights, Volker T\u00fcrk, said \u2013 urging the international community to \u201cbring an end to this nightmare\u201d.<\/p>\n The United States is also denying that Lebanon was ever included in the deal. Iran\u2019s IRGC warned it will deliver a \u201cregret-inducing response\u201d if strikes against Lebanon are not ended immediately, in a statement directed at \u201cthe oath-breaking\u201d United States and Israel.<\/p>\n There have also been conflicting reports over the status of the critical strait of Hormuz, with Washington declaring it open with an \u201cuptick\u201d in traffic and stating that Donald Trump expects it to remain open \u201cwithout limitations\u201d, while Tehran said the route \u201cremains closed\u201d, and warned ships passing through the waterway without permission will be \u201ctargeted and destroyed\u201d. Iran reportedly<\/a> halted shipping traffic in the strait in retaliation for Israel\u2019s continued strikes \u2013 allegedly targeting Hezbollah \u2013 in Lebanon.<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said that three key clauses of the hours-old ceasefire had already \u201copenly and clearly violated\u201d \u2013 including a ceasefire in Lebanon – ahead of planned negotiations, and described further talks as \u201cunreasonable\u201d. He said there had also been an intrusion into Iranian airspace and denial of Iran\u2019s right to nuclear enrichment. \u201cThe deep historical distrust we hold toward the United States stems from its repeated violations of all forms of commitments – a pattern that has regrettably been repeated once again,\u201d he said on X.<\/p>\n In similar vein, Iran\u2019s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said the US must choose between continued war via Israel or a ceasefire. In a post<\/a> on social media, he said: \u201cThe Iran\u2013U.S. Ceasefire terms are clear and explicit: the U.S. must choose \u2013 ceasefire or continued war via Israel. It cannot have both. The world sees the massacres in Lebanon. The ball is in the U.S. court, and the world is watching whether it will act on its commitments.\u201d<\/p>\n The Trump administration, meanwhile, stated that Lebanon was not part of the ceasefire deal, with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt claiming \u201cthat has been relayed to all parties\u201d. US vice-president JD Vance also told reporters in Budapest<\/a> that the US never promised to include Lebanon in the ceasefire, and that Iran<\/a> may have been under that impression due to a \u201cmisunderstanding\u201d. \u201cI think this comes from a legitimate misunderstanding,\u201d he said. \u201cI think the Iranians thought the ceasefire included Lebanon, and it just didn\u2019t. We never made that promise, we never indicated that was going to be the case.\u201d<\/p>\n Leavitt also dismissed \u201cmisreporting\u201d that Donald Trump<\/a> is working from the original 10-point plan put forward by Tehran, and denied that Lebanon was ever included in the ceasefire deal. She said the 10-point plan<\/a> presented in public by Iran was \u201cliterally thrown in the garbage by President Trump\u201d \u2013 despite the fact that Trump said on Truth Social <\/a>that the US received a 10-point proposal from Iran that is believed to be a \u201cworkable basis on which to negotiate\u201d. Leavitt claimed that Iran<\/a> actually put forward a \u201cmore reasonable and entirely different and condensed plan to the president\u201d. \u201cThe idea that President Trump would ever accept an Iranian wish list is completely absurd,\u201d she said, insisting that Trump\u2019s red line on enriched uranium had not changed.<\/p>\n Netanyahu said in a televised statement that Israel\u2019s \u201cfinger remains on the trigger\u201d, adding, \u201cwe are prepared to return to combat at any moment required\u201d. He said his campaign against Hezbollah would continue, reiterating that the ceasefire with Iran did not include the armed group, which is based out of Lebanon. \u201cWe continue to strike it with force,\u201d he said. He also vowed to remove Iran\u2019s nuclear material from the country, whether by winning the war or reaching an agreement. And he dismissed political rumours that Israel had been \u201csurprised at the last moment,\u201d by the ceasefire, insisting it came into effect \u201cin full coordination with Israel\u201d.<\/p>\n Amid all these wildly conflicting versions of what was agreed, Vance will lead a US delegation for peace talks in Islamabad on Saturday. He\u2019ll be joined by Trump\u2019s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a017.58 EDT<\/p>\n Vance says US never promised Lebanon ceasefire<\/p>\n As we\u2019ve been reporting, there\u2019s a serious disconnect between what Tehran and Washington are saying today<\/a> regarding whether or not Lebanon was included in the two-week ceasefire deal reached last night.<\/p>\n Iran seems<\/a> to think it was; Washington insists<\/a> it wasn\u2019t.<\/p>\n US vice-president JD Vance has now told reporters in Budapest that the US never promised to include Lebanon in the ceasefire, and that Iran<\/a> may have been under that impression due to a \u201cmisunderstanding\u201d.<\/p>\n double quotation markI think this comes from a legitimate misunderstanding. I think the Iranians thought the ceasefire included Lebanon, and it just didn\u2019t. We never made that promise, we never indicated that was gonna be the case.<\/p>\n Per my last post<\/a>, Iran\u2019s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said that three key clauses of the ceasefire deal, including one regarding the ceasefire including Lebanon, had been violated.<\/p>\n Asked about that, Vance insulted Ghalibaf as he questioned whether he had misunderstood elements of the deal. He told reporters:<\/p>\n double quotation markIf he\u2019s frustrated about three issues, that actually means that there\u2019s a lot of agreement.<\/p>\n I actually wonder how good he is at understanding English, because there are things that he said that, frankly, didn\u2019t make sense in the context of the negotiations.<\/p>\n JD Vance speaks to the media before boarding Air Force Two to return to Washington from Budapest. Photograph: Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a017.37 EDT<\/p>\n US has violated three clauses of ceasefire deal, says Iran’s parliament speaker<\/p>\n Earlier, Iran\u2019s powerful parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said that three key clauses of the hours-old ceasefire had been \u201copenly and clearly violated\u201d \u2013 including a ceasefire in Lebanon \u2013 ahead of planned negotiations, and described further talks as \u201cunreasonable\u201d.<\/p>\n In a statement<\/a> on X, Ghalibaf said Iran\u2019s \u201cdeep historical distrust\u201d toward the US stems from its \u201crepeated violations of all forms of commitments \u2013 a pattern that has regrettably been repeated once again\u201d.<\/p>\n He noted that Donald Trump had described Iran\u2019s proposal as a \u201cworkable basis on which to negotiate\u201d and the main framework for these talks\u201d (which Trump did say on Truth Social<\/a>, but the White House attempted to walk that back<\/a> earlier).<\/p>\n The three violations, Ghalibaf said, were:<\/p>\n Non-compliance with the first clause of the 10-point proposal regarding the ceasefire in Lebanon \u2013 a commitment which Pakistan\u2019s prime minister Shehbaz Sharif has also explicitly referred to and declared<\/a> as \u201can immediate ceasefire everywhere, including Lebanon and other regions, effective immediately\u201d.<\/p>\n The entry of an intruding drone into Iran\u2019s airspace, which was destroyed in Lar, \u201cin clear violation of the clause prohibiting any further violation of Iranian airspace\u201d.<\/p>\n Denial of Iran\u2019s right to enrichment, which was included in the sixth clause of the framework.<\/p>\n Emergency services clear rubble and search for survivors in Beirut after Israel carried out intense airstrikes across Lebanon on Wednesday, killing at least 254 people. Photograph: Anadolu\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a017.35 EDT<\/p>\n The scale of killing amid Israel\u2019s strikes on Lebanon is \u201chorrific\u201d, UN high commissioner for human rights, Volker T\u00fcrk, has said \u2013 urging the international community to \u201cbring an end to this nightmare\u201d.<\/p>\n At least 112 people were killed and 837 more wounded on Wednesday, according to the latest Lebanese health ministry toll.<\/p>\n double quotation markThe scale of the killing and destruction in Lebanon today is nothing short of horrific. Such carnage, within hours of agreeing to a ceasefire with Iran, defies belief.<\/p>\n T\u00fcrk also deplored Hezbollah\u2019s missile and drone attacks on northern Israel, and urged both parties to stop, immediately.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.34 EDT<\/p>\n Israeli police have said holy sites across Jerusalem will reopen on Thursday morning. They include the al-Aqsa mosque compound, which also contains the Dome of the Rock mosque and is known to Muslims as al-Haram al-Sharif, and to Jews as the Temple Mount.<\/p>\n Police said the religious sites had been closed \u201cdue to safety measures adopted during the war with Iran\u201d but would now \u201creopen to visitors and for prayer\u201d.<\/p>\n This photograph shows a view of the old city of Jerusalem with the al-Aqsa mosque and its Dome of the Rock on 28 April 2026. Photograph: Ahmad Gharabli\/AFP\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.36 EDT<\/p>\n An oil tanker has been returned to Gulf waters after trying to pass through the strait of Hormuz, Reuters is reporting, citing Iranian news agency, SNN. We\u2019ll update you when we have more.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.36 EDT<\/p>\n Netanyahu address Israel – key points<\/p>\n Israel\u2019s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke earlier in a televised address to the nation about the ceasefire, here are the key points:<\/p>\n Israel\u2019s \u201cfinger remains on the trigger\u201d, he said, adding that \u201cwe are prepared to return to combat at any moment required.\u201d<\/p>\n He said the campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon would continue, reiterating that the ceasefire with Iran<\/a> did not include the Lebanese armed group. \u201cWe continue to strike it with force,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n He dismissed political rumours that Israel had been \u201csurprised at the last moment,\u201d by the ceasefire, instead he said it came into effect \u201cin full coordination with Israel.\u201d<\/p>\n Netanyahu has faced domestic criticism from opposition lawmakers for agreeing to the ceasefire before achieving its war objectives. He called it \u201ca historic operation\u201d with the United States, noting that \u201csuch a partnership \u2026 against our greatest enemy is also unprecedented\u201d.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.34 EDT<\/p>\n Ceasefire must include Lebanon or war will continue, Iran\u2019s foreign minister says<\/p>\n The United States must choose between continued war via Israel or a ceasefire, Iran\u2019s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, has said in a post<\/a> on social media.<\/p>\n double quotation markThe Iran\u2013U.S. Ceasefire terms are clear and explicit: the U.S. must choose \u2013 ceasefire or continued war via Israel. It cannot have both.<\/p>\n The world sees the massacres in Lebanon. The ball is in the U.S. court, and the world is watching whether it will act on its commitments.<\/p>\n Araghchi\u2019s post also included a screenshot of this post<\/a> from Shehbaz Sharif, the Pakistani prime minister, announcing the ceasefire had been reached on Tuesday, in which he had said:<\/p>\n double quotation markI am pleased to announce that the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate ceasefire everywhere including Lebanon and elsewhere, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY.<\/p>\n The White House insisted<\/a> today that Lebanon was not included in the ceasefire deal and that \u201chas been relayed to all parties\u201d, as Israel massively ramped up an intense wave of airstrikes across the country, killing at least 254 people<\/a> on Wednesday.<\/p>\n But that is starkly different to Iran\u2019s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) earlier warning both the US and Israel that it would respond if Israel did not cease attacks on Lebanon.<\/p>\n double quotation markWe issue a firm warning to the United States, which violates treaties, and to its Zionist ally, its executioner: if the aggression against beloved Lebanon does not cease immediately, we will fulfill our duty and deliver a response.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.14 EDT<\/p>\n Asked if Donald Trump is still considering withdrawing the US from Nato, Leavitt says:<\/p>\n double quotation markIt\u2019s something the president has discussed, and I think its something the president will be discussing in a couple of hours with secretary general [Mark] Rutte.<\/p>\n And perhaps you\u2019ll hear directly from the president following that meeting later this afternoon.<\/p>\n
US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, while in Washington DC on Wednesday. Photograph: Anna Rose Layden\/Reuters<\/p>\n