Iran's military claims it will close the Strait of Hormuz to tankers, citing alleged ceasefire violations by the US and Israel. This follows Israeli strikes in Lebanon that killed five. US VP JD Vance stated there is no evidence of the closure, while peace talks are ongoing in Switzerland.
Lebanon's civil defense reported 16 deaths from ongoing Israeli strikes in the Nabatieh district on Saturday, despite a ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah. Both sides accuse each other of violations, jeopardizing US-Iran peace talks in Switzerland.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have launched strikes against Hezbollah targets and infrastructure in southern Lebanon in response to repeated ceasefire violations by the Shiite organization. At least 16 people, including civilians, were reported killed in the Israeli airstrikes.
Gaza's health ministry reported nearly 1,000 deaths since the start of the ceasefire, with five Israeli soldiers also killed. The total death toll since October 7, 2023, has reached 73,001, with over 173,200 wounded. The ministry's records are considered reliable by UN agencies and experts, though they do not differentiate between civilians and militants.
Israel's military accused Hezbollah of launching projectiles, violating a ceasefire, hours after ordering residents of 29 towns in southern Lebanon to evacuate. This escalation occurs despite reports of a potential Iran-US deal to end regional conflict, with Israeli officials calling for intensified attacks.
Iran launched a drone attack on Kuwait International Airport, killing one person and injuring multiple others. Tehran accused the US of violating a ceasefire and blamed Kuwait and Bahrain for allowing US attacks, while Bahrain reported intercepting Iranian drones and missiles.
Iran's state-affiliated Tasnim news agency reported that Iran will stop communicating with the U.S. through intermediaries and will fully close the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for ongoing ceasefire violations, particularly Israel's military operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon. This announcement led to a more than 7% surge in oil prices.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned the US and Israel that violating the ceasefire on any front is a violation on all fronts, specifically mentioning Lebanon. This comes after Israeli PM Netanyahu ordered strikes on Beirut's southern suburb, a Hezbollah stronghold, in response to repeated Hezbollah attacks.
Iran warns the US and Israel that any violation of the ceasefire on any front will be considered a violation on all fronts, holding them responsible for the consequences amidst escalating regional tensions and clashes between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Iran's Parliament Speaker claims US naval blockade and Israeli military actions in Lebanon violate ceasefire terms. Tehran demands the blockade's end, distrusts verbal guarantees, and eyes a tentative deal for ceasefire extension and nuclear talks amid new US sanctions.
Iran accuses US of violating ceasefire after American fighter jets strike targets in Hormozgan province, killing at least three sailors
Lebanon is hesitant to participate in upcoming security meetings with Israel in Washington due to ongoing Israeli ceasefire violations. Beirut demands a ceasefire be the first agenda item, otherwise it may suspend participation, putting Lebanese leadership in an awkward position.
At least eight people were killed in Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon, including villages like Doueir and Tibnin, violating a US-mediated ceasefire. Hezbollah reported clashes with Israeli troops in Haddatha and Biyyada.
Oil prices surged Friday as US-Iran tensions flared, reversing earlier declines. US strikes on Iranian targets prompted accusations of ceasefire violations, escalating fears over the vital Strait of Hormuz. This geopolitical volatility overshadows concerns about suspicious trading activity linked to policy announcements, impacting global energy supplies and inflation.
Iran's parliament national security committee head Ebrahim Azizi warns that any US interference in Strait of Hormuz maritime traffic will be considered a ceasefire violation. Azizi criticized President Trump's announced Operation Project Freedom, stating the strait and Persian Gulf would not be managed by Trump's "delusional posts." Trump said the operation aims to help ships stranded due to US-Iranian conflict leave the waters.
Trump announced the US will launch 'Project Freedom' on Monday to guide hundreds of stranded ships and some 20,000 seafarers through the Iran-blocked Strait of Hormuz. The operation involves over 100 aircraft, guided-missile destroyers and 15,000 service members. Iran quickly denounced the effort as a ceasefire violation, while ships and crews have been stuck in the Persian Gulf since the war began on February 28.
At least nine people including two children were killed in Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon on Thursday, with 23 wounded, despite a ceasefire now in its second week. The strikes targeted Hezbollah infrastructure while the militia carried out its own attacks on Israeli forces. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun criticized continuing Israeli violations of the truce, with evacuation warnings issued for 15 villages, many outside the designated Yellow Line. The conflict, which began on March 2, has killed over 2,500 people in Lebanon.
The US military seized the Guyana-flagged oil tanker Majestic X in the Indian Ocean on Thursday for allegedly smuggling Iranian oil, following Iran's seizure of three cargo ships in the Strait of Hormuz the previous day. The tanker, previously named Phonix and sanctioned by the US Treasury in 2024, was bound for Zhoushan, China. Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts remain frozen as Iran says reopening the strait is "impossible" under the US naval blockade, while Tehran claims it has already collected transit fees from ships passing through the waterway.
Hezbollah fired rockets and drones into northern Israel on Tuesday, accusing the Israeli military of violating a ceasefire that came into effect last Thursday. The Israeli military said Iran-aligned Hezbollah fired several rockets toward its troops in southern Lebanon, calling it a "blatant violation" of the truce mediated by Washington. Israeli forces remain deployed in a 5-10 km belt of Lebanese border land, creating a buffer zone. Both sides accused each other of attacking civilians and destroying homes in breach of the agreement, with US-mediated talks scheduled for this week.
US President Donald Trump has accused Iran of repeatedly breaching a fragile ceasefire, creating uncertainty ahead of planned US-Iran talks in Islamabad. The two-week ceasefire, which began April 8, faces a Wednesday deadline. Tensions have escalated following a US Navy seizure of an Iranian container ship, with global energy prices rising as Brent crude nears $95 per barrel. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf warned that Iran does not accept negotiations under threat, while Pakistani officials prepare for potential high-level discussions.
The Iranian Armed Forces will give an appropriate response, Ali Abdollahi said
Israeli Air Force struck two groups of armed militants in southern Lebanon who approached Israeli troops in violation of the ceasefire agreement, the IDF said. The incidents occurred in the Bint Jbeil and Litani areas within the Forward Defense Area, where troops identified terrorists posing an imminent threat and eliminated them.
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