Iran war live: Lebanon ceasefire holds as Trump hails Hormuz Strait opening

Arsenio Dominguez, the secretary-general of the International Maritime Organization, the UN’s shipping agency, says his organisation is currently verifying announcements related to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

Prime Minister Starmer says the UK and France will lead a multinational mission to “protect freedom of navigation” in the Strait of Hormuz as soon as conditions permit.

Speaking in Paris, Starmer said the mission would be “strictly peaceful and defensive”, with the aim of reassuring commercial shipping and supporting mine clearance efforts.

Starmer invited other countries to join, saying that roughly a dozen countries had committed to contributing assets.

The ceasefire is developing step by step. The ceasefire in Lebanon is linked to the Strait of Hormuz.

Now these two events have taken place, there are other issues to be addressed for the full opening of the strait.

Trump says there is still a US blockade. In return, there is still this military blockade which Iranian officials have told state TV.

The most important thing is that the Iranians foresee that the next round of negotiations should announce the end of the war in the region completely.

But these step-by-step movements should play out in the coming days, where both sides should be able to put together a framework with several points, which can lay the grounds for further negotiations that can extend the truce.

The chances of the US lifting the naval blockade were never particularly high, as the Trump administration sees that as a way of putting more pressure on Iran.

Trump says there are still a few outstanding issues, but the main point for him is ensuring it has no nuclear weapons.

If Iran does give that assurance, what they will get in return is the big question. They’ll want to know that if they give something quite significant, they’re getting something in return.

There is nothing here suggesting JD Vance is about to fly to Islamabad and abandon his trip to the Western part of the US. But we know from what we saw with the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, that work could be going on behind the scenes at the State Department to try to put things in place.

The Norwegian Refugee Council says the Lebanon ceasefire is “a moment of hope” for civilians, but warned it must lead to a lasting end to hostilities.

Secretary General Jan Egeland said that after 46 days of violence, the ceasefire offered people across Lebanon “a chance to breathe.”

He said civilians needed more than a temporary reduction in violence, citing reports of Israeli violations and warnings against residents returning to homes south of the Litani River.

“For this ceasefire to be meaningful for civilians, it must lead to a real and durable halt in hostilities,” Egeland said.

“The people of Lebanon do not need another fragile pause. They need a permanent ceasefire”.

Turkiye’s President Erdogan has been speaking at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum.

Here is a summary of his key talking points:

• Israel’s war on Gaza is not just a humanitarian tragedy but a genocide that clearly shows what the current global order allows.
• The window opened by the ceasefire between the US, Israel and Iran should be used effectively to secure a lasting peace.
• Gulf states’ access to open seas must not be restricted.
• The priority should be to ensure freedom of navigation in accordance with established rules and to keep the Strait of Hormuz open to commercial shipping.
• No matter how deep disputes may be, we must not allow weapons to replace dialogue, or deadly conflict to replace negotiations.

Turkiye’s FM Hakan Fidan says he hopes the ceasefire in Lebanon will be fully implemented and will lead to a permanent agreement.

Speaking at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, he warned that Israel’s expansionist policies in Lebanon and Syria have turned into a “direct threat to international security”.

“The international community must stand up against Israel’s expansionist policies that export instability to the whole world.”

I am outside the hospital in Tebnine. This is the only hospital still operating south of the Litani River.

It’s been subjected to multiple strikes over the last several weeks.

In the last few days, there was a significant attack that killed multiple medical workers, which people are calling a triple-tap strike.

Initially, there was an Israeli strike on an ambulance, and then another struck a group of ambulances that came to join the rescue effort. Then there was a third strike when a group of ambulances and medical workers was hit in front of the hospital.

The neighbourhood here has been severely damaged.

There are major security preparations under way here in Islamabad for another meeting.

What we know is there has already been a boost in security in the form of police forces – 10,000 already in Islamabad, another 10,000 being added from nearby provinces. There are active diplomatic efforts through Pakistan’s PM as well as the army chief and head of the armed forces, paramilitary forces and police.

They’re extending open invitations to world leaders to come to Islamabad for what they believe will be an historic event.

So while there have been no dates decided, according to the Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesperson, they do believe, again, that there could be a breakthrough on the nuclear front, and as a result, messages continue to be shuttled back and forth between diplomats from Tehran to Washington.

Three Iranian oil tankers have become the first loaded vessels to leave the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz since the US blockade came into force, according to maritime tracking firm Kpler.

Kpler told the AFP news agency that the Deep Sea, Sonia I and Diona – carrying a combined five million barrels of crude – passed through on Wednesday after loading at Iran’s Kharg Island earlier this month.

The US imposed the blockade on Iranian ports on Monday in a bid to stop Tehran exporting oil.

According to Kpler data, no Iranian tanker carrying crude had left the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz since the Starla on April 10.

Syria’s president says he could consider “long-term negotiations” with Israel on the occupied Golan Heights if Israel agrees to withdraw from recently occupied Syrian territory.

Israel had seized most of this plateau from Syria during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War and then annexed the areas under its control – a move not recognised by the UN or most of the international community. In December 2024, Israel sent troops into a UN-patrolled buffer zone in the Golan Heights.

Al-Sharaa said Syria wanted “either to establish new rules that would reactivate the disengagement agreement or conclude a new agreement”.

“If we reach an agreement, we could enter into long-term negotiations to resolve the issue of the occupied Golan,” the Syrian president told a diplomatic forum in the Turkish city of Antalya.

“Israel is violating the 1974 disengagement agreement, and today we are working to reach a security agreement that will guarantee its withdrawal from the territories it occupied after the fall of the [al-Assad] regime and its return to the 1974 lines.”

Lebanon’s President Aoun says the army will play a “fundamental role” after any Israeli withdrawal, including deploying up to the southern international border and ensuring there are “no armed forces other than the army and the legitimate security forces”.

Speaking to a delegation of Beirut MPs, Aoun said the state’s priority was to consolidate the ceasefire, secure the withdrawal of Israeli forces from occupied southern areas, recover captives and resolve outstanding border disputes.

He described the ceasefire as “the gateway to advancing the negotiations” and said it had both local and international backing.

Aoun added that Lebanon was facing “a new reality” supported by Arab and international partners, warning that the opportunity “must not be squandered because it may not come again”.

Lebanon’s FM Youssef Rajji has met his Portuguese counterpart Paulo Rangel for talks on the situation in Lebanon and rapid developments in the region.

According to Lebanon’s Foreign Ministry, the two sides also discussed efforts being made to “restore stability” following the ceasefire.

Rangel conveyed Portugal’s “full support for Lebanon, for its sovereignty and the unity of its territories”, the ministry said.

He also welcomed the ceasefire and the negotiating path Lebanon intends to pursue, describing it as “a real opportunity” to reach a “comprehensive and sustainable solution” that would “enhance stability and put an end to the conflict”.

Iran’s President has praised Pakistan’s role in mediation efforts that helped secure a ceasefire, according to the Iranian state news agency IRNA.

During talks in Tehran with Pakistan’s army chief, Masoud Pezeshkian commended him and Pakistan’s prime minister for their “effective role” in the mediation process and in helping facilitate the ceasefire.

He also thanked Pakistan for hosting the Iranian delegation during talks in Islamabad.

He added that Iran was “not seeking instability in the region” and wanted to expand friendly relations with neighbouring countries.

President Ahmed al-Sharaa says Syria is affected by developments in Lebanon.

At the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, he also congratulated Trump’s “efforts to stop the ongoing war”, emphasising that Syria was choosing a path of neutrality amid rising tensions in the region.

PM Starmer has arrived at the Elysee Palace to meet President Macron.

They are set to host a video conference involving about 40 countries to discuss the Strait of Hormuz and the creation of an international coalition to help tankers pass through and secure safe passage.

We do not have many details, but discussions could include demining operations. German Chancellor Merz is also expected to join the meeting later, and has reportedly said he wants Trump involved in such talks.

The meeting may be seen as more symbolic than practical, as these countries have limited leverage in the region and do not control events on the ground.

The annual event here in Antalya gets under way amidst a global crisis.

What makes it particularly important now is the ongoing crisis regarding Iran. The heads of state and government are all present. However, the highlight for today is expected to be the meeting between the Turkish, Pakistani, Saudi and Egyptian foreign ministers.

This is going to be a critical meeting as it is the third round of such discussions. On the one hand, they want to preserve the ceasefire. To achieve this, they are encouraging both sides and also using their economic, political, and military leverage to bring them to an agreement that could lead to a permanent ceasefire.

However, while doing so, they also have their demands and want to properly communicate their interests at the negotiating table.

Moreover, while speaking with some officials here, one of them mentioned that a main motive for these recurring gatherings of the four major countries is also preparation for repositioning the region after the war. They understand that the region will never be the same; it has changed dramatically, presenting new opportunities and tremendous challenges.

They are trying to recalibrate their policies and, rather than acting individually, are coordinating their actions.

India says it has been invited by the UK and France to join their initiative aimed at restoring safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

The announcement came from India’s Foreign Ministry as international efforts intensify to restore safe navigation through the strategic waterway. The strait is one of the world’s most important shipping routes, carrying a significant 20 percent of global oil supplies.

At the bombed Qasmiyeh bridge near the southern city of Tyre in southern Lebanon, long queues of families were seen waiting for bulldozers to restore the crossing so they could head home.

For some returnees, the short truce between Israel and the Lebanese government was a new source of hope.

“Our feelings are indescribable, pride and victory,” 37-year-old Amani Atrash was quoted as saying by AFP news agency.

Closer to the capital, Hussein Amdar, a resident of Beirut’s southern suburbs, said the “feeling is really good”.

“Now friends have started calling me and the family so we can meet, to bring back the days before the war when we used to do gatherings,” he said.

• Celebratory gunfire and fireworks have been seen in Lebanon, where a 10-day ceasefire was announced.
• Lebanon’s National News Agency has reported the first violation of the ceasefire after an ambulance was hit in the town of Kounine, close to the border with Israel, with casualties among the targeted medical workers.
• Tens of thousands of displaced Lebanese have started returning home to Beirut’s southern suburbs and towns and villages in southern Lebanon.
• Pakistan PM Sharif has welcomed the announcement of a ceasefire in Lebanon, saying he hopes it will lead to lasting peace.
• France’s President Macron has expressed his full support for the ceasefire in Lebanon, but expressed “concern that it may already be undermined by the continuation of military operations”.
• One Palestinian has been killed and two wounded after Israeli forces targeted a water desalination facility with a drone in the Shujayea neighbourhood of Gaza City.