Associated Press:
U.S. President Donald Trump and Iran’s foreign minister said Friday that the Strait of Hormuz is now fully open to commercial vessels. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted on X that the strait “is declared completely open” in line with the ceasefire in Lebanon and would remain open for the remaining period of the ceasefire. Trump affirmed the strait is “ready for full passage” in a social media post minutes later.
In a subsequent post, Trump said the U.S. naval blockade on Iranian ships and ports “will remain in full force” until a deal is reached to end the war.
The development followed the announcement of a 10-day ceasefire, which was agreed upon by Lebanon and Israel and appeared to be holding on Friday, potentially boosting efforts to extend a truce between Iran, the United States and Israel.
It was unclear whether a lasting deal would be reached between the U.S. and Iran before the ceasefire ends next week, but the pause in fighting between Israel and Hezbollah could be an indication that some progress has been made.
The fighting has killed at least 3,000 people in Iran, more than 2,100 in Lebanon, 23 in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Thirteen U.S. service members have also been killed.
Here is the latest:
Netanyahu says Israel is ‘not yet finished’ with Hezbollah
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel agreed to a temporary ceasefire in Lebanon “at the request of my friend President Trump,” but said the campaign against Hezbollah is not yet complete.
Netanyahu claimed Israel had destroyed about “90%” of Hezbollah’s missile and rocket stockpiles, but added “we have not finished yet” with the dismantling of the group.
His statement came shortly before Trump said, in a social media post, that Israel was prohibited by the U.S. from bombing Lebanon any longer, adding: “Enough is enough!!!”
Trump claims Iran agrees to ‘never close the Strait of Hormuz again’
Iran has not made any public comment suggesting it has offered such assurances.
The blocking of most tankers that use the critical waterway, through which about 20% of the world’s crude flows on a typical day, has led to a global surge in fuel prices and has impacted other facets of the global economy.
The U.S. is far less reliant than Asia and Europe on Persian Gulf energy.
Still, the closure of the strait contributed to the largest monthly inflation increase in the U.S. in four years last month.
Oil tumbles 10% and the Dow soars more than 1,000 points
Oil prices fell by 10%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average soared 1,020 points after Iran said the Strait of Hormuz is fully open, which would allow oil tankers to exit the Persian Gulf again and carry crude to customers worldwide.
The S&P 500 jumped 1.3% in morning trading Friday as U.S. stocks race toward the finish of a third straight week of big gains. The Nasdaq composite climbed 1.5%. Stocks have rallied 12% since late March on hopes that the United States and Iran can avoid a worst-case scenario for the global economy.
Lebanese army to secure south as Lebanon pushes Israeli withdrawal, Aoun says
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said the Lebanese army will play a “fundamental role” after the Israeli pullout, deploying in southern Lebanon and ending non-state armed presence.
Speaking to a delegation of Beirut members of parliament on Friday, Aoun said among the state’s priorities are consolidating the ceasefire, pushing for the withdrawal of Israeli forces, recovering Lebanese detainees and addressing pending border disputes with Israel.
Aoun cited Thursday’s phone call in which Trump expressed “support for Lebanon, its sovereignty, independence and the integrity of its territories,” describing it as one of the ceasefire’s most prominent signals of external support as negotiations advance.
Death toll of Lebanese killed in Israeli strikes increases to 2,294
Intense Israeli strikes on Thursday, one day before a 10-day U.S.-brokered ceasefire, killed 98 people, Lebanon’s health ministry said.
Since the latest war between Israel and Hezbollah erupted on March 2, at least 2,294 people have been killed, including 274 women and 177 children, according to the ministry. Another 7,185 people have been wounded, it added.
Trump again suggests Iran has agreed to hand over enriched uranium
“The U.S.A. will get all Nuclear ‘Dust,’ created by our great B2 Bombers – No money will exchange hands in any way, shape, or form,” Trump said in a social media post.
“Nuclear dust” is shorthand that Trump frequently uses to refer to the highly-enriched uranium believed to be buried under nuclear sites that the U.S. bombed during last year’s 12-day war between Israel and Iran.
If true, it would be a major concession from Iran and would lock in a key U.S. demand to end the conflict. But neither Iran nor countries acting as intermediaries in the conflict have said that Tehran has made such an agreement.
Trump on Thursday also asserted that Iran has “agreed to give us back the nuclear dust.”
German chancellor seeks US involvement in mission to secure Strait of Hormuz
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Friday he wants U.S. involvement in a Europe-led mission to secure shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Speaking after an international conference in Paris on securing the strait, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Germany could contribute mine clearance and maritime intelligence capabilities to such a mission, but would need parliamentary support and a ″secure legal basis″ such as a U.N. Security Council resolution.
He said Germany, ″if possible, would also like to see the United States of America participate; we believe this would be desirable.″
Trump says Iran, US, working to remove sea mines from Strait of Hormuz
“Iran, with the help of the U.S.A., has removed, or is removing, all sea mines!” Trump said in one of a barrage of social media postings announcing that Iran has agreed to reopen the strait.
Removing any mines will be critical to regain the confidence of commercial vessels that use the vital waterway to deliver oil and other products.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps has dropped sea mines in the strait, according to the U.S. and Iranian news agencies.
The U.S. Navy has one littoral combat ship built for mine clearing, as well as other military assets in the region capable of doing that work. The Navy has dispatched two additional mine-clearing ships from Japan that are heading to the region.
Trump says Is
rael is ‘prohibited’ from further strikes on Lebanon
The U.S. leader offered the unusually blunt statement demanding restraint from Israel, the day after Israel and Lebanon agreed to a 10-day ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah conflict.
“Israel will not be bombing Lebanon any longer,” Trump said in the social media posting. “They are PROHIBITED from doing so by the U.S.A. Enough is enough!!!”
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether the prohibition on Israel spans both offensive and defensive strikes.
Macron and Starmer welcome Strait of Hormuz opening but say it must be permanent
The leaders of France and the U.K. have welcomed the announced reopening of the Strait of Hormuz but say it must become permanent.
President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Keir Starmer say they will keep planning an international mission to restore maritime security, with a meeting of military planners in London next week.
Speaking after a gathering of some 50 countries, Macron said, “We all demand the full, immediate and unconditional reopening of the Strait of Hormuz by all parties.”
Starmer said the announcement by Iran and the U.S. that the waterway is open must become “both lasting and a workable proposal.”
He said France and the U.K. will lead a multinational mission to safeguard shipping “as soon as conditions allow.”
Quiet returns to northern Israel, but residents remain divided
After hours of sirens sounded across northern Israel late Thursday night, residents described a rare sense of quiet on Friday after a ceasefire with Hezbollah took effect.
Alerts across border communities stopped around 2 a.m., and in Kiryat Shmona, residents were seen at shopping malls and restaurants, with opinions divided over whether the 10-day ceasefire will hold.
“I live 100 meters from the border. The ceasefire is a mistake,” said resident Asaf Oakil, reflecting skepticism among some who say the fighting should continue until Hezbollah is defeated.
Another resident, expressing frustration after weeks of cross-border fire, said Israel should “strike harder” if attacks resume, adding that if rockets continue, “the whole area needs to be flattened.”
US military says it turned 19 ships back to Iran during blockade
U.S. Central Command said in a post on the social platform X on Friday that zero vessels have evaded American naval forces during the blockade of Iran-linked ships, and 19 vessels “complied with direction from U.S. forces to turn around and return to Iran.”
The post from Central Command came shortly before Trump thanked Iran for opening up the Strait of Hormuz, which Trump said was “completely open and ready for business.”
Trump, however, stressed that the blockade against Iranian shipping outside the Strait of Hormuz was still in place until negotiations were complete.
The narrow passage way in the Persian Gulf was effectively closed by Iran during the war with the U.S. and Israel, cutting off the flow of oil and natural gas through the gulf.
Trump says US blockade ‘will remain in full force’ until war ends
The president, in an all-caps social media post, said that the U.S. Navy’s blockade on Iranian ships and ports would remain in force “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,” Trump added.
Crude oil slumps 10% and Wall Street rallies toward another record
Oil prices are falling by more than 10%, and Wall Street is rallying toward another record after Iran said the Strait of Hormuz is fully open, which would allow oil tankers to exit the Persian Gulf again and carry crude to customers worldwide.
The S&P 500 rallied 0.7% as U.S. stocks sprinted toward the finish of a third straight week of big gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1%, and the Nasdaq composite added 1%.
Stocks have rallied more than 11% since late March on hopes that the United States and Iran can avoid a worst-case scenario for the global economy.
Trump and Iranian foreign minister say Strait of Hormuz is fully open
U.S. President Donald Trump and Iran’s foreign minister said Friday that the Strait of Hormuz is now fully open to commercial vessels.
In a social media post, Trump said Iran announced that the strait “is fully open and ready for full passage.”
Minutes earlier, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted on the social platform X that the passage for all commercial vessels through the strait “is declared completely open” in line with the ceasefire in Lebanon.
He said it would stay open for the remaining period of the ceasefire.
It was not immediately clear what that meant for the U.S. blockade of the strait.
A senior Trump adviser meets Pakistan’s prime minister in Turkey
U.S. President Donald Trump’s senior adviser on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs met Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday on the sidelines of a diplomacy forum in the Turkish resort city of Antalya.
In a statement, Sharif’s office said Massad Boulos conveyed Trump’s greetings to the prime minister and “appreciated Pakistan’s constructive contributions to regional stability.”
“The two sides also discussed current regional developments, including Pakistan’s peace efforts that led to the ceasefire, as well as the historic Islamabad talks,” the statement said.
‘Our homes in the south are gone, destroyed’
In downtown Beirut, tents still line some areas as some families begin to leave, while others wait, weighing the risks of returning south.
A tricycle piled with mattresses weaves through the camp, signaling the first departures after a fragile ceasefire.
“Our homes in the south are gone, destroyed,” said Ali Balhas, from Siddiqeen town in the Tyre province. “Israel is deceptive; you never really know its policies or how it will act toward people, as you know. I have six children here, and I can’t leave that quickly. Once there is more safety, we will try to take the children and go back. But yesterday, by around midnight, the young men and most of the people had already reached al- Zahrani, so we will leave later, God willing,” he added.
Amira Ayyash, a woman from Qaaqaiat al-Jisr in the Nabatiyeh province, decided to wait and assess the situation before returning home. “We do not know at what hour they might strike us, for they are treacherous. So we decided to take it slowly,” she said.
Kremlin welcomes the 10-day ceasefire in Lebanon and Israel
“We hope that during those days it will indeed be possible to reach agreements that will allow us to avoid a recurrence of military clashes in the future,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
Russia says it’s ready to store Iran’s uranium, but that the US isn’t interested
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly made the offer to store Iran’s stockpiles of enriched uranium and “the Russian side is open to that,” but “the proposal currently isn’t on the negotiating table.”
“Now this proposal isn’t in demand on the U.S. side,” Peskov told reporters.
Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts ‘played a role’ in securing ceasefire in Lebanon
That’s according to two officials who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Friday because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, is in Tehran to carry forward negotiations between the United States and Iran and help de-escalate the widening regional crisis.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said Thursday at a news briefing that “peace in Lebanon and cessation of armed attacks in Lebanon are essential for peace talks.”
Palestinians mourn deaths of a child and 2 others in Gaza
Funerals were held for three Palestinians on Friday, including a 12-year-old boy, who were killed by Israeli fire in the north of the Gaza Strip.
Twelve-year-old Saleh Badawi was killed inside his house in the Zeitoun neighborhood in Gaza City on Thursday night by an Israeli quadcopter that shot him in the head, according to his uncle Mohammad Ayyad.
Others mourned the deaths of two brothers who were fatally shot by the Israeli military early Friday morning while driving a water truck in the Gaza City district of Shijaiyah.
Their colleague, Wisam Naser, told the AP that the truck was clearly marked UNICEF and was delivering assistance to displaced people. Naser said that a third man in the truck was critically wounded and receiving treatment in Ahli Hospital.
The Israeli military and UNICEF didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Czech prime minister offers surveillance system for Strait of Hormuz
Prime Minister Andrej Babiš said his country will offer a passive surveillance system to aid the international effort to reopen the blocked Strait of Hormuz.
Dozens of countries are expected to take part in a conference on Friday organized by the leaders of France and the U.K. and meant to provide security for shipping through the key waterway.
Babiš said the system can be used when a ceasefire in the war between the U.S. and Israel against Iran is in place or when the conflict is over.
The Czech-made passive radar systems don’t emit electromagnetic energy, which makes them difficult to detect.
U.N. peacekeepers in Lebanon say airstrikes have halted since ceasefire
Tilak Pokharel, a spokesperson for the U.S. peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon known as UNIFIL, said peacekeepers have not observed any airstrikes since midnight, when a 10-day truce between Israel and Hezbollah took effect.
He said, however, that they had observed “artillery shelling in several areas in south Lebanon” up until 6 a.m. and “continue to observe
IDF airspace violation in their area of operations,” referring to the Israeli military.
He added that they have observed Israeli forces moving back and forth, but “no withdrawal.”
“They are remaining in positions, including in Bint Jbeil,” Pokharel said, referring to a village about 5 km (3 miles) from the border where heavy fighting had taken place before the ceasefire.
Defense minister warns Israel’s attempt to completely disarm Hezbollah in southern Lebanon ‘is not yet complete’
Israel Katz said Israeli forces would continue to hold all the places they are currently stationed, including a buffer zone extending 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the border with Israel into southern Lebanon. He added that many homes in the area would be destroyed, and no Lebanese residents could return to the area.
Katz said the rest of Lebanon south of the Litani River must also be cleared of Hezbollah’s presence, either through diplomatic means or continued Israeli military operation.
“Disarming Hezbollah by military or diplomatic means was and remains the goal of the campaign to which we are committed — with significant political leverage now also due to the direct involvement of the U.S. president and his commitment to this goal — while applying pressure to the Lebanese government,” Katz said. Israel occupied a similar area in southern Lebanon between 1982 and 2000.
Iran informed Hezbo
llah leadership about truce hours before Trump calls, lawmaker says
Hassan Fadlallah, the senior Hezbollah lawmaker, praised Iran as he spoke to reporters in the battered southern Beirut suburb.
“Yesterday, before the ceasefire, Hezbollah’s leadership was formally informed around 4 a.m. from the Iranian ambassador that there will be a ceasefire at night,” he said. “We were informed from the Islamic Republic that the calls they took with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan were encouraging and facilitating for a ceasefire as first step.”
Fadlallah said that the militant group’s key positions — a complete ceasefire, withdrawal of Israeli troops, a return of all Lebanese displaced people, releasing prisoners held by Israel and reconstruction — have not changed.
Senior Hezbollah legislator warns Lebanon against entering direct negotiations with Israel
“During these 10 days we want the continued effort from Iran to force Israel to the pathway that was imposed by the Islamabad talks,” Hassan Fadlallah told The Associated Press Friday after speaking to the press in the battered southern Beirut suburb of Haret Hreik.
Fadlallah, from Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc, warned Lebanon not to enter direct negotiations with Israel. The Iran-backed militant group said direct talks with Israel would be a free concession to Israel as its troops remain on Lebanese soil.
“The Lebanese government is unable, incapable, and unauthorized constitutionally and nationally for the Lebanese leadership to give such a dangerous concession that threatens Lebanon’s future,” he said.
Fadlallah warned that Hezbollah will not remain silent if Israel continues its attacks in southern Lebanon.
