President Trump says US Navy will begin blockade of Strait of Hormuz

The U.S. and Iran failed to reach a peace deal after 21 hours of negotiations.

ByDavid Brennan, Jon Haworth, Nadine El-Bawab, and Kevin Shalvey
Last Updated: April 12, 2026, 10:22 PM EDT

President Donald Trump announced "major combat operations" against Iran on Feb. 28, with massive joint U.S.-Israeli strikes targeting military and government sites.

Trump set a deadline for Iran to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face broad strikes on its critical infrastructure. Hours before the deadline expired, Trump said he had agreed to suspend planned bombing for two weeks if Iran agreed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi then said that "safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be possible via coordination with Iran's Armed Forces and with due consideration of technical limitations."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he supported the ceasefire with Iran, but that Lebanon -- where intense Israeli strikes continued -- was not covered by the agreement, despite Iranian protests.

Key Headlines

Here's how the news is developing.
Apr 08, 2026, 4:48 PM EDT

Lebanon declares Thursday a national day of mourning

Lebanese Prime Minister Dr. Nawaf Salam declared Thursday a national day of mourning, as health officials in the country say Israeli strikes have killed at least 1,739 people and wounded 5,873 others since March 2.

Salam also announced the closure of government offices, public institutions, and municipalities on Thursday, with flags to be flown at half-staff, and the adjustment of regular programming on radio and television stations to reflect the mourning.

First responders work at the site of an Israeli airstrike that struck an apartment building in Beirut, Lebanon, April 8, 2026.
Bilal Hussein/AP
Apr 08, 2026, 3:22 PM EDT

Iran parliament speaker claims 'US violations'

Iran's parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf laid out what he claims are U.S. "violations" of the ceasefire since the agreement went into effect Tuesday night.

The speaker said Lebanon is included in the ceasefire agreement reached, but Israel has continued strikes on Lebanon on Wednesday.

Rescuers work at the site of an Israeli strike in Beirut, Lebanon, April 8, 2026.
Mohamed Azakir/Reuters

The speaker claimed the framework allowed Iran the right to enrich uranium which Trump has denied.

He also claimed "an intruding drone" entered into Iranian airspace, which was destroyed in the city of Lar in Fars Province.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it intercepted and destroyed a Hermes 900 drone over the central province of Fars earlier Wednesday, according to the semi‑official Fars News Agency.

This was reported after Iran’s oil ministry’s news outlet said the country’s Lavan oil refinery was hit by a strike. Israel denied involvement in the Lavan explosion.

Apr 08, 2026, 2:54 PM EDT

Israeli attacks kill 254 across Lebanon Wednesday, Lebanese Civil Defense says

At least 254 people have been killed and another 1,165 have been injured in Israeli attacks across Lebanon on Wednesday, Lebanese Civil Defense spokesperson Elie Khairallah confirmed to ABC News.

Smoke rises following several Israeli airstrikes in Beirut, Lebanon, April 8, 2026.
Hassan Ammar/AP

Of those killed, 92 people were in Beirut, Lebanese Civil Defense said. Another 61 were killed were in Beirut's southern suburbs, according to a breakdown of the casualties in a press release from the Lebanese Civil Defense.

-ABC News' Ghazi Balkiz

Apr 08, 2026, 2:49 PM EDT

Leavitt relays Trump's message to NATO: 'They were tested and they failed'

Ahead of President Donald Trump’s meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte this afternoon, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the possibility of the U.S. withdrawing from NATO is something the two will likely discuss.

“I have a direct quote from the president of the United States on NATO, and I will share it with all of you. ‘They were tested and they failed,’” Leavitt said.

Congress would need to provide permission if the president were to withdraw from NATO. In 2023, Congress approved a measure aimed at preventing any U.S. president from unilaterally withdrawing the United States from NATO without congressional approval.

-ABC News' Emily Chang

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