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.

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.

Apr 09, 2026, 8:12 AM EDT

5 bulk carriers crossed Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, ship tracker says

Only five bulk carriers crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, according to global ship tracking firm Kpler. This is the lowest number Kpler has observed since March 27.

All five ships were bulk carrier vessels. No oil or gas tankers transited the strait on Wednesday, according to Kpler.

A view of the vessels passing through Strait of Hormuz following the two-week temporary ceasefire reached between the United States and Iran on the condition that the strait be reopened, seen in Oman, April 8, 2026.
Shady Alassar/Anadolu via Getty Images

-ABC News' Victoria Beaule

Apr 09, 2026, 8:10 AM EDT

Iran minister says Strait of Hormuz is open to all ships that coordinate with Tehran

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh told ITV News on Thursday that the Strait of Hormuz is open to all vessels that coordinate their movements with Iranian authorities.

Asked if Tehran will allow American vessels to transit the waterway, Khatibzadeh said that so long as there is no "hostile behavior," any ships that receive authorization from Iranian authorities will be able to pass.

-ABC News' Joe Simonetti

Apr 09, 2026, 7:22 AM EDT

Pakistan, EU officials condemn ceasefire 'violations' in Lebanon

Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and European Union foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas both "expressed concern over serious violations of the ceasefire in Lebanon" in a phone conversation on Thursday, according to a readout from the Pakistani Foreign Ministry.

The two officials emphasized the need for the "full implementation of the temporary ceasefire in the Middle East," the readout said.

In a post to her own X channel, Kallas said that Hezbollah "dragged Lebanon into the war, but Israel's right to defend itself does not justify inflicting such massive destruction."

"Israeli actions are putting the U.S.-Iran ceasefire under severe strain. The Iran truce should extend to Lebanon. Hezbollah must disarm. The EU supports Lebanon's efforts to disarm Hezbollah," Kallas added.

A man checks the damage at the site of an Israeli airstrike the day before that targeted a neighborhood in the southern Lebanese coastal city of Tyre on April 9, 2026.
Ibrahim Amro/AFP via Getty Images

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Vice President JD Vance have said Lebanon was not included in the two-week ceasefire agreement announced on Tuesday.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, though, said in his announcement of the truce that Lebanon was covered.

Iranian officials and state media have likewise suggested that Lebanon is part of the ceasefire deal and have warned that continued Israeli action there could prompt Iranian retaliation.

Apr 09, 2026, 6:55 AM EDT

4 Lebanese soldiers killed by Israeli strikes, army says

The Lebanese Armed Forces announced on Thursday that four of its troops were killed by Israeli airstrikes on Wednesday.

Two soldiers were killed in the eastern Baalbek region, one in the southeastern region of Hermel and one in the coastal region of Sidon, the army said in a statement.

Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted an area in the southern Lebanese city of Sidon on April 8, 2026.
Mahmoud Zayyat/AFP via Getty Images

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