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 09, 2026, 9:54 AM EDT

Iranian, Saudi foreign ministers spoke Wednesday night

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud spoke over the phone on Wednesday night, according to the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Iranian state media.

"During the call, the course of events was discussed, as well as ways to reduce the pace of tension in order to contribute to the return of security and stability to the region," the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

Araghchi reportedly told his Saudi counterpart, "Unfortunately, the American side twice committed military aggression against Iran in the middle of the nuclear negotiations process, and this time, diplomacy and negotiations have not yet taken place, and it is acting contrary to its commitments," according to IRIB, Iranian state TV.

-ABC News' Othon Leyva Jr. and Somayeh Malekian

Apr 09, 2026, 9:49 AM EDT

IDF issues new evacuation order for southern Beirut

The Israel Defense Forces issued a new evacuation order for residents of several neighborhoods in southern Beirut, an IDF spokesman said in a post on X on Thursday.

The IDF asked residents to evacuate "immediately."

Lebanese civil defense workers inspect the rubble at the site of a building destroyed in an Israeli airstrike a day earlier in Beirut, Lebanon, April 9, 2026.
Hussein Malla/AP

The new order comes after massive criticism of Israel for large-scale attacks across Lebanon on Wednesday, which have so far left over 200 people dead and more than a thousand wounded, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.

-ABC News' Somayeh Malekian

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

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