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, 10:53 AM EDT

Trump continues to blast NATO

Following his meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House Wednesday, President Donald Trump is continuing to rail against the global alliance, calling them “very disappointing” and claiming they don’t understand “anything” unless faced with pressure.

“None of these people, including our own, very disappointing, NATO, understood anything unless they have pressure placed upon them!!!” Trump wrote on his social media platform Thursday morning.

This comes after Rutte told CNN last night that the president expressed clear disappointment in the NATO allies for not heeding his requests for help with Iran, though Rutte had argued that Europe has in fact helped the U.S.

-ABC News' Emily Chang

Apr 09, 2026, 9:55 AM EDT

Lebanon PM asks Pakistan to ensure ceasefire includes Lebanon

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam contacted his Pakistani counterpart, Shahbaz Sharif, and asked him to emphasize that the ceasefire should also include Lebanon, according to the Lebanese National News Agency on Thursday.

A woman holds her dog as she walks past burned cars a day after an Israeli airstrike in Beirut, Lebanon, April 9, 2026.
Emilio Morenatti/AP
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

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