Strait of Hormuz open amid Israel-Lebanon truce

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that Tehran was “completely” reopening the Strait of Hormuz for the rest of the ceasefire period.

“In line with the ceasefire in Lebanon, the passage for all commercial vessels through Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open for the remaining period of ceasefire, on the coordinated route as already announced by Ports and Maritime Organization of the Islamic [Republic] of Iran,” Araghchi said in a post on the platform X.

Tehran effectively closed the crucial waterway, through which a large portion of the world’s energy deliveries passes, on February 28 after the United States and Israel launched their war with Iran.

Iran agreed to open the Strait of Hormuz as part of a two-week ceasefire with Washington that started on April 8, but contentions remained on whether the truce included Lebanon.

Israel reached a 10-day ceasefire deal with Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group on Thursday.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned that Israel could continue its ground invasion and aerial bombardment of Lebanon after the end of a 10-day ceasefire period.

“The ground maneuver into Lebanon and the strikes on Hezbollah have achieved many gains, but they are still not complete,” Katz said in a statement.

He described the 10-day ceasefire with Lebanon as a “temporary freeze” and said Israel would stick to its war aim of disarming the Iran-aligned Hezbollah militant group.

Katz said that a “significant diplomatic lever” had emerged in the goal of dismantling Hezbollah with the help of the United States by “applying pressure on the Lebanese government.”

He said that residents of southern Lebanon and Beirut who had to flee their homes amid the fighting could be forced to evacuate again.

“If the fighting resumes, those residents who return to the security zone will have to be evacuated to allow completion of the mission,” the Israeli minister said.

Thursday Israeli air strikes on the southern Lebanese city of Tyre killed at least 13 people, multiple news agencies reported on Friday.

Lebanon’s official NNA news agency said that around 35 people were injured in the attacks and 15 people were still missing under the rubble.

Israel launched the strikes just before a 10-day ceasefire with Israel went into effect at midnight local time (2100 UTC) on Thursday.

French news agency AFP reported that the strikes targeted six residential buildings that were destroyed, citing a city official.

Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are to discuss efforts to bring the war between the United States and Israel and Iran to an end on the sidelines of a summit in the coastal Turkish city of Antalya.

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is to address the three-day Antalya Diplomacy Forum on Friday.

The timeline of the meeting between the four major Muslim-majority states has not been announced.

Earlier this week, Erdogan called for the current ceasefire period to be utilized for intensified diplomatic efforts.

“We are making the necessary efforts to reduce tensions, extend the ceasefire, and continue the negotiations,” Erdogan told a party conference of his ruling conservative AKP.

“Negotiations cannot take place with clenched fists. Weapons must not be allowed to speak again instead of words. The window of opportunity opened by the ceasefire must be fully utilized.”

It comes after US-Iranian talks in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, with Washington saying a second round of talks is likely.

Turkey is a member of the US-led NATO military alliance and is also a major trade partner of Iran, a country it borders.

Two Iranian soccer players who were granted refuge in Australia thanked the country for its support.

“We wish to express our deepest gratitude to the Australian government, and particularly Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke, for granting us humanitarian protection and a safe haven in this beautiful country,” the two members of Iran’s women’s national soccer team said in a joint statement published by Australian public broadcaster ABC.

“The compassion and support shown to us during this challenging time has provided us with hope for a future where we can live and compete in safety,” they said.

The two athletes stressed that they were “not yet ready to speak publicly” about the ordeal and called for privacy and space from the media.

Australia granted asylum to seven team members after they did not sing the Iranian national anthem at a March 2 match against South Korea in the Gold Coast, Australia, sparking concerns for their safety if they return to Iran.

Five of the members granted asylum ultimately withdrew their request and opted to go back to Iran.

Jet fuel disruptions caused by the United States and Israel’s war with Iran could soon lead to a reduction in available flights over the summer, the German Aviation Association (BDL) warned.

“The summer season is just around the corner, and the tourism ecosystem depends on air travel for incoming and outgoing tourists during the peak travel and business season,” BDL chief Joachim Lang was cited by German news agency DPA as saying.

The association is made up of German airlines and airport operators.

BDL said that over 80 facilities across the Middle East have been partially and severely damaged.

Analysts warn that energy markets are likely to recover slowly in the event of an end to the war.

The head of the International Energy Agency (IEA), Fatih Birol, also warned of jet fuel shortages by the end of May in comments to Italian newspaper La Stampa on Friday.

France and the United Kingdom are set to host a conference in Paris on devising an international plan to secure shipping in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni are scheduled to take part in the Friday talks, while dozens of other countries are to attend digitally.

The United States has not been invited to the summit. Washington has repeatedly called for its allies to do more to secure shipping in the strait.

Ahead of the talks, French President Emmanuel Macron said that the mission would be “strictly defensive” and only deployed once “security conditions allow” for it.

The summit’s other host, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, called for an “unconditional and immediate reopening” of the Strait of Hormuz.

“We need to act to get global energy and trade flowing freely again,” he said.

Iran effectively blocked the strait, which is a crucial artery for global energy deliveries, after the United States and Israel launched their war on the West Asian country on February 28.

Germany’s DPA news agency cited German government sources as saying Berlin could supply minehunters, an escort ship and aerial surveillance assets to the international mission.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday announced his support for a 10-day ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel that came into effect late on Thursday.

“I fully support the ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel as announced by President Trump yesterday,” Macron said in a post on X.

But he voiced concern that the deal “may already be undermined by the continuation of military operations.”

Macron called for the Hezbollah militant group to disarm and for Israel to “respect Lebanese sovereignty and stop the war,” while urging both parties to respect the “safety of civilian populations.”

Paris maintains strong diplomatic ties with Lebanon, a former French protectorate.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said the United States has made “no new requests” for help in Iran.

He told reporters President Donald Trump had indicated he had the situation under control, despite earlier criticism that Australia was not present when asked to assist around the Strait of Hormuz.

Australia, a key US ally, has maintained it is not involved in the Iran conflict but has a strong interest in reopening the vital shipping route for fuel supplies. Trump had said he was “not happy with Australia” and pointed to its absence in Hormuz-related operations.

Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles said the country has been in talks with France, Britain and the US over the strait.

Australia was asked last month to help defend Gulf states and responded by deploying an E7 Wedgetail surveillance aircraft and missiles to protect the United Arab Emirates, officials said.

President Donald Trump on Thursday described the US-Israeli war with Iran as a “little diversion” during his second term.

At an event in Las Vegas, the US president boasted about his economic record since returning to office in 2025.

“We had the best economy in the history of our country in my first term. And we’re blowing it out now…And despite our little diversion to the lovely country of Iran, lovely place,” Trump told his supporters.

“But we had to do that, because otherwise, bad things could happen, the really bad thing,” he added, in an apparent reference to his repeated comments that Iran was seeking to develop a nuclear bomb. Tehran has previously maintained that its nuclear program served only civilian purposes.

Trump also said the war against Iran was going “swimmingly” and ​that it “should be ⁠ending pretty ​soon.”

Last weekend, Ipsos conducted a poll in which 51% of the more than 1,000 US respondents said the war with Iran was not worth the associated costs, while only 24% said the opposite.

Lebanon’s army accused Israel of “acts of aggression,” including intermittent shelling of several southern Lebanese villages, that it said violated the ceasefire agreement that took effect at midnight Friday local time.

In a statement, the Lebanese army also called on citizens to refrain from returning to southern villages and towns.

The Israeli military did not make an immediate comment.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, US President Donald Trump expressed his hope that the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah would “act nicely” during the ceasefire in Lebanon.

“It will be an GREAT moment for them if they do. No more killing. Must finally have PEACE!” he added.

On Thursday, Trump announced that Israel and Lebanon had agreed to a 10-day truce.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon and urged “all actors” to respect the truce, according to his spokesperson.

“The Secretary-General welcomes the announcement of a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon and commends the United States’ role in facilitating it,” Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.

Guterres “urges all actors to fully respect the ceasefire and to comply with their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law, at all times,” Dujarric added.

This statement may extend beyond Israel and Lebanon to the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.

Trump announces ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon

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The Israeli military said its forces remain deployed in southern Lebanon following the ceasefire, Reuters news agency reported. The military also urged Lebanese residents not to move south of the Litani River.

Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had agreed to the ceasefire “to advance” peace efforts with Lebanon.

However, he added that Israeli troops would not withdraw. 

Israeli forces have engaged in fierce battles with Iran-backed Hezbollah militants along the border as the Israeli soldiers advance into southern Lebanon to establish a “security zone,” according to officials. In his video address, Netanyahu said the zone will extend 10 kilometers (6 miles) into Lebanon.

“That is where we are, and we are not leaving,” he said.

The Lebanese government is not actively involved in the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. However, it is seeking de-escalation and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon.