Iran US war news highlights: Israel continues to strike Lebanon; Hezbollah rejects direct talks

Iran US war news LIVE: The continued Israeli military campaign in Lebanon could jeopardise peace talks expected between the United States and Iran over the war in the Middle East, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Thursday.

"We view the situation in southern Lebanon with particular concern," Merz said. "The severity with which Israel is waging war there could cause the peace process as a whole to fail, and that must not be allowed to happen."

Iran US war news LIVE: The Ministry of Defence announced that on 9th April 2026, UAE air defence systems did not detect any ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, or UAVs launched from Iran.

Since the onset of the blatant Iranian attacks, UAE air defences have engaged a total of 537 ballistic missiles, 26 cruise missiles, and 2,256 UAVs.

Iran US war news LIVE: Imposing a toll on ships sailing through the critical Strait of Hormuz would "set a dangerous precedent" and countries should not impede freedom of navigation, the UN's shipping agency said on Thursday.

"There is no international agreement where tolls can be introduced for transiting international straits. Any such toll will set a dangerous precedent," a spokesperson with the UN's International Maritime Organization said.

Iran US war news LIVE: Chancellor Friedrich Merz told President Donald Trump that Germany would back a mission to secure sea lanes in the Strait of Hormuz, but that it would first need an international mandate.

Merz told reporters in Berlin Thursday that such a mandate ideally would come from the United Nations Security Council.

Iran US war news LIVE: NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has briefed some capitals that US President Donald Trump wants concrete commitments within the next few days for help securing the Strait of Hormuz, three European diplomats told Reuters on Thursday.

"The Secretary General is in contact with Allies about his discussions in Washington," NATO spokesperson Allison Hart said on Thursday. "It’s clear that the United States expects concrete commitments and action to ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz," she added.

Iran US war news LIVE: Russian foreign ministry on Thursday condemned Israel's attack on Lebanon, stating that such ‘aggressive actions’ can derail the negotiation process.

This came after Pakistan PM also condemned the ‘aggression’ and called for maintaining ceasefire.

Iran US war news LIVE: The International Monetary Fund expects to have to provide up to $50 billion in immediate financial assistance to countries affected by the Middle East war, its managing director said on Thursday, with the crisis likely to have lasting economic effects.

"Given the spillovers of the Middle East war, we expect near-term demand for IMF balance-of-payments support to rise to somewhere between $20 billion and $50 billion, with the lower bound prevailing if the ceasefire holds," Kristalina Georgieva said, according to prepared remarks shared with AFP.

Iran US war news LIVE: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Thursday that Germany has a fundamental interest in a diplomatic solution of the Middle East crisis. He also said that Germany has resumed talks with Iran.

Iran US war news LIVE: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned Israel's "ongoing aggression against Lebanon" on Thursday, ahead of expected US-Iran talks in Islamabad.

"The prime minister said that Pakistan was engaged in sincere efforts for regional peace and it was in this spirit that the peace talks between Iran and the US were being convened," Sharif's office said in a statement.

Iran US war news LIVE: Pakistan said Lebanon PM Nawaf Salam had sought Islamabad's support for bringing an immediate end to the attacks targeting Lebanon and its people in a phone call with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. "Pakistan was engaged in sincere efforts for regional peace and it was in this spirit that the peace talks between Iran and the U.S. were being convened," Sharif reportedly said.

Iran US war news LIVE: Hezbollah said on Thursday its fighters were engaged in point-blank clashes with Israeli forces in the south Lebanon town of Bint Jbeil, famous for a fierce battle between the two sides in 2006.

Bint Jbeil, five kilometres (three miles) from the border, holds symbolic signifigance for Hezbollah.

Iran US war news LIVE: Iran's parliament speaker said on Thursday that Lebanon was a key part of the two-week ceasefire with the United States, warning that violations would bring severe consequences, following massive Israeli strikes on Lebanon.

"Lebanon and the entire Resistance Axis, as Iran's allies, form an inseparable part of the ceasefire," Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said in a post on X.

Iran US war news LIVE: Iran will reportedly allow no more than 15 vessels per day to pass through the Strait of Hormuz under the ceasefire, Tass news agency reported, citing a senior Iranian source

Iran US war news LIVE: In Pakistan, authorities locked down the capital Islamabad in anticipation of the war's first peace talks, cutting off all access to a 3-km (2-mile) zone around the five-star luxury Serena Hotel.

Both the US and Iranian delegations are expected to stay at the hotel, which told all guests to check out until Sunday as it had been "requisitioned" for "an important event".

Iran US war news LIVE: Oil prices rose over 3% on Thursday as doubts over a fragile two-week Middle East ceasefire raised concerns that energy flows through the crucial Strait of Hormuz will remain restricted, with shippers hesitant to resume transit.

Brent crude futures were up $3.41, or 3.6%, at $98.16 a barrel at 1244 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose $4.74, or 5%, to $99.15 a barrel.

Iran US war news LIVE:Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian on Thursday expressed support for people in Lebanon stating that Iran has “fingers on the trigger” as Israel continues to attack Lebanon.

“Israel's renewed incursion into Lebanon is a blatant violation of the initial ceasefire agreement. This is a dangerous sign of deception and lack of commitment to potential agreements. The continuation of these actions will render negotiations meaningless. Our fingers remain on the trigger. Iran will never abandon its Lebanese sisters and brothers,” he said in a post on X.

Iran US war news LIVE: Pakistan is set to host high-stakes in-person talks between the United States and Iran on Friday, focusing on consolidating a fragile ceasefire and avert further escalation in West Asia.

Iran confirmed that its 10-member delegation will arrive in Pakistan on Thursday to participate in the upcoming talks to resolve the conflict with the US and Israel.

Iran US war news LIVE: Iran's parliament speaker Qalibaf on X said that continued attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon will bring “explicit cost and strong response”

The Israeli military said on Thursday it had killed the nephew of Hezbollah's Secretary-General Naim Qassem, who had served as his personal secretary, and had struck river crossings in Lebanon overnight.

Iran US war news LIVE: The EU on Thursday said that freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz must be ensured with "no payment or toll whatsoever", after Iran suggested it could charge for letting ships through the vital Gulf waterway.

"International law provides for the freedom of navigation, which means... basically no payment or toll whatsoever," European Commission spokesman Anouar El Anouni told a press conference in Brussels. "Freedom of navigation is a public good and needs to be ensured."

Iran US war news LIVE: Oil tankers and other vessels seeking to transit the Strait of Hormuz must liaise with the Iranian military to ensure their safe passage, the country’s deputy foreign minister told ITV in a television interview.

“The Strait of Hormuz is open, but of course each tanker and vessel should make necessary arrangements with Iranian authorities to securely pass,” Saeed Khatibzadeh said. There are “technical restraints” resulting from the recent attacks on Iran and the narrowness of the waterway that require caution, he added.

Iran US war news LIVE: The chief of Iran's nuclear agency said Thursday that protecting Tehran's right to enrich uranium is "necessary" for any ceasefire talks with the United States.

Mohammad Eslami, who leads the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran, made the remarks to journalists, Associated Press reported. He was speaking during commemorations for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran US war news LIVE: The head of the biggest oil producer in the United Arab Emirates on Thursday said that the Strait of Hormuz remains closed with Iran still restricting access and preventing energy flows to global markets.

“Conditional passage is not passage. It is control by another name,” Sultan Al Jaber, chief executive office of Abu Dhabi National Oil Co., said in comments on LinkedIn.

Iran US war news LIVE: Israel bombed more targets in Lebanon on Thursday, putting the Middle East ceasefire in further jeopardy after its biggest attacks of the war on its neighbour killed more than 250 people.

Iranian negotiators were expected to set off later on Thursday for Pakistan for the first peace talks of the war, due to meet a US delegation on Saturday. But there was no sign Iran had lifted its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran US war news LIVE: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Thursday the European Union should consider temporarily suspending its strict spending rules if the Iran war and the resulting energy shock worsens.

But Brussels cautioned that under EU rules a suspension was possible only if the 27-nation bloc was to experience a severe economic crisis -- a condition currently not met.

Iran US war news LIVE: Europe's aviation safety regulator EASA on Thursday extended until April 24 its advisory to airlines to avoid the Middle Eastern and Gulf airspace, according to an updated bulletin on conflict zones.

The advisory was previously valid until April 10