Day 42 | US-Iran truce on edge as talks set for Friday
The 2026 Iran War began on February 28, when the United States and ‘Israel’ launched a large-scale attack on Iran, unleashing nearly 900 airstrikes within 12 hours on the Islamic Republic’s missile systems, air defenses, nuclear facilities, military bases, and leadership targets.
On April 8, the United States, Iran, and ‘Israel’ agreed to a temporary two-week ceasefire, brokered by Pakistan, with Iran committing to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and all sides pausing military operations while negotiations continue toward a broader agreement.
The assault followed years of shadow conflict, including direct missile exchanges in 2024 and a limited 12-day war in 2025 that damaged Iran’s nuclear and ballistic capabilities.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and senior officials were killed in the opening strikes.
Iran responded within hours, launching waves of ballistic missiles and drones at ‘Israel’, US bases, and targets across the Gulf.
The fragile truce is currently hanging in the balance, with Tehran threatening to resume hostilities as ‘Israel’ launched a major bombardment of Lebanon.
Washington and Tehran both claimed victory after agreeing to the ceasefire and negotiations.
The deal's fractures emerged quickly as ‘Israel’ carried out its heaviest strikes on its neighbour -- including in densely packed central Beirut -- since the Iran-backed group Hezbollah joined the war in early March.
‘Israel’ said its battle against Hezbollah was not part of the US-Iran truce agreed late Tuesday, an argument echoed by US Vice President JD Vance, as he is set to lead talks with Tehran in Islamabad, Pakistan.
Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf appeared to threaten the ceasefire, posting on X that the "workable basis on which to negotiate" had already been violated, making further talks "unreasonable".
Adding to the fragility of the truce -- agreed hours before a deadline set by US President Donald Trump -- a senior US official said Iran's 10-point plan was not the same set of conditions the White House had agreed to in order to pause the war.
Hezbollah says it targeted Kiryat Shmona with rockets over ceasefire violations
Hezbollah said it launched rockets toward the settlement of Kiryat Shmona in response to what it described as 'Israeli' violations of the ceasefire, while 'Israeli' authorities reported that a rocket struck a home in the northern border community of Misgav Am earlier today.
Stocks rise on US-Iran truce optimism
Stocks rose Friday as investors remained optimistic about the US-Iran ceasefire ahead of planned weekend talks.
Equity markets in Tokyo and Seoul led gains across Asia as investors tracked gains on Wall Street.
But oil prices extended Thursday's gains -- Brent added 0.6 percent and West Texas Intermediate 0.8 percent -- as the key Strait of Hormuz remained largely closed. Both main contracts remain around $100 a barrel.
Worries that Israel's continued attacks on Lebanon could shatter the peace process added to crude-buying sentiment.
“Cancerous state”: Pakistani Defense Minister calls ‘Israel’ evil amid US-Iran truce talks
Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif denounced ‘Israel’ on Thursday, calling the country “evil and a curse for humanity” and a “cancerous state” while accusing it of committing genocide in Lebanon, even as US-Iran peace talks are set to begin in Islamabad this weekend.
In a post on X, Asif wrote: “Israel is evil and a curse for humanity, while peace talks are underway in Islamabad, genocide is being committed in Lebanon. Innocent citizens are being killed by Israel, first Gaza, then Iran and now Lebanon, bloodletting continues unabated.”
He added: “I hope and pray people who created this cancerous state on Palestinian land to get rid of European jews burn in hell.”
The remarks, which drew immediate backlash from ‘Israel’, come as Pakistan — which has no diplomatic relations with ‘Israel’ and maintains a staunch pro-Palestinian stance — plays a high-profile role mediating indirect talks between Washington and Tehran to solidify a two-week ceasefire announced earlier this week.
‘Israel’s’ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office labeled Asif’s comments “outrageous,” describing them as a direct call for the annihilation of the Jewish state.
The controversy unfolds against a backdrop of escalating tensions in the Middle East following weeks of direct conflict involving ‘Israel’, Iran, Hezbollah, and the United States.
The US and Iran agreed earlier this to a two-week ceasefire, mediated by Pakistan, after intense hostilities that included ‘Israeli’-US strikes on Iranian targets and Iranian retaliation across the region, including threats to the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has insisted the truce covers Lebanon; the US and ‘Israel’ maintain it does not.
Formal talks between US and Iranian delegations are scheduled to begin in Islamabad as early as Friday or Saturday, with Pakistan’s Sharif hosting.
Hours after the ceasefire announcement, ‘Israel’ launched one of its largest air campaigns against Lebanon since the broader conflict intensified.
Reports indicate over 300 people were killed and more than 1,000 injured in a single day of strikes on Wednesday.
‘Israel’ has vowed to continue strikes against Hezbollah, stating there is “no ceasefire in Lebanon.” Hezbollah has responded with rocket fire into ‘Israel’.
Japan's Takaichi confirms release of more oil reserves
Japan plans to release a further 20 days' worth of oil reserves as early as next month, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi confirmed Friday.
"To ensure the stable supply of crude oil, we will release starting in early May the equivalent of roughly 20 days' worth (of oil) from the national reserves," she said at a meeting held in response to the conflict in the Middle East.
“Low-key”: Trump asks Netanyahu to cut back on Lebanon strikes to help deal with Iran
US President Donald Trump said that he was “very optimistic” that a peace deal with Iran can be reached through the negotiations set to take place in Pakistan.
In statements to NBC News, Trump said that Iran’s leaders “talk much differently when you’re at a meeting than they do to the press. They’re much more reasonable”.
“They’re agreeing to all the things that they have to agree to. Remember, they’ve been conquered. They have no military.”
“If they don’t make a deal, it’s going to be very painful,” Trump added.
Trump also asked Netanyahu in a phone call on Wednesday to “scale back” the strikes on Lebanon to ensure that the peace talks yield a result, after Tehran threatened and insisted that stopping the attacks on Hezbollah is part of its deal with the US.
“I spoke with Bibi and he’s going to low-key it. I just think we have to be sort of a little more low-key,” Trump said to NBC News.
Iran doing “very poor job” of letting oil through Hormuz: Trump
US President Donald Trump on Thursday accused Iran of doing a "very poor job" of allowing oil through the Strait of Hormuz and of breaching the truce agreement.
“Iran is doing a very poor job, dishonorable some would say, of allowing Oil to go through the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump said on Truth Social.
“That is not the agreement we have!”
No reports of injuries from Hezbollah missile: Hebrew media
The ‘Israeli’ military, in a statement cited by Hebrew media, said that one missile was fired by Hezbollah from Lebanon towards south ‘Israel’s’ ashdod, and was intercepted.
Hebrew media said there were no reports of injuries.
Sirens were also activated in Tel Aviv and the surrounding area in central ‘Israel’ due to the fear of falling fragments from the interception.
This is one of the deepest attacks carried out by Hezbollah since the start of the current round of fighting.
Iran will not hold talks with US until ceasefire reached in Lebanon: Iranian media
Iran told Pakistan it does not intend to attend the truce talks with the United States in Islamabad until a ceasefire is reached in Lebanon, according to an “informed source” cited by Fars News Agency.
“Iran has no plans to attend peace talks with the American side in Islamabad until a ceasefire is established in Lebanon,” the source cited by the agency said.
Several media reports said earlier that an Iranian delegation had already arrived in Islamabad to begin negotiations with the US delegation.
IRGC denies firing missiles at Gulf countries
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Friday denied that it launched any missiles since the start of the ceasefire with the United States.
The statement, released by the IRGC and cited by Fars News Agency, comes amid reports about drone and missile attacks targeting Gulf countries.
“We would like to inform you that the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran have not launched any missiles at any country during the ceasefire hours until now,” said the statement.
“If these reports published by the media are true, it is undoubtedly the work of the Zionist enemy or the United States,” it added.
Hezbollah launches missile salvo at central ‘Israel’: Hebrew media
Hebrew media reported that Hezbollah launched a missile salvo aimed at central ‘Israel’
It said one targeting Tel Aviv was intercepted, and another one “fell in an open area”.
Trump warns Iran against tolls for Hormuz shipping
US President Donald Trump on Thursday warned Iran against imposing a toll for ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, after Tehran agreed to reopen the crucial route as part of a two-week ceasefire.
“There are reports that Iran is charging fees to tankers going through the Hormuz Strait — They better not be and, if they are, they better stop now!” Trump said on his Truth Social platform.
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