Day 56: All you need to know about US-Israel war on Iran

This live blog follows updates for Day 56 of the US-Israel war on Iran. For a recap of Day 55, go here.

• Trump rules out using nuclear, says no pressure but "clock is ticking" for Iran
• US claims ‘total control’ of Hormuz, orders navy to "shoot and kill" boats laying mines
• UN "working on" keeping presence in Lebanon, leaders accuse Israel of war crime
• Iran official says Tehran receives first revenue from Strait of Hormuz tolls
• Araghchi urges clear stance in condemning 'crimes against Iranian people'  

Israeli strikes kill six in Lebanon Friday: Health ministry

Published: April 24, 2026 | 21:14 GMT | by AFP

Israeli strikes in Lebanon killed six people Friday, the Lebanese health ministry said, despite an ongoing ceasefire in the more than six-week war between Israel and Hezbollah.

"The Israeli enemy's airstrikes on southern Lebanon today, April 24, resulted in the martyrdom of six citizens and the injury of two others," the ministry said in a statement.

Two people were killed in Wadi al-Hujair, two were killed in Touline, and one each in Srifa and Yater, all in southern Lebanon, the ministry said.

Qatar emir, Trump discuss Washington-Tehran ceasefire

Published: April 24, 2026 | 19:14 GMT | by Reuters

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani discussed developments ‌in ‌the Washington-Tehran ceasefire ‌agreement ⁠in a phone call ⁠with US President Donald Trump, ⁠Qatari state ‌news ‌agency reported ‌on ‌Friday.

He added that Qatar would ‌continue coordinating with partners to ⁠support ⁠mediation efforts led by Pakistan.

Iranian FM in Islamabad

Published: April 24, 2026 | 18:55 GMT | by Web Desk

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Islamabad late Friday as part of a high-level visit focused on regional developments and ongoing diplomatic engagement.

He was received by Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir and other senior officials, according to a statement from the Foreign Office.

During the visit, Araghchi is expected to hold meetings with Pakistan’s leadership to discuss the evolving regional situation and efforts aimed at promoting peace and stability.

The visit comes amid continued diplomatic activity following recent Pakistan-facilitated talks, with Islamabad maintaining a central role in supporting dialogue and engagement in the region.

US envoys Witkoff, Kushner to head to Pakistan Saturday for Iran talks: White House

Published: April 24, 2026 | 17:15 GMT | by Web Desk

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Witkoff and Kushner would head to Pakistan on Saturday “to engage in talks... with representatives from the Iranian delegation.”

"The Iranians reached out, as the president called on them to do, and asked for this in-person conversation,” she said, adding that the conversations would “hopefully move the ball forward towards a deal.”

Leavitt said US Vice President JD Vance, who led a first round of talks in Islamabad that concluded without a deal, would not be joining the others for the time being, but was on “standby to fly to Pakistan if necessary.”

‘Our neighbors, our priority.’

Published: April 24, 2026 | 15:12 GMT | by Web Desk

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he is embarking on a regional tour that includes Islamabad, signaling continued diplomatic engagement following recent talks hosted by Pakistan.

In a post on X, Araghchi said the visit aims “to closely coordinate with our partners on bilateral matters and consult on regional developments,” adding that “our neighbors are our priority.”

The visit comes as Pakistan continues its mediation efforts after hosting Iran–US negotiations on April 11, with diplomatic contacts ongoing amid efforts to sustain momentum around the ceasefire and broader dialogue.

While no formal details have been announced regarding meetings, the trip underscores continued engagement between Tehran and Islamabad as part of the wider diplomatic process.

EU chief says 'vital' the world Strait of Hormuz reopens

Published: April 24, 2026 | 14:50 GMT | by AFP

The immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz without restrictions is "vital" for the world, European Council President Antonio Costa said Friday, after talks with regional leaders including from Lebanon and Syria.

"The Strait of Hormuz must immediately reopen without restrictions and without tolling, in full respect of international law and the principle of freedom of navigation. This is vital for the entire world," Costa told a news conference in Cyprus.

Oil prices drop on hopes of fresh US-Iran talks

Published: April 24, 2026 | 12:40 GMT | by AFP

Oil prices slid Friday on hopes of fresh peace talks aimed at ending the Middle East war, with Iran's foreign minister expected later in Islamabad.

After jumping more than two percent, international benchmark Brent North Sea crude showed a loss of 0.5 percent at $104.57 a barrel. The main US contract, West Texas Intermediate, fell 1.1 percent to $94.80.

Iran’s FM expected in Islamabad tonight for US peace talks: Govt sources

Published: April 24, 2026 | 11:20 GMT | by Web Desk

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to arrive in Islamabad later tonight with a delegation, according to government sources.

Following key discussions with Pakistan’s mediation team, a second round of peace talks between the US and Iran is expected in Pakistan.

The US logistics and security team is already present in the capital for the negotiations.

Three aircraft carriers operating simultaneously in Mideast: Centcom 

Published: April 24, 2026 | 10:43 GMT | by Web Desk

For the first time in decades, three aircraft carriers are operating in the Middle East at the same time. Accompanied by their carrier air wings, the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), USS Gerald R Ford (CVN 78), and USS George HW Bush (CVN 77) include over 200 aircraft and 15,000 sailors and marines, said a post shared by US Central Command on X on Friday.

Kuwait says drones coming from Iraq hit near border posts

Published: April 24, 2026 | 10:37 GMT | by AFP

The Kuwaiti military said on Friday that two drones coming from the direction of neighboring Iraq struck border posts on its northern frontier with the country, causing damage but no casualties.

"This morning, two of Kuwait's northern land border posts were targeted in a criminal act of aggression involving two explosive-laden drones guided by fibre-optic cables, originating from the Republic of Iraq, resulting in material damage but... no human casualties," the military said in a statement on X.

Tehran airport to resume international flights Saturday

Published: April 24, 2026 | 10:08 GMT | by AFP

International flights from Tehran's Imam Khomeini Airport will resume on Saturday, the ISNA news agency reported, days after Iran reopened its airspace.

The first flights to resume will be to Istanbul and Muscat, the announcement said. 

Iran's airspace was slammed shut by the US-Israeli war with Iran that began on Feb. 28 and is only slowly being reopened during the ceasefire.

Officials announced last week that Mashhad airport, which serves the country's second city in the far northeast, would reopen on Monday. 

On Friday, tracking data showed at least two international flights departing the airport, to Turkiye and Oman respectively.

Zelensky to visit Saudi Arabia, meet crown prince: Ukrainian source to AFP

Published: April 24, 2026 | 08:52 GMT | by AFP

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will visit Saudi Arabia on Friday and hold talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a senior official in Kyiv told AFP, marking his second trip to the country in as many months.

Zelensky has brokered closer ties with several states in the Gulf amid the US-Israeli war with Iran, striking defense deals -- including with Riyadh -- to share Kyiv's expertise in downing drones, gained through fending off four years of Russian attacks.

EU leaders seek to do more to 'de-escalate' in Middle East

Published: April 24, 2026 | 08:49 GMT | by AFP

European leaders vowed on Friday to do more to de-escalate conflicts in the Middle East, as they prepared for discussions with regional counterparts from Egypt, Lebanon and Syria in Cyprus.

The EU has largely remained on the sidelines in the Middle East war despite US President Donald Trump lashing out at what he says is Europe's lack of support for Washington's efforts to contain Iran.

"Europe must do even more," French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters in Nicosia before heading into talks with fellow European Union leaders.

They will later have a working lunch with leaders from Lebanon, Egypt, Syria and Jordan as well as the secretary general of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

Remarkable unity among Iranians shatters enemy ranks: Supreme leader

Published: April 24, 2026 | 08:24 GMT | by Web Desk

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has lauded the profound impact of the Iranian nation’s extraordinary unity, saying that it has inflicted a significant fracture on the enemy while urging practical gratitude to forge even stronger national cohesion, state-run Press TV reported.

"Due to the remarkable unity created among compatriots, a fracture has occurred in the enemy," the supreme leader stated in a message published on  X on Thursday, highlighting how this unprecedented solidarity has disrupted the calculations of those seeking to undermine the Islamic Republic.

Mideast's swift return to stability 'in everyone's interest': Macron

Published: April 24, 2026 | 07:39 GMT | by AFP

French President Emmanuel Macron said Friday it was in "everyone's interest" for stability to return to the Middle East, as the spillover of the Iran war rattles the global economy.

"It is in everyone's interest for stability to return as soon as possible and for the world's economies to be reassured," Macron said as he arrived at an European Union summit in Nicosia, where talks with Middle East leaders are also scheduled.

IEA sees 'tight' liquefied natural gas markets through 2027

Published: April 24, 2026 | 07:36 GMT | by AFP

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies are likely to remain strained through the end of 2027 due to disruptions and infrastructure damage from the US-Iran war, the International Energy Agency said Friday.

"The combined effect of short-term supply losses and slower capacity growth could result in a cumulative loss of around 120 billion cubic meters of LNG supply between 2026 and 2030," the Paris-based agency said in a new report.

"While new liquefaction projects in other regions are expected to offset these losses over time, the impact will prolong tight markets through 2026 and 2027," it said.

No phenomenon can be judged by its effects alone, says Iranian envoy 

Published: April 24, 2026 | 07:23 GMT | by Web Desk

In an apparent indirect reference to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan, Reza Amiri Moghadam, in a post on X on Friday, stated: "According to the logic of cause and effect, no phenomenon can be fairly and neutrally judged by its effects alone without first addressing the causes that produced them."

US State Dept offers $10M reward for leader of Iraqi group

Published: April 24, 2026 | 05:00 GMT | by AFP

The US State Department is offering up to $10 million for information on the leader of Iraqi group Kataeb Sayyid al-Shuhada (KSS), which Washington designates as a terrorist organization.

US officials said in a social media post Thursday they were seeking information on KSS leader Hashim Finyan Rahim al-Saraji, also known as Abu Alaa al-Walai.

The group has "killed Iraqi civilians and attacked US diplomatic facilities in Iraq, as well as attacking US military bases and personnel in Iraq and Syria," Washington said.

The post notes "you could be eligible for relocation and a reward" for information on al-Saraji's whereabouts.

Al-Saraji has a seat within the Coordination Framework, the ruling alliance that holds the parliamentary majority.

French, UK defense chiefs eye 'real progress' in Hormuz plan

Published: April 24, 2026 | 00:47MT | by Web Desk

Britain and France voiced hope that military plans to secure the Strait of Hormuz were coming together and would succeed in restoring trade flows through the vital passage.

At a two-day meeting in London, military planners discussed the practicalities of a multinational mission led by the UK and France to protect navigation in the key waterway following a sustainable ceasefire, top defense officials said.

Trump says in no rush to make a deal with Iran

Published: April 24, 2026 | 00:25GMT | by Web Desk

US President Donald Trump has said that he was in no rush to make a deal with Iran, as the US military struck 78% of the targets that they wanted to hit. 

The US president said that he was not under any pressure for time, rather he wanted to make a "great deal" for his country.

"So, right now, I don't want to rush it," he said.

Trump says ceasefire between Israel, Lebanon extended by 3 weeks

Published: April 23, 2026 | 22:13 GMT | by Web Desk

US President Donald Trump has said that the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon will be extended by three weeks, adding that he was looking forward to meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.

“The Meeting went very well! The United States is going to work with Lebanon in order to help it protect itself from Hezbollah,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. 

“It was a Great Honor to 7be a participant at this very Historic Meeting!” he added.

Press freedom group ‘appalled’ by ‘horrific’ killing of Amal Khalil

Published: April 23, 2026 | 22:01 GMT | by Web Desk

The International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) has said it is “deeply saddened and appalled” by the killing of Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil in an Israeli strike on “the house where she was seeking shelter.”

“Journalists are our eyewitnesses to history; attempts to silence their voices must be met with international scrutiny and outrage,” the IWMF said in a statement.

The IWMF noted that the “horrific incident” occurred during a truce and that there is “mounting evidence that Israel is targeting reporters.”

“Journalists should never be the object of military operations,” the IWMF added, calling for accountability for Khalil’s killing.

Rubio denies US trying to exclude Iran players from World Cup

Published: April 23, 2026 | 22:01 GMT | by Web Desk

The United States will not exclude Iran from the World Cup tournament it is hosting, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday, after an official mused about replacing war-battered Iran with Italy, which did not qualify.

"The problem with Iran, it would be not their athletes. It would be some of the other people that we want to bring with them," Rubio told reporters, denying Washington had asked the Iranian team not to come.

Trump eyes Lebanon-Israel meeting in weeks, deal this year

Published: April 23, 2026 | 21:53 GMT | by Web Desk

US President Donald Trump said he expected the Israeli and Lebanese leaders to meet with him over the next couple of weeks and voiced hope for a permanent peace deal this year.

"I think there's a very good chance of having peace. I think it should be an easy one," Trump told reporters as he met the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to announce an extension of a shaky ceasefire.