Iran-Israel war LIVE: Iran partially reopens airspace, says Iran Civil Aviation Authority

Lebanon’s President and Prime Minister discussed on Saturday (April 18, 2026) preparations for the first command negotiations with Israel in a protracted time, as southerners headed dwelling after the ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah warfare.

In an announcement, the effect of business of President Joseph Aoun said he and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam conducted “an evaluate of the put up-ceasefire section and the continuing efforts to consolidate it”, and discussed “Lebanese readiness for the predicted negotiations” with Israel.

Their assembly came a day after a strongly-worded speech to the nation from Aoun declaring that the country used to be entering a brand new section to work on “eternal agreements” with Israel and insisting that command talks weren’t a “concession” — an apparent rebuttal of Hezbollah criticism.

The ten-day ceasefire searching for to full greater than six weeks of warfare between Hezbollah and Israel has been in effect since center of the night on Thursday (2100 GMT) after being launched by U.S. President Donald Trump.

More than 2,300 individuals had been killed in Israeli assaults and greater than 1,000,000 displaced since Hezbollah dragged Lebanon into the Center East warfare last month.

Iran-backed Hezbollah and its supporters strongly oppose the negotiations, and comprise rejected loads of executive choices over the previous twelve months, including Beirut’s dedication to disarming the neighborhood in 2025. — AFP

United Nations peacekeepers said on Saturday (April 18, 2026) that “non-tell actors” had been method to had been at the wait on of a lethal assault on their personnel in southern Lebanon, saying it would possibly perchance most likely per chance had been Iran-backed Hezbollah.

In an announcement, the UN peacekeepers (UNIFIL) said that an “preliminary evaluate indicates the fire came from non-tell actors”, adding that it used to be “allegedly” Hezbollah.

The flexibility commended Lebanon to “by surprise provoke an investigation to call and preserve the perpetrators accountable” for what it called a “deliberate” assault. — AFP

The British navy said on Saturday (April 18, 2026) that a container vessel used to be attacked come the Strait of Hormuz.

The navy’s United Kingdom Maritime Alternate Operations center said an unknown projectile hit the vessel, 25 nautical miles (46 kilometers) northeast of Oman.

Some containers on the vessel had been damaged, it said.

The assault is the 2d Saturday after two gunboats from Iran’s Revelatory Guards opened fire on a tanker transiting the Strait of Hormuz. — AP

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun vowed on Saturday (April 18, 2026) to prosecute these that targeted French UN peacekeepers, killing one and injuring three.

In an announcement shared by the presidency, Mr. Aoun expressed his condolences to his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in a phone call, condemning the incident and vowing that Beirut “will not be any longer going to hesitate to pursue these fervent and lift them to justice”. — AFP

Senior Hezbollah first rate Mahmud Qamati said on Saturday (April 18, 2026) that his neighborhood used to be no longer fervent by Lebanon’s deliberate command talks with Israel, labelling them a failure.

In a press conference in Beirut’s southern suburbs, Mr. Qamati said his neighborhood used to be “no longer smitten by the negotiations being conducted by the tell”, saying they had been “a failure, venerable, defeated… and submissive negotiations”.

“The resistance is the one that imposes. We are the land… and we are these who diagram up the selections, no longer these that comprise an first rate effect,” he said, adding that whereas his neighborhood did no longer mind Beirut “coordinating with us… no longer on this system that ends in resign”. — AFP

Two Indian vessels comprise had to reverse direction in the Strait of Hormuz following reviews of gunfire from Iran’s Progressive Guard, a vessel-tracker said.

TankerTrackers.com said the vessels consist of an Indian-flagged gargantuan tanker, carrying 2 million barrels of Iraqi oil. — AP

The Israeli navy said on Saturday (April 18, 2026) it had established a “Yellow Line” demarcation in southern Lebanon, comparable to the one isolating its forces from territory serene held by Hamas in Gaza, adding that it had already struck suspected militants impending its troops along the line.

“Over the last 24 hours, IDF forces working south of the Yellow Line in southern Lebanon identified terrorists who violated the ceasefire understandings and approached the forces from north of the Yellow Line in a means that posed a true away menace,” the navy said, referring to this kind of line for the first time since a ceasefire came into live.

“Straight after identification and in elaborate to score rid of the menace… forces attacked the terrorists in loads of areas in southern Lebanon,” it said, noting that the navy used to be permitted to grab motion in opposition to threats, no subject the ceasefire. — AFP

Iranian gunboats fired on a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday (April 18, 2026), a British maritime security agency reported, after Iran’s navy reversed a pledge to begin the path to switch.

The tanker’s captain reported being approached 37 kilometres northeast of Oman by two gunboats of Iran’s Progressive Guards Corp (IRGC). With none radio warning, the gunboats “then fired upon the tanker”, the U.K. Maritime Alternate Operations Centre said in an on-line assertion.

“Tanker and crew are reported protected. Authorities are investigating.” — AFP

No date has been effect for the subsequent spherical of Iran-U.S. peace talks brokered by Pakistan following the failure of the first one, Iran’s deputy international minister said on Saturday (April 18, 2026).

“Until we agree on the framework, we are able to’t effect the date,” Saeed Khatibzadeh told journalists on the sidelines of an annual Turkish diplomatic discussion board in the southern province of Antalya.

“Now we are specializing in finalising the framework of working out between two aspects. We don’t are attempting to enter into any negotiation or assembly which is thanks to failure which is ready to be pretext for one more spherical of escalation,” he said. — AFP

A assertion said to had been issued by Iran’s supreme chief Mojtaba Khamenei warned on Saturday (April 18, 2026) that Tehran’s navy used to be ready to defeat U.S. forces, as the foes sparred over the Strait of Hormuz.

In an announcement carried on his Telegram channel, Khamenei, who has no longer been seen in public since before the delivery of the warfare, said Iran’s “gallant navy stands ready to accomplish the enemies style the bitterness of most contemporary defeats”. — AFP

U.S. President Donald Trump “tweets plenty”, Iran’s Deputy International Minister said on Saturday (April 18, 2026) after Washington threatened contemporary strikes if no deal used to be reached with Tehran.

“The American side tweets plenty, talks plenty. Most ceaselessly complex, occasionally, you know, contradictory,” Saeed Khatibzadeh told journalists on the sidelines of an annual Turkish diplomatic discussion board in the southern province of Antalya. — AFP

The United States “can’t impose their will” and block the strategic Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s deputy international minister said on Saturday (April 18, 2026), after Iran’s navy declared the waterway closed but again.

“Americans can’t impose their will to enact a siege over Iran whereas Iran, with factual scheme, is attempting to facilitate protected passage thru the Strait of Hormuz,” Saeed Khatibzadeh told journalists on the sidelines of an annual Turkish diplomatic discussion board in the southern province of Antalya. — AFP

A minimum of eight oil and gas tankers crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday after Iran briefly declared the a truly mighty replace route begin all over a ceasefire in the West Asia warfare, maritime tracking data showed.

One frightful oil tanker, four liquified petroleum gas carriers, two oil and chemical tankers and one labeled as an “oil merchandise” vessel crossed the strait early on Saturday after the Iranian announcement on Friday afternoon, data from tracking firm Kpler indicated.

Around a fifth of the arena’s oil and liquified pure gas passes the strait in peacetime, but traffic thru the route had come to a come-standstill after the warfare erupted on February 28 with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran.

Tracking platform MarineTraffic showed loads of utterly different frightful oil tankers in the strait come Iran’s Larak Island, a checkpoint for vessels searching for to exit the Gulf below Iranian forces’ blockade of the passage in the warfare.

– AFP

In step with Iranian tell media, Iran reopens six airports, including Tehran’s Imam Khomeini, Madhhad, Birjand, Gorgan, and Zahedan.

– Reuters

Pakistan is involved for an early acclaim for the subsequent tranche from the IMF as a crew of the realm lender will consult with the country subsequent month for consultations on the upcoming evaluate, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has said.

Mr. Aurangzeb, who’s in Washington for the World Bank-IMF Spring Conferences, used to be referring to the approval of an estimated $1.2 billion, including $1 billion below the continuing 37-month Prolonged Fund Facility (EFF) and one more $200 million below a 28-month Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF).

A employees-stage agreement (SLA) used to be signed last twelve months at the completion of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) 2d evaluate of the economic system below EFF, which used to be agreed in 2024.

– PTI

Iran partly reopened its airspace on Saturday to world flights crossing the jap section of its territory, the country’s Civil Aviation Authority said.

“Air routes in the jap fragment of the country’s airspace are begin for world flights transiting thru Iran,” it said, adding that some airports had furthermore reopened at 7:00 a.m. (0330 GMT).

More than three hours later, nevertheless, flight tracker websites serene showed no world flights crossing Iran, and loads of alternative had been fending off its airspace by making long detours.

– AFP

Iran by surprise reversed direction on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, reimposing restrictions on the severe waterway on Saturday (April 18, 2026) after the U.S. said the switch would no longer live its blockade.

The country’s joint navy show said on Saturday (April 18) that it “preserve watch over of the Strait of Hormuz has returned to its old tell — below strict management and preserve watch over of the navy.” It warned that it would proceed to block transit thru the strait so long as the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports remained in live.

The announcement came the morning after U.S. President Donald Trump said the American blockade “will live in elephantine power” till Tehran reaches a contend with the U.S., including on its nuclear programme.

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Pakistan’s Prime Minister concluded his trot back and forth to Turkiye on Saturday, he said in a social media put up, ending a 3-country diplomatic blitz as Islamabad pushes for an live to the U.S.-Israeli warfare on Iran.

“I’m going away Antalya with fond recollections and a renewed dedication to extra strengthening the enduring fraternal bonds between our two nations, and to persevering with our conclude cooperation to reach dialogue and diplomacy for lasting peace and balance in the effect apart,” Shehbaz Sharif said.

– AFP

Pakistan’s highly efficient military chief done a 3-day consult with to Tehran, the country’s navy said on Saturday, having met prime Iranian leaders and negotiators as section of efforts to full the West Asia warfare.

Field Marshal Asim Munir met loads of prime Iranian leaders all over the trot back and forth, which reveals Pakistan’s “unwavering score to the bottom of to facilitate a negotiated settlement… and to promote peace, balance, and prosperity”, the navy said in an announcement before anticipated peace talks in Islamabad in the impending days.

– AFP

Pakistan’s highly efficient military chief done a 3-day consult with to Tehran, the country’s navy said on Saturday, having met prime Iranian leaders and negotiators as section of efforts to full the West Asia warfare.

Field Marshal Asim Munir met loads of prime Iranian leaders all over the trot back and forth, which reveals Pakistan’s “unwavering score to the bottom of to facilitate a negotiated settlement… and to promote peace, balance, and prosperity”, the navy said in an announcement before anticipated peace talks in Islamabad in the impending days.– AFP

President Donald Trump has said he deliberate to preserve up a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports if a peace contend with Tehran will not be any longer reached, adding that he would possibly well no longer lengthen the ceasefire after its expiration.

Iran reopened the Strait of Hormuz on Friday in the wake of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Lebanon, even supposing Tehran threatened to conclude the critical waterway as soon as extra if the US blockade continues.

A ceasefire between Tehran and Washington is thanks to bustle out on Wednesday.

“Presumably I won’t lengthen it, but the blockade goes to remain,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Pressure One, when asked if the ceasefire will likely be extended.

Asked a pair of attainable deal, Donald Trump said, “I mediate it’s going to happen.”

-AFP

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday ‌there had been some “most sensible possible-making an try factual ⁠data” regarding Iran but he declined to ‌elaborate.

“We had some most sensible possible-making an try ‌factual data 20 ‌minutes ⁠previously, but ⁠it appears to be going very properly in the ‌Center East with Iran,” Mr. Trump told reporters aboard Air ‌Pressure One.

“You’ll hear about. I honest mediate ⁠it’s one thing that ought to happen. It’s one thing ‌that nearly all efficient makes sense to happen. And I mediate this can. We’ll ‌factor in what occurs, but I mediate this can,” Mr. Trump ⁠said when asked what ⁠the factual data used to be.

— Reuters

U.S. President Donald Trump ‌said on Friday that Chinese language President ⁠Xi Jinping used to be “more than pleased” regarding the ‌effect of the ‌Strait of ‌Hormuz, ⁠and that ⁠he seemed forward to their assembly in China.

“President ‌Xi is highly happy that the ‌Strait of Hormuz is begin and/or unexpectedly ⁠opening,” Mr. Trump said on Truth ‌Social. “Our assembly in China will likely be a utterly different one and, ‌potentially, Historical. I stop up for being ⁠with President Xi — ⁠Noteworthy will likely be done!,” he ‌added.– Reuters

Tehran on Saturday threatened to shut the Strait of Hormuz as soon as extra if the USA continues its blockade of Iranian ports, hours after the important thing waterway used to be reopened in the wake of a ceasefire deal in Lebanon.

The resumption of transit had lifted stock markets on Friday and precipitated optimism from Washington, with U.S. President Donald Trump telling AFP a peace deal used to be “very conclude” and saying Iran had agreed to hand over its enriched uranium — a key sticking level in negotiations.