The Middle East is seeing a marked downturn in fighting, even as the US and Iran spar over the terms of their two-week ceasefire
Published 8 Apr, 2026 21:50
| Updated 9 Apr, 2026 09:53
Paramedics and civilians rush to a building hit moments earlier by an Israeli airstrike on April 08, 2026 in Nabatieh, Lebanon. © Chris McGrath/Getty Images
There have been no reports from Gulf countries of any Iranian strikes on their infrastructure on Thursday after Washington and Tehran agreed to a two-week ceasefire.
The sides, however, are still far from reaching a sustainable peace deal, with Iran demanding that Lebanon be included in the truce framework. Israel has meanwhile continued strikes inside the neighboring country, with the US and the Jewish State insisting that Lebanon was never part of the deal.
The continued Israeli military action – which West Jerusalem says is aimed against Hezbollah – triggered international backlash, with the UK, France, and several Middle East nations insisting that Lebanon be included in the truce. The demand was also backed by Pakistan, which acts as the key intermediary in the peace process.
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US President Donald Trump has said that American forces “will remain in place in, and around, Iran” until Tehran fully complies with the ”real agreement.”
The exact outlines of the potential deal remain, but Iranian media shared a plan envisaging non-aggression, Tehran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz, acceptance of uranium enrichment, stopping Israeli attacks on Hezbollah, and lifting all the sanctions. The US previously opposed many of the terms.
Trump has also once again lashed out against NATO over the perceived lack of support in the Iran war. According to the Wall Street Journal, Washington is considering pulling out its troops to ”punish” states that were most reluctant to participate.
Shipping traffic through the strategic Strait of Hormuz also remains limited and under the control of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps – which has published a map of ”designated routes” due to the risk of mines.
Key developments:
- Israeli strikes in Lebanon and Gaza killed at least three journalists on Wednesday, though West Jerusalem insisted that one of them was a “Hamas operative.”
- US Vice President J.D. Vance said he has seen three different ten-point demands from Iran, which have contributed to ”misunderstanding,” claiming that the first draft was ”probably written by ChatGPT” and went straight ”in the garbage.”
- Oil industry executives are pressing the White House to oppose Iran’s plan to charge tolls on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, according to Politico.
Follow our live coverage below for continuous updates. You can also read our previous updates here.
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09 April 2026
10:34 GMT
Apart from Pakistan, China also played a significant role in brokering a US-Iran ceasefire, according to the New York Times. The paper said, citing sources, that Beijing “broke the impasse,” telling Tehran “to agree to the ceasefire now because it might be their only opportunity” and urging it to “show more flexibility and open the Strait of Hormuz.”
- 10:15 GMT
RT’s Saman Kojouri has reported on the damage to the prestigious Sharif University of Technology in Tehran, which was hit in one of the US-Israeli strikes on the Iranian capital.
Masoud Shadnam, a university professor, told RT that the attack amounts to a “war crime” and a “cheap act” given that the US and Israel cannot find any military targets to strike.
- 09:53 GMT
The IDF claims it has killed Ali Yusuf Harshi, the personal secretary and nephew of Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem, in a strike on Beirut.
- 09:14 GMT
In an analysis piece for RT, Middle East expert Murad Sadygzade has presented the case for why Iran can be considered the victor from the ceasefire with the US – and how the limits of American power have been exposed by its latest Middle East misadventure.
“In the eyes of many outside observers and much of global public opinion, Iran now appears to be the clear winner of the present battle,” Sadygzade writes.
“It absorbed the blow, answered with force and dignity, refused capitulation, and most importantly, gradually shifted control over the very logic of a war imposed upon it.
“The US and Israel had expected to define the rules of the conflict and then present any compelled Iranian retreat as proof of their own victory. What happened in practice was the opposite. Iran not only refused externally imposed terms, but also raised the cost of war to a point where the American military campaign became a political liability for the US itself.”
You can read Sadygzade’s full analysis of the current state of play and his thoughts on how the situation could pan out here.
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Why Iran looks like the real winner - 08:36 GMT
Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares has announced that his country would reopen its embassy in Iran amid reinvigorated hopes of a peaceful settlement.
“I’ve instructed our ambassador in Tehran to return, to take up his post again and reopen our embassy, and for us to join in this effort for peace from every possible quarter, including from the Iranian capital itself,” he said, as cited by Reuters.
- 08:11 GMT
US-Israeli strikes on Tehran have damaged not only mosques, but also a synagogue in the central part of the city. The Jewish minority in Iran – which is legally recognized and has parliamentary representation – is estimated to number 8,000-15,000.
RT’s Saman Kojouri reports from the scene.
- 07:54 GMT
At least three journalists were killed on Wednesday in Israeli strikes in Lebanon and Gaza, including Al-Manar host Susan Khalil, Sawt al-Farah radio presenter Ghada Al Dayekh, and Al Jazeera correspondent Mohammed Wishah.
The Israeli military, however, claimed that Wishah was a Hamas operative acting under the guise of a journalist.
- 07:41 GMT
None of the Gulf states has reported strikes on its infrastructure since Wednesday, with Thursday morning ushering in a tentative lull in fighting after the declaration of the US-Iran ceasefire.
- 07:08 GMT
UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper believes Lebanon must be included in a US-Iran peace deal, according to a preview of a speech seen by Reuters. She also pushed back against the notion of Iran establishing a toll system in the Strait of Hormuz, stressing that “freedom of navigation means navigation must be free.”
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot has meanwhile condemned Israeli strikes on Lebanon, also stressing that the conflict in the area must be stopped as part of the US-Iran peace deal.
- 07:06 GMT
Thousands of Iranians have taken to the streets across the country to commemorate 40 days since the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in US-Israeli strikes early in the conflict.
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08 April 2026
21:50 GMT
The Trump administration is considering a plan to punish NATO members deemed unhelpful during the Iran war by relocating US troops out of their countries, according to administration officials cited by the Wall Street Journal.
The proposal would move American forces from nations that restricted airspace or base access – such as Spain, Germany, and Italy – and reposition them in more supportive countries like Poland, Romania, Lithuania, and Greece. Officials said the plan could also involve closing a US base in Spain or Germany.
The proposals fall short of Trump’s threats to quit NATO entirely. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt declined to comment on the reports, but said Trump plans a “frank and candid conversation” with NATO’s chief.
- 21:53 GMT
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte traveled to Washington on Wednesday to meet with Trump, seeking to deepen ties amid tensions within the bloc over the Iran war and the president’s past threats to leave NATO and annex Greenland.
- 22:01 GMT
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said it is “outraged by the devastating death and destruction in densely populated areas across Lebanon” following the latest Israeli strikes on the country.
In a statement that did not explicitly blame any party, the head of the ICRC’s delegation in Lebanon said “people across Lebanon were holding their breath for a ceasefire agreement, but a wave of deadly strikes plunged the country into panic and chaos.”
We are outraged by the devastating death and destruction in densely populated areas across Lebanon today following intensified military operations. @ICRC_lb is working closely with local authorities and the @RedCrossLebanon to support the medical response as overwhelmed medical… pic.twitter.com/JyTLsaEf82
— ICRC (@ICRC) April 8, 2026
- 22:06 GMT
Vice President J.D. Vance said Iran’s frustration over three ceasefire issues “actually means that there’s a lot of agreements.” Speaking to reporters before leaving Hungary, Vance acknowledged that “ceasefires are always messy” with “a little bit of choppiness.”
“I think this comes from a legitimate misunderstanding. I think the Iranians thought the ceasefire included Lebanon, and it just didn’t. We never made that promise, we never indicated that was gonna be the case,” Vance said.
He also questioned the English skills of Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, saying “there are things that he said that just didn’t make sense in the context of the negotiations that we’ve had.”
⚡️🇺🇸🇮🇱 JUST IN: The Zionist U.S VP JD Vance:"I think this comes from a legitimate misunderstanding. I think the Iranians thought the ceasefire included Lebanon, and it just didn't. We never made that promise, we never indicated that was gonna be the case." pic.twitter.com/nficQFy41S
— Aditya Juans Mandagie (@AdityaMandagie) April 8, 2026
- 22:14 GMT
It would be “dumb” for Tehran to walk away from the temporary ceasefire and negotiations with Washington, Vice President J.D. Vance added.
“If Iran wants to let this negotiation fall apart, in a conflict when they are getting hammered, over Lebanon – which has nothing to do with them and which the United Stated never once said was part of the ceasefire – that’s ultimately their choice. We think that would be dumb, but that’s their choice,” he said.
🚨 JD VANCE DROPS TRUTH ON IRAN: "If Iran wants to let this negotiation FALL APART, when they were getting HAMMERED, over LEBANON — which was never part of the ceasefire — that's ultimately their choice. We think that would be DUMB."🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/92BndMx8L3
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) April 8, 2026
- 22:27 GMT
Lebanese Prime Minister Dr. Nawaf Salam declared Thursday a national day of mourning, with government offices closed and flags flown at half-staff to honor the victims of the latest Israeli attacks that left at least 182 civilians dead and 890 injured on Wednesday alone. Health officials said Israeli strikes have killed at least 1,739 people and wounded 5,873 others in Lebanon since March 2.
Apocalyptic scenes in Lebanon’s capital right now.Israel has launched 100 airstrikes on Lebanon in 10 minutes.Striking South Lebanon, Beirut and the Bekaa Valley simultaneously.This isn’t a ceasefire. It’s mass bombardment of civilian areas. pic.twitter.com/ygTf2Pscrn
— sarah (@sahouraxo) April 8, 2026
- 22:40 GMT
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called the disregard for life and international law shown by his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu “intolerable” following the deadliest day since the IDF launched attacks on Lebanon.
“It’s time to speak clearly: Lebanon must be included in the ceasefire. The international community must condemn this new violation of international law. The European Union must suspend its Association Agreement with Israel. And there must be no impunity for these criminal acts,” Sanchez wrote in a post on X.
- 22:51 GMT
Belgian Deputy Prime Minister Maxime Prevot said he was in Beirut to show support for the Lebanese people when Israel launched “one of the most massive strikes” since the hostilities began, hitting just a few hundred meters from the embassy where he was with his delegation.
“This must stop. The ceasefire between the US, Israel and Iran must include Lebanon,” Prevot wrote on X. He said the strike caused “hundreds of civilian victims” and came with “no previous warning.”
🇱🇧 (EN/FR/NL) I came to Beirut today to show our full support to the Lebanese authorities and to express our deep solidarity with the families affected by the violent conflict opposing Israel to Hezbollah. Just before I was commending President Aoun for offering to open official…
— Maxime PREVOT (@prevotmaxime) April 8, 2026
- 23:09 GMT
FBI Director Kash Patel said the agency’s Counterintelligence & Espionage Division in cooperation with its Justice Department partners has arrested a “former employee” of the United States Special Operations Command “who supported our top-level military warfighters“ for “allegedly transmitting classified information to a member of the media.”
“Let this serve as a message to any would-be leakers: we’re working these cases, and we’re making arrests. The FBI will not tolerate those who seek to betray our country and put Americans in harm’s way,” Patel wrote in a post on X, without naming the individual, specifying the classified details leaked, or tying it to the war with Iran or any other specific incident.
US President Donald Trump previously threatened to jail the journalist who first reported the details of a rescue mission for the two crew members of the US F-15E Strike Eagle which was shot down over Iran last week, unless they reveal the source of their information.
- 23:33 GMT
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte held a closed-door meeting with President Donald Trump to discuss the war with Iran and the US president’s anger over the bloc’s refusal to provide assistance.
“This was a meeting between friends. Because we like each other. I really admire his leadership,” Rutte told CNN after the meeting.
Rutte on Trump: “This was a meeting between friends. Because we like each other. I really admire his leadership.” pic.twitter.com/HfAyMYRQ0j
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 8, 2026
Asked directly if he believed NATO countries were “tested and failed,” Rutte replied: “Some of them yes, but a large majority of European countries, and that’s what we discussed today, have done what they promised before in a case like this.”
The US-led bloc’s chief also refused to comment on Trump’s threat to destroy the entire Iranian civilization, saying “what I want you to know is that I support the president.”
TAPPER: When Trump threatened to kill the entire Iranian civilization, did that bother you as a diplomat?MARK RUTTE: I'm not commenting. What I want you to know is I support the president pic.twitter.com/Kx35OUiY3Y
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 8, 2026
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