Iran rejects taking part in second round of talks with US, set for tomorrow in Pakistan | LIVE

Trump says US destroyer hit Iran cargo ship trying to evade blockade

U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday that a U.S. destroyer fired on and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman that tried to evade a U.S. naval blockade.

Trump posted on Truth Social that after the Iranian vessel, Touska, ignored warnings to stop, the guided missile destroyer USS Spruance "stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engineroom."

"Right now, U.S. Marines have custody of the vessel," he added, "and are seeing what's on board!"

According to the latest data available from the Marine Traffic website, about six hours before Trump's announcement, the Touska was about 45 kilometers off the southern coast of Iran, near the city of Chabahar.

Another ship monitoring site, Tanker Tracker, said the Touska had sailed from Malaysia.

Strait of Hormuz: CMA CGM ship 'fired with warning shots' on Saturday

A CMA CGM ship “was fired upon yesterday [Saturday]” in the Strait of Hormuz, and its “crew is safe and sound,” the French shipping group told AFP in a brief statement.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) stated that the CMA CGM Everglade had been “damaged” on Saturday, without providing further details.

U.S. President Donald Trump had claimed earlier on Sunday, on his Truth Social platform, that Iranian fire had targeted a “French ship” as well as a British cargo ship.

Iran believes Trump's statements are 'deception' and 'cover' for surprise US attack

According to Axios, Iran rejected participating in tomorrow's talks in Islamabad because it believes that Trump's optimistic statements are a deception and a cover for a surprise American attack

"There are several signs indicating that the Iranian paranoia is justified: the sensitive security discussion that Trump convened in the White House Situation Room today, the reinforcements that the U.S. military continues to pour into the Middle East," Axios reporter Barak Ravid wrote.

Iran rejects taking part in second round of talks with US

Iran rejected taking part in the second round of the talks with the U.S., scheduled to take place on Monday in Pakistan, the official Iranian IRNA agency reported, as cited by Reuters.

According to several Iranian state media outlets, Iran will not participate in talks until the U.S. lifts its naval blockade in the Hormuz Strait and withdraws its “excessive” demands.

For its part, the U.S. had announced that a negotiating team, headed by Vice President JD Vance, and envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, was set to travel to Pakistan tomorrow.

“The reports published regarding the second round of negotiations in Islamabad are false,” IRNA added, noting that “the information released by the United States is part of a media strategy and a campaign aimed at shifting the blame onto Iran in order to put pressure on the country.”

Israeli drone flies over Saida at low altitude, new Israeli detonation in Taybeh

An Israeli drone has been flying over the city of Saida and its surroundings at a low-altitude for the past few hours, residents told our correspondent.

The Israeli army also carried out a detonation in the village of Taybeh (Marjayoun district), L'Orient Today's correspondent reported.

No decision by Iran to send delegation to Pakistan as long as there is naval blockade: Iranian media

There is currently no decision by Iran to send a negotiating delegation to Pakistan "as long as there is a naval blockade," Iran's Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday, citing its reporter, according to Reuters.

U.S. President Donald Trump earlier said that U.S. representatives are going to Islamabad on Monday for negotiations.

Destruction of southern villages: New explosions in Shamaa and Qantara

The Israeli army continues its demolition operations in border villages, carrying out explosions in Shamaa (Sour district) and Qantara (Marjayoun), according to our correspondent in the South.

Bulldozers are also continuing to operate in several border villages, destroying infrastructure in the area, the same source added.

Macron to receive Salam on Tuesday

French President Emmanuel Macron will receive Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Tuesday, the Élysée Palace said.

“This visit will provide an opportunity for the head of state to reiterate his commitment to the full and complete respect of the cease-fire in Lebanon, France’s support for the country’s territorial integrity, and for the actions undertaken by the Lebanese state to ensure full sovereignty and a monopoly on arms,” the French presidency said.

Salam’s visit also comes after the death on Saturday of a French U.N. peacekeeper in an ambush attributed to Hezbollah, which also left three others injured.

Trump announces dispatch of mediators to Islamabad; threatens again to destroy Iranian infrastructure

U.S. President Donald Trump announced that a delegation of mediators would be sent to Pakistan on Monday to negotiate with Iran, which he also accused of violating the cease-fire by firing on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

In a series of posts on his Truth Social platform, Trump once again threatened to bomb bridges and power plants in Iran if no agreement is reached, as the ceasefire between the two countries is set to expire in three days.

“Iran decided to fire shots yesterday in the Strait of Hormuz — a total violation of our cease-fire agreement! Many of those shots targeted a French vessel as well as a UK cargo ship. That wasn’t very nice, was it?” the U.S. president wrote.

He added that his “representatives are heading to Islamabad” and “will be there tomorrow evening for negotiations.” He said Washington is offering Tehran a “very fair and reasonable” deal, warning that if Iran refuses, “the United States will destroy every power plant and every bridge in Iran.”

Framing the pressure as a way to force the Iranian regime to yield, Trump added that “it is time for the Iranian killing machine to come to an end.”

Lebanon cease-fire a 'reason for hope,' says Pope Leo XIV

Pope Leo XIV welcomed the ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel in a speech delivered in Angola, during one of the major stops of his four-country African tour.

According to remarks reported by Reuters, the pope described the cease-fire as a “reason for hope.”

Renewed shelling on Kounin, north of Bint Jbeil; Israeli tanks advance in eastern sector

Israeli army tanks advanced in the eastern sector of the border strip in South Lebanon under heavy machine-gun fire, according to our correspondent. Three tanks moved into the Marjayoun district, positioning themselves at the so-called Alman al-Shumrieh junction, which leads toward Adsheet al-Qousseir and Deir Siryane.

The advance was preceded by artillery fire targeting the junction, as well as machine-gun fire toward the areas where Israeli forces later deployed.

Machine-gun fire was also reported toward the Azrael area, on the outskirts of Kfar Shuba (Hasbaya).

In the central sector, the village of Kounin (Bint Jbeil) was targeted by renewed Israeli artillery shelling.

Israeli army accuses Hezbollah of attack that killed French UN peacekeeper in south Lebanon

The Arabic-language spokesperson for the Israeli army, Avichay Adraee, said an “investigation” had “confirmed” that Hezbollah was behind the attack on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in south Lebanon yesterday, which killed a French peacekeeper and seriously injured several others.

“Following an operational and intelligence investigation conducted by the Israeli army, it can be confirmed that yesterday, during a UNIFIL operation to remove unexploded ordnance in the village of Ghandourieh, a cell affiliated with Hezbollah opened fire,” Adraee said in a statement.

“Hezbollah continues to exploit the ceasefire to advance and carry out terrorist activities, thereby endangering civilians and international organizations in Lebanon,” he added.

In a statement released Saturday afternoon, Hezbollah denied “any involvement” in the incident.

For its part, UNIFIL said the peacekeepers had been targeted by “non-state actors,” believed to be affiliated with the Shiite party.

This marks the third deadly incident involving U.N. peacekeepers in recent weeks in Lebanon, following the deaths of three Indonesian soldiers during the 46-day war between Hezbollah and Israel.

Syria says it foiled Hezbollah attack plot from its territory

Syrian authorities have foiled a Hezbollah plan to launch rockets from Syrian territory, according to a source from the Interior Ministry cited by the state news agency SANA.

“A sabotage plot, orchestrated by a cell linked to the terrorist militia Hezbollah, has been thwarted,” the source told SANA. “The cell was planning to launch rockets across the border with the aim of causing destabilization,” the source added.

French soldier killed in south Lebanon: Paris says it has 'assurances' Beirut will do everything to arrest perpetrators

France has received “assurances” from the Lebanese government that it will do everything possible to arrest those responsible for the ambush against U.N. peacekeepers that killed a French soldier in southern Lebanon, the French foreign minister said.

“We received assurances yesterday [Saturday] that absolute priority would be given by the Lebanese authorities to finding and arresting those responsible for this killing,” Jean-Noël Barrot said on Radio J.

“All indications suggest that Hezbollah is responsible,” he added, welcoming the commitment of the Lebanese president and prime minister to arrest the perpetrators.

Turkey accuses Israel of seeking to create a 'fait accompli' in Lebanon

Israel is seeking to create a “fait accompli” in Lebanon despite the cease-fire in force with Hezbollah, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has alleged, denouncing what he called Israeli “expansionism.”

“The ongoing negotiations between Iran and the United States seem to be overshadowing this situation. Israel appears to be trying to take advantage of this distraction to create a fait accompli,” Fidan said at a diplomatic forum in Antalya, in southern Turkey.

The Turkish foreign minister had already accused Israel on Saturday of using the war in the Middle East as a pretext to “occupy more territory.”

Israeli army opens fire toward farmers in the Mari plain

The Israeli army opened fire toward farmers in the Mari plain, in the Hasbaya district in the eastern sector of the border strip, according to our correspondent in the South.

Among the farmers was the brother of the village mayor. No injuries were reported.

Israeli strikes on Sour on Thursday: Search for missing persons continues

Search operations are continuing to locate people still missing under the rubble of buildings destroyed by Israeli airstrikes on Sour's waterfront on Thursday evening, as the cease-fire came into effect, according to our correspondent in the South.

The strikes targeted a residential complex made up of several buildings and killed at least 18 people.

Israeli army drones fly over the Bekaa

Israeli army drones are flying at medium altitude over villages in the Bekaa, including above the Anti-Lebanon range, according to our correspondent in the region.

Israel reportedly 'eliminates' Hezbollah Bint Jbeil sector commander

The commander of Hezbollah’s Bint Jbeil sector, Ali Reza Abbas, was reportedly killed by the Israeli army, according to Israel’s Channel 12, citing a security source, which did not specify where or when he was killed.

Ali Reza Abbas is described, according to Channel 12 and groups close to Hezbollah, as a “senior jihadist commander,” a designation reserved for the highest-ranking military officials and members of the “Jihad Council.”

The Lebanese outlet Al Janoubia reported that the commander may have headed Hezbollah’s Radwan Force, the group’s elite unit, after allegedly replacing former commander Ibrahim Aqil, who was killed in Beirut’s southern suburbs in September 2024. However, Hezbollah has never confirmed who succeeded Aqil, and little information is available about Ali Reza Abbas. The party has also not released details on casualties in its ranks since the resumption of fighting on March 2.

Heavy clashes between Hezbollah and the Israeli army took place in the town of Bint Jbeil, a strategically important location in the central sector of the border area and a symbolic stronghold for the Shiite group, prior to the cease-fire agreement. Since the ten-day truce came into effect, the Israeli army has repeatedly carried out demolitions in several neighborhoods of the town.

Massoud Pezeshkian insists on Iran’s nuclear rights

Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian said that his American counterpart had “no justification for depriving Iran of its nuclear rights,” according to remarks cited by the Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA), as Washington and Tehran remain divided over nuclear issues.

“Trump claims that Iran cannot exercise its nuclear rights without specifying what crime it has committed. Who is he to deprive a nation of its rights?” Pezeshkian added.

Tayr Filsey: construction continues on temporary bridge over river by the Litani Authority and the army

The National Litani Authority, in cooperation with the engineering department of the Lebanese Army, is continuing construction work on a mobile-span bridge over the river in the Tayr Filsey area (Sour), in order to ensure the continuity of local movement and maintain connectivity between the river’s northern and southern banks.

The ongoing works include the completion of temporary structures and the installation of concrete pipes, with the aim of rapidly bringing an alternative crossing into service, according to our south Lebanon correspondent.

The Lebanese Army, for its part, said in a statement that specialized units have fully reopened the Khardali–Nabatieh road, while the Burj Rahhal–Sour bridge has been partially reopened.

Influx of displaced residents returning to Beirut and Saida after inspecting their homes in south Lebanon

Traffic heading toward Beirut on Saturday evening, April 18, 2026. (Credit: Mohammad Yassin / L’Orient-Le Jour)

On Saturday evening, an influx of displaced residents returning from south Lebanon was observed on roads across the country. Traffic was particularly heavy near Saida, where many residents of the South were returning after inspecting their villages, according to our correspondent in the region. According to our photographer Mohammad Yassin, traffic was also heavy on the road from the South toward Beirut.

Demolition of border villages: Dozens of excavators operating in south Lebanon, in methods 'inspired by Gaza,' according to Haaretz

On the third day of a ten-day cease-fire in Lebanon, following a month and a half of war between Hezbollah and Israel, the Israeli army continues its operations in south Lebanon after establishing a “yellow line” of demarcation.

This morning, Israeli drones have been flying at low altitude over Nabatieh and its surrounding area, north of the Litani River, while explosions were heard overnight in the eastern and western sectors, according to our correspondent, where Israel has been carrying out systematic demolitions.

Israeli commanders told the Israeli newspaper Haaretz that civilian homes, public buildings, and schools are being demolished as part of a broader policy aimed at “clearing the area.” According to these commanders, dozens of heavy machines, including excavators operated by paid subcontractors, have been deployed in the region in recent weeks. Some workers are reportedly paid based on the number of structures destroyed.

A source familiar with the matter said that some of these contractors have previously taken part in similar operations in Gaza, and that in one village, around twenty excavators are currently operating simultaneously. According to these sources, the policy is based on widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure and “draws on methods used in the Gaza Strip, now being applied in Lebanon.”

Artillery fire on Kounin, north of Bint Jbeil

In the morning, Israeli artillery fire targeted the village of Kounine, north of Bint Jbeil, which has been hit repeatedly since the cease-fire came into effect.

On Saturday, Israeli artillery fire targeted 13 villages, automatic weapons fire hit five others, and houses were destroyed in 11 localities in the region, according to a tally by our correspondent.

Ghalibaf says negotiations have progressed but a final agreement remains 'far off'

Negotiations between Iran and the United States have made “progress,” but a final agreement remains “far off,” the speaker of Iran’s parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said yesterday.

“We are still far from concluding the discussions,” Ghalibaf said in a long interview on Iranian television. He added that he participated in talks held on April 11–12 in Islamabad with a U.S. delegation led by Vice President JD Vance.

“We have made progress in the negotiations, but there are still many differences and some fundamental issues remain unresolved,” he said.

According to Ghalibaf, the Islamabad meeting — described as the highest-level contact between the two countries since the 1979 Iranian Revolution — saw Tehran reiterate its deep mistrust of Washington. “We have made it clear that we have absolutely no trust in the United States,” he said.

He added that the United States “must make the decision to earn the trust of the Iranian people,” and “abandon unilateralism and an imposing approach in dialogue.”

According to him, Iran only agreed to the two-week cease-fire that came into effect on April 8 because it was requested by the United States.

Iran closes the Strait of Hormuz, 3 days before cease-fire expiry

Iran has once again tightened control over the strategic Strait of Hormuz in response to the continued blockade of its ports by the United States, just three days before the expiration of the cease-fire between the two countries, and as Tehran considers a peace agreement still distant.

Iran announced yesterday that it was resuming “strict control” over the Strait of Hormuz, reversing its decision from the previous day to reopen the waterway through which around one-fifth of global oil and gas trade passes under normal conditions.

Shortly after the announcement, at least three commercial vessels attempting to pass through the strait came under fire. “Any attempt to approach the Strait of Hormuz will be considered cooperation with the enemy, and offending vessels will be targeted,” said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iran’s ideological military force.

"Iran got a little cute" U.S. President Donald Trump said, condemning what he called “blackmail.”

Israeli army announces death of soldier in south Lebanon

The Israeli army has announced the death “in combat” of one of its soldiers in south Lebanon, the second since a ten-day cease-fire came into effect on Friday.

Sergeant First Class Lidor Porat, 31, “fell in combat on Saturday in southern Lebanon,” the army said in a statement, adding that nine other soldiers were injured in the same incident: one seriously, four moderately, and four lightly.

According to Israel’s Army Radio (GLZ), the reservist sergeant from Battalion 7106 of the 769th Regional Brigade was killed when an Israeli military vehicle ran over an improvised explosive device attributed to Hezbollah near Kfar Kila, in the Marjayoun district. Nine other soldiers were wounded.

This is the second time Israel has announced the death of a soldier in southern Lebanon since the start of a ten-day truce announced by the United States on Friday. On Saturday, a 48-year-old reserve commander had been killed in the same area, where Israel has established a ten-kilometer-wide “security zone” along its border.

The latest death brings to 15 the number of Israeli soldiers killed in hostilities against Hezbollah in Lebanon, according to an AFP tally, based on military figures.

Welcome to our live coverage of the third day of a ten-day cease-fire in Lebanon, following a month and a half of war between Hezbollah and Israel. Despite the truce, the Israeli army continues to carry out strikes on villages located on the border in south Lebanon and to conduct ground operations, while a French UN peacekeeper was killed on Saturday in Ghandourieh after a patrol came under fire.

➡️ Catch up on Saturday's live coverage here.