Middle East crisis live: Red Cross ‘outraged’ as Israeli strikes on Lebanon kill at least 254; strait of Hormuz impasse continues | US-Israel war on Iran
important events
Oil prices climb, stocks fall as ceasefire hangs in balance
After Israel launched a massive bombardment of Lebanon, oil prices rose and stocks fell on fears of a nascent US-Iran ceasefire. Hezbollah said it had fired rockets into northern Israel in response to “ceasefire violations” in the last two hours.
There are fears that the ceasefire may be broken While crude oil remains stuck in Hormuz West Texas Intermediate oil rose around 3% Thursday, down more than 16% from the previous day. Brent rose more than 2 percent After a 13% decline
Stocks also gave back some of their gains. In early trading in Asia, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Sydney, Singapore, Seoul and Taipei were all marginally lower.
An ounce of gold fell to $4,712.
Independent analysts say they have not observed any changes in traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. This is despite claims white house There has been an increase in the number of ships passing through the strategic waterway since the US declared a ceasefire with Iran on Wednesday.
Windward, a maritime intelligence firm that monitors international shipping, said: Only 11 ships passed through the strait on Wednesday – about the same number as previous days.
Windward said all ships passing through the strait must coordinate safe passage with Iranian officials, who are demanding shippers pay high fees in cryptocurrency, up to $1 per barrel, for outgoing oil. For context, the largest supertankers carry up to 3 million barrels of crude oil.
Radio transmissions from Iran to tankers in the Gulf on Wednesday warned that those crossing without approval would be attacked, Windward said.
Welcome summary
Welcome to the Guardian’s ongoing coverage of the US-Israeli war against Iran.
A fragile two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran hung in the balance on Thursday as Tehran threatened to restart hostilities after Israel launched a massive bombardment of Lebanon, killing at least 254 people, according to Lebanon Civil Defense.
As a result, the conditional opening of the Strait of Hormuz has become a dangerous situation. Iran threatens to lock the crossing if Israel continues to attack Lebanon. Just before 4 a.m. on Thursday, Hezbollah announced that it had fired rockets into northern Israel due to “ceasefire violations,” according to reports.
Washington and Tehran agreed to a ceasefire and declared victory, but fractures quickly emerged as Israel launched its heaviest attacks on Lebanon, including central Beirut, since Hezbollah joined the war in early March.
UN human rights chief Volker Turk described Israel’s bombing of Beirut without any warning, triggering scenes of fear and panic, and the extent of deaths as “horrific”. The Red Cross said it was “outraged by the devastating death and destruction” in densely populated areas of Lebanon.
While the Iranian Revolutionary Guards warned that they would “fulfill our duty and respond” if Israel did not stop its attacks there, Hezbollah said it had the “right” to respond.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the army continues to pursue its goal of “disarming” Hezbollah in Lebanon, while saying that the country is ready to confront Iran if necessary, as it still has “objectives that need to be completed.” Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth also promised that US forces would be ready if the conflict flares up again.
This aggressive rhetoric comes ahead of high-stakes talks expected to be held in Pakistan on Friday, where the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz will be the main topic of discussion.
Here are the main developments:
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Iran announces alternative routes for ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, citing the risk of sea mines in the main area of the vital waterway. In the statement, instructions regarding an alternative entry and exit route from the strait were shared.
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Trump administration announced Wednesday that Lebanon is not part of the ceasefire agreementWhite House press secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed that “this has been communicated to all parties.”
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US vice president JD Vance also told reporters in Budapest that the US never promised to include Lebanon in the ceasefire.It is stated that Iran may have had this impression due to a “misunderstanding”. Israel announced on Wednesday that it does not consider Lebanon within the scope of the Iran-US ceasefire.
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Karoline Leavitt also rejected “false reporting” that Trump was acting from the original 10-point plan put forward by Tehran. He said that the 10-point plan that Iran presented to the public was “completely thrown away” by Trump. It was said on Truth Social It was stated that the USA received a 10-article proposal from Iran, which is believed to be “a workable basis for negotiations”. Leavitt claimed that Iran had in fact presented “a completely different and summary plan to the president that was more reasonable.”
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French President Emmanuel Macron said he called on his US and Iranian counterparts Donald Trump and Masoud Pezeshkian to include Lebanon in the ceasefire. Reached through Iran. Australia’s foreign minister also requested the same.
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Donald Trump expressed his anger towards NATO in a private meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark RutteWhen relations within the alliance reach crisis point. “He is clearly disappointed with many of his NATO allies, and I can understand what he means,” Rutte said on CNN after spending more than two hours at the White House. “This was a very frank, very open discussion, but it was also a discussion between two good friends.”
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Sir Keir Starmer will continue his Middle East tour on Thursday After meeting Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman as part of ongoing talks with allies to give sailors “confidence” to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
