Live
US President Donald Trump attends a Turning Point USA event at Dream City Church in Phoenix, Arizona, April 17 [Evan Vucci/Reuters]
By Adam Hancock, Zaid Sabah, Yashraj Sharma, Adam Hancock, Zsombor Peter, Nils Adler, Caolán Magee, Faisal Ali, Federica Marsi and Lyndal Rowlands
Published On 17 Apr 2026

This live page is now closed. You can continue to follow our coverage here.

17 Apr 2026 - 23:59
 (23:59 GMT)

Our coverage continues

This live page is closing, but our 24-hour coverage of the conflict continues.

Join us for all the latest developments, analyses and reactions here.

A child holds out an Iranian flag from a car, as displaced people return to their homes near Nabatieh, Lebanon [Aziz Taher/Reuters]
17 Apr 2026 - 23:50
 (23:50 GMT)

Here’s what happened today

We will be closing this live page soon. Here’s a quick recap of the main developments today:

  • Throughout the day, US President Donald Trump has stressed that the US and Iran are on the cusp of reaching a deal. But Iranian officials have suggested that major issues remain unresolved.
  • Tehran has dismissed Trump’s repeated claim that Iran has agreed to allow its enriched uranium to be moved to the US.
  • A Pakistani source has told Al Jazeera that much more needs to be done in talks between Iran and the US before there can be a lasting peace in the region.
  • The ceasefire in Lebanon largely held in its first full day.
  • Tehran and Washington have both announced that the Strait of Hormuz is now open, but Iran’s IRGC said ships will have to obtain permission from Iranian forces and follow a designated path to cross the waterway.
  • Washington said its blockade on Iranian ports would remain in place until a final deal is reached with Tehran.
  • Trump said he “prohibited” Israel from bombing Lebanon, but added that the issue of Hezbollah’s presence would be dealt with separately from Iran and in an “appropriate manner”.
  • Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun defended Beirut’s decision to enter into direct talks with Israel, stressing that his government is working only in the interests of the Lebanese people.
  • Despite the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire, several Lebanese news outlets reported that Israeli troops are blowing up homes in the border towns they continue to control.
  • The US Treasury Department said it imposed sanctions against commanders of Iraqi groups allied with Iran, including individuals associated with Kataib Hezbollah.
17 Apr 2026 - 23:40
 (23:40 GMT)

Iran calls for UN to respond to acts of aggression

Iran’s deputy foreign minister has called for the UN to effectively respond to acts of “aggression” towards his country, Iran’s IRNA news agency reports.

During a meeting with the UN’s top peace-building official, Rosemary Di Carlo, Saeed Khatibzadeh said the attacks on Iran were a “continued blatant violation of international laws and rights.”

The UN Security Council has voted to condemn Iran’s attacks on its Gulf neighbours, but not the attacks first launched by the US and Israel on Iran on February 28.

Turkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, left, greets Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh during the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Antalya on Friday [Handout: Turkish Foreign Minister Press Office via AFP]
17 Apr 2026 - 23:30
 (23:30 GMT)
Analysis

Trump and Iran giving ‘competing accounts’

Abas Aslani, senior research fellow at the Center for Middle East Strategic Studies in Tehran, says the US and Iran are providing “competing accounts” about where the negotiations are at.

“The US president’s optimistic outlook of the process contrasts with the view here in Tehran,” Aslani told Al Jazeera.

“He considers the war has been completed, and it’s a done deal, and all things have been discussed and agreed, and he is talking of an imminent potential round.

“But the Iran side has a different interpretation of what is taking place, saying that they have been only able to address the cessation of hostilities, and issues like the nuclear issue remain to be addressed.”

Aslani said that Iran’s nuclear programme and the Strait of Hormuz remain major sticking points in negotiations between Tehran and Washington.

“Iran says the right to enrichment cannot be negotiated and [that] they are not going to export the highly enriched stockpile,” said Aslani.

17 Apr 2026 - 23:25
 (23:25 GMT)
Houthi

UNICEF ‘outraged’ Israeli forces killed 2 water truck drivers in northern Gaza

The UN children’s agency says two men it contracted to drive a truck to “provide clean water to families in the Gaza Strip” have been killed.

“The victims were killed by Israeli fire in an incident that took place early this morning at the Mansoura water filling point in northern Gaza,” UNICEF said in a statement.

The agency expressed outrage at the incident and extended “condolences to the families of the men killed”.

Two other people were also injured in the incident, which UNICEF said “occurred during routine, water trucking operations, with no changes in movement or procedures” at the only place where trucks could access the “Mekorot water supply line serving Gaza City”.

“UNICEF and humanitarian partners use [the water point] multiple times a day to sustain critical water trucking operations for hundreds of thousands of people, including children,” the statement said.

The UN agency added that its contractors have “been instructed to suspend onsite activities until security conditions in the area are restored”.

“UNICEF calls on the Israeli authorities to immediately investigate this incident, and ensure full accountability. Humanitarian workers, essential service providers, and civilian infrastructure, including critical water facilities, must never be targeted.”

Palestinians collect water from a truck amid the destruction caused by the Israeli air and ground offensive in Gaza City, on October 16, 2025 [Jehad Alshrafi/AP Photo]
17 Apr 2026 - 23:15
 (23:15 GMT)

Photos: Houthi supporters demonstrate in Yemen in support of Lebanon

Houthi supporters demonstrate in Sanaa, Yemen, to show solidarity with Lebanon [Khaled Abdullah/Reuters]
[Khaled Abdullah/Reuters]
[Khaled Abdullah/Reuters]

17 Apr 2026 - 23:00
 (23:00 GMT)
Houthi

Australia ‘stands ready’ to support restoring security in Hormuz, PM says

Anthony Albanese has said Australia wants to see the announcement that the Strait of Hormuz has reopened “hold”.

“Australia stands ready to support efforts to restore stability and security in the Strait of Hormuz,” the prime minister wrote on X, after attending a virtual Leaders’ Summit on the strait, cohosted by France’s President Macron and UK Prime Minister Starmer.

“The longer the war goes on, the more significant the impact on the global economy will be, and the greater the human cost,” Albanese added.

“Australians are feeling the impact on fuel supply and prices and we are working to shield families from the worst of it.”

Australia is heavily dependent on imported refined fuel from countries in Southeast Asia that, in turn, import crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz, meaning Australia could face mounting problems if the closure of the waterway continues.

 

17 Apr 2026 - 22:50
 (22:50 GMT)

Kosovo approves sending troops to Gaza Stabilisation Force

The Balkan nation’s parliament has voted overwhelmingly, 89-0, to contribute dozens of troops to the International Stabilization Force (ISF) for Gaza, a US-backed initiative following last year’s ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

Defence Minister Ejup Maqedonci told The Associated Press that NATO countries had “contributed to the security of the Republic of Kosovo” and that now, his country is “entering a phase where we are becoming a provider, or exporter, of security”.

Created under Trump’s Board of Peace and backed by the UN Security Council, the ISF, which has yet to deploy to Gaza, will reportedly work to “demilitarise” the Strip and help to train a new Palestinian police force.

Other countries that have pledged to send troops include Indonesia, Albania, Kazakhstan and Morocco.

Israel remains in control of about half of the territory of Gaza, where it has forcibly displaced the Palestinian population.

Kosovo Security Forces parade during celebrations to mark the 18th anniversary of independence, in Pristina, Kosovo, on February 17, 2026 [Laura Hasani/AP Photo]
17 Apr 2026 - 22:44
 (22:44 GMT)
Houthi

Explosions reported in southern Lebanon as Israel blows up homes

Despite the ceasefire, several Lebanese news outlets have reported that Israeli troops are blowing up homes in the border towns they continue to control.

Israeli officials have openly said that they aim to destroy Lebanese towns to prevent residents from returning to them, replicating the tactic they used in Gaza, which rights groups have said amounts to ethnic cleansing.

17 Apr 2026 - 22:30
 (22:30 GMT)
Houthi

Iran’s Ghalibaf says Trump’s most recent claims all ‘false’

The speaker of Iran’s parliament has said that all seven claims that Trump made in the last hour “were false”.

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf listed several of the US president’s claims in a post on X, saying that “they did not win the war with these lies, and they will certainly not get anywhere in negotiations either”.

“With the continuation of the blockade, the Strait of Hormuz will not remain open,” Ghalibaf said, adding that “passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be conducted based on the ‘designated route’ and with ‘Iranian authorisation'”.

He also said that regulations governing the strait would not be determined by social media.

17 Apr 2026 - 22:25
 (22:25 GMT)
Houthi

Despite Iranian denial, Trump says US will take enriched uranium

Iran has already unambiguously dismissed the notion that it agreed to transfer its enriched uranium to the US. But Trump has reiterated the claim during a rally in Arizona.

“We’re going to get it by going in with Iran, with lots of excavators … We’re going to get it. We’re going to take it back home to the US,” Trump said.

17 Apr 2026 - 22:15
 (22:15 GMT)

Pro-Israel hawks question Trump’s call for ending Lebanon attacks

Some of Trump’s allies are voicing dismay with the US president’s announcement that Israel is “prohibited” from bombing Lebanon.

Mark Levin, an American pro-Israel commentator who has been one of the most vocal cheerleaders of the war, said Trump’s “declaration actually protects Hezbollah”.

“How will we disarm Hezbollah, now that we have taken on this responsibility?  How will we prevent Hezbollah from regenerating and reconstituting its forces?” Levin wrote on X.

“The Lebanese government has neither the will nor the way or they’d have done it in last year’s ceasefire that Hezbollah violated.”

US Senator Lindsey Graham, another foreign policy hawk close to Trump, endorsed Levin’s grievances.

“Great questions from The Great One,” he said in response to Levin’s post.

17 Apr 2026 - 22:03
 (22:03 GMT)

Trump on Spain: ‘They were not there for us!’

The US president shares a news article noting that Spain did not allow its airspace to be used by the US military during the attacks on Iran.

“They were not there for us!” Trump wrote in a social media post.

Earlier, the US president hit out at NATO, calling the alliance a “paper tiger” for failing to intervene to open the Strait of Hormuz by force.

Spain, a NATO ally, took a defiant stance against the war, refusing to back down even after Trump threatened to cut off trade with the country.

17 Apr 2026 - 21:51
 (21:51 GMT)

HRW calls on governments to suspend arms sales to Israel

Human Rights Watch has decried the Israeli bombing of the Qasmieh bridge, on of the main passageways into south Lebanon.

After the ceasefire was announced, many residents crossed the destroyed bridge on foot as authorities worked to repair it.

“Governments should signal to Israel that they will not tolerate or risk complicity in war crimes by immediately suspending arms sales,” HRW said in a social media post.

17 Apr 2026 - 21:40
 (21:40 GMT)

Key US Senator urges efforts to allow displaced people in Lebanon to return

Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the most senior Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has welcomed the ceasefire in Lebanon, but she said more work is needed to build on the fragile gains and enable those displaced by Israeli attacks to return home.

“This is an important start, but more progress is needed,” Shaheen said. “I urge the sides to work together to rebuff Iranian influence and allow all displaced residents to return home.”

17 Apr 2026 - 21:28
 (21:28 GMT)
Houthi

Trump says not ‘too many significant differences’ with Iran

The US president tells reporters that talks on a deal with Iran and Lebanon are ongoing, adding that “a lot of good things are happening”.

Asked about Iranian suggestions that major differences remain before finalising a deal, Trump said: “Let’s see what happens. If there are, we’ll have to straighten it out. But I don’t think there’s too many significant differences.”

17 Apr 2026 - 21:20
 (21:20 GMT)

Democratic congressman criticises lack of expertise in US negotiating team

Congressman Bill Foster, who holds a PhD in physics from Harvard, has released a video criticising the lack of expertise in the US negotiating team with Iran.

“Nothing is more important than coming to a safe resolution on the nuclear issue with Iran,” Foster said. “But under what circumstances would you put a couple of real estate dealers and nepo babies in charge of these negotiations?”

The congressman was likely referring to Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.

Foster said the 2015 deal was negotiated by technical experts and physicists who understood how nuclear weapons are made, and that under the agreement Iran could not build a bomb.

17 Apr 2026 - 21:10
 (21:10 GMT)

Markets show optimism after Trump’s comments on Strait of Hormuz

By Gabriel Elizondo

Reporting from New York City, US

The sense is that markets want to move past these conflicts, and the announcement of the Strait of Hormuz reopening has solidified optimism.

The gains on the markets on Friday are certainly very strong, with Dow Jones, S&P and Nasdaq all closing well above 1 percent.

This optimism comes from certainty, as the markets do not like uncertainty. Now, they are seeing some sort of certainty, and that is what’s fuelling this market run.

They’re seeing a light at the end of the tunnel, and perhaps we could be at the end of this conflict. We don’t know that for sure, but that’s how the markets are portraying it.

17 Apr 2026 - 21:00
 (21:00 GMT)

US, Saudi officials discuss Lebanon ceasefire and Hormuz

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with his Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan, and the two discussed the situation in the Strait of Hormuz and efforts to consolidate the ceasefire in Lebanon, the kingdom’s news agency SPA says.

17 Apr 2026 - 20:45
 (20:45 GMT)
Analysis

Still no ‘normal flow’ of ships through Hormuz

While the US and Iran have announced that the Strait of Hormuz is “completely open”, Qatar University professor Abdulla Banndar Al-Etaibi says uncertainty would prevent normal maritime traffic from resuming in the near future.

“Qatar has tried with two ships to get through the Strait of Hormuz, and it was denied access,” Al Etaibi said.

“We are not seeing a normal flow, but it’s also not a restricted flow, so there is a big question of uncertainty.”

Iran’s request that ships coordinate their route also adds to the complex situation. “When we talk about coordination, what does it mean? Does it mean paying tolls? Does it mean getting permission?” he said.

“These are definitely red flags for the Gulf states,” he added.