April 10, 2026 — US President Donald Trump has asked Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as tensions rise between Israel and Hezbollah, complicating efforts to stabilize a fragile ceasefire. The ceasefire declared on T...
April 10, 2026 — US President Donald Trump has asked Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as tensions rise between Israel and Hezbollah, complicating efforts to stabilize a fragile ceasefire.
The ceasefire declared on Tuesday remains uncertain after Kuwait reported significant drone attacks on essential facilities, blaming Iran and its affiliates for breaching the agreement. No other strikes were reported on Friday.
Israel continued its operations against towns in southern Lebanon, where its ongoing campaign against the Iran-supported Hezbollah could hinder peace negotiations. Hezbollah claimed to have launched drones and rockets towards Israel, while Israeli medics reported treating people injured while seeking shelter in central and southern Israel.
US and Iranian officials are set to meet in Pakistan on Saturday, with the shipping situation through Hormuz, which previously facilitated about 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas, being a key issue. US Vice President JD Vance is expected to lead the US delegation during these discussions in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan.
The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has resulted in thousands of fatalities and has damaged energy infrastructures across the oil-rich Persian Gulf over the past six weeks, while Iran's continued control of Hormuz has disrupted global fuel supplies.
“Iran is doing poorly in allowing oil to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, which is not what we agreed upon!” Trump stated in a post on Truth Social on Thursday. He asserted that oil will begin to flow again, with or without Iran's assistance.
Trump also warned Iran against imposing fees on tankers traversing Hormuz.
Since the ceasefire began, traffic through this crucial waterway has shown little improvement, as shipowners await more clarity regarding its status.
This blockage has kept oil prices elevated, which were trading about 1.9% higher at nearly $98 a barrel in London on Friday. Asian stocks rose, marking their first weekly increase since the start of the conflict, as investors approach weekend negotiations with cautious optimism.
Despite the hurdles, Trump expressed optimism about reaching an agreement with Iran.
The US president characterized Iran’s leaders as being “much more reasonable” than they appear in public remarks during a phone interview with NBC News.
Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran's new supreme leader, whose father was killed on the first day of the conflict, announced on Telegram that Iran intends to elevate the management of the Strait of Hormuz, though it’s unclear if he was referring to the earlier demands for control that the US declined.
Khamenei reiterated that Iran seeks war reparations, which are likely non-negotiable for US officials.
Trump informed NBC that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was likely to reduce airstrikes on Lebanon after their call on Wednesday.
Nevertheless, Lebanon remains a critical point of contention. Iran has stated that the US is responsible for stopping violence in the nation, which has already resulted in over 1,700 deaths, whereas American officials assert that Lebanon is not included in the ceasefire agreement.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian denounced the Israeli actions in Lebanon as a “clear violation” of the ceasefire, asserting that they render peace talks “meaningless.”
Netanyahu announced plans to engage in direct talks with Lebanon to address disarming Hezbollah and bringing the conflict to an end, with the US agreeing to host a meeting next week, according to a State Department official.
However, the Israeli leader reinforced that the attacks in Lebanon are not part of the US-Iran ceasefire agreement.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated, “We are in a state of war; we are not in a ceasefire on the northern front,” according to IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, who stated that military operations would continue.
Hezbollah has not made an official comment on the proposed direct talks and is unlikely to cooperate. The Lebanese government promised to disarm the militant group after a ceasefire in 2024 but has yet to succeed, as the militia remains defiant.
Founded in 1982 as a response to Israel's occupation of southern Lebanon, Hezbollah has evolved into Iran's most powerful proxy, helping to deter adversaries and expand its influence throughout the Middle East. It is part of a broader alliance that includes Yemen's Houthi rebels and Hamas in Gaza.
Following some fighting in the region on Wednesday, there was a noticeable reduction in strikes from both the US and Iran.
After Kuwait reported new strikes attributed to Iran and its proxies, Tehran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed that the country’s armed forces had not launched any drones or missiles since the ceasefire began, as reported by Press TV.
Saudi Arabia, which was attacked a day earlier, has reportedly lost over half a million barrels per day of oil output capacity due to Iranian strikes, according to the state-run Saudi Press Agency.
Attacks on a pumping station for the vital East-West Pipeline this week slashed daily throughput by 700,000 barrels, the agency reported.
More than 5,500 lives have been lost in the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict, per government and NGO reports. Estimates indicate over 3,600 deaths in Iran, while the Lebanese government reports more than 1,700 fatalities.
Israel claims to have killed more than 1,400 Hezbollah fighters, including 200 on Wednesday.
Reports indicate that Israel has recorded about three dozen deaths, with a similar number reported across Gulf Arab nations. Several dozen casualties have been reported in Iraq as well. Thirteen American troops have reportedly died, as per US Central Command.