Iran reneges on key point of ceasefire amid allegations of broken promises



In a sudden change, Iran has reportedly once again closed off the Strait of Hormuz amid allegations that the ceasefire agreement has been violated.

Iran reportedly prevented ships from passing through the Strait of Hormuz Wednesday morning, even though opening the strait was a key aspect of the ceasefire agreement reached Tuesday night.

President Trump has denied that Lebanon is included in the ceasefire, seemingly backing Israel's continued advancements into the country.

According to an initial report, Iran has closed the strait in response to Israel's ongoing military offensive in Lebanon.

The ceasefire agreement, announced by Pakistan's prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, on Tuesday, specifically stipulated that the ceasefire applies everywhere, including Lebanon: "With the greatest humility, I am pleased to announce that the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate ceasefire everywhere including Lebanon and elsewhere, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY."

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According to multiple reports, President Trump has denied that Lebanon is included in the ceasefire, seemingly backing Israel's continued advancements into the country.

These discrepancies raise more questions about the exact nature of the ceasefire deal and, perhaps, the authority with which Pakistan's prime minister speaks on behalf of the two parties in the conflict.

For Israel's part, the Israel Defense Forces announced that in "10 minutes," they "completed the largest coordinated strike across Lebanon since the start of Operation Roaring Lion." The strike reportedly targeted 100+ Hezbollah targets in Beirut, Beqaa, and southern Lebanon.

In his post, Prime Minister Sharif announced that the ceasefire would be further discussed at the upcoming "Islamabad Talks" on Friday.

This is a developing story.

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Israel ramps up attacks on Middle East target despite US-Iran ceasefire



President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday evening a two-week ceasefire with Iran following conversations with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Trump noted further that the U.S. received a 10-point proposal from Iran, calling it a "workable basis on which to negotiate."

Trump subsequently shared a statement from Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi confirming that if attacks against Iran are halted, the embattled Shiite nation would cease its "defensive operations."

'We welcomed the agreement between Iran and the United States of America.'

Sharif later stated that "the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate ceasefire everywhere including Lebanon and elsewhere, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quickly contradicted the Pakistani leader.

Netanyahu's office stated on X that "Israel supports President Trump's decision to suspend strikes against Iran for two weeks subject to Iran immediately opening the straits and stopping all attacks on the US, Israel and countries in the region."

It claimed, however, that "the two-weeks ceasefire does not include Lebanon."

Following the news of the ceasefire, the Israel Defense Forces announced that the Israeli military had "ceased fire in the operation against Iran" but was "continuing to conduct targeted ground operations against Hezbollah" in Lebanon. The IDF has had a significant troop presence in Southern Lebanon for months.

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According to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health, "the total number of victims since March 2 until April 7 has risen to 1,530, while the number of wounded has increased to 4,812."

On Wednesday, the IDF reported that it had "completed the largest coordinated strike across Lebanon since the start of Operation Roaring Lion," striking targets in Beirut, Beqaa, and Southern Lebanon.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said in response to the latest attacks, "While we welcomed the agreement between Iran and the United States of America, and intensified our efforts to reach an agreement for a ceasefire in Lebanon, Israel continues to expand its aggressions that have targeted densely populated residential neighborhoods, claiming the lives of unarmed civilians in various parts of Lebanon, particularly in the capital Beirut, heedless of all regional and international efforts to stop the war."

Several European leaders joined the prime ministers of Britain, Canada, and Japan on Wednesday in welcoming the ceasefire and calling "upon all sides to implement the ceasefire, including in Lebanon."

It's presently unclear whether Israel's continued military operations in Lebanon will impact the U.S.-Iran talks.

Blaze News has reached out to the White House for comment.

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State Department issues worldwide caution to US citizens; embassy in Lebanon tells Americans to flee



The U.S. State Department issued an alert Thursday afternoon advising Americans worldwide to "exercise increased caution." Extra to this general warning, U.S. citizens in Lebanon have been told by the embassy in Beirut to hightail it out of the country if possible.

In its announcement, the State Department said that Americans abroad should "stay alert in locations frequented by tourists"; "enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive information and alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency overseas"; and "follow the Department of State" on social media.

The reasons given for this worldwide caution were increased tensions, the potential for terrorist attacks, and "demonstrations or violent actions against U.S. citizens and interests."

The State Department has recommended that U.S. citizens should especially exercise vigilance if located inEgypt, Iraq, Muscat, Oman, and America's supposed NATO ally Turkey.

These warnings come nearly a week after the State Department told travelers headed to Israel, the West Bank, or Gaza to "maintain a high degree of situational awareness[,] exercise caution at all times" and to identify the "location of the nearest bomb shelter."

The risk to westerners appears to have grown in Arab nations in recent days, as evidenced by the swarming of American, Israeli, French, and British embassies, reported the Telegraph.

Within hours of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi stating, "The flames of the U.S.-Israeli bombs, dropped this evening on the Palestinian victims injured at the ... hospital in Gaza, will soon consume the Zionists," hordes gathered outside the British and French embassies in Iran, with some chanting "death to France and England."

Amid threats of fire farther afield, rioters in Beirut nearly set the U.S. embassy ablaze. Palestinian flag-waving and stone-throwing rioters managed to torch a neighboring building, but U.S. embassy spokesman Jake Nelson later indicated that "embassy personnel and facilities remain secure and undamaged," reported Reuters.

The New York Post indicated police had to deploy tear gas to disperse the rioters, but not before one demonstrator could scale the outer fence to attach a Palestinian flag to the embassy's flagpole.

The U.S. Embassy in Beirut updated its travel advisory for Lebanon Wednesday, stressing, "Do not travel."

"We urge U.S. citizens not to travel to Lebanon. We recommend that U.S. citizens in Lebanon make appropriate arrangements to leave the country; commercial options currently remain available," the embassy noted on X. "We recommend that U.S. citizens who choose not to depart prepare contingency plans for emergency situations. ... U.S. citizens who need assistance should contact the U.S. Embassy in Beirut at BeirutACS@state.gov or +961-4-543-600."

For Americans whose confidence wasn't shaken after the Biden administration's botched Afghanistan withdrawal, the embassy further underscored the need to "have plans to depart that do not rely on the U.S. government."

The trigger for the latest anti-Western hostilities was the accusation by the Hamas-run Gazan Health Ministry that Israel had bombed the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza and killed hundreds.

Various Western media outfits helped stoke the fire by parroting the terrorist-linked ministry's claims, which have since been discredited. The New York Times, for instance, ran a front-page story entitled, "Israeli Strike Kills Hundreds in Hospital, Palestinians Say."

The New York Times has since reported that American officials have since come to agree with Israel's assessment that the Hamas-affiliated Palestinian Islamic Jihad had launched a missile that malfunctioned.

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