The Sydney Morning Herald logo
The Sydney Morning Herald logo
Advertisement
WorldMiddle EastMiddle East at war

US-Iran war as it happened: Israel and Lebanon enter 10-day ceasefire; Netanyahu says Israeli military will stay in southern Lebanon; Trump criticises Australia over Strait of Hormuz

Daniel Lo Surdo, Sarah McPhee and Patrick Hatch
Updated ,first published

Key Posts

How is the ceasefire supposed to work?
Lebanese army claims Israel violated ceasefire
Asylum-seeking soccer players want to play in Australia
Trump hopes Hezbollah ‘acts nicely’ in ceasefire
Israel marks exclusion zone in southern Lebanon
Trump claims Iran agrees to hand over ‘nuclear dust’
Albanese welcomes Israel-Lebanon ceasefire
Trump made ‘no specific request’ to Australia: Marles
Pinned post from 5.23am on Apr 17, 2026
Go to latest

What you need to know

By Daniel Lo Surdo

Thank you for reading our rolling coverage of the war in the Middle East. Our live blog has closed for the evening, but our coverage will resume in this live blog.

Here’s a recap of the latest developments:

  • A steady flow of displaced Lebanese are returning to their homes in the country’s south following the start of a 10-day ceasefire. Israel’s war against Hezbollah over the past 46 days has displaced an estimated 1.2 million people – or almost 20 per cent of the population – including 820,000 from the south. Lebanese officials urged residents to not return until it became clear if the peace would hold.
  • Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his military would occupy a “security zone” extending 10 kilometres into Lebanon’s territory.
  • US President Donald Trump made the assertion that Iran had agreed to hand over its “nuclear dust” in an exchange with reporters before departing for an event in Las Vegas on Thursday (Washington time). If true, it would be a major concession from Iran, and would lock in a key demand of the US to end the conflict.
  • French President Emmanuel Macron says the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire “may already be undermined” by continued fighting.
  • The Lebanese army has claimed Israel violated the 10-day ceasefire starting 7am on Friday (AEST) just as it was beginning, alleging the shelling and artillery fire of southern Lebanese villages. The Israel military told the Associated Press it is investigating the allegations, as it urges Lebanese residents to not move south of the Litani River, about 30 kilometres north of the Israeli border. Trump announced the ceasefire and said he hoped Hezbollah “acts nicely” as the truce began.
  • Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited the Viva Energy plant in Geelong on Friday morning, a day after a fire erupted at the refinery. Albanese said the fire was “regrettable” considering its timing, but added that most fuel production continued despite the incident. He batted away several questions probing Trump’s latest criticism of his government, in which the US president renewed accusations Australia had not done enough to help in the Middle East, and ignored Canberra’s recently announced increase in defence expenditure.
  • The Iranian soccer players who sought asylum following their Women’s Asian Cup campaign have confirmed they want to continue their sporting careers in Australia. In a statement, they also expressed their “deepest gratitude” for their “safe haven in this beautiful country”. Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramezanisadeh said their primary focus was on their “safety, our health and beginning the process of rebuilding our lives”.

Latest Posts

Macron concerned ceasefire already ‘undermined’

By Patrick Hatch

French President Emmanuel Macron says the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire “may already be undermined” by continued fighting.

“I fully support the ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel as announced by President Trump yesterday. I also express my concern that it may already be undermined by the continuation of military operations,” he just posted on X (formerly Twitter).

French President Emmanuel Macron chairing a video conference of G7 leaders in early March.AP

“Hezbollah must renounce its weapons. Israel must respect Lebanese sovereignty and stop the war.”

The Lebanese Army said early on Friday that Israel violated the 10-day ceasefire after it took effect, including by shelling several southern Lebanese villages.

Residents start returning to southern Lebanon

By Patrick Hatch

A steady flow of displaced Lebanese are returning to their homes in the country’s south following the start of today’s 10-day ceasefire.

Israel’s war against Hezbollah over the past 46 days has displaced an estimated 1.2 million people – or almost 20 per cent of the population – including 820,000 from the south.

Lebanese officials urged residents to not return until it became clear if the peace would hold.

Abu Mohammad, one of 1.2 million people displaced by the war in Lebanon, pictured here in the southern Beirut neighbourhood of Dahyeh in late March.Getty

But Al Jazeera’s local reporters have reported families started travelling south from Beirut as soon as the ceasefire was announced.

How is the ceasefire supposed to work?

By Patrick Hatch

Donald Trump’s announcement of a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, which came into effect at 7am Friday (AEST), prompted an obvious question: Israel is fighting the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah, not the Lebanese state. So how will a ceasefire work?

The US State Department has since published six “commitments” it says both Israel and Lebanon have accepted.

A Lebanese woman watches as workers and relatives search for missing victims on April 14 in the ruins of a residential building hit six days prior by an Israeli airstrike in Beirut.NYT

They include that Lebanon will take “meaningful steps” to prevent Hezbollah and other groups in its territory from “carrying out any attacks, operations, or hostile activities against Israeli targets”.

“All parties recognise Lebanon’s security forces as having exclusive responsibility for Lebanon’s sovereignty and national defence; no other country or group has claim to be the guarantor of Lebanon’s sovereignty,” the statement says.

Advertisement

UN secretary-general welcomes ceasefire

By

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres says he hopes the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire paves the way for a long-term solution to the Israel-Hezbollah conflict.

“I welcome the announcement of a ceasefire between Israel & Lebanon, and commend the role of the US in facilitating it,” he posted on X.

“I hope this will pave the way for negotiations towards a long-term solution to the conflict & contribute to ongoing efforts toward a lasting & comprehensive peace in the region.”

View post on X

Trump says war ‘going along swimmingly’

By

Donald Trump said in a Las Vegas speech that he was feeling positive about the Iran war, despite the energy price spikes, the death and destruction and the anxiety about the future of NATO and the Middle East.

“I will say the war in Iran is going along swimmingly,” Trump said. “It should be ending pretty soon.”

Trump added that the war was “was perfect” as he praised the power of the US military.

AP

Israel probing reports of shelling in Lebanon

By

Israel’s military has told The Associated Press that it was looking into reports of shelling and artillery fire in southern Lebanon.

The terms of the ceasefire, as provided by the US State Department, prohibit Israel from offensive military actions in Lebanon. But they appear to leave more room for “self-defence”, including “against planned, imminent, or ongoing attacks”.

The Lebanese Army said early on Friday (Lebanon time) that Israel committed violations of the 10-day ceasefire just as it was beginning, including the intermittent shelling of several southern Lebanese villages.

Lebanon’s state-run National News agency reported that Israeli shelling continued in the villages of Khiam and Dibbine about 30 minutes after the truce began.

The Israeli military earlier urged residents in southern Lebanon not to move south of the Litani River, about 30 kilometres north of the Israeli border, until further notice while forces remain deployed after the start of the ceasefire. Arabic-language military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said the deployment was in response to what he described as continued Hezbollah militant activity.

AP

Advertisement

Queensland government in talks to build new refinery

By Matt Dennien

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli says his government is in discussions with several proponents to build a second fuel refinery in the state to service potential new oil reserves from the Taroom Trough.

Crisafulli told reporters on Friday morning that multiple sites were being considered in the Gladstone region because “through this crisis, I’m determined to make sure there is an opportunity for sovereign capability in this state”.

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli.Catherine Strohfeldt

He reiterated his calls for the Albanese government to grant a national interest exemption for the oil exploration under its EPBC Act for the Taroom Trough project, about 300 kilometres west of Brisbane.

Crisafulli also repeated calls for the federal government to implement a fuel supply dashboard, so industry and citizens could have further insight into what the months ahead may look like.

Lebanese army claims Israel violated ceasefire

By

The Lebanese Army said early on Friday (Lebanon time) that Israel committed violations of the 10-day ceasefire after it took effect, including the intermittent shelling of several southern Lebanese villages.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military, which had said earlier that its forces remained deployed in the area. In a post on X, Arabic-language military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said the deployment was in response to what he described as continued Hezbollah militant activity.

Hezbollah released a lengthy statement detailing what it described as its military operations against Israel throughout Thursday, which showed that its last attack came at 11.50pm local time, 10 minutes before the ceasefire took effect.

Hours ago, Donald Trump said he hopes Hezbollah “acts nicely” as the ceasefire came into effect.

Reuters

In pictures: Lebanon celebrates after ceasefire

By

The 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon began at 7am AEST, or midnight in Israel and Lebanon.

Photographs are trickling in from Beirut, as the Lebanese capital celebrates the start of the ceasefire.

Tracer rounds illuminate the night sky as people fire live ammunition and fireworks into the air following a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon in Beirut early on Friday.AP
The 10-day ceasefire was announced by Donald Trump shortly before it commenced.Getty Images
Advertisement

Asylum-seeking soccer players want to play in Australia

By Nick Wright

Iranian soccer players Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramezanisadeh have confirmed they want to continue their elite careers in Australia, having sought asylum following their Women’s Asian Cup campaign.

The pair captured headlines when they fled a Gold Coast hotel, after state media back home deemed them “traitors” for refusing to sing the national anthem as war raged.

They were among seven who initially accepted humanitarian visas to remain in Australia – joined by four teammates and a staffer.

Atefeh Ramezanisadeh (left) and Fatemeh Pasandideh, former members of the Iranian women’s soccer team, photographed in Brisbane, April 2026.Jack Tran

The players released a joint statement through a public affairs firm, which was shared with media by Brisbane Roar, declaring their hopes to continue their careers in Australia.

Advertisement