Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said today that his country will not enter into an agreement that will violate its rights.
"The ceasefire that was achieved is the result of everyone's efforts," Aoun said in a video message on social media, adding that the ongoing negotiations "are neither weakness, nor a retreat, nor a concession, but a choice based on the Lebanese belief in their own rights and the will to protect the population."
Aoun set several goals, including ending "Israeli aggression, achieving Israeli withdrawal from the country, and ensuring the safe, free and dignified return of displaced persons."
"I promise that no agreement will violate our rights, our dignity, nor a single inch of our homeland," Aoun said.
The Lebanese president said that work is underway on a permanent agreement that protects the rights of the people, the unity of the country, and the sovereignty of the nation.
A ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon came into effect last night. On March 2, Israel began attacks on southern Lebanon, where the Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement is based.
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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Monday that the Strait of Hormuz had been opened following a ceasefire agreement in Lebanon, while US President Donald Trump said talks could take place this weekend and that he believed a deal to end the war with Iran would come "soon", Reuters reported.
Aragchi said in a post on the X network that the strait was open to all commercial vessels for the remainder of a ten-day, US-brokered ceasefire agreed between Israel and Lebanon on Thursday to halt fighting between Israeli forces and the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement.
Shortly after Araghchi's statement, Trump tweeted on Truth Social: "IRAN HAS JUST ANNOUNCED THAT THE IRAN STRAIT IS FULLY OPEN AND READY FOR PASSAGE."
However, statements from both sides have left uncertainty about how quickly shipping traffic could be restored, according to Reuters.
Trump said the US blockade of ships sailing to Iranian ports - announced after talks with Tehran ended without a deal last weekend - would remain in place until "our transaction with Iran is 100 percent complete".
Iran responded harshly, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Bagei warning that Tehran would take "necessary reciprocal measures" if the naval blockade continued.
Trump told Reuters on Monday that the United States would work with Iran to take back its enriched uranium and return it to the United States as part of any deal to end the war. Iran's nuclear program has been a key sticking point in the talks so far.
A senior Iranian official told Reuters that differences between the two sides persist, that "no agreement has been reached on the details of nuclear issues" and that serious negotiations are needed to overcome those differences.
He said Tehran hopes a preliminary agreement could be reached in the coming days with Pakistan's mediation efforts, with the possibility of extending the ceasefire to "create space for additional talks on lifting sanctions on Iran and providing compensation for war damages."
The US-Israeli attacks on Iran began on February 28, prompting Iranian attacks on its Gulf neighbors and reigniting the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. A two-week truce between the US and Iran expires next week.
Thousands of people have been killed, and the conflict has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz - through which a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas passes - threatening the worst oil shock in history, according to Reuters.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said on Monday that the ceasefire his country has accepted should be turned into "permanent agreements," without specifying whether he was referring to a possible peace deal with Israel, Reuters reported.
The televised address was his first since the United States brokered a ceasefire on Thursday that ended six weeks of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, an armed group backed by Iran. The agreement says Israel and Lebanon will hold direct talks to achieve "peace between the two countries."
Aoun thanked US President Donald Trump and countries in the region for their help in securing the ceasefire.
"New phase"
"Now we all face a new phase: moving from working to achieve a ceasefire to working towards lasting agreements that preserve the rights of our people, the unity of our country and the sovereignty of our state," Aoun said.
Hezbollah has said it opposes direct talks with Israel, and its lawmakers criticized the government on Friday for agreeing to such negotiations.
Without mentioning Israel, Aoun said: "These negotiations are not a sign of weakness, nor a retreat, nor a concession."
He mentioned Israel only when he said that his goal was to stop Israeli attacks on Lebanon and secure the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanese territory.
Israel's defense minister said Friday that Israeli troops will continue to demolish houses in southern Lebanon that he claims were used by Hezbollah.
Aoun said he was ready to "bear full responsibility for these elections and I am ready to go wherever necessary to liberate my country, protect my people and save my state."
Trump said on Thursday he would invite Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House for talks between the two countries. It was not immediately clear whether a date had been set for the talks, which would mark a major turning point for Lebanon and Israel.
Aoun made several apparent allusions to Iran and Hezbollah in his speech, without mentioning them directly. Hezbollah dragged Lebanon into the regional war when it opened fire on Israel on March 2 in support of Tehran, Reuters reports.
"Today we negotiate for ourselves and decide for ourselves. We are no longer a card in anyone's game, nor a battlefield for anyone's wars, and we will never be that again," he said.
"To those who gamble with the fate of Lebanon and the lives of the Lebanese, I say: Enough!" Aoun said.
A group of about 20 ships, including container ships, bulk carriers and tankers, was spotted tonight sailing through the Gulf towards the exit via the Strait of Hormuz, ship tracking data showed.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said earlier today that the Strait of Hormuz has been opened following a ceasefire agreement in Lebanon.
Significant differences remain between Iran and the United States to reach an agreement to end the war, a senior Iranian official told Reuters, adding that keeping the Strait of Hormuz open is "conditioned on the US respecting the terms of the ceasefire."
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that "no agreement has been reached on the details of nuclear issues" and that serious negotiations are needed to overcome differences.
He said Tehran hopes that, with Pakistan's mediation efforts, a preliminary agreement could be reached in the coming days, with the possibility of extending the ceasefire to "open space for additional talks on lifting sanctions on Iran and providing compensation for war damages."
"In return, Iran will provide assurances to the international community about the peaceful nature of its nuclear program," he said, adding that any different "narrative about the ongoing talks is a misrepresentation of the situation."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today, on the first day of a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, that his country "is not yet done with the job" with the Lebanese movement Hezbollah.
"Israel is not done with Hezbollah yet, and the goal of exposing the Lebanese Islamist movement will not be achieved tomorrow," Netanyahu said in a video message on social media.
The war against the Shiite movement allied with Tehran, which was launched on March 2, has succeeded in repelling threats coming from Lebanon, the Israeli prime minister said in a video message.
"The current Hezbollah is just a shadow of what it once was, but to be honest: we are not done yet," Netanyahu said.
Israel began airstrikes on southern Lebanon, where Iran-backed Hezbollah is based, on March 2. The ceasefire, which came into effect last night, will last for ten days.
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More than a dozen countries said today they were ready to participate in an international mission to protect maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz when the conditions are right, Britain announced, just as United States President Donald Trump said he did not need help from allies.
United States President Donald Trump said the United States has banned Israel from further bombing in Lebanon, taking an unusually harsh tone towards a long-time American ally, emphasizing that a potential US deal with Iran is not related to the conflict in Lebanon.
More about this in a separate article:
United States President Donald Trump told Reuters today that the United States will work with Iran to take back its enriched uranium and return it to the United States.
"We're going to collect it. We're going to go in together with Iran, slowly and without rushing, and then we're going to go down there and start digging with big machinery... We're going to bring it back to the United States," Trump said in a telephone interview.
He also mentioned "nuclear dust" and added that it would be taken over "very quickly."
Trump's reference to "nuclear dust" refers to what he believes was left after the US and Israel bombed Iranian nuclear facilities in June last year.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the Strait of Hormuz had opened following a ceasefire agreement reached in Lebanon, while US President Donald Trump said he believed a deal to end the war with Iran would come "soon", although the timing remained unclear, Reuters reported.
Aragchi said in a post on the X network that the strait is open to all commercial vessels for the remaining period of a ten-day ceasefire brokered by the United States (US) between Israeli forces and the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement in an agreement between Israel and Lebanon.
He added that ships will have to pass through the route previously announced by the Iranian Ports and Maritime Organization.
The US-Israeli attack on Iran, which began on February 28, has claimed thousands of lives and destabilized the Middle East. The conflict has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas passes, threatening the worst oil shock in history, according to Reuters.
Oil prices CLc1 and LCOc1 fell by about nine percent, deepening earlier losses, after Araqchi's announcement, Reuters reports.
The International Monetary Fund this week lowered its global growth forecasts and warned that the world economy could slide into recession if the conflict continues.
Trump said on Thursday that the talks could take place as early as this weekend, but by Friday afternoon that was looking increasingly unlikely due to logistical difficulties in getting officials together in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, where the talks are expected to take place.
Iran's foreign minister said on Monday that passage for all merchant vessels through the Strait of Hormuz has been declared fully open for the remaining period of the ceasefire, in line with the ceasefire in Lebanon, Reuters reported.
He added in a post on the Iks network that the passage of vessels through the strait will take place along a coordinated route, as previously announced by the Iranian Ports and Maritime Organization.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Folke Tirk expressed hope that the ten-day ceasefire, agreed between Israel and Lebanon, will serve as the basis for a longer-term solution.
In a post on the X network, he called on all parties to ensure the full and immediate implementation of the ceasefire, in good faith.
"It is now necessary to focus significant efforts towards a lasting political solution that addresses the root causes of the conflict and provides long-term protection for civilians on all sides, who have borne the brunt of weeks of sustained violence, destruction and displacement," he said.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the Israeli military "holds and will continue to hold" all the positions it has "cleared and seized" in Lebanon, the Guardian reports.
In a statement from his office on the first day of a temporary ceasefire in Lebanon, Katz said the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) controlled a strip of territory up to 10 kilometers deep along the border in southern Lebanon, hinting that the IDF would continue demolishing houses in villages it claims have been turned into terrorist strongholds.
He added that Israel's goals of disarming Hezbollah have not yet been achieved and that part of southern Lebanon has not been demilitarized.
"This will have to be done, either through diplomatic channels or by continuing Israeli military activities after the ceasefire expires," he said.
Syrian President Ahmed al-Shara said that negotiations between Syria and Israel have not reached a dead end, but that they are taking place with great difficulty due to, as he stated, Israel's insistence on remaining on Syrian territory.
In an interview with the Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency, al-Shara stressed that Syria is serious about reaching a security agreement that would preserve regional stability.
"The negotiations have not reached an impasse, but they are progressing with great difficulty due to Israel's insistence on maintaining a presence on Syrian soil," he said.
Israeli forces entered a UN-mandated buffer zone in the occupied Golan Heights after the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, and then launched incursions deeper into southern Syria. Israel had previously said it deployed troops as the Assad regime fell to protect the security of its borders.
Following Hezbollah's warning that its fighters are ready with their "finger on the trigger" for any violation of the ceasefire by Israel, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has also threatened that it is ready with its "hand on the trigger" to respond to any US-Israeli aggression.
The IRGC, along with the Iranian military, said it had a "hand on the trigger" ready to respond "strongly, devastatingly and with devastating force" to any act of aggression or crime by the "American-Zionist enemy and their accomplices," according to a statement carried by the semi-official Tasnim news agency.
Hezbollah has warned that its fighters will keep their fingers on the trigger if Israel violates the ceasefire in Lebanon.
"These mujahedeen (fighters) will keep their hands on the trigger, ready to respond to the enemy's villainy and treachery," the pro-Iranian group said in a brief statement carried by Hezbollah-owned Al-Manar television.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif welcomed the ceasefire in Lebanon, which he attributed to "courageous and wise diplomatic efforts led by President Donald Trump."
In a post on the X network, Sharif expressed hope that the ceasefire would pave the way for sustainable peace.
"Pakistan reaffirms its firm support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon and will continue to support all efforts aimed at lasting peace in the region," he added.
Trump optimistic about reaching a deal with Iran
US President Donald Trump said he was "pretty positive" about a war in Iran, despite soaring energy prices, devastation and concerns about the future of NATO and the Middle East.
"I will say that the war in Iran is going smoothly. It should be over soon," Trump said at a rally in Las Vegas.
He added that the war "was perfect" and praised the strength of the American military.
Trump previously said Iran had agreed to hand over its enriched uranium, one of the sticking points in negotiations to end the war.
New talks, he announced, could take place over the weekend.
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French President Emmanuel Macron has expressed concern that the ceasefire announced by Lebanon and Israel could already be undermined by continued military operations, the Guardian reports.
"I call for the protection of the civilian population on both sides of the border between Lebanon and Israel. Hezbollah must give up its weapons. Israel must respect Lebanon's sovereignty and stop the war," Macron said in a post on the X network.
Local media reports indicate that the ceasefire is largely being respected, although Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported that Israeli machine gun fire was opened on a Hezbollah-linked ambulance, owned by the Islamic Health Organization, in the southern Lebanese town of Kunin.
The Lebanese army also said it had arrested nine people in Beirut for firing into the air overnight, after the ceasefire came into effect.
The ten-day ceasefire, announced by US President Donald Trump and agreed upon by Lebanon and Israel, entered into force today.
Lebanese media reported that Israeli shelling of the villages of Hiam and Dibin continued half an hour after the ceasefire that began at midnight local time.
The Israeli military said this morning that it was investigating reports of shelling and artillery fire in southern Lebanon.
Under the ceasefire agreement, Israel is prohibited from conducting offensive military actions in Lebanon, but as the AP reports, "self-defense against planned, imminent or ongoing attacks" is not excluded.
United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed hope that the ceasefire would pave the way for negotiations for a long-term solution to the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.
Guterres praised the US role in achieving a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon.
Israel and Lebanon held their first direct diplomatic talks in decades in Washington on Tuesday, following more than a month of war between Israel and the pro-Iranian extremist group Hezbollah, which is based in Lebanon.
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