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US warns Iran to make a deal or else fighting will resume
The blockade of Iranian ports will continue, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said, adding that the US will attack infrastructure and energy if Tehran "chooses poorly."
Updated 11:02 AM EDT, Thu April 16, 2026
Hegseth warns Iranian regime to 'choose wisely'
00:58
Here's the latest
• Diplomatic push: Iranian officials and Pakistan’s military chief will meet in Tehran today to discuss messages exchanged between Iran and the US. The White House has expressed optimism about reaching a deal, noting that a potential second round of talks would likely be held in Pakistan.
• Latest from the Pentagon: US military officials said troops in the Middle East are “rearming” and stand ready to resume combat if negotiations fail.
• Naval blockade: The Joint Chiefs chairman warned that the US could use force against ships trying to bypass the blockade against Iranian ports, adding that the military will pursue vessels from any country providing “material support” to Iran.
• Israel-Lebanon developments: Lebanon’s president held a phone call with US President Donald Trump today, after the Lebanese leader earlier declined to speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to Lebanese officials. On the ground, Israel has destroyed a bridge in southern Lebanon, the last link for thousands of people to the rest of the country.
All
catch up
33 Posts
12 min ago
Lebanese president has call with Trump, after earlier declining to speak with Netanyahu
Tamara Qiblawi
By Tamara Qiblawi and Issy Ronald
Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun held a phone call with US President Donald Trump this afternoon, according to the Lebanese presidency.
Their call came after Aoun declined to speak with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a Lebanese official told CNN, contradicting earlier claims by Israeli officials and Trump that the two leaders would hold historic talks.
CNN has contacted the White House for comment.
14 min ago
Israel strikes ambulance crews multiple times, Lebanese authorities say, killing 4 medics
Sana Noor Haq
By Charbel Mallo, Ibrahim Dahman and Sana Noor Haq
Mourners, including colleagues of paramedic Mahdi Abu Zaid, who was killed in an Israeli strike, carry his body during his funeral in Nabatieh, Lebanon, on Thursday.
Mourners, including colleagues of paramedic Mahdi Abu Zaid, who was killed in an Israeli strike, carry his body during his funeral in Nabatieh, Lebanon, on Thursday. Reuters
The Israeli military launched three successive attacks on emergency crews handling a relief mission in southern Lebanon, according to Lebanese authorities, killing four paramedics and wounding several others.
CNN has reached out to the Israeli military for comment.
Israel struck rescue teams “three consecutive times” in the town of Mayfadoun, southern Lebanon, on Wednesday, the Lebanese Public Ministry of Health said. At least three paramedics were killed and six others injured, the health ministry added.
That death toll rose to at least four paramedics killed, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported on Thursday. The crew were “on a relief mission following a raid that targeted the town,” NNA said.
“While they were in the area, they were targeted by a drone strike, which led to the martyrdom of the four paramedics,” the news agency added.
One of the slain paramedics — Mahdi Abu Zaid — was injured in an initial Israeli strike before he returned to try and rescue others and was killed, according to a senior colleague.
“Despite his injury, he (Mahdi Abu Zaid) went and moved the car back, and he refused to leave any martyr or wounded person on the ground,” Mohamed Suleiman, a chief paramedic in Nabatieh, told Reuters.
“What Mahdi did embodies the kind of heroism offered by Nabatieh paramedics,” Suleiman added.
The UN’s human rights office (OHCHR) condemned the attack.
Death toll: Israeli bombing on Lebanon after the Iran-backed group Hezbollah fired projectiles into Israel on March 2 has flattened neigborhoods and displaced 1.2 million people. Israeli strikes have killed at least 2,196 people in Lebanon, including 172 children and 93 health workers, the Lebanese health ministry reported on Wednesday. In the last 24 hours alone, at least 29 people were killed in Lebanon, the ministry said.
CNN’s Dana Karni and Tamara Qiblawi contributed reporting.
47 min ago
Israel destroys last bridge over Litani River, completely isolating communities in the south
Sana Noor Haq
By Charbel Mallo and Sana Noor Haq
The last remaining bridge linking southern Lebanon to the rest of the country was severed by an Israeli strike in Qasmiyeh, Lebanon, on Thursday.
The last remaining bridge linking southern Lebanon to the rest of the country was severed by an Israeli strike in Qasmiyeh, Lebanon, on Thursday. Louisa Gouliamaki/Reuters
The Israeli military demolished the final crossing over the Litani River, which bisects Lebanon, on Thursday, according to Lebanese state media, cutting off tens of thousands of residents in the south from crucial aid links.
Israeli forces launched “two consecutive airstrikes” on the Qasmiyeh Bridge connecting the coastal city of Sidon to the southern city of Tyre, “completely destroying it,” the Lebanese National News Agency (NNA) reported.
“Prior to these airstrikes, a drone had also carried out two separate attacks near the same bridge,” NNA said.
At least one person was killed and two others injured by the attack, according to the Lebanese army.
Smoke and explosions in Nabatieh, southern Lebanon
01:09
A series of huge explosions lined the horizon near the bridge on Thursday, in footage from the aftermath, as huge clouds of smoke tumbled through green pastures.
The Israeli military claimed to CNN that forces “did not target” the bridge, but added that they did attack “in its vicinity.”
Israel has intensified deadly strikes in southern Lebanon recent days – even as regional officials push for a direct call between Israeli and Lebanese leaders to end the violence. Just on Wednesday, the Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir told troops to turn neighborhoods south of the Litani River into a “no-go zone for Hezbollah operatives.” Human rights advocates have repeatedly warned that Israeli attacks on vital infrastructure for civilians trying to access medical care, food and relief in Lebanon may amount to war crimes.
Between March 12 and April 8, Israeli forces “systematically destroyed or severely damaged all main bridges” connecting areas south of the Litani River to the rest of Lebanon, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW), making the Qasmiyeh Bridge the “sole main remaining operational crossing” as of April 10.
“These strikes had significantly limited the ability of civilians to move safely and of state institutions, humanitarian organizations, hospitals, and healthcare facilities to deliver aid and provide medical care,” HRW added.
CNN’s Eugenia Yosef contributed reporting.
This post has been updated to reflect the death toll from the Israeli attack on the Qasmiyeh Bridge.
54 min ago
US rearming and prepared to blockade Iran "as long as it takes," warn top military leaders
Kit Maher
Aileen Graef
Kaanita Iyer
By Kit Maher, Lauren Chadwick, Aileen Graef and Kaanita Iyer
In the Pentagon briefing that wrapped up a short while ago, top US military leadership warned Iranian leaders the blockade of the country’s ports and economic pressures would continue unless they “choose wisely” and that US troops in the Middle East are “rearming” during the ceasefire.
Here’s a look at what we learned from the briefing:
Troops rearming: The US are using this pause in fighting to rearm, retool and adjust their “tactics, techniques and procedures,” said US Central Command chief Adm. Brad Cooper, who oversees US forces in the region.
“Choose wisely:” US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the US would impose a blockade on Iranian ports for “as long as it takes” and called on Iran to “choose wisely.” He threatened to target infrastructure and energy sites “if Iran chooses poorly.”
Underneath Iran: Hegseth added that Iran is “digging out” missiles and launchers from bombed facilities, arguing that it can’t “replenish” its military capabilities. CNN has previously reported on satellite images showing earth-moving equipment digging for missile launchers trapped underground.
Blockade enforcement: Joint Chiefs chairman Dan Caine warned that the US could board or use force against ships not complying with the blockade. He said 13 ships have turned around so far but, as of this morning, the US has not had to board “any particular ships.”
Third parties: Hegseth also responded to reporting that China is planning to send weapons to Iran, saying the US has been assured that won’t happen. Separately, Caine said the US military will pursue vessels from any country that may be providing “material support” to Iran in other regions.
1 hr 19 min ago
Iran’s nuclear program presents a tough obstacle for mediator Pakistan
Nic Robertson
By Nic Robertson in Islamabad
Key mediator Pakistan is intensifying its diplomatic efforts towards resolving the Iran conflict, with the country’s powerful army chief in Tehran and PM Shehbaz Sharif in Qatar. But what are they hoping to achieve?
A central aim is securing a new round of talks, sources close to the negotiations said, after the last round ended last weekend in Islamabad without any agreement. From the Pakistani side, at least, that goal appears on track.
But major obstacles remain, principally Iran’s nuclear program.
The US and Iran have long been at odds on this, with Tehran insisting on its right to peaceful enrichment.
Mediators must try to bridge this gap and resolve thorny questions – should Iran soften its stance – like what should happen to Iran’s nuclear facilities and what, if anything, gets removed.
Talks will succeed or fail on those handful of details, a source said.
Iran will likely be looking to lock in a permanent lifting of sanctions and seeking to save face, which could translate as wanting no more triumphant social media posts from Donald Trump proclaiming Tehran’s surrender.
But getting Iran to foreswear nuclear weapons in such a way that satisfies the Americans is a huge ask for the Pakistani team.
33 min ago
The latest on the flurry of diplomacy over Iran and Israel's strikes in Lebanon
By Issy Ronald
Members of the Lebanese army work at the site after an Israeli strike severed the last remaining bridge linking southern Lebanon to the rest of the country in Qasmiyeh, Lebanon, on Thursday.
Members of the Lebanese army work at the site after an Israeli strike severed the last remaining bridge linking southern Lebanon to the rest of the country in Qasmiyeh, Lebanon, on Thursday. Louisa Gouliamaki/Reuters
The Israeli military destroyed a key bridge in Lebanon today, according to Lebanese state media, and diplomatic efforts seeking to implement a ceasefire there hit a stumbling block. Meanwhile, a push to bring Iran and the US back to the negotiating table inches forward.
Here’s what to know:
Litani River: The Israeli military destroyed the last remaining bridge over the Litani River, which bisects Lebanon, according to Lebanese state media, completely isolating tens of thousands of residents in the south of the country. The Israeli military claimed to CNN that forces “did not target” the bridge, but added they did attack “in its vicinity.”
Diplomatic efforts: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun declined to speak to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a Lebanese official told CNN, after an Israeli official and President Donald Trump said the two leaders were set to hold historic talks. Officials in Lebanon have told Israel and the US they would not seek further negotiations until a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah is reached.
Iran’s alliance: As the fighting continues in Lebanon, Iran’s parliament speaker said a ceasefire in Lebanon is as important to Tehran as a truce in their own country. “We have never forgotten our Lebanese brothers and consider them part of ourselves,” he said, according to state-affiliated media.
Pakistan’s mediation: Pakistani officials have sustained “open channels of communication” between the US and Iran, a spokesperson for the country’s foreign ministry said. Pakistan is pushing for a second round of talks between Tehran and Washington to extend the two-week ceasefire deal. Iranian officials will meet with Pakistan’s military chief as part of a push to resume talks with the US.
Markets hopeful: Stock markets are buoyant today as traders bet on signs the US-Iran talks are gaining momentum, outweighing, for them, Iranian threats to disrupt shipping in the Red Sea. Oil prices are rising, but remain well below $100 a barrel.
Flight disruption: Europe faces a raft of flight cancellations if oil supplies remain trapped in the Middle East, International Energy Agency chief Fatih Birol warned today. The continent has “maybe six weeks or so (of) jet fuel left,” he said. Meanwhile, several state-owned Chinese airlines have started quietly canceling international flights as global fuel prices surge.
CNN’s Sylvie Zhuang, Lex Harvey, Tamara Qiblawi, Eugenia Yosef, Charbel Mallo, Sana Noor Haq, Tal Shalev, Sophia Saifi, Hanna Ziady and Olesya Dmitracova contributed reporting.
1 hr 38 min ago
US military will pursue vessels providing "material support" to Iran in other global regions
By Lauren Chadwick
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine told reporters at a press conference this morning that the US military will pursue vessels from any country that may be providing “material support” to Iran in other regions.
“In addition to this blockade, the joint force, through operations and activities in other areas of responsibility, like the Pacific Area of Responsibility … will actively pursue any Iranian flagged vessel or any vessel attempting to provide material support to Iran,” Caine told reporters.
“This includes dark fleet vessels carrying Iranian oil. As most of you know, dark fleet vessels are those illicit or illegal ships evading international regulations, sanctions or insurance requirements,” he said.
Caine added that 10,000 sailors, more than a dozen ships and dozens of aircraft are involved in the mission.
1 hr 48 min ago
Official says travelers in Europe may soon face flight cancellations due to lack of fuel
Olesya Dmitracova
By Olesya Dmitracova
A track carrying aviation fuel is seen on the tarmac at an airport in Venice, Italy, on April 8.
A track carrying aviation fuel is seen on the tarmac at an airport in Venice, Italy, on April 8. Davide Bonaldo / SOPA Images/Sipa USA
If oil supplies remain trapped because of the war with Iran, some upcoming flights in Europe may be canceled, the head of the International Energy Agency told the Associated Press today.
Europe has “maybe six weeks or so (of) jet fuel left,” Fatih Birol said, echoing his warning on an April 1 podcast that jet fuel and diesel shortages were likely in Europe this month or by early May.
Speaking today, he said that for Europe, if the Strait of Hormuz isn’t reopened, “soon we will hear the news that some of the flights from city A to city B might be canceled as a result of lack of jet fuel.”
Birol’s forecast of a looming jet fuel shortage is slightly more upbeat than another recent warning: On April 9, ACI Europe, which represents European airports, said Europe was only three weeks away from such a shortage.
Airlines have already been dropping some less profitable flights as jet fuel prices have soared since the start of the war.
1 hr 52 min ago
US warns ships trying to bypass blockade that it could use force if they do not comply
Kit Maher
By Kit Maher
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan Caine speaks during a briefing on the Iran war at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, on Thursday.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan Caine speaks during a briefing on the Iran war at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, on Thursday. Nathan Howard/Reuters
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan Caine said Thursday that the United States has threatened to board or use force against ships that do not comply with the blockade of vessels coming to or from Iranian ports.
When the blockade started, Caine said “seven ships of interest” were a “concern” for US Central Command as he described the warning issued to vessels attempting to cross the blockade.
“A junior officer picks up that mic and transmits, and I quote, ‘Do not attempt to breach the blockade. Vessels will be boarded for interdiction and seizure, transiting to or from Iranian ports. Turn around or prepare to be boarded. If you do not comply with this blockade, we will use force,’” Caine said.
He explained that the blockade is impacting “all ships, regardless of nationality” and that enforcement will occur “inside Iran’s territorial seas and in international waters.”
So far, Caine said “13 ships have made the wise choice of turning around” and while the US is prepared to board ships or bring force, “As of this morning, US Central Command has not been required to board any particular ships.”
2 hr 5 min ago
Hegseth says Iran is digging for "remaining launchers and missiles"
Kaanita Iyer
By Kaanita Iyer
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said during a news briefing Thursday that Iran is “digging out” missiles and launchers from bombed facilities, arguing that the country is unable to “replenish” its military capabilities.
Addressing Iranian leaders, Hegseth said, “While you are digging out, which is exactly what you’re doing, digging out of bombed out and devastated facilities, we are only getting stronger. You are digging out your remaining launchers and missiles with no ability to replace them. You have no defense industry. No ability to replenish your offensive or defensive capabilities.
CNN has reported that satellite images have shown earth-moving equipment digging for missile launchers trapped underground amid the ceasefire.
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