PM Shehbaz welcomes Israel-Lebanon ceasefire announcement

I welcome the announcement of a ceasefire in Lebanon, facilitated through bold and sagacious diplomatic efforts led by President Donald Trump, and express the hope that it will pave the way for sustainable peace.

Pakistan reaffirms its unwavering support for the sovereignty and…

Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian praised Islamabad’s role in mediation & establishing a ceasefire in the US-Israeli war on Iran on Friday, saying "Tehran seeks lasting peace and stability in the region while pursuing the Iranian nation’s rights within the framework of international law", according to Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency.

In a meeting with Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir, held in Tehran on Thursday, Iranian President Pezeshkian praised the commander’s role and that of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the mediation process and facilitating the establishment of a ceasefire, according to the Tasnim news agency.

Additionally, Iran welcomed the announcement of a ceasefire in Lebanon, stressing the need for the "complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from occupied areas in southern Lebanon, the release of all prisoners, and the return of displaced persons to their homes."

Al Jazeera reports that French President Macron has expressed his full support for the ceasefire in Lebanon whilst also expressing “concern that it may already be undermined by the continuation of military operations”.

“I call for the safety of civilian populations on both sides of the border between Lebanon and Israel. Hezbollah must renounce its weapons. Israel must respect Lebanese sovereignty and stop the war,” he said in a social media post.

Earlier today, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported the first violation of the ceasefire after an ambulance was hit in the town of Kounine, which is close to the border with Israel.

It said there were casualties among the targeted medical workers.

Israeli 'acts of aggression' violate ceasefire agreement

Lebanon's army reported “acts of aggression” by Israel that it said violated the 10-day "ceasefire", which took effect at midnight Friday local time.

Lebanon's army, in an X post early on Friday, called on residents in the south to exercise caution “in light of a number of violations” of the ceasefire agreement by “several Israeli acts of aggression.”

إلحاقًا بالبيان السابق المتعلق بدعوة المواطنين إلى الالتزام بتوجيهات الوحدات العسكرية المنتشرة، تجدّد قيادة الجيش دعوتها المواطنين إلى التريّث في العودة إلى القرى والبلدات الجنوبية، وذلك في ظل عدد من الخروقات للاتفاق، وقد سجل عدد من الاعتداءات الإسرائيلية، إضافة إلى قصف متقطع… pic.twitter.com/7hqIrGPaNs

Citizens were warned not to return to their villages in Southern Lebanon, due to the ceasefire violations.

As of early April, more than a million people have been displaced in Lebanon as a result of Israel's intensifying aggression in early March, following the attacks on Iran, as per the United Nations Children's fund.

Celebration rang out across parts of Beirut as the clock struck midnight on Thursday, the time the ceasefire was set to go into effect. For around half an hour, the sound of rockets fired in celebration could also be heard, witnesses said.

Read: Pakistan sets the stage for next round of talks

However, as in previous ceasefire agreements in Gaza, Israel committed "acts of aggression" that violated the ceasefire, as the Lebanese Army said early on Friday that Israel committed violations of the 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.

Trump later issued a social media post urging Hezbollah to respect the ceasefire.

"I hope Hezbollah acts nicely and well during this important period of time. It will be an GREAT moment for them if they do. No more killing. Must finally have PEACE!" he said.

Next round of US-Iran talks

President Donald Trump said the next meeting between the United States and Iran may take place over the weekend, adding to optimism that the Iran war could be nearing an end.

Trump said Iran had offered not to possess nuclear weapons for more than 20 years. Tehran's "nuclear ambitions" were a sticking point at talks in Islamabad last weekend.

"We're going to see what happens. But I think we're very close to making a deal with Iran," he told reporters outside the White House.

Hours later at an event in Las Vegas, Nevada, Trump went further, saying the war "should be ending pretty soon."

Read More: UN General Assembly debates Strait of Hormuz closure after China, Russia veto draft resolution

The war with Iran, which began on February 28 with a US-Israeli attack, has killed thousands and sent oil prices surging, creating a major political headache for the US president.

Futher Israel-Lebanon talks planned

Trump said in his earlier remarks to reporters that he thought the US had a chance of a deal with Iran.

"And if that happens, oil goes way down, prices go way down, inflation goes way down, and ... much more importantly than even that, you won't have a nuclear holocaust," he said.

The president said he was not sure a two-week ceasefire agreed with Iran last week would need to be extended beyond next week, adding that Tehran wanted to make a deal.

"We have a very good relationship with Iran right now, as hard as it is to believe. And I think it's a combination of about four weeks of bombing, and a very powerful blockade."

Conflict between Israel and the Iran-aligned Lebanese group Hezbollah was ongoing before the war with Iran, but by the US-Israeli war with Iran. Hezbollah opened fire in support of Tehran on March 2, prompting an Israeli offensive in Lebanon 15 months after their last major conflict.

Trump said he had held "excellent conversations" with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and planned to invite them both to the White House for "meaningful talks".

He said later that the White House meeting could take place over the next week or two, and that if an Iran deal was reached and signed in Islamabad, he might travel there for the occasion.

Trump said he had directed US Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine to work with Israel and Lebanon to achieve lasting peace.

Iran welcomed the ceasefire in Lebanon, saying it was part of an understanding reached with the United States and mediated by Pakistan, Iranian media reported, citing a statement by a Foreign Ministry spokesperson.

Signs of possible compromise on nuclear issue

Closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil and gas supply flows, has caused the worst oil price shock in history and forced the International Monetary Fund to downgrade its outlook for the global economy, warning prolonged conflict could push the world to the brink of recession.

At last weekend's talks, the US proposed a 20-year suspension of all nuclear activity by Iran - an apparent concession from longstanding demands for a permanent ban. Tehran suggested a halt of three to five years, according to people familiar with the proposals.

Also Read: Iran's envoy says any future US talks to be held only in Pakistan

Washington has demanded that any highly enriched uranium be removed from Iran. Tehran has requested that international sanctions against it be lifted.

Two Iranian sources said there were signs of a compromise emerging on the HEU stockpile, with Tehran considering shipping part, but not all, of it out of the country, something it had previously ruled out.

A diplomatic source said the key Pakistani mediator, Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Field Marshal Asim Munir, arrived in Tehran on Wednesday and had made a breakthrough on "sticky issues", although Tehran said the fate of its nuclear program had not been resolved. Trump has said the accord would open the Strait of Hormuz.

A senior Iranian official told Reuters that CDF Munir's trip had raised hopes for a second round of talks and an extension of the ceasefire, but said fundamental differences remain over the nuclear program.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said troops were poised to restart combat operations if a deal was not reached.

A Pakistani security source told Reuters that Washington was offering to lift sanctions and unfreeze billions of dollars' worth of Iranian assets to secure a deal.

However, the source added that Iran would open the strait only if a permanent ceasefire is reached and there are United Nations guarantees that the US and Israel will not attack again in the future.