By Tucker Reals, Sarah Lynch Baldwin
April 8, 2026 / 2:12 PM EDT / CBS News
What to know about the Iran war today:
- Iran is accusing Israel of violating the conditional ceasefire announced by President Trump by continuing its war with Hezbollah in Lebanon. Iranian media outlets say Tehran is suspending tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and considering pulling out of the deal with Washington over Israel's actions.
- White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Trump is aware of reports saying the strait has been closed, but said the reports "are false."
- There were new attacks on America's Persian Gulf allies early Wednesday after the ceasefire announcement, and then reports of explosions on two Iranian islands in the Gulf.
- Energy and stock markets embraced the ceasefire news, with oil still trading well above pre-war levels but dropping below $100 a barrel. Stock markets in Asia and Europe soared and U.S. futures were up significantly.
6m ago
Trump to discuss possibility of leaving NATO with secretary general today, Leavitt says
President Trump is still considering withdrawing the U.S. from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and will discuss the topic this afternoon in a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House, Leavitt said.
Mr. Trump has threatened to leave the organization, in part over what he sees as a failure to come to the United States' aid in Iran, even though the U.S. and Israel began the attacks. He has urged NATO allies to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, to little avail.
Leavitt said the president may speak after his meeting with Rutte, scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET. in the Oval Office.
By Kathryn Watson
14m ago
Vance will lead talks with Iran this weekend, Leavitt says
Leavitt said Vice President JD Vance will lead talks with Iran in Islamabad, with the first round of discussions set for Saturday morning local time.
Special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Mr. Trump's son-in-law, will also be part of the negotiating team, Leavitt said. Kushner does not have an official role in the Trump administration.
Asked about Vance's involvement in the discussions to bring about a ceasefire agreement, Leavitt said Vance has played a "key role" since the beginning of the war with Iran.
14m ago
Vance will lead talks with Iran this weekend, Leavitt says
Leavitt said Vice President JD Vance will lead talks with Iran in Islamabad, with the first round of discussions set for Saturday morning local time.
Special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Mr. Trump's son-in-law, will also be part of the negotiating team, Leavitt said. Kushner does not have an official role in the Trump administration.
Asked about Vance's involvement in the discussions to bring about a ceasefire agreement, Leavitt said Vance has played a "key role" since the beginning of the war with Iran.
By Kaia Hubbard
21m ago
Leavitt says it's "completely absurd" that Trump "would ever accept an Iranian wishlist"
Leavitt dismissed any suggestion that the president simply accepted all of Iran's demands.
The Iranians, she said, originally put forward a 10-point plan that was "literally thrown in the garbage by President Trump and his negotiating team." Many outlets, she said, have reported that initial proposal as being acceptable to the president and those reports are "false."
As Tuesday's 8 p.m. deadline neared, the Iranian regime "acknowledged reality" and put forward a "more reasonable and entirely different" plan, she said. The president and his team determined the new, modified plan was workable to negotiate from and align with the White House's 15-point plan, she said.
"The president's red lines, namely the end of Iranian enrichment in Iran, have not changed, and the idea that President Trump would ever accept an Iranian wishlist as a deal is completely absurd," she said.
Still, Leavitt didn't say what 10 points the Iranians presented that the president ultimately accepted as largely reasonable. She simply said Iran has agreed to open the Strait of Hormuz.
By Kathryn Watson
32m ago
Trump has been told reports around Strait of Hormuz closure are "false," Leavitt says
Speaking to reporters in the first White House briefing since the temporary ceasefire was announced Wednesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president is aware of Iranian state media reporting that Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz in response to Israeli attacks in Lebanon.
Leavitt said "the president was made aware of those reports before I came to the podium."
She called the possibility of the strait's closure "completely unacceptable," and said that the Iranian regime is offering conflicting messages.
"Again, this is a case of what they're saying publicly is different privately," Leavitt said. "We have seen an uptick of traffic in the Strait today. And I will reiterate the president's expectation and demand that the Strait of Hormuz is reopened immediately, quickly and safely. That is his expectation. It has been relayed to him privately that that is what's taking place and these reports publicly are false."
By Kathryn Watson
40m ago
IMF, World Bank, U.N. food agency warn of rising food prices, food insecurity
The Heads of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank Group and the World Food Programme warned on Wednesday that rising food prices and food insecurity would result from transport bottlenecks and increases in the prices of oil, gas and fertilizer.
"The Middle East war is upending lives and livelihoods in the region and beyond," they said in a statement. "It has already triggered one of the largest disruptions to global energy markets in modern history. Sharp increases in oil, gas, and fertilizer prices, together with transport bottlenecks, will inevitably lead to rising food prices and food insecurity."
They said vulnerable populations will bear most of the burden, particularly in countries with economies that rely on imports.
By Sarah Lynch Baldwin
1:10 PM
At least 112 killed in Lebanon, as Israel strikes central Beirut without warning
Lebanon said at least 112 people were killed and hundreds of others were wounded on Wednesday, one of the deadliest days in the Israel-Hezbollah war as Israeli strikes hit several commercial and residential areas in central Beirut without warning.
President Trump told PBS News Hour that Lebanon was not included in the ceasefire deal because of Hezbollah group. When asked about Israel's latest strikes, he said, "That's a separate skirmish."
Israel had said the agreement does not extend to its war with the Iran-backed Hezbollah, although mediator Pakistan said it does.
Israel struck 100 targets across Lebanon in a span of just 10 minutes on Wednesday, Israel Defense Forces spokesman Nadav Shoshani had said.
Black smoke towered over several parts of Beirut. Explosions interrupted the honking of traffic. Ambulances raced toward open flames. Apartment buildings were struck.
Associated Press journalists saw charred bodies in vehicles and on the ground at one of Beirut's busiest intersections in the central Corniche al Mazraa neighborhood, a mixed commercial and residential area. Using forklifts, rescue workers removed smoldering debris and sifted through ruins for survivors.
There was no sign of Hezbollah launching strikes against Israel in the first couple of hours after the attacks.
By CBS News, The Associated Press
1:03 PM
Israel military says it struck Hezbollah commander in Beirut
The Israeli military said it struck a Hezbollah commander in Beirut on Wednesday, after Lebanese state media reported that Israel had targeted a residential neighbouhood in the capital.
"A short while ago, the IDF struck a Hezbollah commander in Beirut," the military said, without identifying the target.
Hezbollah said Wednesday it has a "right" to respond to Israel's deadly wave of strikes across Lebanon, which authorities there said killed and injured hundreds of people.
"We affirm that the blood of the martyrs and the wounded will not be shed in vain, and that today's massacres, like all acts of aggression and savage crimes, confirm our natural and legal right to resist the occupation and respond to its aggression," the Iran-backed movement said in a statement.
By AFP , CBS News
12:56 PM
Schumer says Democrats will force another war powers vote next week
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said at a news conference in New York on Wednesday that Democrats will force a vote next week aimed at ceasing hostilities in Iran and requiring President Trump to get congressional approval before taking further military action.
"Congress must reassert its authority, especially at this dangerous moment," Schumer said. "No president, Democrat or Republican, should take this country to war alone. Not now, not ever."
Multiple Iran war powers resolutions have been defeated in the Senate.
Schumer, a New York Democrat, said Republicans will "once again have the opportunity to join Democrats and end this reckless war of choice." He called on the public to demand that Republicans join with Democrats to advance the war powers resolution.
"Trump must end the war now. The only viable solution is a lasting diplomatic one," Schumer said. "A two-week ceasefire, especially one as fragile as this, is not a strategy, it's not a diplomatic solution, it's not a plan."
By Kaia Hubbard
12:38 PM
Pakistan's prime minister urges restraint
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif urged restraint and that all parties respect the ceasefire agreement.
"Violations of ceasefire have been reported at few places across the conflict zone which undermine the spirit of peace process," he said on X Wednesday. "I earnestly and sincerely urge all parties to exercise restraint and respect the ceasefire for two weeks, as agreed upon, so that diplomacy can take a lead role towards peaceful settlement of the conflict."
Pakistan brokered the ceasefire and has offered to host direct U.S.-Iran talks.
By Sarah Lynch Baldwin
12:25 PM
U.S. Embassy in Baghdad: Americans should not travel by air within Iraq
The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad said in a security alert Wednesday that Americans should not travel by air within Iraq "in light of the ongoing risk of missiles, drones, and rockets in Iraqi airspace."
"U.S. citizens in Iraq should leave now via overland routes," it said in the alert, which came after Iraqi officials announced the reopening of airspace and the resumption of flights at the country's airports.
It said Iranian-aligned Iraqi militia groups on Wednesday conducted "multiple drone attacks in the vicinity" of Baghdad International Airport and the Baghdad Diplomatic Support Center, which is a U.S. diplomatic facility.
"They may intend to conduct additional terrorist attacks against U.S. citizens and targets associated with the United States throughout Iraq, including in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region (IKR)," the State Department said.
It reiterated warnings that militia groups aligned with Iran could "intend to target U.S. citizens, diplomatic facilities, businesses, universities, energy infrastructure, hotels, airports, and other locations perceived to be associated with the United States, as well as Iraqi institutions and civilian targets."
By Sarah Lynch Baldwin
12:01 PM
Trump says in-person talks will happen "very soon"
President Trump told the New York Post that in-person talks with Iranian officials would begin "very soon," although he did not specify a date.
He also said the attendance of U.S. officials, including Vice President JD Vance, was a security matter.
"We'll have Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, JD — maybe JD, I don't know," Mr. Trump told the New York Post over the phone. "There's a question of safety, security."
Pakistan brokered the ceasefire agreement announced on Tuesday and has offered to host direct U.S.-Iran talks.
By Kathryn Watson
11:35 AM
Lebanon condemns Israel's "barbaric attacks," says no party has the right to negotiate on its behalf
The office of Lebanon's president condemned what it called "barbaric attacks" by Israel on Wednesday.
"Today, Israel is once again escalating its aggression, committing a new massacre that adds to its dark record, in blatant defiance of all humanitarian values and disregarding every effort toward calm and stability," the Lebanese Presidency said in a statement.
Shortly after Pakistan's prime minister announced the two-week conditional ceasefire on Tuesday, which he said covered "Lebanon and elsewhere," the Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu's office released a statement saying it "does not include Lebanon."
On Wednesday, the Israeli military said it had launched its largest wave of attacks against Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon since the beginning of March.
The Lebanese Red Cross said at least 80 people were killed and 200 others wounded in the latest Israeli strikes in the capital city of Beirut alone.
Lebanon's Foreign Ministry welcomed the announcement of the two-week ceasefire between Iran and the U.S. as a step toward deescalation and regional stability earlier Wednesday, but stressed that no party has the right to negotiate on the country's behalf.
"Lebanon unequivocally affirms that it speaks with one voice — its own — and that no party has the right to negotiate on its behalf except the Lebanese state," the ministry said in a statement, "Any such action constitutes a direct violation of its sovereignty and national decision-making, noting that Lebanon has previously announced its readiness for direct negotiations with Israel, with civilian participation and under international auspices.
By Tucker Reals
21m ago
Leavitt says it's "completely absurd" that Trump "would ever accept an Iranian wishlist"
Leavitt dismissed any suggestion that the president simply accepted all of Iran's demands.
The Iranians, she said, originally put forward a 10-point plan that was "literally thrown in the garbage by President Trump and his negotiating team." Many outlets, she said, have reported that initial proposal as being acceptable to the president and those reports are "false."
As Tuesday's 8 p.m. deadline neared, the Iranian regime "acknowledged reality" and put forward a "more reasonable and entirely different" plan, she said. The president and his team determined the new, modified plan was workable to negotiate from and align with the White House's 15-point plan, she said.
"The president's red lines, namely the end of Iranian enrichment in Iran, have not changed, and the idea that President Trump would ever accept an Iranian wishlist as a deal is completely absurd," she said.
Still, Leavitt didn't say what 10 points the Iranians presented that the president ultimately accepted as largely reasonable. She simply said Iran has agreed to open the Strait of Hormuz.
By Kathryn Watson
32m ago
Trump has been told reports around Strait of Hormuz closure are "false," Leavitt says
Speaking to reporters in the first White House briefing since the temporary ceasefire was announced Wednesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president is aware of Iranian state media reporting that Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz in response to Israeli attacks in Lebanon.
Leavitt said "the president was made aware of those reports before I came to the podium."
She called the possibility of the strait's closure "completely unacceptable," and said that the Iranian regime is offering conflicting messages.
"Again, this is a case of what they're saying publicly is different privately," Leavitt said. "We have seen an uptick of traffic in the Strait today. And I will reiterate the president's expectation and demand that the Strait of Hormuz is reopened immediately, quickly and safely. That is his expectation. It has been relayed to him privately that that is what's taking place and these reports publicly are false."
By Kathryn Watson
40m ago
IMF, World Bank, U.N. food agency warn of rising food prices, food insecurity
The Heads of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank Group and the World Food Programme warned on Wednesday that rising food prices and food insecurity would result from transport bottlenecks and increases in the prices of oil, gas and fertilizer.
"The Middle East war is upending lives and livelihoods in the region and beyond," they said in a statement. "It has already triggered one of the largest disruptions to global energy markets in modern history. Sharp increases in oil, gas, and fertilizer prices, together with transport bottlenecks, will inevitably lead to rising food prices and food insecurity."
They said vulnerable populations will bear most of the burden, particularly in countries with economies that rely on imports.
By Sarah Lynch Baldwin
1:10 PM
At least 112 killed in Lebanon, as Israel strikes central Beirut without warning
Lebanon said at least 112 people were killed and hundreds of others were wounded on Wednesday, one of the deadliest days in the Israel-Hezbollah war as Israeli strikes hit several commercial and residential areas in central Beirut without warning.
President Trump told PBS News Hour that Lebanon was not included in the ceasefire deal because of Hezbollah group. When asked about Israel's latest strikes, he said, "That's a separate skirmish."
Israel had said the agreement does not extend to its war with the Iran-backed Hezbollah, although mediator Pakistan said it does.
Israel struck 100 targets across Lebanon in a span of just 10 minutes on Wednesday, Israel Defense Forces spokesman Nadav Shoshani had said.
Black smoke towered over several parts of Beirut. Explosions interrupted the honking of traffic. Ambulances raced toward open flames. Apartment buildings were struck.
Associated Press journalists saw charred bodies in vehicles and on the ground at one of Beirut's busiest intersections in the central Corniche al Mazraa neighborhood, a mixed commercial and residential area. Using forklifts, rescue workers removed smoldering debris and sifted through ruins for survivors.
There was no sign of Hezbollah launching strikes against Israel in the first couple of hours after the attacks.
By CBS News, The Associated Press
1:03 PM
Israel military says it struck Hezbollah commander in Beirut
The Israeli military said it struck a Hezbollah commander in Beirut on Wednesday, after Lebanese state media reported that Israel had targeted a residential neighbouhood in the capital.
"A short while ago, the IDF struck a Hezbollah commander in Beirut," the military said, without identifying the target.
Hezbollah said Wednesday it has a "right" to respond to Israel's deadly wave of strikes across Lebanon, which authorities there said killed and injured hundreds of people.
"We affirm that the blood of the martyrs and the wounded will not be shed in vain, and that today's massacres, like all acts of aggression and savage crimes, confirm our natural and legal right to resist the occupation and respond to its aggression," the Iran-backed movement said in a statement.
By AFP , CBS News
12:56 PM
Schumer says Democrats will force another war powers vote next week
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said at a news conference in New York on Wednesday that Democrats will force a vote next week aimed at ceasing hostilities in Iran and requiring President Trump to get congressional approval before taking further military action.
"Congress must reassert its authority, especially at this dangerous moment," Schumer said. "No president, Democrat or Republican, should take this country to war alone. Not now, not ever."
Multiple Iran war powers resolutions have been defeated in the Senate.
Schumer, a New York Democrat, said Republicans will "once again have the opportunity to join Democrats and end this reckless war of choice." He called on the public to demand that Republicans join with Democrats to advance the war powers resolution.
"Trump must end the war now. The only viable solution is a lasting diplomatic one," Schumer said. "A two-week ceasefire, especially one as fragile as this, is not a strategy, it's not a diplomatic solution, it's not a plan."
By Kaia Hubbard
12:38 PM
Pakistan's prime minister urges restraint
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif urged restraint and that all parties respect the ceasefire agreement.
"Violations of ceasefire have been reported at few places across the conflict zone which undermine the spirit of peace process," he said on X Wednesday. "I earnestly and sincerely urge all parties to exercise restraint and respect the ceasefire for two weeks, as agreed upon, so that diplomacy can take a lead role towards peaceful settlement of the conflict."
Pakistan brokered the ceasefire and has offered to host direct U.S.-Iran talks.
By Sarah Lynch Baldwin
12:25 PM
U.S. Embassy in Baghdad: Americans should not travel by air within Iraq
The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad said in a security alert Wednesday that Americans should not travel by air within Iraq "in light of the ongoing risk of missiles, drones, and rockets in Iraqi airspace."
"U.S. citizens in Iraq should leave now via overland routes," it said in the alert, which came after Iraqi officials announced the reopening of airspace and the resumption of flights at the country's airports.
It said Iranian-aligned Iraqi militia groups on Wednesday conducted "multiple drone attacks in the vicinity" of Baghdad International Airport and the Baghdad Diplomatic Support Center, which is a U.S. diplomatic facility.
"They may intend to conduct additional terrorist attacks against U.S. citizens and targets associated with the United States throughout Iraq, including in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region (IKR)," the State Department said.
It reiterated warnings that militia groups aligned with Iran could "intend to target U.S. citizens, diplomatic facilities, businesses, universities, energy infrastructure, hotels, airports, and other locations perceived to be associated with the United States, as well as Iraqi institutions and civilian targets."
By Sarah Lynch Baldwin
12:01 PM
Trump says in-person talks will happen "very soon"
President Trump told the New York Post that in-person talks with Iranian officials would begin "very soon," although he did not specify a date.
He also said the attendance of U.S. officials, including Vice President JD Vance, was a security matter.
"We'll have Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, JD — maybe JD, I don't know," Mr. Trump told the New York Post over the phone. "There's a question of safety, security."
Pakistan brokered the ceasefire agreement announced on Tuesday and has offered to host direct U.S.-Iran talks.
By Kathryn Watson
11:35 AM
Lebanon condemns Israel's "barbaric attacks," says no party has the right to negotiate on its behalf
The office of Lebanon's president condemned what it called "barbaric attacks" by Israel on Wednesday.
"Today, Israel is once again escalating its aggression, committing a new massacre that adds to its dark record, in blatant defiance of all humanitarian values and disregarding every effort toward calm and stability," the Lebanese Presidency said in a statement.
Shortly after Pakistan's prime minister announced the two-week conditional ceasefire on Tuesday, which he said covered "Lebanon and elsewhere," the Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu's office released a statement saying it "does not include Lebanon."
On Wednesday, the Israeli military said it had launched its largest wave of attacks against Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon since the beginning of March.
The Lebanese Red Cross said at least 80 people were killed and 200 others wounded in the latest Israeli strikes in the capital city of Beirut alone.
Lebanon's Foreign Ministry welcomed the announcement of the two-week ceasefire between Iran and the U.S. as a step toward deescalation and regional stability earlier Wednesday, but stressed that no party has the right to negotiate on the country's behalf.
"Lebanon unequivocally affirms that it speaks with one voice — its own — and that no party has the right to negotiate on its behalf except the Lebanese state," the ministry said in a statement, "Any such action constitutes a direct violation of its sovereignty and national decision-making, noting that Lebanon has previously announced its readiness for direct negotiations with Israel, with civilian participation and under international auspices.
By Tucker Reals
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