Trump says Iran war should end 'pretty soon'; US-Lebanon 10-day ceasefire begins

Iranian soccer players express 'deepest gratitude' to Australia 

Iranian women's soccer players Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramezanisadeh thanked the Australian government on Friday for offering a 'safe haven' and said they wished to resume their sporting careers after rebuilding their lives.

In their first public comments since being granted humanitarian visas, the players said in a statement the compassion and support shown to them had provided them hope for a future where they could live and compete in safety.

Australia initially granted humanitarian visas to six players and one support staff member from the Iran squad after their Asian Cup campaign in Australia began just as the United States and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran.

Five of the group subsequently changed their minds and decided to return home, leaving only Pasandideh and Ramezanisadeh in Australia.

In pictures: Israeli attacks on Lebanon 

$7 billion in damages

Lebanese Finance Minister Yassine Jaber on Thursday said his government had good meetings this week with the International Monetary Fund and remained committed to working toward a lending programme.

Current events, including massive strikes by Israel on Lebanon, had delayed the process, Jaber told Reuters on the sidelines of the IMF and World Bank spring meetings in Washington, but he added that officials were committed to moving forward on steps needed to secure a programme.

He said the war is estimated to have caused $7 billion in damages. It was unclear how much further damage had been inflicted, but it was huge, Jaber added.

Jaber said Lebanon was working with the World Bank to provide a rapid damage assessment but added that the attacks had to stop first.

Israeli forces destroyed a major bridge on Thursday, and last week's strikes on Beirut came with no warning.

Military intervention 

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

US, Iran conditions 

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 were reached and there were United Nations guarantees that the US and Israel would not attack again in the future.

Possible second round of talks 

A diplomatic source said the key Pakistani mediator, army chief Asim Munir, arrived in Tehran on Wednesday and had made a breakthrough on "sticky issues", although Tehran said the fate of its nuclear programme had not been resolved.

Trump has said the accord would open the Strait of Hormuz.

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

Signs of possible comprise on nuclear issues

At last weekend's talks, the U.S. 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.

Washington has pressed for any highly enriched uranium (HEU) to be removed from Iran.

Tehran has demanded 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.

 Iran welcomes truce

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.

Possible Israel-Lebanon talks in White House 

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.

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.

US-Iran ceasefire extension 

Trump 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."

'You won't have a nuclear holocaust'

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.

Trump warns Hezbollah 

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.

Fragile ceasefire 

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.

Lebanon celebrates ceasefire 

Celebratory gunfire 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 explosions from rockets fired in celebration could also be heard, witnesses said.

What does the Lebanon ceasefire mean for Trump? 

If the Lebanon ceasefire clears the way for a broader peace deal with Iran, it would be a significant win for the Trump administration, which has struggled so far to reopen the strategically important Strait of Hormuz and block Iran's path to a nuclear weapon.

Major sticking point resolved? 

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.

'War should be ending pretty soon'

Trump said, "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".

Ceasefire day 10 

A 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel went into effect on Thursday, and President Donald Trump said the next meeting between the United States.

A US-Iran war may take place over the weekend, adding to optimism that the Iran war could be nearing an end.