The sights and sounds of Tehran are returning - but five weeks of war have left a markpublished at 19:49 BST 16 April

19:49 BST 16 April

Lyse Doucet
Chief international correspondent

One week into a fragile ceasefire, some of the sights and sounds of Tehran have returned – traffic is flowing, some shops are open including florists selling spring blooms, restaurants are back in business.

But airports are still shut, schools are still closed, and a near-total internet blackout hasn’t been lifted.

Five weeks of war have left many marks. Prices in the markets, high even before hostilities erupted, are even higher now. And many small businesses didn’t survive the shutdown.

Security is visibly tighter: more checkpoints; more uniformed and plain-clothed forces; armoured vehicles are positioned around main squares. And some squares are plastered with Iranian flags and photographs of the dead.

They are gathering places for mourning, for defiant messaging from government supporters. New banners also stretch across buildings and overpasses including ones honouring the “school children of Minab” killed on the first day of the war.

Tehran is a city where people now seem to live day-to-day, where everyone we meet tells us - they don’t believe this truce will last.

Donald Trump says that Iran has agreed to not have nuclear weapons for more than 20 years.

"It's looking very good that we're going to make a deal with Iran and it's going to be a good deal, it's going to be a deal with no nuclear weapons...

"We have a very powerful statement, beyond 20 years, that they will not have nuclear weapons," he says. "Let's be honest, there's no 20 year limit."

We have not heard an immediate official response from Iran.

Image source, Reuters

Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Trump says that the US and Iran are very close to a deal, with Tehran agreeing to nearly all of the US's demands.

He adds that Iran is willing to "do things" today that they previously were not.

We'll bring you more from the US president shortly.

Image source, Getty Images

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says a ceasefire with Lebanon is an “opportunity to make a historic peace agreement”.

He says the disarmament of Hezbollah is one of the fundamental demands Israel will have in further talks with the Lebanese government.

Israeli troops will remain in southern Lebanon, he says, in a 10km-deep (6.2 mile) “security zone”, adding “we are there, and we are not leaving”.

He says this will allow Israeli forces to “block the danger of invasion” and prevent fire into Israeli communities across the border.

However, he says “there are still problems”, such as the missiles Hezbollah still possesses, which he says “will have to be dealt with” as part of the agreement.

He adds that US President Trump has told him that he is determined to dismantle “whatever is left” of Iran’s nuclear capability.

Caroline Davis
Pakistan correspondent

Meanwhile, police in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad are already preparing for a visit by foreign delegations, although as yet no second round of talks has been confirmed.

The city’s traffic police have announced that they will close all transport terminals in the city and neighbouring Rawalpindi for 10 days from 23:00 tonight until 26 April.

Public transport from Rawalpindi and Islamabad to other districts will remain suspended. Islamabad Traffic Police have also banned heavy traffic from entering Islamabad from 18 April.

Earlier today, Pakistan’s foreign ministry said they had no official announcement on a second round of talks.

For Trump, a ceasefire in Lebanon ties into broader talks with Iranpublished at 18:45 BST 16 April

18:45 BST 16 April

Sarah Smith
North America editor, in Washington

The fragile ceasefire between the US and Iran was being imperilled by the ongoing Israeli attacks on Lebanon. So it was important to President Trump to broker a ceasefire between these two nations before the fighting derailed his own efforts to secure a deal with Iran

The announcement, which Trump said he hoped would achieve a lasting peace, came hours after US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth was urging Iran to choose its next steps wisely.

There is less than a week left before the agreed pause in the fighting between Iran and the US runs out.

President Trump has said that he thinks his war with Iran is close to being over and that he is confident a deal can be agreed - without offering any evidence for his upbeat assessment.

A ceasefire in Lebanon offers some good news for him to celebrate and removes a major hurdle to the broader peace talks with Iran.

Trump declares win with ceasefire - but is it premature?published at 18:33 BST 16 April

18:33 BST 16 April

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the White House

Image source, Reuters

US President Donald Trump is declaring a victory after Lebanon and Israel agreed to a ceasefire, as well as a subsequent in-person meeting at the White House between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.

Trump has often touted himself as a peacemaker, and claims the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire marks the 10th conflict he has ended - a fact that is disputed by many.

But what this means in practice remains unclear. Hezbollah, while deeply embedded in Lebanon, is not a part of the Lebanese government's security apparatus.

While they've so far signalled a willingness to abide by the ceasefire, that is also dependent on Israel halting its own military operations.

While Trump has enormous influence over Israel, that is not something he can guarantee if the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) believe they need to continue military operations.

The announcement, however, brings Trump a much needed PR win at a time when the fate of broader talks between Iran and the US remain uncertain.

Israeli sources say there's no plan to move troops out of southern Lebanonpublished at 18:25 BST 16 April

18:25 BST 16 April

Nick Beake
Reporting from Jerusalem

The Israeli Security Cabinet is meeting now in an urgent gathering called by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Some reports say those on the call only had five minutes notice. We’ve not heard any confirmation from the Israeli side of a ceasefire.

Meanwhile, Israeli military sources say they have no intention of moving their thousands of troops out of southern Lebanon during a 10-day ceasefire.

It reveals just one of the many complications that could lie ahead.

Hezbollah says a ceasefire with Israel must include "a comprehensive halt to attacks across all Lebanese territory" and "no freedom of movement for Israeli forces".

It also demands a "return to the situation prior to 2 March ", on which date Hezbollah launched rockets and drones into Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran's supreme leader, to which Israel responded with strikes across the country.

It adds: "The continued Israeli occupation of Lebanese territory grants Lebanon and its people the right to resist."

Our Middle East correspondent explains that media reports in Israel tonight suggest the government does not intend to withdraw from positions it currently holds in Lebanon.

We are yet to see an official Israeli response to the ceasefire announced by Trump.

More than an hour and a half ago now, President Trump announced that a ceasefire had been agreed between Israel and Lebanon, which he said would begin in the coming hours.

Israel and the Iran-backed militant group in Lebanon, Hezbollah, have continued to trade fire since a ceasefire deal was struck between Iran and the US on 8 April - up to and including today.

The recent fighting between the two sides began in March, when Hezbollah launched rockets into the north of Israel following the assassination of Iran's supreme leader. Israel retaliated with a wave of air strikes across the country, including Beirut.

Attacks continued following confusion over whether Lebanon was included in US-Iran ceasefire. Israel said it was not.

The Lebanese health ministry's latest death toll stands at 2,196 since 2 March.

Netanyahu again faces pressure to align with Trump's interestspublished at 17:59 BST 16 April

17:59 BST 16 April

Lucy Williamson
Middle East correspondent, reporting from Jerusalem

Image source, Reuters

This seems to be another example of Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu bowing to Donald Trump’s demands to halt fighting in the region, even when the terms or the timing are not to Israel’s liking.

Iran has been demanding an end to Israeli operations in Lebanon since it paused fighting with US just over a week ago.

And after initially saying Israel’s military campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon was separate, Trump said this week he was trying to get what he called “a little breathing room between Israel and Lebanon”, as he continues to try and reach a deal with Iran.

A widely respected Israeli news outlet tonight described Netanyahu convening an impromptu security cabinet with just five minutes notice, shortly before the ceasefire announcement was made.

Both Netanyahu and Israel’s military leaders have been keen to emphasise in recent days that there is no ceasefire in Lebanon.

Israel has five army divisions in southern Lebanon, and its chief army spokesman said yesterday that they would continue advancing, with forces still operating in the key Hezbollah stronghold of Bint Jbeil just across the border.

Media reports here tonight suggest Israel does not intend to withdraw from positions it currently holds in Lebanon.

But Israel’s leader is again under pressure from his US ally to align with Washington’s interests — and again is face to face with how they differ from his own.

As a reminder, we are yet to see an official Israeli response to the ceasefire announced by Trump.

Early signals suggest Hezbollah will abide by ceasefirepublished at 17:45 BST 16 April

17:45 BST 16 April

Hugo Bachega
Middle East correspondent in Beirut

A 10-day ceasefire expected to begin later tonight could bring much-needed relief to Lebanon after more than six weeks of a war between Israel and Hezbollah.

More than 2,000 people have been killed in the country and more than one million displaced - roughly one in five of the population.

Early signals from Hezbollah suggest the group is likely to abide by the deal.

Senior lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah says Hezbollah had been briefed on a short-term ceasefire and indicated its compliance would depend on Israel halting all forms of hostilities.

The formulation suggests the group has been brought into the process, at least indirectly.

The pause follows a call between Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun and US President Donald Trump, with Aoun having repeatedly said Lebanon would not engage in negotiations with Israel for a possible peace deal - a US objective but still a divisive subject in Lebanon - without a halt to the fighting.

Yet the military reality on the ground complicates the picture. Israeli forces remain inside southern Lebanon, where officials say they aim to establish what they describe as a security buffer zone along the border.

Today, the Israeli military destroyed the last bridge linking the south to the rest of the country, further isolating the region and renewing fears among many Lebanese that this could lead to a long-term occupation of some areas.

Ultimately, the ceasefire could pause the violence but does not resolve the central political dilemma: the future of Hezbollah’s weapons.

Lebanese authorities have long argued that disarming Hezbollah cannot be imposed by force and would require negotiation with the group, which is backed by Iran.

Hezbollah has, so far, rejected calls to lay down its weapons. That remains the question likely to shape what happens once the pause ends.

What Hezbollah does next could be crucialpublished at 17:39 BST 16 April

17:39 BST 16 April

Nick Beake
Reporting from Jerusalem

Image source, AP

Hezbollah are separate from the Lebanese state. What they do next could be crucial.

We've seen today that the Israeli military has been continuing to fire into southern Lebanon, and it says it's been hitting Hezbollah positions.

At the same time, rockets have been fired by Hezbollah over the border into northern Israel where there have been sirens blaring. There have been no reports of injuries.

But today, once again, authorities in Lebanon say more people have been killed by Israeli airstrikes.

So we wait, we watch and we wonder how all of this will play out in the hours to come.

Image source, Reuters

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has welcomed the 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, announced by US President Trump.

"This is a relief, as this conflict has already claimed far too many lives," she writes on X.

She says a path to "permanent peace" is now needed, not "just a temporary peace", adding that Europe will continue to call for the "full respect of Lebanon’s sovereignty".

Ana Faguy
Reporting from Capitol Hill

Meanwhile in Washington, the US House of Representatives has narrowly rejected a measure to halt President Donald Trump's military action in Iran, a day after a similar measure failed in the Senate.

The House war powers resolution - failed in a narrow vote of 213-214 - was largely symbolic and would have been unlikely to survive an expected veto from the president. One lawmaker abstained from voting.

The lower chamber of Congress previously attempted to pass the measure and failed in early March. Some lawmakers have clearly changed their minds in the weeks since the fighting began as the vote in March was 212-219.

Yesterday, when the Senate rejected a similar measure, some Republicans told reporters that if the war reaches 60 days, their thinking about congressional authorisation may shift.

Members of the House appear to be in a similar boat.

Federal law requires congressional approval to continue military actions for more than 60 days. The US-Israel strikes began on 28 February.

For now, only time will tell.

Image source, EPA

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam says he welcomes a temporary ceasefire agreement with Israel, which he says Lebanon has demanded since the outbreak of the war.

He says he hopes the agreement will allow those have been displaced by the conflict to return to their homes.

Salam also praises international efforts towards reaching a ceasefire.

Image source, EPA

US President Trump says he's inviting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to the White House for further talks.

It comes after Trump announced a 10-day ceasefire between the two nations, that he says will begin at 17:00 EST (22:00 BST).

"Both sides want to see PEACE, and I believe that will happen, quickly!" he writes on Truth Social.

It is not clear if either party has accepted the invitation.

In his post announcing the agreement of a ceasefire, Trump says he spoke with both Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

There is no mention in his statement of Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group in Lebanon, with which Israel has been exchanging fire.

Here's the US president's statement in full:

"I just had excellent conversations with the Highly Respected President Joseph Aoun, of Lebanon, and Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, of Israel.

"These two Leaders have agreed that in order to achieve PEACE between their Countries, they will formally begin a 10 Day CEASEFIRE at 5 P.M. EST.

"On Tuesday, the two Countries met for the first time in 34 years here in Washington, D.C., with our Great Secretary of State, Marco Rubio.

"I have directed Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Rubio, together with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Dan Razin' Caine, to work with Israel and Lebanon to achieve a Lasting PEACE.

"It has been my Honor to solve 9 Wars across the World, and this will be my 10th, so let's, GET IT DONE! President DONALD J. TRUMP."

Image source, Reuters

US President Donald Trump has announced that Lebanon and Israel have agreed a 10-day ceasefire that will begin at 17:00 EST (22:00 BST).

More on this shortly.

Israeli strikes continue to hit area around south Lebanon hospitalpublished at 16:27 BST 16 April

16:27 BST 16 April

Image source, Telegram

By Paul Brown and Peter Mwai

Verified footage shared on social media overnight shows new damage to the area near a hospital in southern Lebanon, which had already been impacted by an Israeli strike earlier this week.

As BBC Verify reported on Tuesday, the Tebnine Government Hospital building was damaged after a building across the road was targeted.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told us after that incident it had targeted "military infrastructure belonging to the Hezbollah terror organisation" in the area and expressed regret for any "harm caused to civilians or civilian property". The IDF did not say if a warning had been issued prior to the strike.

The most recent verified footage shows fire and more extensive damage to areas around the hospital. In one clip, we see a fire in a nearby building followed by series of small explosions, which look like fireworks going off.

World Health Organisation (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said yesterday that 11 workers were injured and critical emergency department equipment was damaged in nearby strikes on 12 and 14 April.

When asked about the more recent strikes, the IDF re-sent its original statement. BBC Verify has asked for further clarification.