Iran war day 41: What’s happening in Lebanon, Middle East and beyond?

Lebanon has declared a national day of mourning after a wave of Israeli attacks killed at least 254 people and injured more than 1,165 in a single day, with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam mobilising “all of Lebanon’s political and diplomatic resources to stop the Israeli killing machine”.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Lebanon is not part of the ceasefire between the United States and Iran, a position echoed by US Vice President JD Vance, who said: “We never made that promise.”

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who, along with the country’s army chief, mediated the ceasefire, had, however, said the deal covered a pause in fighting in Lebanon. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi quoted Sharif in insisting that the “terms are clear”, warning that Washington must choose between a ceasefire or “continued war via Israel”. He added that “it cannot have both.”

Here is what we know:

In Iran

• Iran demands Lebanon truce: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said a halt to Israeli attacks in Lebanon was one of the key conditions of Iran’s 10-point plan for securing an end to the Middle East war.
• Iran speaker claims ceasefire violations: Iran’s parliament speaker, expected to lead talks with the US in Islamabad, said a ceasefire and negotiations were “unreasonable” because of violations of Tehran’s 10-point truce plan. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said in a statement on X that these included continued attacks in Lebanon, and a drone entering Iranian airspace.
•  Iran rules out enrichment restrictions: The head of Iran’s nuclear energy agency ruled out any restrictions on the country’s enrichment of uranium, saying the demand by the US and Israel “will not come true”.
• Khamenei tributes: Thousands of Iranians rallied in a tribute to former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, killed on the first day of the war. Holding portraits of their deceased leader and waving Iran’s flag, Khamenei supporters took part in rallies across the country after he died in the US-Israeli attack on February 28.

War diplomacy

• Vance takes over US negotiations: US Vice President JD Vance will lead the country’s delegation for talks with Iran in Pakistan, scheduled for Saturday. US President Donald Trump’s chief envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner, who have so far negotiated with Iran, will also join Vance in Islamabad. Iran has made it clear that it does not trust Witkoff and Kushner, who led the US team in talks in Geneva in February that were still ongoing when Trump joined Israel in bombing Iran, beginning the war.
• UN outrage over Lebanon killings: The UN rights chief and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) voiced outrage over Israel’s attacks on Lebanon. “The scale of the killing and destruction in Lebanon today is nothing short of horrific,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said. “Such carnage, within hours of agreeing to a ceasefire with Iran, defies belief.”
• Macron pushes to include Lebanon in ceasefire: French President Emmanuel Macron has spoken with US, Iranian and Iraqi leaders, urging that Lebanon be included in the ceasefire as the “best path to peace”.
•  Israel seeks Lebanon talks: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered his cabinet to open direct talks with Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah and establish “peace relations” between the two countries.
•  Lebanon wants ceasefire first: Lebanon wants a ceasefire before holding talks with Israel, a senior Lebanese official with knowledge of the negotiations told AFP.
• Trump criticises NATO, calls alliance a ‘failed test’: Trump has sharply criticised NATO allies for what he described as a lack of direct military support during the US-Israel war on Iran, with the White House framing the conflict as a “test” the alliance failed.

In the Gulf

• • Gulf states hit by Iranian strikes: Kuwait reported “severe material damage” and fires at key oil facilities, power stations and desalination plants following a drone attack.
  • Fires disrupt UAE gas operations: In Abu Dhabi, three people were injured, and activity was temporarily suspended at the Habshan gas complex, after debris from an intercepted strike ignited fires.
  • Qatar intercepts multiple projectiles: Qatari defences shot down seven missiles and drones launched from Iran, authorities said.
  • Strikes reported in Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia was also targeted, including an attack on a major pipeline bypassing the Strait of Hormuz, while Bahrain reported incoming projectiles.

<li”>Strategic fallout raises regional concerns: The UAE is seeking urgent clarification on the US-Iran ceasefire terms, warning that ambiguity risks prolonging instability across the Gulf.

In the US

• ‘No clarity whatsoever’ over ceasefire terms: Reporting from Washington, DC, Al Jazeera’s Mike Hanna said there is deep confusion within the US administration over what Trump actually agreed to, with conflicting claims about Iran’s 10-point plan and whether Lebanon was included, leaving major uncertainty over the scope of the deal.
• Vance says Lebanon not included: US Vice President JD Vance and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt insisted that the agreement excludes Lebanon entirely.
• Protests erupt in New York: Hundreds of antiwar demonstrators gathered in Times Square after the ceasefire announcement, calling for a permanent end to the US-Israel war on Iran and an immediate halt to the bombing of Lebanon.
• Pahlavi rejects Trump’s ‘regime change’ claim: Reza Pahlavi, the US-based son of Iran’s last shah, ousted in the 1979 revolution, dismissed Trump’s assertion that Tehran has undergone a “very productive regime change”, saying the leadership may be weakened but remains “the same people”.
•  US Congress: Trump’s Republicans blocked an attempt by the opposition Democrats to curb his authority to wage war in Iran, amid mounting frustration in Congress over his handling of the conflict.

In Israel

• Israel ready to ‘return to battle’: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel remained prepared to confront Iran if necessary, despite the ceasefire. “Let me be clear: We still have objectives to complete, and we will achieve them, either through agreement or through renewed fighting,” Netanyahu said in a televised statement.

In Lebanon and Iraq

• Deadliest day of bombing in Lebanon: Israeli air raids have killed at least 254 people in a single day, in a sharp escalation that followed the announcement of a US-Iran ceasefire. It was the deadliest Israeli bombing campaign of the current war in Lebanon.
• Lebanon declares day of mourning: Authorities have ordered a national day of mourning, shutting public institutions and lowering flags as the country reels from one of the deadliest days of attacks in months.
• Leaders condemn attacks on Lebanon: Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and French President Macron described the recent strikes on Lebanon as “painful attacks” and underscored the urgency of halting the violence to protect civilians and safeguard regional stability.
• Lebanese gov’t restricts weapons: Lebanon’s cabinet instructed security forces to restrict weapons in Beirut exclusively to state institutions, a day after Israeli strikes across the country.
• Suspects arrested over Erbil drone attack: Al-Sudani confirmed that Iraqi forces have detained those responsible for a drone attack near Erbil that killed a French military officer serving with the international coalition against ISIL (ISIS).

Global economy

• IMF to cut growth forecasts: The International Monetary Fund will lower global growth forecasts over the war, said managing director Kristalina Georgieva, warning of the conflict’s “scarring effects” despite the fragile ceasefire.
• Oil rebounds: Oil prices jumped, and most stock markets fell as investors weighed the prospects of a shaky ceasefire and only a partial reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.