Trump declares ‘the warfare goes swimmingly’, a take care of Iran is ‘very shut’ and urges Hezbollah to ‘act properly’ throughout ceasefire: Live updates

Donald Trump has said the Iran war is ‘going swimmingly’ as a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon came into place Thursday night.

Speaking at an event in Las Vegas, the US President claimed Iran has agreed to hand over its enriched uranium, one of the key obstacles in negotiations to bring the war to an end.

Trump said a deal with Iran is ‘very close,’ as he added peace talks between the Washington and Tehran could begin as early as this weekend.

Pakistan has been mediating between the two countries to secure a second-round of negotiations ahead of the April 22 deadline of a two-week ceasefire between the US, Israel and Iran.

Meanwhile, Trump yesterday announced a ceasefire deal between Israel and Lebanon after speaking with officials from the two countries.

He described it as a ‘historic’ day for Lebanon, adding in a Truth Social post: ‘Good things are happening!!!’

The hope is that the truce may advance a permanent peace deal between Israel and Lebanon, which have no diplomatic relations.

In a post on Truth Social overnight, the US leader warned Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah to ‘act nicely’ during 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 wrote.

Turkey will host a high-stakes forum Friday bringing together the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, as Islamabad pushes diplomatic efforts to end the Middle East war.

Pakistan’s army chief met senior negotiators in Tehran on Thursday as Washington and Iran considered a fresh round of talks to end the six-week war.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will address the three-day Antalya Diplomacy Forum when it opens on Friday in the Mediterranean holiday resort of Antalya.

The foreign ministers of Turkey, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt are to meet on the sidelines of the forum, with the war and the blockade of the crucial Strait of Hormuz expected to dominate. The timing of the meeting has not yet been announced.

‘We are making the necessary efforts to reduce tensions, extend the ceasefire, and continue the negotiations,’ Erdogan said in an address to his ruling AKP party in parliament this week.

‘Negotiations cannot take place with clenched fists. Weapons must not be allowed to speak again instead of words. The window of opportunity opened by the ceasefire must be fully utilised.’

The White House has said further talks with Iran would ‘very likely’ be in Islamabad, where Vice President JD Vance led the US delegation in the last round of negotiations.

British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will be in Paris today for talks about reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

40 leaders are expected to attend the virtual meeting hosted by Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron.

They are expected to discuss ways to reopen the vital waterway which has been essentially shut since the war began.

Downing Street has said Starmer will be focused on supporting the current ceasefire in the region.

There will also be plans to deploy a ‘combined military effort as soon as conditions allow’ to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Starmer is expected to tell the summit: ‘The unconditional and immediate reopening of the strait is a global responsibility, and we need to act to get global energy and trade flowing freely again.

‘Emmanuel Macron and I are clear in our commitment to establish a multinational initiative to protect freedom of navigation.

‘We must reassure commercial shipping and support mine clearance operations to ensure a return to global stability and security.’

French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday said he was concerned that a ceasefire between militant group Hezbollah and Israel ‘may already be undermined by ongoing military operations.’

‘I call for the safety of civilians on both sides of the border between Lebanon and Israel,’ he said on X.

‘Hezbollah must lay down its arms. Israel must respect Lebanese sovereignty and end the war,’ he added.

The Lebanese army had warned of ‘a number of violations’ in the area after the truce went into effect at midnight local time.

The army told residents of the south – many of whom had to flee their homes following sweeping Israeli evacuation warnings – not to return, citing ‘several Israeli acts of aggression’.

Meanwhile, Macron is set to host talks today in Paris about reopening the Strait of Hormuz.