June 19, 2026 - Israel and Hezbollah renew truce

Our live coverage has moved Get the latest on the war with Iran here. Read more All catch up 42 Posts Link Copied! Friday's key developments • Lebanon ceasefire: Israel and Hezbollah renewed their truce after the conflict jeopardized US-Iran negotiations . The militant group and Israel said they’ll abide by the truce but warned against violations from the other. Lebanon said Friday was the second deadliest day of Israeli strikes during the current conflict. • US negotiators head to talks: Envoy Steve Witkoff is traveling to Switzerland , a US official said, as Washington and Tehran work to get technical talks back on track after a postponement . President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner is also expected to join. Negotiators face a 60-day deadline to reach a final deal. • US-Israel ties: Trump offered warm praise for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, even as tensions resurfaced in recent days over Israel’s offensive in Lebanon and its impact on the US-Iran agreement. Read more Link Copied! Witkoff and Kushner head to Switzerland for Iran talks, US official says By Kevin Liptak Jared Kushner, left, and Steve Witkoff, Special Envoy for Peace Missions listen during a news conference after meeting with representatives from Pakistan and Iran, April 12, in Islamabad, Pakistan. Jacquelyn Martin/Poolc/Getty Images/File President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff is headed to Switzerland, a US official said, as the US and Iran work to get technical talks back on track. Jared Kushner, Trump’s son in law, is also expected to be in Switzerland to join potential negotiations. When those talks will occur remains unclear. The next round was set to begin Friday, but was abruptly scrapped amid a flare up in violence between Israel and Hezbollah. Witkoff and Kushner had led negotiations with Iran to reach the initial memorandum of understanding. Vice President JD Vance is also prepared to fly for talks at the “first available opportunity,” the White House said Thursday. Read more Link Copied! Is it safe for ships to cross the Strait of Hormuz? By Caitlin Danaher With the Strait of Hormuz officially open to commercial shipping traffic following the US-Iran agreement signed on June 17 , the complex question of how long it will take de-mine the crucial waterway remains. Thursday saw the highest number of vessels traversing the strait since April, according to marine intelligence firm AXSMarine. At least 12 vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, including 5 tankers and 7 cargo ships, data from Marine Traffic showed. While traffic in the strait appears to be rebounding, it is still far below pre-war levels which saw an average of 110 vessels crossing the strait daily. Iran will be tasked with neutralizing mines and clearing obstacles, as stated in the Memorandum of Understanding with the US, but experts warn the task requires painstaking precision and it could take weeks for sailing to normalize. Iran has warned the owners and captains of all ships intending to transit the strait that they must receive a permit and insurance before being allowed to enter the vital waterway in order to ensure the “safe passage of commercial vessels.” Tehran’s newly created Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) said ships must “strictly adhere” to a fixed route near Larak Island in the waterway. The vessel’s owner and master will assume full responsibility for any resultant damage, the PGSA said. Iran alerted several ships stating that they do not have permission to transit overnight, according to a situational update from the International Association of Independent Tanker Owners (INTERTANKO). It is expected that a “mine danger area” will be issued as a navigational warning available upon request from the US, INTERTANKO said. The maritime security threat level in the Strait of Hormuz was downgraded to ‘moderate’ by the the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) on Thursday. CNN’s Avery Schmidtz, Rupert Neate and Adam Pourahmadi contributed reporting. Read more Link Copied! Trump praises Netanyahu as Israel and Hezbollah renew ceasefire By Alejandra Jaramillo US President Donald Trump speaks in front of the new Air Force One in a hangar at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Friday, June 19. Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images President Donald Trump on Friday offered warm praise for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, even as tensions have surfaced in recent days over Israel’s fighting in Lebanon and its impact on the US-Iran agreement. “We were very formidable, and Bibi Netanyahu is a warrior prime minister, and he should be acknowledged as that,” Trump said during remarks at Joint Base Andrews while unveiling a new president plane gifted by the Qataris. “They should give him credit, because he really did.” Trump’s comments come just days after he and his administration sharply and repeatedly criticized Israeli officials, amid fears that military operations in Lebanon could derail US-Iran negotiations. Just a day earlier, Vice President JD Vance spurred outrage in Israel when he said that Trump “is the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment in time. And he happens to be the head of state of the world’s superpower. If I was in the cabinet of the Israeli government, I might not be attacking the only powerful ally that I have anywhere left in the entire world.” Israel and Hezbollah have since agreed to renew a ceasefire, after a series of deadly strikes led to Vance canceling a planned trip to formally sign the US-Iran agreement. Read more Link Copied! What key parties are saying about the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah By Elise Hammond Smoke rises to the sky following an Israeli military strike in southern Lebanon as seen from northern Israel, Friday, June 19. Leo Correa/AP A renewed truce was reached between Israel and Hezbollah after the two sides traded fire overnight, potentially imperiling negotiations to reach a final peace deal between the United States and Iran. Officials from Israel and Lebanon are expected to participate in another round of diplomatic meetings in Washington next week. Some key context: The Lebanese Health Ministry reported that the Israeli military killed at least 47 people in strikes across southern Lebanon on Friday. The strikes came after four Israeli soldiers were killed in a Hezbollah attack, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said. Video Ad Feedback Lebanese people hesitant about Israel's commitment to ceasefire 0:52 • Source: CNN Lebanese people hesitant about Israel's commitment to ceasefire 0:52 Here’s a look at what each party is saying so far: Israel: Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter said Israel remains “ firmly committed to an immediate ceasefire” if “Hezbollah honors the agreement and ceases its hostilities.” IDF spokesperson Effie Defrin said earlier Friday that Israel will continue operating in southern Lebanon , and accused Hezbollah of launching hundreds of explosive drones and rockets at Israeli civilians and soldiers. Hezbollah: Officials from the Iran-backed militant group cast doubt on the utility of a renewed ceasefire , but tentatively agreed to avoid further conflict. “We will abide by the ceasefire if Israel abides by it, and we have the right to respond,” Hezbollah parliamentary member Ibrahim al-Moussawi said in a statement to Qatar-based Al-Araby TV. Lebanon: President Joseph Aoun underscored in a phone call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio the need for a “ comprehensive ceasefire ” to end all Israeli attacks on Lebanon’s territory, his office said. US President Donald Trump: Trump told NBC News he spoke with Israel earlier Friday and encouraged them to agree to a ceasefire , but declined to say whether he had spoken directly with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He has voiced confidence in his ability to prevent further Israeli attacks, saying in an interview with Axios before the ceasefire announcement that Israel will “ do as I say .” Iran: Meantime, talks with mediators are underway to reorganize the first round of technical negotiations between Washington and Tehran, an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said. Tehran pulled out of the talks , which were originally expected to get underway in Switzerland this weekend, following the renewed fighting in Lebanon. CNN’s Eyad Kourdi, Mitchell McCluskey, Charbel Mallo, Jennifer Hansler, Mustafa Qadri, Adam Pourahmadi, Oren Liebermann and Alejandra Jaramillo contributed reporting to this post. Read more Link Copied! Trump says he urged Israel to agree to ceasefire with Hezbollah By Alejandra Jaramillo President Donald Trump said Friday that he urged Israel to support a ceasefire with Hezbollah, after a renewed truce was reached between the two sides. Trump said in a phone interview with NBC News that he spoke with Israel earlier Friday and encouraged them to agree to a ceasefire, but declined to say whether he had spoken directly with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “It’s a positive,” Trump said. “It’s a little icing on the cake,” he added, referring to the memorandum of understanding signed by the United States and Iran to end the war. Trump also touted his relationship with Netanyahu. “I’ve always been good with Bibi,” he said. “You just gotta calm down sometimes and use your head.” The president’s comments come as Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to a renewed ceasefire, multiple sources familiar with the situation told CNN. Read more Link Copied! Trump says he can prevent Israeli attacks on Lebanon: "They do as I say" By Alejandra Jaramillo President Donald Trump takes part in an interview released Friday with Axios reporter Marc Caputo.` From Axios President Donald Trump said in an interview released Friday that he believes he can prevent Israel from attacking Lebanon. Asked by Axios reporter Marc Caputo whether he was able to control Israel from attacking Lebanon, Trump replied: “Yeah, I will be.” “They have a lot of respect for me, and they do as I say,” Trump added. Trump’s comments came before Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire, following one of the deadliest days of the conflict. Israeli strikes killed at least 47 people in Lebanon on Friday, according to the Lebanese government, making it the second deadliest day since the fighting began. Read more Link Copied! Israel “firmly committed” to ceasefire in Lebanon, Israeli ambassador to US says By Oren Liebermann Israel's Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter speaks to reporters in Washington, DC, on June 3. Oliver Contreras/AFP/Getty Images/File Israel remains “firmly committed to an immediate ceasefire” in Lebanon, Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter said in a statement on social media on Friday. “If Hezbollah honors the agreement and ceases its hostilities, they will be met with quiet,” Leiter said. The ambassador’s statement is the first public acknowledgement of the ceasefire since sources told CNN that mediators had brought both Israel and Hezbollah to renew the cessation of hostilities. Earlier in the day, Hezbollah said in a statement to Qatar-based Al-Araby TV that they “will abide by the ceasefire if Israel abides by it.” Leiter is set to take part in next week’s talks between Israel and Lebanon in the newest round of diplomatic meetings between the two countries held in Washington under the auspices of the Trump administration. Read more Link Copied! Lebanon's president pushes for "comprehensive ceasefire" in call with Rubio By Eyad Kourdi, Charbel Mallo, Mitchell McCluskey and Jennifer Hansler Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun speaks during a press conference in Nicosia, Cyprus, on Friday, April 24. Petros Karadjias/AP/File US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun about the situation in Lebanon as Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire after trading attacks on Friday. During the phone call, Rubio “reaffirmed the United States’ full support for the Government of Lebanon’s efforts to create a fully sovereign Lebanese state that is at peace with all its neighbors,” according to a readout from the US State Department. Aoun thanked Rubio for his support and underscored the need for a “comprehensive ceasefire” to end all Israeli attacks on Lebanon’s territory, the office of the Lebanese leader said in a statement. He described that condition as a “fundamental pillar” for advancing US-mediated talks between Lebanon and Israel. “These negotiations aim