Trump Says Iran To Hand Over Its Enriched Uranium, Israel-Lebanon Ceasefire Takes Effect | Top Updates

Last Updated:April 17, 2026, 05:08 IST

The conflict began on February 28 when the US and Israel attacked Iran, and Lebanon got involved on March 2 after Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel.

US-Iran War, Israel-Lebanon ceasefire: As the United States and Iran gear up for another round of direct negotiations, US President Donald Trump has claimed Tehran has agreed to hand over its stockpile of enriched uranium and that the two sides were “close" to a peace deal after nearly six weeks of conflict.

Meanwhile, a 10-day ceasefire deal agreed between Lebanon and Israel took effect on Thursday (local time) (Friday 3:30 IST), after Washington announced the ceasefire, with Trump saying he was trying to set up the first-ever meeting between the leaders of the two countries.

Here are the latest updates

Israel-Lebanon Ceasefire Takes Effect

A 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel took effect on Thursday after weeks of hostilities. US President Donald Trump said he is also trying to arrange the first-ever meeting between the leaders of the two countries.

The truce started at midnight local time (2100 GMT) and comes as the US pushes for a wider deal to end the conflict with Iran. Iran has said that a ceasefire involving Lebanon must be part of any such agreement.

Trump said the ceasefire deal was reached after positive phone calls with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. He also said both leaders may visit the White House in the coming days, which would mark the first meeting between the leaders of Israel and Lebanon.

In a post on Truth Social, the US President said the ceasefire will begin at 5 PM EST (3:30 AM IST), framing it as a first step towards a peace process between the two sides.

Hezbollah earlier on Thursday called on Lebanese residents to postpone their return to the country’s south, the Bekaa valley, and Beirut’s southern suburbs, “until the situation becomes completely clear".

The conflict began on February 28 when the US and Israel attacked Iran, and Lebanon got involved on March 2 after Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel. Since then, Israeli strikes in Lebanon have killed over 2,000 people and forced more than a million to leave their homes, while Israeli troops have entered southern Lebanon.

Trump Says Iran To Give Up Enriched Uranium

Meanwhile, ahead of the second round of peace talks between the United States and Iran, Trump made a major claim, saying that Tehran has agreed to hand over its stockpile of enriched uranium and that the two sides were “close" to a peace deal after nearly six weeks of conflict.

“They’ve agreed to give us back the nuclear dust," Trump told reporters at the White House, referring to the enriched uranium that the US says could be used to build nuclear weapons.

“The big thing we have to do is make sure that Iran does not have a nuclear weapon, because if they do, you want to talk about problems – you’d have problems. So it is very important that Iran does not have a nuclear weapon, and they’ve agreed to that. Iran’s agreed to that, and they’ve agreed to it very powerfully," Trump said.

“They’ve agreed to give us back the nuclear dust that is way underground because of the attack we made with the B-2 bombers. So we have a lot of agreement with Iran, and I think something very positive is going to happen," he added.

Trump Warns Iran, Says Fighting Can Resume If…

The US President also warned that fighting with Iran could resume if ongoing peace talks collapse, while saying Tehran now appears more willing to reach an agreement than it was two months ago. Trump said Iran was showing greater flexibility during discussions aimed at ending hostilities after weeks of conflict.

“Iran wants to make a deal, and we’re dealing very nicely with them. We’ve got to have no nuclear weapons. That’s a big factor, and they’re willing to do things today that they weren’t willing to do two months ago," Trump said.

He stressed that the current negotiations were crucial to preventing a return to war.

“If there’s no deal, fighting resumes," Trump said on the fragile nature of the diplomatic process. Asked whether a proposed minimum 20-year period for Iran to halt uranium enrichment would be acceptable, Trump said any agreement must permanently prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons and rejected the idea of a time-bound arrangement.

Trump Says He Might Visit Islamabad If Iran Deal Is Signed

Trump has further said that he might visit Islamabad if an agreement is finalised with Iran.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, the US President said that he is planning the visit if peace talks between the United States and Iran, with an aim to de-escalate tensions in West Asia, culminate in a formal agreement.

He also praised Pakistan’s leadership during the peace negotiations. Speaking on the matter, Trump said that the country’s military and political leaders had been “really great."

(With inputs from agencies)

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