US-Iran war live updates: Trump says US will extend ceasefire, blockade to continue; Israeli soldiers punished for destroying Jesus statue

Thank you for joining our continuing live coverage of the war in the Middle East.

Here’s a recap of the latest developments:

• President Donald Trump says the US is extending its ceasefire with Iran at Pakistan’s request, as he awaits a unified proposal from the Islamic Republic.
• The deadline for the two-week ceasefire between the US-Israel and Iran had been due to expire on Tuesday evening Washington time (Wednesday AEST)
• Earlier, Trump told CNBC he was optimistic about ending up “with a great deal”, but said there was not much time left, and he expected “to be bombing” Iran if progress was not made.
• Iran’s parliament Speaker Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf said Tehran has “new cards on the battlefield” that haven’t yet been revealed.
• Two Israeli soldiers have been sentenced to 30 days in military detention and removed from combat duty for destroying a statue of Jesus Christ in Lebanon, which has since been replaced, Israel’s military said.

• The Pentagon has shared footage of US forces boarding a tanker carrying Iranian oil in international waters. It said the US had “conducted a right-of-visit maritime interdiction ... without incident”. The Tifani was captured in the Bay of Bengal in the Indian Ocean – between India and South-East Asia this week.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is speaking in Sydney, where he says four extra ships loaded with 200 million litres of diesel have been secured for Australia.

“I’m very pleased that Export Finance Australia has been able to work with businesses to secure four additional cargoes of diesel for Australia combined, a new additional 200 million litres of diesel for use in Australia,” Albanese told reporters.

“These cargoes are from South Korea – two of them, one from Brunei and one from Malaysia, two destinations where I visited last week, and partners where we’re working very closely to in the interest of Australians going forward.”

Energy Minister Chris Bowen, speaking alongside the prime minister, said the cargoes would arrive by the last week in May or the first week in June.

Last month, Israel reiterated military plans to establish a “buffer zone” in southern Lebanon, in order to maintain control over some Lebanese territory when the war with Hezbollah ends.

To create this “buffer zone”, the Israeli military enforce a prohibited zone, order residents to evacuate the area, and systematically demolish homes and infrastructure.

Before Israel’s war with Hezbollah, the IDF used the strategy in the West Bank in Gaza, destroying entire strips of residential properties before moving in to secure and occupy the cleared land.

Satellite images and videos obtained by BBC Verify show whole towns and villages bulldozed by Israeli demolitions.

Hezbollah said it fired rockets at northern Israel in response to ceasefire violations from the Israeli military.

In a post on Telegram earlier, the IDF said Hezbollah fired several rockets at Israeli forces operating in southern Lebanon.

Reuters said it was not immediately clear if the incidents were the same.

Hezbollah accused Israel of attacking civilians and destroying homes in breach of the truce. It said it fired at a position in northern Israel that had been striking southern Lebanon.

The Israeli military said it struck the launcher from which the rockets were fired.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has thanked Trump for accepting the country’s request for a ceasefire extension to “allow ongoing diplomatic efforts to take their course.”

In a post on X this morning, Sharif said: “I sincerely hope that both sides will continue to observe the ceasefire and be able to conclude a comprehensive ‘Peace Deal’ during the second round of talks scheduled at Islamabad for a permanent end to the conflict.”

He said Pakistan would continue to play a role in mediating negotiations between the US and Iran.

Trump’s ceasefire extension is a “ploy to buy time” for a surprise strike, an adviser to Iran’s parliament speaker and top negotiator Mohammad Bager Qalibaf says.

It comes after Trump said he was extending the truce at Pakistan’s request to allow time for an Iranian proposal to arrive.

Qalibaf’s advisor wrote in a post on X that the continuation of the US blockade on Iranian ports was “no different from bombardment and must be met with a military response.”

Reuters

Trump said the US was considering offering financial support to the UAE as it grapples with economic fallout from the war with Iran.

“It’s been a good ally of ours, and you know, these are unusual times,” Trump told CNBC.

The UAE is an unlikely recipient of economic support, The New York Times reports, and the fact that it has inquired about assistance demonstrates the unprecedented effects of the war.

The oil-rich country has been hit hard by the war, and Iranian strikes on key oil and gas infrastructure have caused significant damage.

Emirati officials met with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Washington last week on the sidelines of annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

In the talks, officials “emphasised that the United States seeks to deter future attacks and ensure that energy markets are not further impacted by Iran,” a spokesperson from the Treasury Department said.

In breaking news just now, Trump says the US is extending its ceasefire with Iran at Pakistan’s request, as he awaits a unified proposal from the Islamic Republic.

However, Trump said in a social media post that he would continue the blockade of Iranian ports.

AP

Iran’s envoy to the United Nations said Tehran had “received some sign” that the US was ready to stop its blockade of Iranian ports. The US had made no public statements about lifting the blockade.

Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani, speaking at the UN headquarters in New York overnight, said ending the blockade remained a condition for Iran to rejoin peace talks. When that happens, he said, “I think the next round of the negotiations will take place.”

The US imposed the blockade to pressure Tehran into ending its stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping lane through which 20 per cent of the world’s natural gas and crude oil transits in peacetime.

Iran’s grip on the strait has sent oil prices soaring. Brent crude, the international standard, was trading at close to $US95 per barrel on Tuesday, up more than 30 per cent from February 28, the day that Israel and the US attacked Iran to start the war.

Before the delay to US Vice President JD Vance’s trip to Pakistan, President Donald Trump spoke to CNBC’s morning program Squawk Box, during which he said the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz had been a success, claiming the military had seized a ship with “a gift from China, perhaps” to Iran.

“We caught a ship yesterday that had some things on it, which wasn’t very nice,” Trump said overnight.

“A gift from China, perhaps? I don’t know, but I’m sort of surprised because I have a very good relationship, and I thought I had an understanding with President Xi [Jinping], but that’s all right. That’s the way war goes, right?”

Trump is scheduled to meet with Xi in China in May.

Two Israeli soldiers have been sentenced to 30 days in military detention and removed from combat duty for destroying a statue of Jesus Christ in Lebanon, Israel’s military said.

Images of an Israeli soldier with a sledgehammer smashing the statue’s head emerged over the weekend, bringing widespread condemnation.

Israel said one of the soldiers being punished hammered the statue to the ground. The other filmed the destruction.

The damaged statue has been replaced, the Israel Defence Forces said. “The IDF expresses deep regret over the incident, and is working to ensure that it does not happen again in the future.”

with AP