Tankers U-Turn in Persian Gulf as Iran Closes Hormuz Again

By Michael Kern - Apr 18, 2026

• Iran's IRGC declared Saturday that control of the Strait of Hormuz has 'returned to its previous state,' effectively re-closing the waterway hours after Trump announced it was fully open.
• 
  
• Tehran says the continued U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports -- which Trump vowed to maintain until a nuclear deal is reached -- constitutes a violation of the ceasefire and amounts to 'piracy.'
• 
  
• Ship tracking data shows minimal traffic through the strait despite conflicting claims, with some tanker convoys attempting passage while others turned back in the Persian Gulf.

...and it's closed.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared Saturday that control of the strait has "returned to its previous state," walking back a brief opening announced Friday and directly contradicting a claim from President Donald Trump that the world's most critical oil chokepoint was fully open for business.

Tehran's joint military command said the strait is now under "strict management and control of the armed forces" and accused the U.S. of "piracy" -- a reference to Washington's ongoing naval blockade of Iranian ports, which the IRGC says violates the terms of the ceasefire. Until that blockade is lifted, the strait stays shut.

The reversal came just hours after oil markets had already priced in the opening. Brent crude fell roughly 9.5% to around $89.89 a barrel Friday after Trump announced the strait was open. WTI slid more than 10% to $84.89. Those moves are likely to reverse when markets open.

The back-and-forth traces a familiar arc from this conflict. The war began Feb. 28 when the U.S. and Israel struck Iranian military targets. Iran shut the strait within days. After weeks of aerial bombardment and failed negotiations, the U.S. imposed a full naval blockade of Iranian ports on April 13 following the collapse of Islamabad talks. Iran agreed to limited reopening after a Lebanon ceasefire took hold -- then reversed course Saturday after Trump said the American blockade "will remain in full force" until Tehran signs off on a nuclear deal.

"As President Trump said, the Strait of Hormuz is completely open for business, and Iran has agreed to never close the Strait again," White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly said in a statement. The statement made no reference to the IRGC's announcement.

On the water, the picture is murky. Reuters reported a convoy of liquefied petroleum gas carriers and product tankers departing the Gulf and transiting the strait. Bloomberg, meanwhile, reported several oil tankers had turned back in the Persian Gulf after appearing to attempt passage. Ship tracking data confirms minimal traffic in the region.

The conditions Iran has set for transit haven't changed: commercial vessels only, no cargo or ships linked to "hostile countries," movement along Iranian-designated routes, and coordination with IRGC forces. Military vessels are barred. In practice, that means most Western-linked shipping still can't move freely.

The strait handles roughly 20% of global oil supply -- around 20 million barrels per day. The IEA has warned recovery of Middle East oil output could take up to two years. Pakistan's army chief wrapped up a three-day visit to Tehran on Friday aimed at arranging a second round of nuclear talks after Islamabad produced no deal.

For now, the strait is closed, the blockade holds, and the gap between what Washington is saying and what Tehran is doing is as wide as it has been since the conflict began.

By Michael Kern for Oilprice.com

Cruise Ship Reports “Splash” in Strait as Five Ships Escape Persian Gulf

Celestyal Cruises' two ships were the first to depart through the Strait of Hormuz (Cruise Saudi file photo of Celestyal Journey)

Published Apr 18, 2026 11:00 AM by The Maritime Executive

 

Taking advantage of the relative calm with the current ceasefire and reports that the Strait of Hormuz is open, the first of the cruise ships began their outward journey. Six cruise ships had been caught inside the Persian Gulf when hostilities began and have remained for the past 47 days alongside at ports including Port Rashid, UAE, and Doha, Qatar, while their passengers were repatriated.

Three cruise ships, MSC Cruises’ MSC Euribia (184,000 gross tons), and the sister ships Mein Schiff 4 and Mein Schiff 5 (each 99,000 gross tons) were seen on AIS sailing together on Saturday through the Strait of Hormuz. The ships were staying on the southern side, remaining in Omani waters. 

The master of one of the cruise ships reported to the monitoring operation UKMTO (UK Maritime Trade Operations) that it saw a “splash” close to the ship. It happened when they were approximately three nautical miles east of Oman. It is unclear if a missile or drone was fired, but it came after UKMTO received reports that a containership was struck in the Strait and IRGC speedboats shot at a tanker. Iran said on Saturday that the Strait is again closed due to violations in the ceasefire, just a day after both the Iranians and Donald Trump declared the Strait open.

The first of the cruise ships to begin the exit sailings was the Celestyal Discovery (42,289 gross tons), which departed from Port Rashid on April 17 and successfully transited the Strait into the Gulf of Oman on her way to Muscat. Built in 2003, the ship was acquired by Celestyal in 2024 as part of its two-ship fleet. Her running mate, Celestyal Journey (55,819 gross tons), began the transit several hours later, departing from Doha, on her way to the Strait and then to Oman.

For a small company, getting its two ships out of the Persian Gulf and starting the repositioning is critical for Celestyal. The company was forced to cancel its revenue trips through the end of April and hopes to resume commercial service at the beginning of May in the Greek Islands. Celestyal Journey has a capacity for a total of 1,360 passengers, and Celestyal Explorer has a capacity for 1,260 passengers. The two ships in total have a normal complement of just over 1,000 crew.

While making statements to assure the travel community that it was still financially strong, Celestyal also told UK regulators that it was reviewing parts of its business. It had said that due to the financial strain and the uncertainty on the restart, it was looking at possibly a small downsizing of parts of its business.
 

Mein Schiff 4, Mein Schiff 5, and MSC Euribia sailing together through the Strait of Hormuz staying in Omani waters on Saturday, April 18 (MarineTraffic)

 

Hours after the first Celestyal ship appeared to have made the transit, and Donald Trump and the Iranians said the Strait of Hormuz was open to all ships, more cruise ships also got underway. Reports are that the MSC Cruises’ MSC Euribia had to first refuel before she got underway. Similarly, Mein Schiff 5 (99,000 gross tons), operated by the partnership between TUI Group and Royal Caribbean Group, also got underway from Doha bound for Oman, and was followed by her sister ship, Mein Schiff 4.

One other cruise ship, Aroya (150,695 gross tons), has not gotten underway, although its AIS shows that it would be repositioning from Dammam to outside the Strait, going to Fujairah, both in Saudi Arabia. Aroya, registered in Malta, is operated by a company set up by Cruise Saudi. She had been scheduled to reposition to the Mediterranean for the summer season.

MSC days ago proposed that its cruise ship could possibly be used to evacuate stranded crewmembers or others from the Gulf region. As late as the beginning of this week, it said it was uncertain when the ship would be able to leave the Persian Gulf.

All the ships were able to repatriate their passengers, but it is unclear what the different cruise lines did with their crews. TUI had reported that it repatriated the crews from its two ships, leaving only skeleton crews aboard. 

Once the ships exit the Persian Gulf, the cruise line faces another safety decision. Celestyal and Aroya had run their ships through the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb despite the safety concerns from the Houthis. TUI, however, had sent its ships around Africa. All the ships will be sailing just with crew, but so far, only Celestyal Discovery is showing a route to the Suez Canal. TUI and MSC have not said how they will route the ships to the Mediterranean.

The Middle East had been a strong market for the cruise industry, especially for repositioning ships from Europe for winter season cruises. MSC Cruises, however, has already announced its plan to reposition its ships for next year away from the Persian Gulf and the Middle East. MSC World Europa (215,863 gross tons), which was scheduled to sail between November 2026 and April 2027 in the Persian Gulf, will make her first appearance in the Caribbean for a replacement season sailing from Martinique and Guadeloupe.

It is anticipated that other cruise lines that had planned to sail next year in the Persian Gulf will also reposition their ships for alternate destinations.

Iran Fires on Containership, Tanker and Cruise Ship Saying Hormuz is Closed

US overflying the Strait of Hormuz on April 17 (US Central Command)

Published Apr 18, 2026 11:34 AM by The Maritime Executive

Iranian officials on Saturday reversed the previous statements and once again declared the Strait of Hormuz is closed, along with renewing their strict conditions. Several ships are reporting they were fired upon, while others said they were told the Strait is closed and were forced to turn back from their attempts to exit the Persian Gulf.

The monitoring operation UKMTO (UK Maritime Trade Operations) has received reports of a series of incidents taking place on Saturday in the Strait of Hormuz. An unidentified containership reported that it was struck by a projectile while it was sailing 25 nautical miles northeast of Oman in the Strait. The report says that containers were damaged, but there was no fire, and the crew was not injured.

This incident happened after an unidentified tanker also reported that it had been attacked. Two IRGC gunboats approached the tanker and opened fire with no VHF contact or challenge. The crew and vessel reported no damage.

UKMTO also received a report from a cruise ship of a “splash” near the ships as they were transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Yesterday, two cruise ships operated by Celestyal Cruises made it out of the Persian Gulf without incident. Two cruise ships from Germany’s TUI Group, Mein Schiff 4 and Mein Schiff 5, along with MSC Cruises’ MSC Euribia, were showing on AIS as sailing together in Omani waters as they were exiting the Persian Gulf. A total of five cruise ships were attempting to escape the Persian Gulf.

Iranian officials accused the United States of violations of the ceasefire and negotiations. Yesterday, Iran said the Strait would be open to all traffic for the remainder of the ceasefire. Today, they announced that because the United States continues to blockade its ships and ports, the Strait will be immediately closed. 

“Two Indian vessels were forced back west out of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran's Sepah (IRGC) Navy,” reports TankerTrackers.com in a social media posting. “Firing was involved. One of the vessels is an Indian-flagged VLCC supertanker carrying two million barrels of Iraqi oil.”

The latter reports, apparently coming from the hardliners in Iran, said they would continue to assert total control and require all ships to receive permission from the IRCG and that the ships would be subject to inspections. Iran also reported its assertion that it will charge a toll for all ships to transit the Strait.

This came after Trump reported the Strait was open and typed “thank you” to the Iranians on social media. He continues to assert that "It's working out very well," referencing the blockade and the negotiations. He asserted they were close to further announcements after there were reports of a new round of negotiations scheduled for Monday.

Traffic Confusion in the Strait of Hormuz

After an initial surge of interest, visible traffic volume at Hormuz has subsided. Four boxships (brown) were adrift in the center of the waterway at day's end (Pole Star)

Published Apr 17, 2026 5:18 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a post on X on April 17 that the Strait of Hormuz ‘is open for all commercial vessels for the remainder of the U.S.-brokered 10-day truce between Israeli forces and Iran-backed Hezbollah agreed between Israel and Lebanon’. He said ships would need to follow the Iranian routing past Larak Island, which had been prescribed by Iran's Ports and Maritime Organisation.

Based on AIS data, it appears that there was a small increase in movements early afternoon, but by midnight traffic had eased off. Most traffic was sticking to Iranian waters on the eastern side of the approaches to the Strait. No traffic was seen using the internationally-recognized Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS), but some ships were transiting the Strait on a direct east-west route through Omani waters close in to the Musandam peninsula, and through what Iran has designated a danger area. Amongst these ships was the Maltese-registered cruise liner Celestyal Discovery (IMO 9221566). The multiplicity of routes being followed by different vessels in restricted waters, some moving in opposite directions, inevitably raises the danger of collision when compared to a TSS.

The IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez, in a speech made at the second French/British-led Hormuz security summit in Paris on April 17, has called for the restitution of previous arrangements in force in the Strait of Hormuz governing the transit of shipping. Both Iran and Oman are legally committed to maintaining the IMO’s Traffic Separation Scheme established in 1968, to which all nations who are signatories to the IMO’s Convention on Safety of Life and Sea are obliged to follow. The Convention has been ratified by 164 nations, including the United States, Iran, Oman plus the remainder of the GCC countries.

The Secretary-General told the conference that until the current war the scheme had worked successfully without interruption, and that the scheme specifically rejects “any imposition of tolls, fees or discriminatory transit measures for the passage through a strait used for international navigation.” Oman, as the owner of the territorial waters in the narrows through which both inward and outward TSS channels pass, has been a strong advocate for maintaining this status quo. As a free navigational service for the international maritime community, Oman maintains a naval station on Didamar Island in the Strait from which ships using the TSS are controlled.

France Opposes U.S. Involvement in Post-War Hormuz Security Mission

File image courtesy Marine Nationale

Published Apr 16, 2026 10:26 PM by The Maritime Executive

France is uninterested in allowing American forces to join a European-led coalition to police the Strait of Hormuz in a post-conflict scenario. This could put it at odds with Germany, where leaders have publicly stated a preference to take a cooperative approach with the U.S. Navy, Politico reports. 

"We won’t enter into a coalition with the U.S.," an official close to the French presidency, speaking to the outlet, "and I don't think the Germans will either."

France has explicitly voiced its intention to launch the mission without American involvement, despite the U.S. Navy's abundant resources. French President Emmanuel Macron has said that only "non-belligerent countries" can join the coalition, ruling out the prospect of recruiting the U.S. forces currently involved in the naval blockade of Iranian seaports. 

Part of the European concern is that EU naval forces could end up getting drawn into the U.S. blockade, or (at minimum) perceived as acting as a part of it. For this reason, the alliance has been at pains to emphasize that its activities would be strictly defensive, aimed solely at restoring shipowner confidence in the safety and security of the strait. The multinational patrol mission would not begin work until after a negotiated peace settlement between Iran and the U.S.

"Whatever the pressure, and there's been some considerable pressure, we're not getting dragged into the war," UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Monday in an address to Parliament.

On Friday, the leaders of Italy, France, Germany and the UK will meet again in Paris to discuss the Hormuz security coalition further. They will be joined by more than two dozen other nations (virtually) for a broad dialogue.

President Trump’s Public Bible Reading Fits In With His Support For Israel’s Wars – OpEd

Image: Generated by Grok


April 19, 2026 

By Adam Dick


President Donald Trump will, via an already prepared recording, participate in the “America Reads the Bible” event scheduled to occur at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC on April 19-25. With the whole Bible to pick from for his reading, Trump chose a portion of the book of Second Chronicles that deals with King Solomon’s establishment of the “First Temple” and the potential for its later destruction.

The subject matter of this part of the Bible ties in with Trump’s relentless support of the Israel government in its war efforts in Gaza, Lebanon, Iran, and beyond. The connection is that among the most avid American supporters of the Israel government’s war efforts are those who are committed to helping bring about the creation of a Third Temple in Jerusalem.

The First Temple ended up being destroyed as foreshadowed in Second Chronicles. Later, a Second Temple was built and then destroyed as well.

Among some American diehard supporters of the Israel government’s wars during Trump’s second presidential administration, a key part of their basis for their support is a desire to help ensure the creation of a Third Temple in Jerusalem. They see this as a step moving things along their desired course based on reasoning related to their understanding of Hebrew of Christian theology.

Maybe Trump chose the section of the Bible he will be reading for some other reason. But, it is interesting that the reading he chose fits right in with the reasoning behind a significant portion of the Americans’ strong support for the US government providing the aid necessary for the Israel government to wage its wars.

This article was published at Ron Paul Institute

Adam Dick

Adam Dick is a Senior Fellow at Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity. Adam worked from 2003 through 2013 as a legislative aide for Rep. Ron Paul. Previously, he was a member of the Wisconsin State Board of Elections, a co-manager of Ed Thompson's 2002 Wisconsin governor campaign, and a lawyer in New York and Connecticut.

Press association denounces Israel’s use of altered image to depict slain journalist


Lebanese journalist Ali Shoeib was killed during an Israeli strike on March 28. To justify this attack, the Israeli army published an image online of Shoeib wearing a uniform of militant group Hezbollah. The army later admitted that the image was photoshopped.


Issued on: 17/04/2026
The FRANCE 24 Observers/
Quang Pham

The Israeli army created this photoshopped image showing journalist Ali Shoeib wearing a Hezbollah uniform which it then posted on X on March 28, 2026. Shoeib was killed by an Israeli strike. © X

The Foreign Press Association (FPA), which represents hundreds of journalists in Israel and the Palestinian territories, published a statement on April 15 criticising the Israeli military for attempting to discredit Lebanese journalist Ali Shoeib, who was killed in an Israeli strike, by publishing a fake image of him wearing a Hezbollah uniform.

Hezbollah is a Lebanese political party and paramilitary group with close links to Iran, which is currently at war with Israel. The group, whose military wing is classified as a terrorist organisation by the European Union, is the target of Israel’s strikes on Lebanon.

This image shows the statement made by the Foreign Press Association on April 15, 2026. Source: X

War correspondent Ali Shoeib was killed alongside two other journalists, cameraman Mohammed Ftouni and his sister, journalist Fatima Ftouni, when an Israeli air strike hit their vehicle on March 28. Shoeib worked for Al-Manar, a Lebanese TV channel affiliated with Hezbollah, and the Ftouni siblings worked for Al-Mayadeen, another media outlet with close links to Hezbollah.

This video shows the Israeli strike that killed Ali Shoeib and two other journalists on March 28, 2026. Source: X

A ‘photoshopped’ image

In a statement published on March 28, the Israeli military attempted to justify the strike that killed Shoeib by claiming that he was a soldier “from an intelligence unit affiliated with the Radwan Force unit in the terrorist Hezbollah”.

The Israeli military further claimed that Shoeib was providing information about Israeli troop positions in southern Lebanon and that he was in “continuous communication with other terrorist elements in the Radwan Force unit and in Hezbollah”. We have been unable to independently verify claims made by the Israeli military.

The Israeli military also took to its social media accounts to post an image on March 28 that depicts Shoeib as a Hezbollah fighter. The image is separated into two parts: in one half, Shoeib is shown wearing a press vest, but in the other half of the image, he is sporting a Hezbollah uniform.

The Israeli Army published a doctored image of Ali Shoeib on March 28, 2026. © X


It turns out, however, that this image was doctored. The Israeli military admitted to Fox News that the image of Shoeib wearing a Hezbollah uniform had been “photoshopped.”
Allegations without ‘clear evidence’

Nir Gontarz, a journalist with Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz, asked Israeli military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Nadav Shoshani why they had published a photoshopped image of Shoeib.

Shoshani referred to the image as a “digital illustration.”

"There was also a digital illustration that says, here, Ali Shoeib operated under the cover of a journalist, and beneath the cover was a terrorist,” Shoshani claimed. “That was the graphic. One authentic part and one edited part. In my opinion, it was clear that it was edited. We didn't claim otherwise. We also published an original photo of him in uniform.”

The Israeli army spokesperson did indeed publish another image on X on March 29, purporting to show Shoeib in a Hezbollah uniform. However, the image is blurry, and it is impossible to verify its authenticity.

The Israeli military claims this photo shows Ali Shoeib wearing a Hezbollah uniform. The military posted the image on March 29, 2026. It is impossible to verify. Source: X

"While the army put out a clarification about the [first] photo, it never should have been distributed,” the Foreign Press Association said in its statement. “During the recent wars, it has been common practice by the Israeli military to discredit journalists and sow doubt by releasing inaccurate information and raising allegations without providing clear evidence.”

This article has been translated from the original in French by Brenna Daldorph.

'Allies, not vassals': How Meloni's break with Trump became a political moment for Italy

EXPLAINER


Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is managing the repercussions of a public rebuke from US President Donald Trump this week over the pope, Iran and a defence deal with Israel. It's a rupture that had been building since the outbreak of the US-Israel war with Iran and may ultimately serve her political interests ahead of the 2027 legislative elections.


Issued on: 17/04/2026 -
FRANCE24
By:  Mehdi BOUZOUINA

This combination of file pictures created on April 14, 2026 shows Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and US President Donald Trump. © Andreas Solaro and Mandel Ngan, AFP
01:29




It was on a government plane somewhere between Verona and Rome that Itay's PM Giorgia Meloni learned that US President Donald Trump had called her "unacceptable". Her aides had flagged an interview the US president had given to Corriere della Sera published on April 14. She read it. Then, according to the Italian daily's account, the far-right PM settled on a line she had already used that afternoon: "Being allies does not mean there are no red lines, and it certainly does not mean being vassals or subjects."

Trump had been blunt. "I'm shocked at her. I thought she had courage, but I was wrong," he said in the Corriere interview. His grievances were twofold: Meloni's refusal to back the US-led war on Iran and her condemnation of his attacks on Pope Leo XIV as "unacceptable". “She is the one who is unacceptable,” Trump added, “because she doesn’t care if Iran has a nuclear weapon and would blow up Italy in two minutes if it had the chance”.

The dispute also comes against the backdrop of Rome’s decision to suspend the renewal of a defence cooperation agreement with Israel, further fuelling tensions.

The exchange sent shockwaves across Italian political life, though not quite in the direction Trump may have intended.

Press review: Italian papers united as PM Meloni faces off with Trump

Back at the Palazzo Chigi (the official residence of Italian prime ministers) by late afternoon, Meloni's government moved quickly. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, also head of the centre-right Forza Italia party, and Defence Minister Guido Crosetto posted near-identical messages on social media emphasising national interest and Italy's dignity as an ally. "We are and remain staunch supporters of Western unity and steadfast allies of the United States, but this unity is built on mutual loyalty, respect, and honesty," Tajani wrote.

The front pages the following morning told the story of a rare political consensus. La Repubblica described the moment as one of Italian unity, framing Meloni's pushback as a "new Maginot line" against what it called the "unpredictable man occupying the White House". Il Giornale, on the right of the spectrum, celebrated an "Italy first" stance.
Suspending the Israel defence deal

Meloni also made another move that underlined the new direction. "In view of the current situation, the government has decided to suspend the automatic renewal of the defence agreement with Israel," she announced on the sidelines of the Verona event. An Italian diplomatic source confirmed the suspension to AFP, saying bluntly: "It would have been politically difficult to keep it going."

The agreement, approved by Israel in 2006 and renewed every five years, covers cooperation across defence industries, military training, research and development and information technology.

The move followed a sharp deterioration in bilateral ties. Tensions between the two countries had risen after the Italian government accused Israeli forces of firing warning shots at a convoy of Italian UN peacekeepers in Lebanon, damaging at least one vehicle. Italy summoned Israel's ambassador in protest on April 8. Israel then summoned Italy's ambassador after Tajani condemned what he called "unacceptable attacks" on Lebanese civilians during a visit to Beirut.

While the suspension marks a visible break, its practical impact may be limited. “The choice not to renew the defence cooperation agreement with Israel is politically significant,” said Daniele Amoroso, a professor of international law at the University of Cagliari, “but its importance should not be exaggerated. It is likely to be more symbolic than substantive.”
The bridge that couldn't hold

Until recently, Meloni had been Trump's closest European ally by some margin. She was the only European leader to attend his inauguration in January 2025, and had since positioned herself as a transatlantic bridge. Her political memoir "Io Sono Giorgia" (I Am Giorgia), reissued in English in 2025, carries a foreword from Trump.

For Mario Del Pero, professor of international history at Sciences Po Paris, the rupture was structurally inevitable. "It was becoming politically unsustainable for Meloni to be associated with Trump," he told FRANCE 24. "He is immensely unpopular in Europe and in Italy. Being too close to him is a kiss of death for a European politician." He points to Hungarian PM Viktor Orban's electoral defeat last Sunday as a cautionary tale – a leader whose proximity to Trump, and a last-minute phone call with US Vice President JD Vance, may have cost him additional votes.

The ambition to act as a connexion between Washington and Brussels, Del Pero argues, was always an illusion: "On some key issues, you have to go along with one side or the other. Italy signed the joint declaration on Greenland, signed the same on Iran. Being a bridge is hard." With Italian elections due in 2027, he argues the domestic political logic of distancing herself from Trump is clear.

WATCH MORE Gladio: NATO’s secret cold war operation in Italy

Professor Amoroso offers a similar reading. “Meloni has distanced herself from Trump quite visibly, and his harsh comments were simply unprecedented,” he said, adding that the tensions reflect “a politically necessary recalibration” rather than a fundamental shift in foreign policy.

Italy’s core strategic priorities remain intact, he noted, pointing to its commitments within NATO, support for Ukraine and continued alignment with the European Union.

Still, the political calculus has changed. “Polls suggest that Trump is deeply unpopular in Italy,” Amoroso said. “Against this backdrop, [Meloni's] distancing [of] herself from Trump may be the least costly option.”
Ambiguity as a governing strategy

Italy was not spared the pain of Trump's tariffs, and the country last month refused US bombers authorisation to land at a pivotal air base in Sicily. Italy has historically maintained strong ties with Iran, Del Pero notes, and continued to engage with Tehran after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, albeit within the constraints of Western sanctions and shifting international tensions. The war in the Middle East, he says, is one "Europe didn't want, wasn't asked about, and wasn't informed of."

Vincenzo Susca, a lecturer in Italian politics at the Université Paul-Valéry in Montpellier who spoke with FRANCE 24's French-language channel in October 2025 on the occasion of Meloni's three years in power, argued that her government had achieved something historically unusual in Italy: a durable alliance between the far right, the traditional right, and Catholic Christian-democratic forces held together by carefully managed ambiguity. With legislative elections due in 2027, that coalition will be key to Meloni’s political survival. Preserving its internal balance will be essential if she hopes to remain in power.

On immigration, he observed, the government maintained an "aggressive rhetoric", including the since-failed migrant camp scheme in Albania, while the underlying practice changed little. Internationally, the same logic applied. "It's a marketing-oriented face," Susca said, "designed to make the government seem moderate, particularly internationally, when it isn't quite." The need for ambiguity, he argued, is structural: Meloni has been governing in a space suspended between European expectations and Trumpian impulses.

Civilians count costs of war as they return to southern Lebanon

People displaced by weeks of airstrikes have begun returning to Beirut and southern Lebanon as a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took hold on Friday. Residents described scenes of destruction and fears of further conflict as they arrived home.


Issued on: 18/04/2026 - RFI

People drive past the rubble of destroyed buildings in Dahiyeh, a southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, on 17 April 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. © AP - Bilal Hussein

“Thank God, we’re happy, of course! It’s a victory, even though we know our three-story house has collapsed. It’s still something to be proud of,” one man told RFI as he made his way to the village of Kharayeb in southern Lebanon, which has been heavily bombarded by Israeli missiles.

“We’re returning with our heads held high,” his wife added. “And we’re not afraid of anyone, even if Israel bombs us, because we have our heroes on the front lines everywhere, and we’re proud of them.”

More than 2,000 people have been killed in Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon since early March, according to UN figures. Over 1.2 million people have been displaced, the equivalent of one in five of the population.

Israeli ground forces have invaded the country's south, a Hezbollah stronghold. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the troops will not withdraw during the truce, and has warned civilians not to return.

People sit at a site of an Israeli strike in Tyre carried out just before the 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel went into effect, on 18 April 2026. © Louisa Gouliamaki / Reuters


Many ignored the warning and came home on Friday, even if just to assess the damage.

“It’s sad to see my house in this state. The doors and windows have blown out,” said Nour, a woman returning to the town of Nabatieh. “But it’s good to be back. I wish it weren’t just temporary.”

In the town centre, Hassan was busy repairing his bakery. “We’ve seen much worse. Now we’re going to clean up. I have to fix the door myself. And tomorrow, we’ll open, God willing.”

'We all need solidarity': volunteers mobilise to help Lebanon's displaced

'People need to go home'

In the southern suburbs of Beirut, another area that Hezbollah's strong influence has made a target for Israeli strikes, returning residents found similar scenes.

“I lost my home and all my furniture. But what matters most is our dignity,” local man Hassan Dib told RFI. “When Hezbollah says we can go back, we’ll go back. That’s why so few people have returned yet.”

Hezbollah has instructed residents not to return to affected areas until a formal and final ceasefire is declared.

Ali Mrad had just arrived from the city of Tripoli in northern Lebanon, where he had been staying with relatives. “I came to check on my house, to see if it’s still standing or not. The situation is good now... I can’t describe how I feel. It’s like emerging from a very serious crisis.”

Others remained wary. “We’re in the process of returning home, but I expect the Israelis to break the truce and bomb us,” said Zahra Chehadé, displaced from her house in southern Beirut.

“I don’t feel safe. But people need to go home. Buildings can be rebuilt. The most important thing is that Israel doesn’t occupy Lebanon.”

This article has been adapted from original reporting in French by RFI's correspondents in southern Lebanon, Aabla Jounaidi and Jad el-Khoury, and Beirut correspondent Sophie Guignon.

France's Macron says fragile Lebanon ceasefire 'may already be undermined'

A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah – which took effect at midnight on Thursday after weeks of escalating cross-border fighting – risks collapsing, French President Emmanuel Macron warned, after reports of violations in southern Lebanon.


Issued on: 17/04/2026 - RFI

Displaced residents return to Dahiyeh, in Beirut's southern suburbs, on 17 April 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. © AP/Bilal Hussein

The ceasefire agreed between Israel and militant group Hezbollah took effect at midnight local time, after almost seven weeks of war.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he agreed “to advance” peace efforts with Lebanon, but said Israeli troops would not withdraw.

The ceasefire appeared to be holding across most of Lebanon early Friday, but within hours, the Lebanese army accused Israel of “a number of violations" in the south of the country.

Macron on Friday said he fully supported the ceasefire, brokered by the United States and announced by President Donald Trump, but was concerned that it "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, formerly Twitter. "Hezbollah must lay down its arms. Israel must respect Lebanese sovereignty and end the war."

Deadly airstrikes

Israel has been fighting Hezbollah since the militant group launched rocket attacks in support of Iran last month, following the killing by Israel of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Hezbollah has not officially said if it will recognise the ceasefire, but one of its lawmakers told France's AFP news agency on Thursday that the group would respect it if Israel stopped its attacks on its militants.

More than 2,000 people have been killed in Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon since early March – including health workers and journalists, according to Lebanese authorities. Over 1.2 million people have been displaced, or one in five of the population, most of them from Shia Muslim communities.

Israel halted strikes in capital city Beirut on 8 April after a deadly bombardment that hit several crowded commercial and residential areas and killed more than 350 people in one day.

'Today, more than ever, we are with you': Lebanese diaspora mobilises in France

France-Lebanon bond

"We must do everything possible to ensure the ceasefire is respected," Defence Minister Catherine Vautrin told French television channel TF1, calling the situation in Lebanon "absolutely dire".

Responding to comments by the Israeli ambassador to the United States, who claimed that Paris had no business interfering in negotiations between Israel and Lebanon, the minister stated that "no one can call into question the relations between France and Lebanon".

She said: "We have a permanent presence alongside the Lebanese [...]. France and Lebanon share a common history and a bond that nothing can break."

(with newswires)

French soldier killed in Lebanon in attack on UN peacekeepers

A French soldier was killed and three others were wounded in an attack on UN peacekeepers on Saturday, President Emmanuel Macron announced, saying that the evidence suggested Hezbollah was responsible. The militant group has denied involvement.


Issued on: 18/04/2026 -  RFI

UN peacekeepers stand guard in in Qasmiyeh, Lebanon, as displaced people return home after the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, on 18 April 2026. © Louisa Gouliamaki / Reuters


Macron named the soldier as Florian Montorio, a staff sergeant in the 17th Parachute Engineer Regiment of Montauban serving with Unifil, the United Nations' peacekeeping mission in Lebanon.

He was killed on Saturday morning in southern Lebanon, the president said in a post on X. The three soldiers wounded in the same attack were evacuated, he added.

"Everything suggests that Hezbollah is responsible for this attack," Macron said. "France demands that the Lebanese authorities immediately arrest the perpetrators and assume their responsibilities alongside Unifil."

But Hezbollah denied any connection to the attack. In a statement, the group urged "caution in making judgments and assigning responsibilities" pending the results of an investigation by the Lebanese army.

The attack came on the second full day of a 10-day ceasefire, agreed between Israel and Hezbollah on Thursday in order to negotiate an end to six weeks of war.

Macron's office said he held calls with Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun and Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam to urge them to guarantee the security of Unifil soldiers.

Both Aoun and Salam condemned the attack. The prime minister said he had ordered an "immediate investigation".

Ambush

Montorio is the second French soldier to die since the start of the war in the Middle East, after an Iranian-designed drone killed Arnaud Frion last month in Iraq's Kurdistan region.

Montorio was "ambushed by an armed group at very close range", according to French Defence Minister Catherine Vautrin.

She said he had been on a mission to clear a route to a Unifil post Deir-Kifa region that had been cut off for several days by fighting. He was struck by direct fire, Vautrin said, paying tribute to his 18 years of military service.

In a statement, Unifil said the peacekeepers "came under small-arms fire from non-state-actors" as they were clearing ordnance from a road in the village of Ghanduriyah.

Its initial assessment indicates the incoming fire was "allegedly Hezbollah", it said, adding that it had launched its own investigation into what "may amount to war crimes".

Peacekeepers from the United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (Unifil) patrol near the southern Lebanese border village of Sarada on 24 February 2026. AFP - RABIH DAHER

The fighting in Lebanon has seen Unifil repeatedly targeted, by both Israeli and Hezbollah forces.

Unifil patrols in southern Lebanon, near the Israeli border where Israel and Hezbollah have been fighting since last month. The militant group drew Lebanon into the Middle East war with rocket fire at Israel in support of its backer, Iran.

Three Indonesian peacekeepers were killed last month, with a preliminary UN investigation finding one was killed by Israeli tank fire, while the two others were killed by an improvised explosive device likely planted by Hezbollah.

Other Unifil peacekeepers have also been wounded since the war broke out.

In April, Israeli soldiers destroyed surveillance cameras in Unifil's headquarters, the peacekeeping body said, and last week an Israeli tank twice rammed peacekeeping vehicles, causing damage but no injuries.

UN peacekeepers have served as a buffer between Lebanon and Israel since 1978, but their mandate expires at the end of this year.

(with AFP)

TRUMP'S IMPOTENT

Israel Strikes Lebanon Less Than an Hour After Trump Says It’s ‘PROHIBITED’ From More Attacks

“This fragile truce must not be undermined,” said the secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council.


Residents return to check the aftermath of their businesses and houses on the first day of a ceasefire agreement on April 17, 2026, north of Saida in Nabatieh, Lebanon.
(Photo by Adri Salido/Getty Images)

Stephen Prager
Apr 17, 2026
COMMON DREAMS

Less than an hour after US President Donald Trump announced that Israel was “PROHIBITED” from attacking Lebanon under a 10-day ceasefire reached Friday, an Israeli drone strike reportedly killed at least one person in southern Lebanon.

Citing Lebanese media, The Times of Israel reported that an Israeli drone targeted a motorcycle between the southern towns of Khounine and Beit Yahoun. The Israel Defense Forces have not commented on the attack.

It was the latest in what the Lebanese Army said on Friday morning were “a number of violations” of the ceasefire within hours of it going into effect at midnight local time on Friday, as well as “intermittent shelling targeting a number of villages.”

Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that hours after the ceasefire went into effect, Israel struck an ambulance in the town of Khounine, near the Israeli border, which resulted in multiple casualties among the medical workers.

Israeli attacks on Lebanon since early March have killed nearly 2,300 people, according to Lebanese health officials and forced evacuation orders from Israel have resulted in the displacement of more than 1.2 million.

Trump said in a Friday social media post that under the framework reached Friday, “Israel will not be bombing Lebanon any longer. They are PROHIBITED from doing so by the U.S.A. Enough is enough!!!”

The US president has insisted that any agreement between Israel and Lebanon is separate from his ongoing two-week truce with Iran. Although Iran also announced on Friday that, following the Lebanon agreement, it stopped blocking travel through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi has specified that “the passage for all commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open for the remaining period of the ceasefire” between Israel and Lebanon.

Trump has claimed that the Iranian government “agreed to never close the Strait of Hormuz again,” and that the US will maintain its naval blockade of Iran.



Israel’s continued attacks on Lebanon have already put the peace deal between the US and Iran in jeopardy. After Iran briefly reopened the strait in response to the two-week ceasefire earlier this month, it began blocking travel again after Israel launched its most devastating attacks on Lebanon of the entire war, which killed hundreds of civilians.

Israel launched the attacks despite Lebanon having initially been announced as a party to the ceasefire, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then Trump quickly rejected.

After another agreement with Israel was reached on Friday, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun urged that the opportunity “must not be squandered because it may not come again.”

According to the US State Department, the agreement reached Friday still grants Israel the “right to take all necessary measures in self-defense, at any time, against planned, imminent, or ongoing attacks.” However, it is not clear at this time what imminent attack Friday’s strikes were intended to prevent.

Israel routinely violated its previous ceasefire with Lebanon that began in November 2024, with more than 10,000 air and land attacks over the first year, which the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said demonstrated a “total disregard of the ceasefire agreement.” It has done the same in Gaza, where hundreds of Palestinians have been killed since a ceasefire began in October 2025.

Netanyahu said on Friday that despite the ceasefire, Israel will continue its occupation of Southern Lebanon, where satellite images show the military has totally razed several towns and villages in what Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has described as a continuation of the “Gaza model,” which left most buildings in the strip totally destroyed.

Israel’s military spokesperson Avichay Adraee issued an “urgent message” to displaced Lebanese civilians following the ceasefire, urging them not to return to their homes south of the Litani River “until further notice.”

According to The Associated Press, thousands have begun heading home regardless to find their villages reduced to rubble.

“Across the country, roads are already congested with hopeful families trying to return to their homes. That alone shows how deeply people want this war to end,” said Jan Egeland, the Norwegian Refugee Council’s secretary general.

“This fragile truce must not be undermined. We cannot afford a repeat of the ineffective 2024 ceasefire, which saw countless violations. Worryingly, there are already reports of violations by the Israeli army, which also issued a warning against civilians returning to their homes south of the Litani river, home to hundreds of thousands of people,” Egeland said. “For this ceasefire to be meaningful for civilians, it must lead to a real and durable halt in hostilities.”