The expected ceasefire in the Middle East between Iran and the United States hangs by a thread due to Israel's new offensive in Lebanon against the Hezbollah militia. The ayatollahs consider extending the ceasefire to Lebanon as an essential point for the pact to be maintained, something that the Israelis do not contemplate.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump warned early this morning that military forces will remain deployed around Iran until the agreement is fully complied with and threatened to launch a "bigger and stronger" offensive in case of non-compliance. He also assured that the Strait of Hormuz will remain open and that Tehran will not develop nuclear weapons.
On the other hand, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard (CGRI) shared a map with alternative routes for transit in the Strait of Hormuz. Due to the war and "the presence of various types of anti-ship mines" in the area, the Tasnim agency, linked to the elite body of the Iranian armed forces, indicated that ships transiting the strait "must coordinate with the CGRI and, until further notice, use the alternative routes for transit" through this strategic route.
The Government insists on the need for a ceasefire in Lebanon
The First Vice President and Minister of Economy, Carlos Cuerpo, reiterated on Thursday the need for a ceasefire in Lebanon, as occurred yesterday with Iran because, he considered, "it is a situation that we cannot tolerate."
This was stated by Cuerpo in an interview on TVE, collected by Servimedia, where he emphasized the ceasefire in Lebanon, as President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, did yesterday in a message on his social networks. The Government called yesterday the chargé d'affaires of Israel, Dana Erlich, to protest the detention on Tuesday of a Spanish peacekeeper in Lebanon by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). Regarding this, Cuerpo confirmed that the call was made because, he considered, "this drift is outside the multilateral context and international law, and it is necessary to demand to know the circumstances of this detention."
The Israeli army claims to have killed the nephew of the Hezbollah leader in Lebanon
Israel claimed on Thursday to have killed Naim Qassem, the leader of the Lebanese group Hezbollah backed by Iran, in an attack on Beirut overnight.
Initially, the Reuters agency announced the death of Naim Qassem himself, but shortly after corrected its information detailing that it was his nephew who was killed.
The leader of Hezbollah, Naim Qassem.WAEL HAMZEH
China calls for "calm and restraint" after Israeli attacks in Lebanon
China called on Thursday for "calm and restraint" after Israeli attacks on more than a hundred targets in Lebanon, which caused hundreds of casualties, amid the truce between the United States and Iran, emphasizing that "the sovereignty and security of countries must not be violated," reports Efe.
The spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mao Ning, stated today at a press conference that "the lives and properties of civilians must be protected" and urged the parties involved to "promote a cooling of the regional situation."
Likewise, she reiterated that China has been in contact with the parties since the beginning of the conflict and expressed her wish that the ceasefire be used to resolve differences "through dialogue and negotiation."
Air France extends the suspension of its flights to the Middle East until May 3
The French airline Air France announced on Thursday its decision to extend the suspension of its flights to and from Dubai, Riyadh, Beirut, and Tel Aviv until May 3, reports Efe.
"Due to the security situation at the destination and the continuous closure of airspace to commercial flights, the company is forced to extend the suspension of its flights: with origin or destination in Tel Aviv, Beirut, Dubai, and Riyadh until May 3, 2026 inclusive (that is, until May 4, 2026 for flights departing from Dubai)," Air France said in a statement.
Likewise, its low-cost subsidiary Transavia, which usually operates flights to Tel Aviv and Beirut, maintains the suspension of its services until July 5, arguing that the current geopolitical situation does not allow for any alternatives.
Spain will immediately reopen its embassy in Tehran
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, has instructed the Spanish Ambassador in Tehran, Antonio Sánchez-Benedito, to return to the Iranian capital and reopen the embassy, which was temporarily closed on March 7 due to the bombings by the US and Israel, which began on February 28, reports Efe.
Albares, in statements to journalists before appearing before the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Congress, explained that he is making this decision during the two-week ceasefire agreed upon by the United States and Iran and in order for "all vectors" to promote that effort for peace.
The French Foreign Minister denounces "intolerable attacks" in Lebanon
The French Foreign Minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, declared on France Inter on Thursday that the Israeli bombings in Lebanon are "intolerable," emphasizing that France fully associates with the national day of mourning in Lebanon, reports Afp.
"We strongly condemn these massive bombings that (...) in ten minutes have caused more than 250 deaths, adding to the 1,500 victims of this conflict initiated by Hezbollah against Israel on March 2," he stated. "And these attacks are even more intolerable because they undermine the temporary ceasefire reached yesterday between the United States and Iran," he added.
"Yes, Iran must stop terrorizing Israel through Hezbollah, which must be urgently disarmed and return those weapons to the Lebanese state. But no, Lebanon should not be the scapegoat of a government upset because a ceasefire has been reached between the United States and Iran," he also reacted.
India receives a seventh gas carrier from the Gulf after the Ormuz blockade
An Indian-flagged ship loaded with 15,400 tons of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) arrived in India on Thursday after crossing the Strait of Hormuz, amid national fuel shortages caused by the war in the Middle East, reported the Indian port authority, as cited by Efe.
"The Green Asha, an LPG ship flying the Indian flag that has successfully crossed the Strait of Hormuz, docked today at the JNPA liquid pier. The ship, its cargo, and all crew members are safe and sound," the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) indicated.
The vessel crossed the Strait of Hormuz thanks to an agreement reached between India and Iran to allow the transit of ships.
Iran's proposal to charge tolls in the Strait of Hormuz violates trade rules
To end the war with the United States and Israel, Iran demands the right to charge tolls in the Strait of Hormuz as a precondition for reopening the vital maritime route for global oil supply, reports AP.
However, charging tolls in the strait would violate a basic and longstanding principle of international maritime trade: the freedom of peaceful navigation. It is an ancient idea that was codified in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which entered into force in 1994.
Reopening the strait would save the world economy from supply restrictions that have driven up energy and fertilizer prices since the war began on February 28. But accepting Iran to charge tolls would consolidate the Islamic Republic's control over the strait through which 20% of the world's oil is transported—and enrich the country against which the war was launched.
Oil price rises to 96.6 dollars due to the fragility of the ceasefire
The price of Brent crude oil, a reference in Europe, rose by nearly 2% around 8:05 a.m. on Thursday, reaching over 96 dollars per barrel before the opening of European stock exchanges, compared to the 72 dollars at which it was trading before the attack on Iran by the United States and Israel, reports Europa Press.
Meanwhile, the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil barrel, a reference in the United States, increased by almost 3%, to 97 dollars per barrel.
The rise in oil prices in the early hours of Thursday is due to the fragility of the two-week ceasefire agreed between the United States and Iran and amid mutual accusations of possible breaches, with the dispute over Lebanon in focus.