Trump says Iran's handling of Strait of Hormuz is 'not the agreement we have' — BBC News

[0:00] as peace talks between the U.S. and Iranian officials [0:02] are due to begin in Pakistan this weekend. [0:05] We've been hearing again from President Trump [0:07] accusing Iran of doing a very poor job [0:10] and not allowing oil to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. [0:13] He claims it's a direct breach of the fragile ceasefire agreement [0:17] brokered by the two sides. [0:19] The disputed status of Lebanon, meanwhile, in the ceasefire [0:22] is creating a lot of tension. [0:23] There's been fresh fighting overnight between Israel and Hezbollah. [0:27] We have some latest pictures for you from Beirut [0:30] where a massive clean-up and recovery effort is underway. [0:34] If you look at these pictures, you can see the extent of the damage [0:37] from those Israeli strikes. [0:40] And it's important to note, it comes after President Trump [0:43] was quoted as saying Israel would be more low-key in Lebanon. [0:48] Comments widely seen as him asking Israel's Prime Minister [0:51] Benjamin Netanyahu to be more restrained. [0:54] The U.S. State Department said Israel in Lebanon [0:56] would hold talks in Washington next week. [0:59] What we're hearing from the Lebanese health ministry, [1:02] these figures came through yesterday. [1:04] More than 300 people killed in Israeli strikes on Wednesday [1:08] and over 1,000 injured. [1:10] Israel saying it is targeting Hezbollah military sites. [1:14] But this was densely populated areas of the Lebanese capital. [1:19] Well, let's update you on the talks that are due to take place. [1:22] We can take you to Kerry Davies, who joins us now from Islamabad. [1:26] Kerry, do we know anything more today about what these talks will look like, [1:29] what kind of shape they'll have and who will take part? [1:34] Well, Lucy, at the moment we've had no formal schedule announced for these talks. [1:38] And we've also had no absolute certainty of when everyone will arrive. [1:41] Yesterday we'd heard from the Iranian ambassador here in Pakistan [1:47] who'd put a post on social media saying that the delegation would be arriving yesterday evening. [1:52] That was then deleted within the course of an hour. [1:54] And at the moment we have had no formal recognition that, [1:57] or formal announcement, that a delegation from Iran has arrived here in Pakistan. [2:02] We've had no images of arrivals on Pakistani TV. [2:06] We've had no messages from government officials or government ministers [2:10] welcoming any of the high-profile guests of the country. [2:13] So at the moment there's no suggestion or no confirmation that they are already here in Islamabad. [2:19] As when it comes to the American delegation, [2:22] we did of course get confirmation earlier this week from the White House [2:25] that Vice President J.D. Vance would be the one leading the talks from their side, [2:29] also accompanied by Special Envoy Steve Wyckoff and Jared Kushner as well. [2:35] And the Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister speaking to BBC yesterday [2:39] said that if it was J.D. Vance that was leading from the American side, [2:42] then they would be putting forward their parliamentary speaker [2:45] to lead the talks on the Iranian side at the moment, [2:48] very much posing that as a sort of equivalent, as a tit-for-tat. [2:52] If they provide one, we will provide at this level as well. [2:56] At the moment we have had no confirmation either [2:59] that any of the senior representatives from America have arrived here yet. [3:05] But we did of course hear from the White House saying [3:07] that they thought the talks were happening on Saturday. [3:10] And so the expectation is that there is still plenty of time [3:13] for that delegation to arrive here in Islamabad. [3:17] Meanwhile, I have been around the city this morning [3:19] seeing some of the preparations that are already underway. [3:22] A large amount of what's known as the Red Zone, [3:24] which is where a lot of government buildings here in Pakistan are based, [3:27] as well as many of the foreign embassies. [3:29] Large amounts of that area have been entirely closed off. [3:32] We have police, army and also the paramilitary, [3:34] the rangers here in Pakistan that are providing a lot of that security [3:39] around this district, around this area. [3:42] International media has started to arrive here in Islamabad [3:45] as well to cover those talks. [3:48] So at the moment Islamabad is waiting for more information [3:51] and for the arrivals of those high-profile guests. [3:56] Carrie, back to you when we do know more. [3:57] Thank you so much for that. [3:59] Well, it feels very fragile, this ceasefire in the Gulf today. [4:03] Part of the tension around it all is, of course, [4:06] what is going on in Lebanon at the moment. [4:09] Let's take you to our Middle East correspondent, Lina Sinjab, [4:11] who is in Beirut. [4:12] Lina, what happened overnight? [4:17] Well, it is really tense here, Lucy. [4:19] I mean, this is a country that doesn't feel it is part of a ceasefire [4:23] or that any peace is coming soon. [4:27] There were airstrikes throughout the night in the south of Lebanon [4:30] from both sides. [4:32] I mean, although relatively you can't compare the rockets fired [4:35] from Hezbollah into Israel with the damage that the Israeli strikes [4:39] are causing in the south of Lebanon [4:41] or what it had caused on Wednesday throughout the day. [4:46] And yesterday, also here in the south of Beirut, [4:49] there were evacuation orders given to various areas in Dahye neighborhood, [4:53] which is the south of Beirut, mainly Hezbollah residential area. [4:58] This forced thousands of people to rush for their safety. [5:03] They were stranded in their cars throughout the night, [5:06] although a strike did not happen. [5:08] The drone was flying over the whole evening yesterday. [5:13] And this is a sound that makes all the Lebanese on alert [5:17] because this is usually followed by attacks. [5:20] So the whole situation here is very tense. [5:23] The government is still counting the dead. [5:26] The number is rising. Hospitals are calling on people to come [5:30] and identify dead bodies. [5:32] You know, the whole burial situation hasn't, like, started yet [5:38] because people are still searching for their loved ones, missing ones. [5:42] It's a country and the nation in shock, in trauma, [5:45] and they feel they're left alone to face this war [5:49] without anyone able to stop it. [5:51] Lina, now that we have the prospect of talks with Israel, [5:57] this is something that the president has been calling for [6:00] and Benjamin Netanyahu is now offering. [6:03] But what can the government give to Israel during these talks, [6:07] given that so far they've been unable to disarm Hezbollah? [6:14] Yeah, I think, Lucy, this is the key point. [6:16] I think it's unprecedented to have direct talks between Israel and Lebanon. [6:20] This is a country at war since the 80s with Israel. [6:24] So this is really a huge step. [6:26] But the problem is Hezbollah. [6:28] I mean, the government could not disarm Hezbollah, [6:30] could not stop Hezbollah's firing rockets into Israel. [6:35] They couldn't even expel the Iranian ambassador, [6:38] even though when they decided so. [6:40] Hezbollah takes order and acts in alliance with Iran. [6:44] So Iran is the key partner here to tell Hezbollah to stop [6:50] so that the negotiations would continue. [6:53] But the issue of disarming Hezbollah is really critical. [6:57] This is something that has been decided in the 2024 war [7:01] and hasn't been implemented. [7:02] And it is hard to see how it's going to be implemented, [7:07] possibly in the south of Lebanon. [7:09] But how are you going to stop a whole group [7:12] that has been built, growing and recruiting [7:16] and being trained by Iran, paid by Iran since the 1980s? [7:23] Lina, thank you so much. [7:24] Really good to get your analysis there. [7:25] Well, let's get more analysis from Jerusalem. [7:28] We can speak to our correspondent, Daniel DeSimone, who is there. [7:31] Daniel, how is it being squared in Israel today [7:34] that there's this offer of talks being made to Lebanon [7:36] but airstrikes continue? [7:42] Well, that's right. [7:42] There was a statement from the Israeli government last night [7:45] from Benjamin Netanyahu [7:47] saying that he's instructed his cabinet [7:49] to seek talks with Lebanon about disarming Hezbollah. [7:54] There's been previous statements [7:56] from the Lebanese president, Joseph Aoun, [8:00] including some comments that were released yesterday [8:03] where he's saying that the only solution [8:05] to the situation in Lebanon is a ceasefire [8:08] and then talks with Israel. [8:10] If those talks go ahead, [8:12] there's talk of it being next week in the United States, [8:16] but it's said to be, reported to be at an ambassadorial level [8:20] rather than at a leadership level. [8:22] This all comes during this huge dispute [8:26] about whether Lebanon is included [8:28] in the ceasefire deal involving Iran, the U.S. and Israel. [8:33] The U.S. and Israel saying it's not included. [8:35] Pakistan, which mediated the deal, saying it was included. [8:40] Iran also saying that. [8:42] And that's obviously a key dispute ahead of this weekend [8:45] and the talks that are meant to take place in Pakistan. [8:49] Israel saying it's going to carry on [8:51] with its war in Lebanon against Hezbollah. [8:54] It's occupied a large part of southern Lebanon. [8:57] It's said that the hundreds of thousands of people [9:00] who've been displaced will not be allowed to return [9:03] until it decides that Hezbollah no longer poses a threat. [9:07] And of course, it carried out those devastating airstrikes [9:11] in Lebanon on Wednesday, [9:13] which killed over 300 people, [9:15] attacks which have been condemned around the world.