Morning Briefing: April 10, 2026

Asiye Latife Yilmaz

Here’s a rundown of all the news you need to start your Friday, including US President Donald Trump saying Israel will be “scaling back” attacks on Lebanon after appealing to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warning that continued Israeli attacks on Lebanon would render ceasefire negotiations with the US “meaningless”; and Trump saying that oil would start flowing “with or without the help of Iran.”

TOP STORIES

• Trump says Israel will be ‘scaling back’ attacks on Lebanon after appeal to Netanyahu

US President Donald Trump said Thursday that he asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reduce strikes on Lebanon and was assured that Israel would be “scaling back” operations.

“I spoke with Bibi and he’s going to low-key it. I just think we have to be sort of a little more low-key,” Trump said during a brief telephone interview with NBC News.

The president announced a two-week ceasefire on Tuesday with Iran after more than one month of war that rapidly spread across the region. Delegations from the US and Iran are slated to convene Saturday for negotiations in Islamabad, Pakistan, that seek to broker a definitive end to the conflict.

Trump said he is “very optimistic” that a peace deal will be struck.

• Continued Israeli attacks on Lebanon will make negotiations with US ‘meaningless,’ Iranian president warns

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned Thursday that continued Israeli attacks on Lebanon would render ceasefire negotiations with the United States “meaningless,” as parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said Lebanon is an “inseparable part” of the agreement.

“Continued attacks will make negotiations meaningless; our hands will remain on the trigger, and Iran will never abandon its Lebanese brothers and sisters,” Pezeshkian wrote on the US social media company X.

Qalibaf, in a separate post on X, said Lebanon and what he described as the “Resistance Axis” are integral to the ceasefire framework, citing remarks by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

“Lebanon and the entire Resistance Axis, as Iran’s allies, form an inseparable part of the ceasefire,” Qalibaf said.

• Trump says oil will start flowing ‘with or without the help of Iran’

US President Donald Trump said Thursday that oil would start flowing “with or without the help of Iran.”

In remarks on his Truth Social platform, Trump criticized The Wall Street Journal, disputing its characterization of his recent remarks on Iran and defending his administration’s foreign policy.

“The Wall Street Journal, one of the worst and most inaccurate ‘Editorial Boards’ in the World, stated that I ‘declared premature victory in Iran.’ Actually, it is a Victory, and there’s nothing ‘premature’ about it!

“Because of me, Iran will never have a nuclear weapon and, very quickly, you’ll see oil start flowing, with or without the help of Iran and, to me, it makes no difference, either way,” he said.

Trump further accused the publication of persistent bias, saying it is “always quick to criticize” but unwilling to acknowledge mistakes.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• China’s Xi hosts Taiwan’s opposition leader in 1st such meeting in over a decade
• Gaza media office denies Board of Peace envoy’s claim that 602 aid trucks entered enclave
• Israeli strikes kill 24 across southern Lebanon, hit 52 areas in past 24 hours
• A US judge ruled that the Pentagon must restore access to credentialed journalists covering news regarding the US military.
• Israeli attacks kill 5 Palestinians, wound several others across Gaza
• US first lady Melania Trump denies any connection to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein or his associate Ghislaine Maxwell.
• Iran denies launching missiles at Gulf states after ceasefire
• Russia’s Lavrov backs US-Iran talks in call with Iranian counterpart
• Israel’s Netanyahu says ‘no ceasefire in Lebanon’ despite ordering talks with Beirut
• Germany urges Iran to uphold ceasefire, ensure safe shipping in Strait of Hormuz
• Trump says Iran ‘better not be’ charging tolls for ships passing through Strait of Hormuz
• Trump launches broadside against ‘low IQ’ right-wing influencers amid Iran war pushback
• Türkiye urges global community to respond to ‘Israel’s potential acts of sabotage’ amid ceasefire in Mideast
• The US will host direct talks between Israel and Lebanon next week as part of ongoing ceasefire negotiations, a State Department official confirmed to Anadolu.
• Iran condemns Costa Rica’s designation of IRGC as terror group
• Canada ‘strongly’ condemns Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon, calls for ‘permanent ceasefire’
• Norway says Israeli strikes in Lebanon breach international humanitarian law
• Protests erupt in Venezuela as interim President Rodriguez defers wage hikes
• British premier says ‘fed up’ with economic consequences of actions by ‘Putin, Trump across the world’
• Lebanon awaiting US notification on timing, venue of possible negotiations with Israel: Official
• Turkish president, Iranian counterpart discuss US-Iran ceasefire, upcoming talks
• Putin declares Easter ceasefire with Ukraine on April 11-12
• Iran’s supreme leader vows ‘new phase’ in Hormuz management, demands war compensation
• Turkish, Pakistani foreign ministers discuss ceasefire between US, Iran
• Türkiye says Israel’s approval of 34 new West Bank settlements ‘serious violation of international law’
• Iran’s foreign minister says ceasefire could hasten Netanyahu’s trial outcome
• Merz says Germany will not limit US use of military bases
• NATO chief backs allies, says bloc ‘not a one-way street’ amid US criticism
• Temporary US-Iran ceasefire does little to address health needs across Middle East: WHO

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• Israel estimates $17.5B cost of 40 days of war on Iran, Lebanon

The Israeli Finance Ministry estimated the cost of 40 days of war on Iran and Lebanon at around $17.5 billion, Israeli Channel 12 reported on Thursday.

Direct military expenditures for the ongoing conflict with Iran and Hezbollah are estimated at around 40 billion shekels ($12.9 billion), the report said.

Civilian costs are projected at around 13-14 billion shekels ($4.2-4.5 billion), bringing the total to roughly 54 billion shekels ($17.5 billion), the channel added.

The figures are preliminary and expected to be updated and do not include future reconstruction costs or losses to gross domestic product caused by the partial shutdown of the economy during the war.

• US crude oil prices rebound as Hormuz disruption, reports from Iran fuel supply fears

US crude oil prices rebounded 5% on Thursday, trimming steep losses, as reports from Iranian media and renewed disruption in the Strait of Hormuz raised fresh doubts about a US-brokered ceasefire and heightened concerns over global oil supply.

The West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures jumped to $100.1 a barrel as of 13000GMT Thursday, after tumbling more than 16% on Wednesday to $90, their lowest level in more than a month.

The international benchmark brent crude futures also climbed 3.5% to $98 a barrel.

• Iraq’s K1 station in Kirkuk receives 1st shipment of Basra crude for export

Iraq’s North Oil Company said Thursday that a station in Kirkuk, northern Iraq, had received its first shipment of crude oil from Basra after rehabilitation work was completed, and with its operational capacity expanded, and the oil was later destined for a port in southern Türkiye.

According to remarks carried by the Iraqi News Agency (INA), station manager Sarmad Mohammed said the K1 station began receiving its first crude shipments transported by dozens of tankers from Basra, with unloading operations starting immediately upon arrival.

He said the station currently has a capacity of 90,000 barrels per day, adding that tankers are continuing to arrive and unload on an ongoing basis.