First Thing: Divergent Claims Surround Iran Ceasefire as Israel Targets Hezbollah Sites in Lebanon and Iran Reportedly Restricts Oil Tankers

By Nicola Slawson

Published: 2026-04-09T12:28:49.000Z

Good morning. The two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran, announced around April 7-8, 2026, faced uncertainty amid conflicting interpretations of its terms. Iran and Pakistan, which helped broker the truce, stated that it included operations in Lebanon. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected that interpretation, stating the agreement excluded Lebanon, a position echoed by US President Donald Trump—who described Lebanon as “a separate skirmish”—and US Vice President JD Vance.

On April 8, Israeli forces conducted strikes on more than 100 targets in Lebanon, described by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) as Hezbollah military sites including command centers, headquarters, and infrastructure in Beirut, the Bekaa Valley, and southern Lebanon. The IDF called it the largest coordinated operation since strikes began in March 2026. The attacks killed at least 254 people, according to Lebanese health authorities. These actions occurred amid an ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, which has involved Hezbollah missile and drone attacks on northern Israel since at least March 2, 2026. Prior Israeli responses in Lebanon have resulted in over 1,500 deaths, including 130 children, per Lebanese reports. Hezbollah paused its attacks during the initial US-Iran ceasefire period but resumed firing after the Israeli strikes.

Iranian state media reported that Iran halted the passage of oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, citing an alleged Israeli violation of the ceasefire. The White House disputed this claim, calling it false. Separately, Trump initially remained silent on the Lebanon strikes before commenting.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk condemned the scale of Israel’s attacks as “horrific,” while calling for investigations into violations by all parties. His statement noted the strikes occurred hours after the US-Iran ceasefire took effect and took place against the backdrop of the Israel-Hezbollah war.

What has Iran said? Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, stated that Israel and the US had violated several clauses of the provisional ceasefire. He cited Israel’s strikes in Lebanon and a US position that Iran should not enrich uranium.

This is a developing story. Follow our liveblog here.

Man Charged with US Firebomb Plot Linked to Group Whose Leaders Back Violence Against Palestinians


A man charged with plotting to firebomb a pro-Palestine activist’s home is connected to a group whose leaders have expressed support for violence against Palestinians and have featured a convicted terrorist who fundraises for a violent settler movement in the occupied West Bank.

Video recordings by the group, JDL 613 Brotherhood, show its leaders expressing strong opposition to New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani.

Alexander Heifler, identified by law enforcement as a JDL 613 member, was arrested last month after FBI and New York Police Department agents disrupted an alleged plot to attack the home of activist Nerdeen Kiswani with Molotov cocktails.

What was said in the videos about Mamdani? The organization’s founder, Yisrael Yaacob Ben Avraham, referred to Mamdani as a “Muslim terrorist” and a “cancer,” and described his potential election as a “harbinger” of “a creeping Islamic takeover of America.”

Hawaii Doctor Accused of Trying to Kill His Wife Found Guilty of Attempted Manslaughter


A Hawaii anesthesiologist accused of attempting to murder his wife during a cliffside hike last year has been convicted of attempted manslaughter, a lesser charge.

A Honolulu jury returned the verdict against Gerhardt Konig, 47, on Wednesday after one day of deliberations.

Prosecutors alleged Konig planned to kill his wife, Arielle Konig, during a March 2025 weekend trip to Honolulu for her birthday. They said he attempted to push her off a cliff, stab her with a syringe, and strike her with a rock, before two hikers interrupted after hearing her cries.

The defendant testified that his wife struck him first with a rock and that he responded in self-defense.

What else did prosecutors say in court? Deputy Prosecutor Joel Garner told jurors in closing arguments on Tuesday that Konig had a plan and backup plans to kill his wife. The defense attorney argued there were no such plans and questioned Arielle Konig’s account.

In Other News …


In Asian stock markets, South Korea’s Kospi fell 1.7% after a 7.5% gain the previous day, while Japan’s Nikkei dropped 0.7% following a 5.4% rise.

Oil and gas prices increased today, and stock markets declined in Asia and Europe, as questions grew over the US-Iran ceasefire. Brent crude, the global benchmark, rose 3.8% to $98.31 a barrel on Thursday, remaining below $100. New York light crude climbed 4.8% to $99 a barrel.

The FBI has arrested a former military special operations employee accused of providing classified information to the media, FBI Director Kash Patel announced yesterday.

Rex Heuermann, a Long Island architect charged with seven murders in the Gilgo Beach killings dating to 1993, pleaded guilty yesterday and admitted to an eighth murder.

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When a federal judge in Mississippi ordered a broad rollback of the state’s school vaccine requirements in 2023, the decision affected some doctors deeply. The state health director warned of potential rises in preventable diseases such as measles, diphtheria, and pertussis (whooping cough). Last year, whooping cough cases surged in Mississippi, resulting in the first such death in the state in 13 years—a baby.

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Last Thing: How KFC, AKA Korean Fried Chicken, Took Over the World


Korean fried chicken, adapted from a style introduced by US soldiers after the Korean War, is not traditional Korean fare but has become a national staple with global reach amid the K-food trend. South Korea has been half-jokingly called the Republic of Fried Chicken.

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