Israel strikes Abbasiyeh near Tyre as Iran ceasefire excludes Lebanon
Last updated: 10:46 UTC, April 08 2026 | Started: 2026-04-08 10:46 | 1 update(s) | Avg confidence: 72/100
The story so far: The 2026 Iran war began on February 28, 2026, when the United States and Israel launched surprise airstrikes on Iran, killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and targeting military, nuclear, and government sites across the country. Iran retaliated with hundreds of missiles and drones against Israel, US bases, and Gulf states, and closed the Strait of Hormuz. The conflict escalated a prior Israeli-US 'Twelve-Day War' against Iran in June 2025, and ran in parallel with an intensifying Israeli ground and air campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Latest Updates
2026-04-08 10:46 — Israel strikes Abbasiyeh near Tyre as Iran ceasefire excludes Lebanon
A fireball was photographed rising from a building struck by an Israeli airstrike in Abbasiyeh, on the outskirts of the southern Lebanese city of Tyre, on April 8, 2026, according to ABC News and Al Jazeera imagery and reporting.
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What We Know
- A fireball was photographed rising from a building struck by an Israeli airstrike in Abbasiyeh, on the outskirts of the southern Lebanese city of Tyre, on April 8, 2026, according to ABC News and Al Jazeera imagery and reporting.
- The IDF confirmed it was continuing 'combat and ground operations' against Hezbollah in Lebanon on April 8, with at least one airstrike reported in the Tyre area, according to ABC News.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated overnight on April 8 that the two-week suspension of strikes against Iran 'does not include Lebanon,' explicitly carving out the Hezbollah front from the truce terms, according to ABC News.
- The US-brokered pause came after Trump agreed to suspend planned bombing of Iran for two weeks in exchange for Iran reopening the Strait of Hormuz; Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed safe passage through the strait would be possible via coordination with Iran's armed forces, according to ABC News.
- Netanyahu and Trump spoke by phone overnight about the Iran ceasefire terms, with Netanyahu publicly stating Israel supports Trump's decision and endorsing US-led negotiations to eliminate Iran's nuclear, missile, and terror capabilities, according to two sources familiar with the call cited by ABC News.
Still Unclear
- President Donald Trump, as reported by Democracy Now / NBC News: Trump said Iran had requested a ceasefire and that Iran wanted to negotiate an end to the war.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, as quoted by Democracy Now!: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi flatly denied Iran asked for a ceasefire or negotiations, saying 'We never asked for a ceasefire, and we have never asked even for negotiation.'
- White House statement, as reported by Al Jazeera: The White House declared 'Iran's ballistic missile capacity is functionally destroyed' and claimed 'complete and total aerial dominance over Iran.'
Al Jazeera analysis, citing Israel's Institute for National Security Studies and Pentagon data: Experts assessed that Iran retains enough residual missile and drone capability to inflict significant damage, and Iran continued firing projectiles at Gulf states and Israel through at least April 7.
- (Unverified — single source | not independently corroborated) An 'Israeli ship' was attacked using an Iranian Qader cruise missile in the Jebel Ali port channel in the UAE. [Alma Research and Education Center, citing unverified Iranian reports]
- (Unverified — state media / social media only | not independently corroborated | no official confirmation) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was killed in an Iranian strike. [Iranian social media rumours, as noted by Democracy Now!]
Key Figures
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| People killed in the 2026 Lebanon war (militants and civilians combined) by early April | More than 1,400 | Wikipedia / multiple sources citing 2026 Lebanon war data |
| Lebanese displaced by Israeli operations in Lebanon | Nearly 1,000,000 | United Nations, as reported by Democracy Now! |
| Israeli civilians killed in Israel by Iranian missile/drone strikes since February 28 | 23 killed; more than 7,035 injured | Alma Research and Education Center, April 6, 2026 |
| Iranian missile and drone attack waves against Israel since war began (cumulative) | 455 waves | Alma Research and Education Center, April 6, 2026 |
| Decline in Iranian missile launches by day 15 of war vs. day 1 (against UAE alone) | From 167 ballistic/cruise missiles + 541 drones on day 1, to 4 missiles + 6 drones on day 15 | Al Jazeera, citing UAE Defence Ministry statements |
| Estimated US war cost through mid-March 2026 | $12 billion | Top Trump adviser, as cited by Al Jazeera |
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Israel still striking Lebanon if there is a ceasefire with Iran?
Netanyahu explicitly stated the two-week US-brokered pause in strikes against Iran 'does not include Lebanon.' Israel views its campaign against Hezbollah as a separate front. The IDF confirmed it is continuing combat and ground operations against Hezbollah even as the Iran truce takes hold, according to ABC News.
What is the Strait of Hormuz and why does it matter to the Iran ceasefire?
The Strait of Hormuz is the chokepoint through which roughly 20 percent of global oil and gas supplies pass. Iran blockaded it after the US-Israeli strikes began on February 28. Trump made reopening the strait a core condition of the two-week truce, and Iran's foreign minister confirmed safe passage would resume under coordination with Iranian armed forces, per ABC News.
What happens after the two-week suspension of strikes on Iran expires?
VP Vance said the US believes a deal is possible if Iran negotiates in good faith, but warned of consequences if Iran violates the truce. Netanyahu stated Israel supports US-led negotiations aimed at eliminating Iran's nuclear, missile, and terror capabilities. No formal peace framework has been agreed; the pause is contingent on Iran fully reopening the Strait and halting attacks on the US, Israel, and regional partners, per ABC News.
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