Trump blasts ‘very disappointing’ NATO in fresh attack: Live updates

Writing on Truth Social in the last few minutes, Donald Trump said: ‘None of these people, including our own, very disappointing, NATO, understood anything unless they have pressure placed upon them!!!’

He has long scrutinised NATO and its relationship with the US, which has only soured since the outbreak of war in late February.

Iran’s president has claimed Israel’s incursion into Lebanon is a ‘blatant violation’ of the ceasefire.

In a post on X, Masoud Pezeshkian also claimed Iran will ‘never abandon’ Lebanon and their ‘fingers remain on the trigger’.

He wrote: ‘Israel’s renewed incursion into Lebanon is a blatant violation of the initial ceasefire agreement.

‘This is a dangerous sign of deception and lack of commitment to potential agreements. The continuation of these actions will render negotiations meaningless.

‘Our fingers remain on the trigger. Iran will never abandon its Lebanese sisters and brothers.’

Turkey’s energy minister Alparslan Bayraktar told Al Jazeera that the shortage of fuel around the world is the ‘mother of all crises.’

Bayraktar said: ‘The world is now beginning to feel the economic impact of the crisis. While there doesn’t seem to be a supply problem in the West at the moment, rising prices have affected everyone.’

Hezbollah says its fighters are engaging in point-blank clashes with Israeli forces in the south Lebanon town of Bint Jbeil, famous for a fierce battle between the two sides in 2006.

Bint Jbeil, three miles from the border, holds symbolic significance for Hezbollah.

It is where its slain chief Hassan Nasrallah delivered a landmark speech in 2000 marking the Israeli withdrawal from south Lebanon after two decades of occupation. The group’s fighters also successfully fended off Israeli forces there during the 2006 war.

American Airlines is hiking fees for domestic and short-haul international destinations and trimming some perks for economy fliers, as soaring jet fuel costs squeeze the global aviation sector.

It is one of the last major US carriers to take steps to protect its margins as operating costs rise due to higher jet fuel prices, driven by tensions in the Middle East that disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which carries about a fifth of global oil flows.

Jet fuel, which averaged at about $85 to $90 a barrel in February before the Iran war started, has surged to around $209 per barrel globally, according to the International Air Transport Association.

American Airlines said it would raise the fee by $10 each for the first and the second checked bag for travellers booking domestic and short-haul international flights, starting Thursday.

It has also increased the cost of a third checked bag by $50 to $200 for the travellers, although that pricing structure was already in place for some locations, such as Canada.

American Airlines has also outlined an additional $5 bump on checked bags for customers flying with basic economy tickets, effective from May 18.

Basic economy fliers will also be charged a fee to select a seat and will not be eligible for complimentary system-wide upgrades on flights from May 18.

Meanwhile, travellers who purchase tickets in premium cabins will continue to receive free baggage on both domestic and international flights, American added.

The IDF has warned Lebanese residents in the southern suburbs of Beirut that strikes are imminent.

A spokesperson warned: ‘The IDF continues to operate and attack the military infrastructure belonging to the Hezbollah terror organisation throughout the Dahiyeh.

‘The IDF does not intend to harm you, and therefore, for your safety, you must evacuate immediately.’

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam asked his Pakistani counterpart on Thursday to confirm Lebanon’s inclusion in the Iran war ceasefire, a day after Israeli strikes on the country killed more than 200 people.

In a statement, Salam’s office said he phoned Shehbaz Sharif, praising Islamabad’s efforts in securing the truce and asking him to ‘confirm that the ceasefire includes Lebanon to prevent a recurrence of the Israeli attacks witnessed yesterday’.

Israel and the US have said the ceasefire does not include Lebanon, with Israel announcing it would continue its attacks on Iran-backed Hezbollah, which drew Lebanon into the regional war on March 2.

Iran’s parliamentary speaker warned that Tehran sees Lebanon as an ‘inseparable part of the ceasefire’ and threatened ‘strong responses’, coinciding with mounting international calls for Lebanon to be encompassed in the truce.

Russian news agency TASS, citing a senior Iranian source, reported that the regime will not allow any more than 15 vessels to pass through the Strait of Hormuz during the two-week ceasefire.

NATO chief Mark Rutte has told some members of the bloc that Trump wants concrete commitments within the next few days for help securing the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported.