Special Update | Jewish Federation of North America 4.16.2026
Israel & the United States at War with Iran
Special Update from Israel
April 16, 2026
Prepared by and sent from Jewish Federations of North America's Israel Office
Breaking News: President Donald Trump announced a 10-day Israel–Lebanon ceasefire set to begin at 5 p.m. ET, following calls with both countries’ leaders.
Rocket attacks on Israel’s north continue
Ceasefire between Iran and Israel + the US holding. Negotiations over the next stage continue informally.
Iran
Following its imposition of a shipping blockade on Iran, the US warned that buyers of Iranian oil could face secondary sanctions and indicated it expected China to pause purchases. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington had told countries that Iranian funds sitting in their banks could trigger secondary sanctions, and that letters had also been sent to two Chinese banks warning of possible punitive measures. The Treasury Department also targeted Iran’s oil transportation infrastructure, sanctioning more than two dozen individuals, companies, and vessels. Bessent confirmed a 30‑day waiver on sanctions for Iranian oil at sea, issued March 20 and due to expire April 19, was not renewed.
US Central Command said it turned back 10 vessels that attempted to sail out of Iranian ports during the first 48 hours of the naval blockade. CENTCOM claimed no ships broke through, including one vessel it said was redirected back to Iran by a guided missile destroyer.
A senior adviser to Iran’s supreme leader publicly threatened to sink American ships if the US attempted to “police” the Strait of Hormuz during the blockade. Mohsen Rezaei said US ships “will be sunk” by Iranian missiles if Washington continued, and he also issued an explicit threat about taking hostages in the event of a ground invasion.
Iran’s parliament speaker said a Lebanon ceasefire would be the result of Hezbollah’s “steadfast struggle” and the unity of the “Axis of Resistance,” while pressing the view that Lebanon should have been included in the ceasefire reached between Washington and Tehran.
