STOCKHOLM, April 17 (Reuters) - Leaders of Finland, Norway, Sweden and Denmark on Friday welcomed Iran's announcement on opening the Strait of Hormuz, and said they supported diplomatic efforts to find lasting solutions to the conflict.

Iran said earlier on Friday the strait was open following a ceasefire accord agreed in Lebanon.

Statements by Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson were made following a meeting led by Britain and France.

WASHINGTON, April 17 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that the United States has banned Israel from further bombing in Lebanon, using an atypically harsher tone than usual with the longtime U.S. ally Israel.

"Israel will not be bombing Lebanon any longer. They are PROHIBITED from doing so by the U.S.A. Enough is enough!!!" Trump said in a social media post.

Trump also said any deal the United States reaches with Iran "is in no way subject to Lebanon" but the U.S. will "deal with" the militant Hezbollah situation in an appropriate manner.

PARIS, April 17 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Friday that more than a dozen countries were ready to contribute assets to a defensive mission aimed at restoring the freedom of navigation of the Strait of Hormuz.

France and Britain chaired a meeting in Paris of 49 countries to discuss preparations for a possible multinational defensive mission to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz once conditions allow.

In cars and on motorbikes, people trickled back into Beirut's southern suburbs Friday, passing bombed-out buildings to check on homes and loved ones after a ceasefire began between Israel and Hezbollah.

"We'd been on the street going from place to place because there was no space in the shelters," said Insaf Ezzedine, 42, who had fled the area's Hay al-Sellom neighbourhood.

The latest developments in the Middle East war:

- Iran threatens to close Hormuz again -

Iran will close the strategic Strait of Hormuz again if the United States continues its blockade of Iranian ports, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Saturday.

"With the continuation of the blockade, the Strait of Hormuz will not remain open," Ghalibaf wrote on X, adding that passage through the waterway would depend on authorisation from Iran.

- Trump says US will bring uranium back from Iran -

WASHINGTON, April 17 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that the naval blockade on Iran will "remain in full force" until a deal with Tehran is struck.

"The Strait of Hormuz is completely open and ready for business and full passage, but the naval blockade will remain in full force and effect as it pertains to Iran, only, until such time as our transaction with Iran is 100% complete," he wrote on Truth Social in all caps.

His comments came after Iran said the Strait of Hormuz was open to all vessels following a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon.

By Andrea Shalal

WASHINGTON, April 17 (Reuters) - The U.S. is urging G20 members and the International Monetary Fund and World Bank to take coordinated action to ensure fertilizer access amid disruptions in food trade supply chains caused by the war in the Middle East, two sources familiar with the matter said on Friday.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent views fertilizer and agriculture supply chains as of essential importance, and is encouraging collaboration among G20 members and the global financial institutions, the sources said on condition of anonymity.

US President Donald Trump signaled Friday that an Iran peace deal was all but done, telling AFP there were "no sticking points" left between Washington and Tehran.

Trump's comments came after a slew of social media posts in which he touted Iran's promise to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and progress on ending Iran's nuclear program.

"We're very close. Looks like it's going to be very good for everybody. And we're very close to having a deal," Trump said in a brief telephone interview with AFP from Las Vegas.

MOSCOW, April 17 (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Friday that European countries were becoming more involved in the war in Ukraine, referencing a warning from Russia's Defence Ministry about drone production sites across the continent and in Britain.

The Defence Ministry on Wednesday warned against European plans to step up drone supplies to Ukraine and published a list of factories and enterprises it alleged manufacture drones or drone components.

By Olivia Le Poidevin

GENEVA, April 17 (Reuters) - An average of at least 47 women and girls were killed each day during the war in Gaza, according to figures published by U.N. Women on Friday, and the agency warned that deaths have continued six months into a fragile ceasefire.

More than 38,000 women and girls were killed in Gaza between October 2023 and December 2025, according to the report by U.N. Women, an agency that focuses on gender equality.