Radio National Breakfast

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he's authorised direct negotiations with the Lebanese government, aimed at disarming Hezbollah, so what does this mean for the ceasefire in the Middle East?

• GUEST: David Shoebridge, Greens spokesperson for Foreign Affairs, Peace and Nuclear Disarmament
• PRODUCER: Isadora Bogle 

Australia's island territories are facing significant pressures - as the costs of sea and air travel surge.

A federal Senate inquiry is currently probing the ability of the nation's aviation sector to deliver reliable and affordable services to rural, regional and remote communities.

It comes in the wake of last year's rescue deal for Regional Express - the airline known as Rex - after the company fell into administration in 2024.

• Guest: Marcus Blackie, Mayor of King Island Council
• Producer: Grace Stranger

The Iranian government has accused Israel of a massacre in Lebanon - where a wave of strikes on Wednesday killed more than 300 people, according to the Lebanese health ministry.The announcement comes amid disagreement over whether the middle east ceasefire deal includes a pause in fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah group.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he's authorised direct negotiations with the Lebanese government, aimed at disarming Hezbollah.

• GUEST: Jennifer Gavito, former US deputy assistant secretary of state for Iran and Iraq under US president Joe Biden, she's now a senior advisor at the Cohen Group
• PRODUCER: Pip Cook

"We will bring the management of the Strait of Hormuz to a new level", was the message from Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei overnight, in a statement broadcast on Iranian state television.

As the shaky two-week ceasefire continues, there has been no sign Iran has lifted its effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz - with Israel's ongoing attacks on Lebanon cited as a key sticking point.

• GUEST: Harrison Prétat, deputy director and fellow with the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he's authorised direct negotiations with the Lebanese government, aimed at disarming the Iran-backed Hezbollah group.

The two countries have technically been at war since Israel was established, and Mr Netanyahu has again insisted that there is no truce between the two nations in this latest conflict; despite the two-week ceasefire between Israel, Iran, the US

More than 300 people have been killed - according to Lebanon's health ministry - with about a thousand wounded during widespread Israeli strikes in central Beirut and other areas of Lebanon on Wednesday.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has described it as a "massacre".

• GUEST: Dr Shawky Amine Eddine, Humanitarian Affairs Coordinator for the International Committee of the Red Cross in Lebanon

As the shaky ceasefire continues in the Middle East, the US and Iran are preparing for talks in Pakistan this weekend, with US Vice President JD Vance set to lead the US delegation.

Iran's enriched uranium will be the sticking point, with the US refusing to acknowledge enrichment as a part of Iran's 10-point plan for a permanent ceasefire. So what will happen to Iran's nuclear program?

• GUEST: Melissa Parke, Executive Director of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons and former federal minister for international development
• PRODUCER: Pip Cook

We hear from the former Lebanese Health Minister, a surgeon today treating an influx of casualties in a Beirut hospital after Israel's deadly strikes. They come despite Israel and the US agreeing to a ceasefire with Iran. 

We unpack why the US and Israel say Lebanon was excluded from the ceasefire with Iran, and what the Australian government's response is - hear our interview with Foreign Minister Penny Wong. 

We also dissect what is happening with the Strait of Hormuz, as there's confusion over whether Iran has reopened it.

Recap the morning's news, politics and global affairs with the Breakfast Wrap.

Social media isn't all dance routines, cooking inspiration and self-help. The Fix-It Chicks are helping Australians stay cool with tips on making your homes more energy efficient.

One half of this duo is Jenny Edwards, a former molecular biologist who's now out to change industry attitudes and practices on making homes greener.

Guest: Jenny Edwards, Building Energy Efficiency Assessor, founder and director of Light House ArchiScience, energy efficiency advocate and one half of the FixIt Chicks.

From the Pope to the United Nations - U-S President Donald Trump's rhetoric on Iran has drawn widespread condemnation.

Mr Trump had threatened to wipe out a "whole civilisation" in Iran - and target civilian infrastructure like bridges and power plants if a deal was not met.

Now a ceasefire is in place with negotiations to get underway in Pakistan this weekend. 

• GUEST: Oona Hathaway, Professor of International Law at Yale Law School
• PRODUCER: Pip Cook

Despite a ceasefire in place between the US, Iran and Israel - Israel carried out strikes on parts of southern Lebanon and Beirut overnight. 

Negotiation talks are scheduled for this weekend. 

• GUEST: James Paterson, Shadow Minister for Defence
• PRODUCER: Isadora Bogle