Trump says Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a 10-day ceasefire

CAIRO (AP) — Israel and Lebanon person agreed to a 10-day ceasefire starting aboriginal Thursday, President Donald Trump said.

The truce is scheduled to statesman astatine 5 p.m. Eastern, Trump said.

The president announced the intermission successful warring connected societal media, saying it followed “excellent” conversations with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Lebanon and Israel held their archetypal nonstop diplomatic talks successful decades connected Tuesday successful Washington aft much than a period of warfare betwixt Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group.

Trump said helium has directed Vice President JD Vance others to enactment with Israel and Lebanon to “achieve a Lasting PEACE.”

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier communicative follows below.

CAIRO (AP) — Pakistan’s almighty service main met Thursday with Iran’s parliament talker arsenic portion of planetary efforts to property for an hold to a ceasefire that has paused astir 7 weeks of warfare betwixt Israel, the U.S. and the Islamic Republic.

It was unclear whether the frantic diplomacy could pb to a lasting woody arsenic the two-week ceasefire passes the halfway mark. The Iran warfare has killed thousands of radical and upended planetary markets by disrupting the travel of oil.

Iranian authorities tv did not supply details connected the gathering betwixt Pakistani Army Gen. Asim Munir and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, who has emerged arsenic his country’s main negotiator.

There was nary contiguous remark from Pakistan, which has go a cardinal mediator aft hosting nonstop talks betwixt the U.S. and Iran that authorities said helped constrictive differences betwixt the sides. Mediators are seeking a caller circular earlier the ceasefire expires adjacent week.

The White House said immoderate further talks regarding Iran would apt instrumentality spot successful the Pakistani superior of Islamabad, though nary determination had been made connected whether to resume negotiations. The fragile ceasefire is holding contempt a U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports and Iranian counter-threats to people determination ports crossed the Red Sea.

The warfare has jolted markets and rattled the planetary system arsenic shipping has been chopped disconnected and airstrikes person pounded subject and civilian infrastructure. Oil prices person fallen amid hopes for an extremity to fighting, and U.S. stocks connected Wednesday surpassed records acceptable successful January.

Lebanese president refuses to talk with Israeli PM

During the fragile ceasefire with Iran, warring has continued successful Lebanon betwixt Israel and the Iran-backed militant radical Hezbollah.

U.S. President Donald Trump had announced that the leaders of Israel and Lebanon would talk astir halting the fighting. If that were to occur, it would beryllium the archetypal nonstop speech betwixt the leaders of the 2 countries successful much than 30 years.

But Lebanese President Joseph Aoun refused Thursday to talk to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a authorities authoritative acquainted with the developments told The Associated Press.

The authorities official, who spoke connected information of anonymity successful enactment with regulations, said the remarks were made during a telephone with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and that Washington “understands Lebanon’s position.”

Aoun’s bureau acknowledged a telephone with Rubio, but did not notation the anticipation of talks with Netanyahu. Netanyahu’s bureau did not bash truthful either.

Lebanon and Israel held their archetypal nonstop diplomatic talks successful decades Tuesday successful Washington pursuing much than a period of warfare betwixt Israel and Hezbollah. Lebanon has insisted connected a ceasefire to halt the warring betwixt Israel and Hezbollah earlier engaging successful nonstop talks, portion vowing to perpetrate to disarming the group.

Washington has not publically stated its enactment of a ceasefire arsenic a precondition, and the Israeli authorities has framed the talks arsenic bid negotiations with a absorption connected disarming Hezbollah.

Israel and Hezbollah continued exchanging occurrence crossed the border, with Hezbollah targeting towns successful bluish Israel with rockets and drones. Israeli occurrence against confederate Lebanon intensified, particularly astir the cities of Tyre, Nabatieh and the strategical municipality of Bint Jbeil adjacent the borderline with Israel.

Israel and Lebanon person technically been astatine warfare since Israel was established successful 1948, and Lebanon remains profoundly divided implicit diplomatic engagement with Israel.

Israeli troops person pushed deeper into confederate Lebanon to make what officials person called a “security zone,” which Netanyahu has said volition widen astatine slightest 8 to 10 kilometers (5 to 6 miles) into Lebanon.

Officials accidental US and Iran are making progress

Even arsenic the U.S. blockade connected Iranian ports and renewed Iranian threats strained the ceasefire, determination officials reported progress, telling AP that the United States and Iran had an “in-principle agreement” to widen it to let for much diplomacy. They spoke connected information of anonymity to sermon delicate negotiations.

But tensions simmered.

The commandant of Iran’s associated subject command, Ali Abdollahi, threatened to halt commercialized successful the portion if the U.S. does not assistance its naval blockade, and a recently appointed subject advisor to Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said helium does not enactment extending the ceasefire.

Mediators question compromise connected sticking points

Mediators are pushing for a compromise connected 3 main sticking points: Iran’s atomic program, the Strait of Hormuz and compensation for wartime damages, according to a determination authoritative progressive successful the mediation efforts.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said Iran is unfastened to discussing the benignant and level of its uranium enrichment, but his state “based connected its needs, indispensable beryllium capable to proceed enrichment,” Iranian authorities media reported.

The Pentagon urged Iran to marque a deal, with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth telling reporters astatine the Pentagon that “ultimately, they request to travel to the table.”

He said the U.S. volition guarantee that Iran ne'er has a atomic weapon.

“We’d similar to bash it the bully mode done a woody led by our large vice president and negotiating team. Or we tin bash it the hard way,” Hegseth said.

Iran has repeatedly insisted that it does not question a atomic limb and that its atomic programme is for peaceful proposes.

The warring has killed astatine slightest 3,000 radical successful Iran, much than 2,100 successful Lebanon, 23 successful Israel and much than a twelve successful Gulf Arab states. Thirteen U.S. work members person besides been killed.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the Trump medication would ramp up economical symptom connected Iran with caller economical sanctions connected countries doing concern with it, calling the determination the “financial equivalent” of a bombing campaign.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, during a sojourn to Doha, his bureau said, arsenic portion of a determination sojourn aimed astatine discussions connected the ongoing U.S.-Iran bid process.

China calls for Strait of Hormuz to reopen

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the model of bid was opening during a telephone telephone with his Iranian counterpart, according to a connection from the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Wang told Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi that the concern has reached a captious juncture, and said Iran’s sovereignty, information and morganatic rights should beryllium respected, portion state of navigation and information done the Strait of Hormuz should beryllium ensured.

Since the warfare began, Iran has curtailed maritime postulation done the strait, which a 5th of planetary lipid transited done successful peacetime. Tehran’s effectual closure of the strait sent lipid prices skyrocketing, raising the outgo of fuel, nutrient and different basal goods acold beyond the Middle East, and the U.S. has responded with a blockade connected Iranian shipping.

U.S. Central Command said Wednesday that nary ships had made it past the blockade since it was imposed 2 days earlier, portion 13 merchant vessels complied with absorption from U.S. forces to crook astir and reenter Iranian waters.

___

Lidman reported from Tel Aviv, Israel and Chehayeb reported from Beirut. Associated Press writer Munir Ahmed successful Islamabad, Elena Becatoros successful Athens, Greece and Ben Finley successful Washington contributed to this report.

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.