Israel, Lebanon reach ceasefire. Trump teases Iran talks. Live updates

Trump says he 'might go' to Pakistan to finalize peace deal

Zac Anderson

If U.S. and Iranian negotiators can finalize a deal to end the Iran war during negotiations in Pakistan, Trump said he may travel to Islamabad to give the agreement his personal seal of approval.

"If the deal is signed in Islamabad, I might go," Trump told reporters on Thursday.

Pakistan has been hosting talk to try and turn a two-week ceasefire into a permanent peace deal. Trump praised the country's leadership, saying "Pakistan has been great, they've been so good."

Vice President JD Vance led U.S. negotiators in the first round of talks with the Iranians, which failed to produce a peace deal. Another round of in-person negotiations could take place next weekend, Trump said.

Trump says he would support Lebanese army against Hezbollah

Christopher Cann

President Trump said he would support the Lebanese army in a push to disarm the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.

“I would. I would, yeah,” Trump told reporters outside the White House when asked if he would support the Lebanese Armed Forces.

Trump said Hezbollah was included in the 10-day ceasefire agreed to by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. He described the ceasefire and in-person talks between the two leaders as an “exciting" opportunity and added that he would be open to visiting Lebanon at “the right time.”

For decades, Hezbollah has remained more militarily powerful than the Lebanese national army. Lebanon's government has tried to disarm Hezbollah peacefully since a previous clash broke out between the militia and Israel in 2024.

Next round of Iran talks could take place 'over the weekend,' Trump says

Zac Anderson

Trump expressed optimism that a deal will come together to end the Iran war, saying another round of in-person talks could take place soon.

"Maybe over the weekend," Trump told reporters Thursday when asked when U.S. and Iranian negotiators could meet again.

The first round of negotiations in Pakistan failed to reach an agreement that would turn a two-week ceasefire into a permanent peace deal. Trump suggested the ceasefire could be extended if negotiators are close to a deal, but "I think there's a very good chance we're going to make a deal."

Trump says Lebanon ceasefire includes Hezbollah

Christopher Cann

President Donald Trump said the 10-day ceasefire in Lebanon will include Hezbollah.

“They are going to be having a ceasefire and that will include Hezbollah,” Trump told reporters outside the White House on Thursday.

Senior Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah told Reuters earlier that the group's decision to abide by the 10-day ceasefire will depend on whether Israel halts all forms of hostilities. The Iran-backed group and Israel are in the midst of a war that broke out after Hezbollah launched strikes at Israel in support of Iran in late February.

Netanyahu says he agreed to Lebanon ceasefire

Christopher Cann

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday said he agreed to a 10-day ceasefire with Lebanon.

He added that there's an opportunity to make a "historic" deal with Lebanon but said the the dismantling of Hezbollah remains a central condition for any long-term agreement.

Hezbollah official says group's participation in truce depends on Israel

Christopher Cann

Senior Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah told Reuters on Thursday that the group's decision to abide by the 10-day ceasefire will depend on whether Israel commits to halting all forms of hostilities.

Fadlallah added that Hezbollah was informed about the ceasefire agreement by Iran's ambassador to Lebanon, Reuters reported.

Israeli government mum on ceasefire agreement

Christopher Cann

Israel has not yet commented on the ceasefire in Lebanon that President Donald Trump announced on Thursday.

A day earlier, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had instructed the Israeli military to continue widening its ground invasion into southern Lebanon. It remains unclear if the 10-day ceasefire would involve Israel removing its ground troops from Lebanon.

More than 1 million people have been displaced in southern Lebanon. Israel's defense minister, Israel Katz, said 600,000 Lebanese residents will be barred from returning to their homes "until the safety and security of northern Israeli residents is ensured." Israeli authorities have begun destroying homes in Lebanese villages near Israel's northern border.

Israel launched its ground invasion and bombing campaign in response to rockets Hezbollah fired at northern Israel in support of Iran. More than 2,000 Lebanese residents have been killed by Israeli bombardments, according to the country's health ministry.

Lebanese PM welcomes Trump's ceasefire announcement

Christopher Cann

Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam welcomed the ceasefire announced by President Trump on Thursday, describing it as a central demand that his country has pursued since the start of the Israel-Hezbollah war.

Salam thanked regional and international countries for their efforts in advancing the ceasefire, including the U.S., France and other European Union countries, as well as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar and Jordan.

Trump to invite leaders of Israel, Lebanon to the White House

Christopher Cann

President Donald Trump on Thursday said he will invite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to the White House "for the first meaningful talks" between the two countries in decades.

"Both sides want to see PEACE, and I believe that will happen, quickly!" he said in a post on social media.

Trump earlier said the two countries agreed to a 10-day ceasefire beginning at 5 p.m. ET.

Trump announces 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon, Israel

Christopher Cann

President Donald Trump announced that Lebanon and Israel agreed to a 10-day ceasefire.

In a post on social media, Trump said he spoke with the two leaders, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who both agreed to a temporary truce starting at 5 p.m. ET.

Aoun's office said he spoke with Trump but did not mention a ceasefire. Israel did not immediately comment on Trump's announcement. It remains unclear if the Hezbollah militant group that Israel is fighting in Lebanon is included in the ceasefire.

Lebanon's president speaks with Trump amid Israel-Hezbollah war

Christopher Cann

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun spoke with President Donald Trump over the phone Thursday and thanked him for "his commitment to reaching a ceasefire in Lebanon," according to a statement from Aoun's office.

The office said Aoun expressed his wishes that Trump continue to work toward a ceasefire, but did not describe what that might entail. "Trump responded with his support for President Aoun and Lebanon, and his emphasis on his commitment to meeting the Lebanese request for a ceasefire at the earliest possible time," the statement said.

The U.S. has not released any statement about the phone call. Earlier in the day, Aoun's office said the Lebanese president spoke with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The calls come after talks between Lebanese and Israeli diplomats in Washington earlier this week, which officials described as a first step toward a potential peace settlement.

Israel is currently carrying out a large-scale ground invasion in southern Lebanon and a bombing campaign that has killed more than 2,000 people since late February, the country's health ministry said. The offensive began after Iran-backed Hezbollah launched rockets at northern Israel from Lebanon in support of Iran.

Hezbollah has vowed not to lay down its arms and promised to continue responding to Israel's military campaign. The Lebanese state has been seeking to disarm Hezbollah peacefully since a war between the militia and Israel in 2024. Israel says it will occupy a large portion of southern Lebanon indefinitely and won't stop fighting until Hezbollah is defeated.

No US-Iran peace talks have been scheduled, Pakistani official says

Christopher Cann

Pakistan's foreign ministry spokesperson, Tahir Andrabi, said Thursday there are no scheduled talks between the U.S. and Iran.

"We will announce the timing of these talks as and when it is decided," he told reporters.

Pakistan has been the central intermediary between the U.S. and Iran since the start of the war. An initial round on talks were held in the capital of Islamabad over the weekend, but negotiators failed to strike a deal. The White House on Wednesday said future talks were likely to occur in Pakistan but said it had none to announce at the time.

Pakistani mediators this week arrived in Tehran in an effort to extend the ongoing ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran, which is set to expire on April 22.

Oil price up slightly as investors hedge bets

Andrea Riquier

Oil ticked higher as tensions in the Middle East remain high. Brent crude, the global benchmark, was up more than $1 to just over $96 a barrel in the morning on Thursday.

Gas prices, which follow those of oil but at a slight lag, were down about one penny compared to Wednesday. A gallon of regular unleaded gas averaged $4.072 nationally, GasBuddy said. That’s about 92 cents higher than last year’s average.

“The S&P 500 broke through 7,000 and hit a record closing high of 7,022.95 on Wednesday, signaling equity investors’ confidence that the war will conclude shortly,” wrote famed investor Ed Yardeni in a morning note.

“It would be reassuring if oil prices would drop a bit more to reinforce the optimistic narrative,” he added. “Oil futures traders apparently aren’t as sanguine as equity investors about when the chaos of war will end.”

US allies helping with Strait of Hormuz 'would be a wonderful thing,' Hegseth says

Cybele Mayes-Osterman

U.S. allies in Europe and Asia "have talked a lot and haven't done anything" to help with the Strait of Hormuz, but their help "would be a wonderful thing," Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth told reporters.

The Trump administration has repeatedly lashed out at U.S. allies, including European nations, for not helping to combat Iran's strangulation of the flow of ships in the key channel.

The United States doesn't rely on energy and commerce flowing through the waterway, but "Asia does, and Europe does, and large parts of the rest of the world do," Hegseth told reporters at the Pentagon.

"Their ability to muster a collective defense or a clearing the strait would be a wonderful thing," Hegseth added.

Those countries "weren't alongside us" when the United States was in combat with Iran, Hegseth said. "When the shots were fired and those countries were needed the most, they weren't there."

The United States would "welcome other countries coming in" after U.S. forces have done "the heavy lifting," Hegseth said.

Pope decries 'tyrants' amid feud with Trump over war

Jeanine Santucci

Pope Leo XIV said the world is "being ravaged by a handful of tyrants" and decried world leaders who "manipulate" religion and the name of God for military gain in a speech in Cameroon on Thursday, as President Donald Trump has continued sparring with the pontiff.

"Woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic and political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth," Leo said during his four-country tour of Africa.

Leo XIV, the first U.S.-born head of the Catholic Church, has been highly critical of armed conflict, and repeated his stance on Thursday: "The masters of war pretend not to know that it takes only a moment to destroy, yet often a lifetime is not enough to rebuild."

The pope's remarks come after Trump's attacks on social media, where the president has shared AI-generated images depicting himself as a Jesus-like figure and other religious imagery. Trump called Leo "WEAK on Crime" on this week and called him out in another post on Tuesday with a defense of his war in Iran.

Caine says 13 ships complied with US commands to turn around amid blockade

Christopher Cann

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine on Thursday said 13 ships have been forced to turn around amid the ongoing U.S. blockade on Iranian ports.

Cain, speaking to reporters at the Pentagon, said the U.S. have not had to board any ships since the blockade went into effect.

'Turn around or prepare to be boarded' is message to ships, Caine says

Cybele Mayes-Osterman

U.S. military forces will "actively pursue" any ships violating the blockade of any vessels entering or exiting Iranian ports, Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters.

"Runners" who may cross the blockade receive a message from a Navy ship: "Do not attempt to breach the blockade," Caine said.

"Turn around or prepare to be boarded. If you do not comply with this blockade, we will use force," Caine said the message continued.

"As this message is being transmitted," Caine said, "those ship masters can literally see, sense and feel the pressure around them."

Hegseth says blockade will continue, threatens strikes on Iranian power plants

Christopher Cann

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said if Iran does not make a deal to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, then the U.S. will launch broad strikes on the country’s energy infrastructure.

Hegseth called the ongoing Navy blockade “the polite way” to pressure Iran but said if the country fails to capitulate to U.S. demands, then “they will have a blockade and bombs dropping on infrastructure, power and energy.”

“We’d rather not have to do it but we’re ready,” Hegseth added.

President Donald Trump had previously threatened to strike Iran's civilian infrastructure before a two-week ceasefire went into effect and a round of in-person negotiations took place in Pakistan. Those talks fell apart but more negotiations could soon occur, Trump and Pakistani officials have said.

US military 'maximally postured' to restart fighting, Hegseth says

Cybele Mayes-Osterman

At a news briefing on April 16, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said U.S. military forces are "maximally postured to restart combat operations," if Iran "chooses poorly" and does not agree to a deal with the Trump administration.

The Pentagon's message to Iran's leaders, Hegseth said: "We're watching you."

"We'd rather not have to do it, but we're ready to go at the command of our president," Hegseth said.

Hormuz crossings still well below average as food shortages loom: Report

Michael Loria

The number of vessels crossing the Strait of Hormuz remains well below average, according to an analysis of Kpler Risk and Compliance, a global intelligence firm that tracks maritime traffic. 

According to the analysis by Maritime News, 16 vessels crossed the critical shipping lane on Tuesday, far below prewar averages of between 70 and 130, according to experts. USA TODAY could not independently verify the number of crossings. 

A ship crossing the strait does not necessarily mean it will reach its destination, as the U.S. naval blockade remains in place. The blockade is targeting ships leaving Iranian ports. Military officials say they have forced 10 such ships to turn back. 

The continued reduction in traffic comes as global fuel prices remain high and experts warn a prolonged reduction in shipping traffic in the region could eventually lead to a global food "catastrophe."

Trump’s 'favorite field marshal from Pakistan' lands in Iran

Michael Loria

President Trump’s "favorite field marshal from Pakistan" was welcomed to Iran on Wednesday, as Pakistan’s leadership remains focused on ensuring talks between the U.S. and Iran don’t fall apart.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi shared a video of him embracing the chief of Pakistan’s army Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, a man Trump called his "favorite field marshal" during a speech in Egypt last year.

"Delighted to welcome Field Marshal Munir to Iran," said Araghchi, one of Iran’s top leaders who dealt with the U.S. delegation sent to Pakistan over the weekend. "Our commitment to promoting peace and stability in the region remains strong—and shared."

Munir’s arrival to Pakistan comes days after Trump said talks between the U.S. and Iran should restart soon, though no upcoming talks have been announced. It wasn’t immediately clear what exactly Munir hoped to achieve by visiting Iran.

But Pakistan has played a key role in ceasefire negotiations, relaying messages between the two sides. According to reporting by The New York Times, Trump and Munir have been discussing Iran throughout much of Trump’s second term. 

Munir’s visit to Iran coincides with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif traveling to Saudi Arabia for talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a Trump ally and another important player in the region.

"I reiterated Pakistan’s firm commitment to advancing its efforts to encourage both the U.S. and Iran towards an agreement aimed at lasting peace and stability in the region," Shehbaz said of his visit.

White House doesn’t have 'ballpark' on how much war will cost

Michael Loria

The White House’s budget director told lawmakers on Capitol Hill on Wednesday that he doesn’t have a "ballpark" on how much it will cost the United States to fund the war on Iran.

"We're not ready to come to you with a request. We're still working on it," White House budget director Russell Vought told lawmakers during a House of Representatives Budget Committee hearing. "I don't have a ballpark for you."

The White House’s Office of Management and Budget director was called to Capitol Hill to defend President Trump’s request for a $1.5 trillion budget for the Pentagon. Experts say the president’s request is "unprecedented."

According to analysis by the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, a think tank supported by conservatives and progressives, Trump’s request would mark a $500 billion increase in military spending and would amount to the highest level of military spending for the country since World War II.