President Trump said Israel and Lebanon agreed to extend their ceasefire by three weeks following White House talks with representatives from both countries.
8:32 PM
President Donald Trump announced Thursday evening that Israel and Lebanon have agreed to extend their ceasefire by three weeks. The announcement came after peace talks between Israeli and Lebanese officials were relocated to the White House, allowing Trump to be more closely involved in negotiations.
The extension follows a period of heightened tensions in the region. Just hours before Trump's announcement, Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militia in Lebanon, had been trading fire with the Israeli military. The hostilities between the two groups have posed a threat to U.S. efforts to negotiate a deal with Iran, which has identified peace in Lebanon as a key condition for broader negotiations.
Separately, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed concerns about Iran's participation in the 2026 World Cup. On Wednesday, the Financial Times reported that White House envoy Paolo Zampolli had suggested to Trump and FIFA that Italy replace Iran at the tournament, following Italy's failure to qualify. Rubio denied that the United States had told Iran's team they could not attend, stating that no one "from the US has told them they can't come."
However, Rubio clarified that individuals with ties to Iran's Revolutionary Guards would be barred from entry to the United States. "The problem with Iran, it would be not their athletes, it would be some of the other people [they] would want to bring with them, some of whom have ties to the IRGC," Rubio said.
Tensions between the United States and Iran remain elevated in other areas. In the Strait of Hormuz, Iran said it seized two ships on Wednesday. Trump declared that the U.S. Navy would "shoot and kill any boat" laying mines in the strait. Trump also suggested that Iran was leaderless during his remarks.
President Trump extended a temporary truce with Iran pending submission of a unified proposal, while keeping U.S. military blockade in place.
A 10-day truce between Israel and Hezbollah began Friday, displacing over one million Lebanese residents and complicating Netanyahu's political position domestically.
Israeli and Lebanese officials said Wednesday that Israel is weighing a pause in fighting against Hezbollah, though formal approval remains pending.
Hezbollah said its fighters have "finger on the trigger" hours after a U.S.-mediated 10-day ceasefire with Israel took effect in Lebanon.
President cites October 7 attacks and nuclear concerns as reasons for conflict that began February 28.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told CNN that peace efforts on Ukraine cannot wait for the Iran conflict to end, citing distraction from Russian aggression.
