Following U.S.-hosted talks at the White House, President Trump announced that the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon has been extended by three weeks. The move came after a second round of negotiations in Washington attended by Israeli and Lebanese representatives and senior U.S. officials. Trump said the extension was agreed after an Oval Office meeting that included Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, U.S. envoys to Israel and Lebanon, and “high ranking representatives of Israel and Lebanon.” The initial U.S.-brokered 10-day truce began April 16.
Trump emphasized conditions he wants in any wider deal, saying Iran must cut off funding to Hezbollah. He also said the U.S. would not use nuclear weapons in the Iran war, calling the question “stupid” and saying a nuclear weapon “should never be allowed to be used by anybody.” The president added Americans should expect gas prices to stay higher “for a little while” as negotiations continue.
Despite the ceasefire extension, fighting and tense incidents along the Israel-Lebanon front continued. Hezbollah said it fired rockets into northern Israel after accusing Israel of violating the truce and targeting the Lebanese town of Yater; Israel reported intercepting launches that crossed from Lebanon. Earlier the same day, an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon killed three people, according to the Lebanese health ministry. Separately, the body of Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil was recovered after an Israeli drone strike; Lebanese officials and a journalists’ union said rescue access was impeded. The Israel Defense Forces said it does not target journalists and denied preventing rescue teams.
On other fronts, Israel reported killing two alleged Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon after they allegedly approached IDF troops and posed an immediate threat. Israel’s defense minister warned the country was prepared to renew the war against Iran if given a U.S. “green light,” saying the IDF stood ready to resume offensive operations.
The maritime confrontation over the Strait of Hormuz continued to escalate. The U.S. is enforcing a naval blockade of Iranian ports and has redirected dozens of vessels; U.S. Central Command reported 33 ships had been turned around under the blockade. U.S. forces have boarded several Iran-linked or “stateless” tankers in the Indian Ocean and elsewhere, saying they are interdicting vessels under sanctions. Iran has seized commercial ships in the strait and released videos purporting to show IRGC commandos boarding vessels. Tehran also announced it has started collecting transit tolls from ships passing through the strait, saying fees vary by cargo and risk.
Tensions at sea are reshaping global trade. With the Strait of Hormuz effectively constrained, many shippers have rerouted to the Panama Canal and are paying steep premiums for earlier transits; auction prices for slots have surged, and in one reported case a company paid an extra $4 million to secure passage. The disruption has pushed oil prices higher, with Brent crude trading near $107 a barrel and U.S. crude above $97 — both up about 1.5% amid uncertainty over the conflict and shipping routes.
President Trump said he ordered the U.S. Navy to “shoot and kill” small boats placing mines in the Strait of Hormuz and said minesweepers were being deployed to clear the waterway. He also said the U.S. has “total control” of the strait and described Iranian military assets as “decimated” by U.S. operations so far, while insisting he does not want to rush negotiations and seeks a lasting deal.
Meanwhile, Washington expanded pressure on Iran-linked militias: the State Department’s Rewards for Justice program offered a $10 million reward for the leader of an Iran-backed Shiite militia in Iraq accused of attacking U.S. personnel and diplomatic facilities. In Israel, authorities arrested two Air Force technicians accused of spying for Iran; prosecutors said they passed military materials to Iranian intelligence.
Domestic and diplomatic fallout around the conflict surfaced internationally. Pope Leo called for a “new attitude” toward war and urged stopping the spiral of violence, criticizing the conflict’s toll on civilians. A back-and-forth between the pope and Trump over the war drew public comments from both. Iranian opposition figure Reza Pahlavi was splattered with a red liquid at an event in Berlin but was unharmed; he used the occasion to press for sanctions enforcement and support for civil society in Iran.
Security shifts also affected U.S. personnel: Navy Secretary John Phelan left his post effective immediately, with Undersecretary Hung Cao named acting civilian leader of the Navy as the service plays a central role in the regional operations.
On the diplomatic front, U.S. officials continued shuttle diplomacy. Ambassadors from Israel and Lebanon met in Washington for the talks that led to the truce extension; secondary negotiations and consultations with regional and international partners are ongoing. White House officials said there was no firm deadline for Iran to submit a peace proposal and that the president wanted a unified Iranian response before moving forward.
Other incidents tied to protests and the wider conflict included a stabbing at an anti-Iran war protest in London that left a man hospitalized and five arrests, and reports that 15 Filipino seafarers aboard two ships seized by Iran in the strait were “safe and unharmed,” according to the Philippines government.
The situation remains volatile and fluid: ceasefire extensions and diplomatic talks have reduced some immediate large-scale hostilities between Israel and Lebanon, but skirmishes, strikes, and maritime confrontations persist. Key issues still unresolved include Iran’s role and demands, enforcement of maritime access, the status of Hezbollah and other militias, and broader regional stability. U.S. officials and international partners continue to press for negotiated steps that would expand and stabilize the temporary pause in fighting while preparing contingency plans should negotiations falter.