Live Updates: Trump says Israel, Lebanon agree to ceasefire as Iran keeps Strait of Hormuz gridlocked

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What to know about the Iran war today:

President Trump said on social media that he spoke with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and that they agreed to a 10-day ceasefire, set to begin at 5 p.m. ET Thursday. Israel's ongoing assault on Hezbollah in Lebanon has threatened the ceasefire in the wider Iran war.

Top Pakistani officials are visiting Iran and other regional nations — and possibly returning to Washington soon — as they race to orchestrate a new round of U.S.-Iran talks in the coming days. Mr. Trump has voiced optimism that the war will end soon, and that the next, still-to-be-scheduled round of talks will yield "amazing" results.

The Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed to most commercial shipping traffic due to Iran's threats and despite an ongoing U.S. military blockade of Iranian ports aimed at forcing a reopening. The tanker gridlock is keeping global oil and gas prices high, and keeping pressure on all parties to the conflict to find a solution.

Trump says leaders of Lebanon and Israel agreed to 10-day ceasefire

President Trump said in a Truth Social post that he spoke with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and that they each agreed to a 10-day ceasefire, set to begin later Thursday.

"I just had excellent conversations with the Highly Respected President Joseph Aoun, of Lebanon, and Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, of Israel," he wrote. "These two Leaders have agreed that in order to achieve PEACE between their Countries, they will formally begin a 10 Day CEASEFIRE at 5 P.M. EST."

Mr. Trump also said he directed Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to work with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine to help "Israel and Lebanon to achieve a Lasting PEACE."

The president said he will also be inviting Netanyahu and Aoun to the White House for talks.

"Both sides want to see PEACE, and I believe that will happen, quickly!" he wrote in a second post on Truth Social.

The ongoing conflict in Lebanon has been between Israel and Hezbollah, Iran's proxy in Lebanon.

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Lebanon's president thanks Trump for efforts "to reach a ceasefire in Lebanon" and the wider Mideast

President Trump spoke Thursday on the phone with his Lebanese counterpart President Joseph Aoun, who "renewed his thanks for the efforts Trump is exerting to reach a ceasefire in Lebanon and secure lasting peace and stability, paving the way for achieving the peace process in the region," according to a readout of the call provided by the Lebanese president's office.

Mr. 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.

There was no immediate statement on the conversation from the White House or from President Trump on his Truth Social platform, on which he had said earlier that Aoun would hold a phone call with Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu.

"It has been a long time since the two leaders [of Israel and Lebanon] have spoken, like 34 years," Mr. Trump said in his post, which was published late Wednesday evening Eastern time. "It will happen tomorrow. Nice!"

Lebanon's government never confirmed that a call between Aoun and Netanyahu would take place, and there were reports in Lebanese media saying Aoun had told Marco Rubio earlier that he would not call Netanyahu.

Israel has waged an intense military campaign against the Iranian-backed group Hezbollah in Lebanon for more than six weeks, killing more than 2,000 people, according to the Lebanese health ministry, and sending ground forces in to occupy a significant portion of the country's south. The ongoing Israeli operations have forced more than 1 million people from their homes in Lebanon, according to the government in Beirut.

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