Israel has agreed to a 10-day ceasefire in Lebanon. The truce announced Thursday could pause fighting with the Hezbollah militant group and boost attempts to extend the ceasefire between Iran, the United States and Israel after weeks of devastating war. U.S. President Donald Trump announced the agreement as a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. However, Israel has not been fighting with Lebanon itself, but rather with the Iranian-backed militants inside the country. Hezbollah said in a statement that any truce must apply across all Lebanese territory. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he agreed to the ceasefire "to advance" peace efforts with Lebanon.

Pakistan's army chief has arrived for talks in Tehran in the latest diplomatic move to ease tensions in the region and arrange a second round of negotiations between the United States and Iran. That's according to the Pakistani military, which said Wednesday that the delegation included the country's interior minister and other senior security officials. The military said the visit was "part of the ongoing mediation efforts," but gave no further details. Pakistan has emerged as a key mediator in the conflict. Meanwhile, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned that the U.S. will ramp up its infliction of economic pain on Iran. Bessent said the effort would be the "financial equivalent" of a bombing campaign.

Taiwan's opposition leader has met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, marking the first such encounter in over a decade. Both sides affirmed the need for peace around Taiwan, which China claims as its territory. Xi and Cheng Li-wun, head of the Kuomingtang Party, expressed a desire for peaceful reunification. China has increased military exercises around Taiwan. Cheng opposes large defense spending increases in Taiwan and has blocked a special defense budget. Both leaders upheld the 1992 Consensus, opposing Taiwan's independence, and aim to prevent the Taiwan Strait from becoming a conflict flash point.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Ukrainian military personnel shot down Iranian-designed Shahed drones in multiple Middle Eastern countries during the Iran war, describing the operations as part of a broader effort to help partners counter the same weapons used by Russia in Ukraine. He made his first public acknowledgment of the operations Wednesday in remarks to reporters that were embargoed until Friday. Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces took part in active operations abroad using domestically produced, battle-tested interceptor drones.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte is refusing to say whether President Donald Trump wants to quit the military organization. Trump's threat to leave this time comes over the U.S.-Israel war on Iran, which NATO is not a party to and was not consulted about. Trump has criticized NATO allies as "cowards." He complains that NATO ignored his call for help when Iran shut the Strait of Hormuz. Rutte has won acclaim as a "Trump whisperer," but he's struggling to keep Trump engaged in NATO. He's been praising Trump for successes in the war, and for boosting defense spending. At the same time, Rutte insists NATO will not join the war.

South Korea's military says it detected North Korea firing several short-range ballistic missiles toward the sea. North Korea has launched missiles in two consecutive days. Wednesday's launches came hours after a senior North Korean official issued a statement ridiculing South Korean hopes for warmer ties. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missiles were fired from an area near the eastern coastal town of Wonsan. Seoul says North Korea also fired an additional ballistic missile toward its eastern waters later Wednesday, without giving further details. The South's military was also analyzing a projectile launched from an area near the North Korean capital of Pyongyang on Tuesday.