By MUNIR AHMED, JON GAMBRELL and JAMEY KEATEN Associated Press
President Donald Trump is sending his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Pakistan to meet with Iran's foreign minister as officials in the South Asian nation push to revive ceasefire talks. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News that the two would meet with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Saturday. Arachchi arrived in Islamabad late Friday. Leavitt says the White House hopes the talks will "move the ball forward to a deal." She says Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the president's national security team will fly to Pakistan "if necessary."
By AAMER MADHANI, MUNIR AHMED and RUSS BYNUM Associated Press
U.S. President Donald Trump is giving mixed messages on the path ahead for the U.S. war with Iran. In a series of media interviews and social media posts Monday, Trump insisted he's in no rush to end the war while also expressing confidence that peace negotiations with Tehran will soon resume in Pakistan. A two-week ceasefire between the two countries is set to expire Wednesday. Trump said he expects the negotiation team lead by Vice President JD Vance to return to Pakistan for more talks. Tehran said there were no plans yet to attend the talks with the U.S.
A truce took hold Friday between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah, providing relief on both sides of the border and an opening for Iran and the United States to reach a deal to end the wider war. The ceasefire appears to have paved the way for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, easing the global energy crisis. But major obstacles remain, as Hezbollah has not formally agreed to the truce and wants Israel to withdraw from southern Lebanon. Israel says it is "not finished" dismantling the Iran-backed militant group and shows no sign of ending its occupation.
By KAREEM CHEHAYEB, AAMER MADHANI and ELENA BECATOROS Associated Press
Iran says the Strait of Hormuz is fully open to commercial vessels. But President Donald Trump says the American blockade on Iranian ships and ports will stay in force until Tehran reaches a deal with the U.S., including on its nuclear program. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted Friday on X that the crucial waterway is now fully open to commercial vessels. This comes as a 10-day truce between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon appears to hold. Trump initially celebrated the Iranian announcement. But minutes later, he issued another post saying the U.S. Navy's blockade would continue.
By KAREEM CHEHAYEB, ABBY SEWELL and ELENA BECATOROS Associated Press
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.
By KAREEM CHEHAYEB and MATTHEW LEE Associated Press
Lebanon and Israel have held direct diplomatic talks for the first time in decades. Tuesday's more than two-hour meeting at the State Department came after more than a month of conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the talks a "historic opportunity," while Israel's ambassador to the U.S. hailed what he called a convergence of opinion about removing Hezbollah's influence from Lebanon. Hezbollah opposed the direct talks and wasn't represented. There was no immediate comment from the Lebanese side. The Lebanese government hopes the talks will lead to an end to the war, which has killed over 2,000 people there.
Diplomats are working through back channels to arrange a new round of talks between the United States and Iran. As Washington enacted its blockade of Iranian ports, Tehran threatened to retaliate by striking targets across the war-weary region. Though last week's ceasefire appeared to hold, the showdown over the Strait of Hormuz risked reigniting hostilities. Meanwhile in Washington, direct talks between Israel and Lebanon concluded on an upbeat note. That's according to Israel's ambassador to the U.S. They are the first such negotiations in decades. Talks aimed at permanently ending the conflict in Iran failed to produce an agreement last weekend. Pakistan has proposed hosting a second round in the coming days.
A senior Hezbollah official says the Lebanese militant group will not abide by any agreements made in upcoming direct talks between Israel and Lebanon in the United States. The talks, which are to start on Tuesday, will be the first in decades. Hezbollah opposes these negotiations, viewing Israel as an enemy. Lebanese officials hope for a ceasefire, while Israel is seeking Hezbollah's disarmament and a potential peace agreement. Wafiq Safa, a high-ranking member of Hezbollah's political council, told The Associated Press in a rare interview on Monday that Hezbollah is "not interested in or concerned with" these negotiations in the U.S.
By MICHELLE L. PRICE and AAMER MADHANI Associated Press
President Donald Trump says the only reason the Iranians are alive today "is to negotiate," as he sends Vice President JD Vance overseas to work on a resolution to the war. Vance is warning Iran not to "play" the U.S. as he heads to Pakistan for talks aimed at ending the 6-week-old conflict. The Republican vice president set off Friday to lead mediated talks with Iran in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad. Vance says he's "looking forward to the negotiation" and thinks it'll be positive. Vance's trip comes as a temporary ceasefire appears to be on the precipice of collapsing.
Friday marks six months since the ceasefire in Gaza took effect, but progress remains limited. The fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas-led militants has mostly stopped, yet challenges persist. Disarming Hamas, deploying an international stabilization force and beginning reconstruction are pending. The U.S.-created Board of Peace has not met since its initial meeting, and Hamas has not responded to a disarmament proposal. Such challenges could represent what's to come in the latest war in the Middle East, as U.S. President Donald Trump's approach to peacemaking appears to focus on stopping bombardment while leaving the bigger picture for others to work out.
