President Donald Trump announced Thursday that the Israel–Lebanon ceasefire, brokered last week, has been extended by three weeks following a second round of peace talks at the White House.
The Extension
The original 10-day ceasefire was due to expire Sunday. The new extension provides Israel and Lebanon with a three-week window to continue diplomatic negotiations, which U.S. officials described as “substantive.” “High-ranking representatives” of both countries met in the Oval Office with Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, and U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa.
Trump’s Outlook
Trump said he is “looking forward to meeting in person” with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun “in the near future” — a strong signal that Washington considers the Israel–Lebanon track its most promising active file.
Iran Stays Open-Ended
On the parallel Iran war, Trump declined to offer a timeline. Pressed at the White House, he said, “Don’t rush me”, and added in a Truth Social post: “I have all the time in the World, but Iran doesn’t — The clock is ticking!” The comments came hours after Iran’s IRGC seized two container ships in the Strait of Hormuz, holding 15 Filipino seafarers among the crews.
Context
The Israel–Lebanon ceasefire buys breathing room but does not resolve the underlying Iran confrontation. Brent crude remains above $100 a barrel, ~20,000 seafarers are stranded across the Persian Gulf, and the Panama Canal is now collecting up to $4 million per passage as ships re-route away from the Strait of Hormuz.
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