Toggle PlayTrump announces three-week extension to Israel-Lebanon ceasefire
US President Donald Trump has announced a three-week extension to the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon after talks at the White House with Israeli and Lebanese envoys.
As tensions persist across the region, he said he “could make a deal right now” with Iran but is willing to wait for an “everlasting” agreement.
An Israeli strike killed three people in southern Lebanon, and senior officials in Tehran have blamed Washington for stalled negotiations, citing the US naval blockade of Iranian ports.
In the US
- Trump news conference: The US president claimed on Thursday that American forces could quickly “neutralise” any rebuilt Iranian military capacity, signalling no urgency on a long-term deal: “Don’t rush me”.
- For the first time, Trump clearly said that the US would not use a nuclear weapon in Iran – days after intense speculation over what he might do, when he threatened to erase Iranian civilisation in a social media post that was widely condemned for its apparent genocidal intent.
- US politicians seek protection for Iranians: More than a dozen Democrats are urging Trump’s administration to pause the deportation of Iranians, warning that nearly 12,000 students and others could face persecution or conflict if forced to return, and calling for immediate protections for those unable to safely go home.
