Israel and Lebanon have agreed to extend a ceasefire with Hezbollah for three weeks, President Donald Trump said after talks at the White House. The move prolongs a 10-day truce that was due to expire this week; the White House said the talks aim to broaden negotiations toward a lasting arrangement as U.S. forces step up maritime enforcement linked to Iran.

What happened at the White House

President Donald Trump greeted the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors in the Oval Office after talks he described as productive. Trump said both countries had agreed to lengthen the truce with Hezbollah by three weeks, extending the temporary pause that began last Friday and was due to end on Monday. Senior administration aides also attended the meeting.

Trump also posted on social media that "The United States is going to work with Lebanon in order to help it protect itself from Hezbollah," and said he looked forward to further meetings with leaders from both countries.

Terms on the table and diplomatic aims

  • Lebanese officials pressed for an extension of the original 10-day pause and raised issues they want addressed in future talks, including stopping home demolitions.
  • Lebanese demands for broader discussions have included a full halt to attacks, withdrawal of forces from Lebanese soil, the release of prisoners and reconstruction assistance.
  • Israeli officials have repeatedly called on Lebanon to help disarm Hezbollah and describe the militia as the main obstacle to normalising relations between the neighbours; those differences underline that political gaps remain despite the ceasefire extension.

Security backdrop: maritime seizures and the Iran link

The ceasefire extension comes while U.S. forces are conducting maritime operations tied to shipments linked to Iran. U.S. authorities said they seized a sanctioned tanker in the Indian Ocean as part of broader maritime enforcement against networks supplying Iran; ship-tracking data placed the vessel between Sri Lanka and Indonesia.

"We will continue global maritime enforcement to disrupt illicit networks and interdict vessels providing material support to Iran, wherever they operate," the Pentagon said in a statement. The seizure follows other recent incidents in the region, including reported attacks on commercial vessels and the capture of ships, which have disrupted traffic through key waterways and raised insurance costs for shippers.

Related Articles

Trump posted on social media: "The United States is going to work with Lebanon in order to help it protect itself from Hezbollah."

This article was created with AI assistance.