Israel-Hezbollah Ceasefire Takes Effect; Trump Says Iran Talks Continue

President Trump said Monday that talks with Iran remain on track after he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and representatives of Hezbollah to stop fighting in Lebanon. Iran had threatened to suspend negotiations following Israeli strikes near Beirut that it said violated the Middle East ceasefire in place since early April.

The U.S. and Iran were close to completing a 60-day memorandum of understanding to extend that ceasefire.

Trump described a productive call in which Netanyahu agreed not to send additional troops toward Beirut. Hezbollah representatives agreed through intermediaries that all shooting would stop and that neither side would attack the other. "Talks are continuing, at a rapid pace, with the Islamic Republic of Iran," Trump posted on Truth Social.

He added that Iran really wants to make a deal that would be good for the United States.

Missile Interception and Blockade U.S.

m. Sunday. No personnel were harmed. The U.S. and Israel launched a military campaign against Iran on Feb. 28. Iran responded by closing the Strait of Hormuz. Trump imposed a blockade of Iranian ports and has said he is considering lifting it if Iran reopens the strait and proceeds with nuclear talks.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the ceasefire between Iran and the U.S. applies to all fronts, including Lebanon. A semi-official Iranian news agency reported that Tehran was ready to pull out of talks. Trump told NBC News that an Iranian withdrawal would be acceptable and that the U.S. would rely on economic leverage rather than diplomacy.

Oil prices rose after the Iranian threat but eased after Trump’s assurances that talks were continuing. "The cease-fire between Iran and the U.S. is unequivocally a cease-fire on all fronts, including in Lebanon," Araghchi wrote on social media.