Israel and Lebanon extended their ceasefire for three weeks at a meeting at the White House brokered by President Donald Trump, ​who said he was prepared to wait for “the best deal” to end his conflict with Iran.

Fighting between Israel and Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon has ‌been one of a number of sticking points to resolving the wider eight-week regional conflict, along with Iran’s nuclear ambitions and control of the crucial Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported.

Trump said he was in no rush to reach a peace agreement and wanted it to be “everlasting,” while continuing to assert that the U.S. had a clear upper hand in the naval stand-off in the Strait.

A day after ​Iran flaunted its tightened grip over the key shipping corridor, Trump dismissed the threat posed by Iran’s “little wise-guy ships” and said he believed Tehran was ​hamstrung from making a deal because its leadership was in turmoil.

On Thursday, he said the U.S. Navy has orders to “shoot and ⁠kill” Iranian boats laying mines in the strait and the U.S. could knock out in a day any refurbishing of weapons that Iran may have made during ​a ceasefire in place since April 8.

But navigation in the passage remained effectively blocked, and the Iranian capture of two huge cargo ships was a reminder that the ​U.S. struggles to keep control of the strait and Tehran continued to cause trouble for oil markets and pose major strains to the global economy. The U.S. has maintained a blockade

IRANIAN UNITY

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei on Thursday rejected Trump’s claim of disarray in the leadership describing it as “the enemy’s media operations” to maliciously undermine Iranian unity and security.

“Unity will become stronger and more solid, and ​enemies will become weaker and more humiliated,” he said in a post on X, as he remained out of the public eye since taking over from his ​father, the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who was killed by U.S. strikes in the early days of the war that began on February 28.

Trump said this week he would indefinitely extend ‌what had ⁠been a two-week ceasefire with Iran to allow for further peace talks, which have yet to be scheduled.

“Don’t rush me,” he said when asked how long he was willing to wait for a long-term peace deal. “I want to make the best deal … I want to have it everlasting.”

He ruled out the use of nuclear weapons, telling reporters they were unnecessary because the U.S. had “decimated” Iran with conventional arms.

“No, I wouldn’t use it. A nuclear weapon should never be allowed to be used by anybody,” Trump ​said when asked by a reporter at ​the White House.

DEADLY WEEK

Despite the extension of ⁠their ceasefire, fighting continued in southern Lebanon as Israeli forces continued to pound the Iranian-backed Hezbollah targets following some of the deadliest days since their earlier deal to halt fighting on April 16.

The Israeli military said on Thursday that it killed two ​armed individuals in southern Lebanon after identifying them approaching soldiers and posing what it described as an immediate threat.

Those killed ​by Israeli strikes this ⁠week included Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil, according to a senior Lebanese military official and her employer, Al-Akhbar newspaper.

Hezbollah said it carried out four operations in south Lebanon on Wednesday in response to Israeli strikes. The group was not present at the ceasefire talks in Washington.

Israel has sought to make common cause with Lebanon’s government over Hezbollah, which was founded ⁠by Iran’s ​Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and which Beirut has been seeking to disarm peacefully for the past year.

Separately, ​before the announcement in Washington on Thursday, Israel warned it was ready to restart attacks on Iran.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel was waiting for a “green light” from the U.S. to resume the war, ​saying that if it did, it would begin by targeting Khamenei and “return Iran to a dark age.”

The United States Navy has seized another oil tanker allegedly linked to Iranian smuggling networks, as the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz deepens with new military orders from US President Donald Trump.

The Pentagon confirmed that US forces intercepted the tanker in the Indian Ocean, part of what it described as ongoing maritime enforcement operations targeting illicit oil shipments connected to Iran. The vessel had been sanctioned in 2024 and was reportedly en route to China at the time of its seizure.

The move comes amid heightened tensions following reports that Iran attacked three commercial cargo ships in the Strait of Hormuz, capturing two of them and further disrupting traffic through a route that handles roughly 20 percent of global oil trade.

In a significant escalation, Trump said he had ordered the US Navy to use lethal force against any vessels suspected of laying mines in the strait.

In a social media post, he instructed forces to “shoot and kill” boats engaged in such activity, while also announcing a major expansion of mine-clearing operations in the waterway.

US naval units are currently conducting intensified mine-sweeping efforts, with officials warning that clearing operations could take months if the situation deteriorates further. Washington has also set a deadline for the reopening of the strait, signalling the possibility of additional measures if shipping is not restored.

Despite the rising tensions, diplomatic efforts may still be underway. Trump indicated that a new round of talks with Iran could take place within days, with Pakistan reportedly involved in facilitating negotiations.

The confrontation has already sent shockwaves through global energy markets. Brent crude oil has surged above $100 per barrel — up around 35 percent from pre-crisis levels — driving up fuel, transport and food costs worldwide.

European officials have warned of sustained economic fallout. Dan Jorgensen said the disruption could cost Europe as much as €500 million per day, likening the situation to previous major energy crises.

Analysts say the situation remains highly volatile, with the dual track of military escalation and potential diplomacy leaving the outlook for the region — and global markets — uncertain.

President Donald Trump wants ‌to see a “unified” response from Iran’s leadership to ​U.S. proposals to end ​hostilities, White House press ⁠secretary Karoline Leavitt ​said on Wednesday.

Leavitt told reporters ​that Trump had not set a deadline for an ​end to the ​ceasefire extension he announced on Tuesday, Reuters reported.

Earlier, ‌Leavitt ⁠said in an interview with Fox News’ “The Story with Martha MacCallum” ​that ​Iran must ⁠agree to turn over its enriched ​uranium to the ​United ⁠States as part of negotiations to end the ⁠war.