Trump Would Welcome ‘End Of Hostilities’ In Lebanon, US Official Says
WASHINGTON -- The United States has not requested a Lebanon cease-fire, but President Donald Trump would welcome an end to the war in which Israel is targeting Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon, a senior US administration official said on April 15.
Hezbollah is both a militant group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon. It is considered a terrorist organization by the United States, while the European Union has only blacklisted its armed wing.
“This is not something we have asked for nor is it part of the peace negotiations with Iran, but the president would welcome the end of hostilities in Lebanon as part of a peace agreement between Israel and Lebanon,” the official said on condition of anonymity.
"The United States wants to see a durable peace but did not demand an immediate cease-fire," the official said.
"The United States' focus is on building trust between the two governments so that we can create space for a peace deal, and so that any future understandings can be durable. Both sides need to build political momentum,” the official added.
Israel’s current war with Hezbollah began days after the US-Israeli war with Iran began on February 28. On April 14, the United States hosted the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors to Washington in the first direct talks between the neighboring countries in decades.
Iran has argued that a two-week cease-fire agreement it reached with the United States on April 7 applied to Lebanon as well, but the United States and Israeli said it did not.
Citing an unnamed senior Israeli official, Reuters reported that Israel’s security cabinet convened on April 15 to discuss a possible Lebanon cease-fire
During the security cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video statement that Israeli forces continued to strike Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, which borders Israel. Netanyahu said he had told the military to continue reinforcing the “security zone” in southern Lebanon while also negotiating a peace deal with Lebanon.
With reporting by Reuters
Bessent Confirms US Won't Renew Iran, Russia Oil Waivers
Washington will not be renewing waivers that had enabled purchases of Iranian and Russian oil exempt from US sanctions, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on April 15.
On April 14, Reuters reported that the United States did not plan to renew a 30-day waiver -- expiring this week -- of sanctions on Iranian oil at sea, and let a similar waiver on sanctions on Russian oil expire over the weekend.
"We will not be renewing the general license on Russian oil, and we will not be renewing the general license on Iranian oil. That was oil that was on the water prior to March 11. So all that has been used," Bessent said told a briefing at the White House.
This could be an end to Washington's efforts to use sanctions waivers to free up more oil supplies amid soaring global energy prices.
The Treasury Department had issued the Iranian waiver on March 20, allowing some 140 million barrels of oil to reach global markets and relieve pressure on energy supply during the war, Bessent said last month. The waiver is set to expire on April 19.
With reporting by Reuters
Pakistani Army Chief Arrives In Tehran To 'Plan Second Round of Iran-US Talks'
Iranian state media reported that Pakistani Army Commander Asim Munir had arrived in Tehran on April 16 as the head of a high-ranking political-security delegation.
The Islamic Republic Radio and Television, Iran's official state media channel, announced that the senior Pakistani military official was traveling to Tehran with the aim of "conveying the American message and planning for the second round of talks."
A senior Iranian official also told Reuters that Munir was seeking to "reduce differences between Iran and the United States."
Citing "informed sources" in Pakistan, the Iranian Broadcasting Corporation announced that the second round of Iran-US talks is scheduled to be hosted by Islamabad in the coming days.
Media reports have indicated that Pakistan is trying to host a new round of talks between Iran and the United States later this week.
The first round of talks was held in the Pakistani capital on April 11-12, but the sides failed to reach an agreement after about 21 hours of negotiations. However, US Vice President JD Vance, who led the US delegation, raised the possibility of further meetings in an interview, citing "significant progress" in the first round of talks in Islamabad.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei said that Pakistani delegation could be present in Iran on the same day.
Munir arrived in Tehran as the United States, on the orders of President Donald Trump, began a naval blockade of Iran on April 13.
Iran Sentences Four More To Death Over Mass Protests, Rights Groups Say
Iran has sentenced four more protesters, including a woman, to death over mass demonstrations in January that posed one of the biggest threats to the country’s clerical rulers in years, according to two human rights groups.
The authorities have so far executed seven people in connection with the protests, which were crushed in an unprecedented government crackdown that left thousands of people dead, rights groups said. Tens of thousands of others were detained or summoned for questioning.
Human rights defenders have repeatedly accused Iran of using the death penalty to instill fear in society in the wake of a wave of anti-government protests in recent years.
To read the full report, click here.
EU Warns Of Energy Shock If Iran Conflict Persists
The European Union has warned member states that a prolonged Iran conflict could trigger a sustained shock to global energy markets, forcing cuts in fuel consumption, diplomats told Reuters.
In a closed-door meeting with ambassadors from EU countries, the European Commission outlined two scenarios: if a cease-fire holds and the Strait of Hormuz reopens, oil and gas flows could recover within months, easing prices, though liquefied natural gas markets may remain tight for years due to infrastructure damage in Qatar.
If disruptions persist, however, markets could face extreme price spikes and “demand destruction” -- where high costs force consumers and industries to reduce fuel use.
Europe could also struggle to refill gas storage ahead of winter, while localized jet fuel shortages may emerge within weeks.
Although the EU has avoided supply shortages so far, rising prices are already hitting the economy.
The commission is drafting measures to cushion the impact to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and improve resilience to future shocks, including cutting electricity taxes and accelerating the deployment of clean energy, Reuters reported.
With reporting by Reuters
China Says It's Not Giving Weapons To Iran, Trump Tells Fox News
US President Donald Trump said Chinese leader Xi Jinping told him in a letter that Beijing is not providing Iran with weapons.
"I wrote him [Xi] a letter asking him not to do that, and he wrote me a letter saying that, essentially, he's not doing that," Trump, who is scheduled to meet Xi next month, said in an interview with Fox News that was conducted on April 13 and aired on April 15.
In the interview, the US president said he believes the war "very close to being over," though he did not elaborate
Revolutionary Guards Issue Warning Over Naval Blockade Of Iranian Ports
Two days after the United States began a naval blockade of Iranian ports, a senior commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) warned that its continuation would constitute a “violation of the cease-fire.”
Ali Abdollahi, commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya headquarters -- a central command coordinating Iran’s armed forces -- said in a statement carried by Iranian media on April 15 that if the blockade continues, “the armed forces of the Islamic republic will not allow any exports or imports in the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, and the Red Sea.”
The statement did not provide further details about potential actions.
The warning comes as IRGC-linked media have reported that Iranian ships and oil tankers have continued moving and passing through the Strait of Hormuz since the blockade began.
The US military, however, says it has "completely halted economic trade going into and out of Iran by sea" since the blockade began on April 13.
Report: Pentagon Sends Thousands More Troops To Middle East
The Pentagon is deploying thousands of additional troops to the Middle East as the Trump administration seeks to pressure Iran into a deal while preparing for possible escalation if a fragile cease-fire collapses, The Washington Post reports.
The buildup is said to include about 6,000 personnel aboard the USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier and more than 4,000 Marines with the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group, adding to roughly 50,000 US troops who are already in the region.
The reinforcements would bring three aircraft carriers into theater, expanding military options as Washington enforces a maritime blockade aimed at squeezing Iran economically and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Officials said commanders are also considering scenarios ranging from intensified strikes to ground operations.
According to the Post, analysts warn that the deployment increases pressure on Tehran but carries risks, including potential US casualties and a broader regional escalation if diplomacy fails.
Trump Says Peace Talks Could Resume Soon As US Military Chokes Iran's Maritime Trade
US President Donald Trump suggested that peace talks with Iran could resume in a day or two as the US military chokes off the country's maritime trade in a move to get Tehran to the negotiating table.
Trump ordered a naval blockade targeting vessels headed to or from Iranian ports after US-Iranian peace talks in Islamabad on April 11-12 failed to produce an agreement to end the war, which began with US and Israeli air strikes on Iran on February 28.
In comments to the New York Post on April 14, he indicated that negotiators could meet again in the next couple of days.
"You should stay there, really, because something could be happening over the next two days, and we're more inclined to go there [than to another location]," an Islamabad-datelined story in the Post quoted Trump as saying.
The clock is ticking on a two-week cease-fire agreed by the United States and Iran on April 7 and Trump said later in an interview that he has no plans to extend the deal.
"It could end either way, but I think a deal is preferable because then they can rebuild," Trump told ABC News reporter Jonathan Karl in an interview.
Pakistan is said to be seeking to facilitate a new round of talks while Vice President JD Vance, who led the US delegation in the first round, raised the prospect of further meetings by saying "a lot of progress" was made at the April 11-12 talks.
"The ball is in the Iranian court," according to Vance, who said disagreements over Iran's nuclear program ultimately ended the talks without an accord.
Read more here.
IDF Urges Evacuation As Strikes Continue in South Lebanon
Israel's military has issued a fresh evacuation order for residents of southern Lebanon as it pressed on with an offensive against Hezbollah -- a militant group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon and is considered a terrorist organization by the United States, while the EU has blacklisted its armed wing.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement on April 14 that “air strikes are ongoing” as its personnel are operating “with significant force in the area.”
“Therefore... we reiterate our urgent appeal for you to evacuate your homes immediately and head north of the Zahrani River," the IDF added.
The order is the first to be issued by Israel’s military since direct talks were held on April 13 in Washington between Lebanon and Israel's ambassadors to the United States.
It comes amid renewed fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, with both sides exchanging fire despite the ongoing diplomatic efforts.
Lebanese state media reported fatalities from Israeli air strikes in the south, while Israel said it was conducting “targeted ground operations” against Hezbollah positions.
The Iran-backed group claimed attacks on northern Israel, where about 30 projectiles were recorded and one person was injured.