APTOPIX Lebanon Israel Iran War
Zainab, the sister of Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil, who was killed on Wednesday in an Israeli airstrike, hugs her helmet as she mourns over her coffin in the village of Baysariyeh, southern Lebanon, Thursday, April 23, 2026.
As featured on
Tensions have intensified in the standoff between the U.S. and Iran over the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. President Donald Trump said he has ordered the U.S. military to “shoot and kill” Iranian small boats in the strait. Iran has pushed back on Trump’s claim there was a leadership rift in the Islamic Republic. Trump said Thursday that Israel and Lebanon agreed to extend a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah by three weeks after talks at the White House. Soon after the announcement, Israel’s military said it struck a missile launcher in Lebanon used in an attack that Israeli air defenses intercepted. Hezbollah claimed the attack.
Iran’s top diplomat and Pakistani officials have discussed the ceasefire in the war with the United States and Israel. Pakistan is trying to bring American and Iranian officials back to the negotiating table. U.S. President Donald Trump announced an indefinite extension of the ceasefire earlier this week at Pakistan's request. Despite this, tensions remain high in the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil and gas shipping route. Iran has attacked three ships, while the U.S. maintains a blockade of Iranian ports. The U.S. now has three aircraft carriers in the region, marking the first time since 2003.
The White House says President Donald Trump is sending envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Pakistan to take part in a new round of talks with Iran. Officials in Pakistan say Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived there overnight and met with Pakistan's foreign minister and army chief field marshal. Pakistan also is preparing to receive Witkoff and Kushner, although officials have not specified when they are due in Islamabad. The White House says Vice President JD Vance will not attend the talks. The Trump administration also announced it is placing economic sanctions on a major China-based oil refinery and roughly 40 shipping companies and tankers involved in transporting Iranian oil.