US–Iran talks gain pace as Pakistan mediates, with fresh optimism for a new round of talks in Islamabad.

Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a 10-day ceasefire that took effect at 21:00 GMT on Thursday, US President Donald Trump said after speaking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.

Even as the Lebanon truce takes shape, tensions remain high. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth warned that American forces are ready to resume combat if Iran does not agree to a deal to end the war, while a Pakistani delegation led by the army chief held talks in Tehran on the possibility of restarting negotiations with Washington.

In Washington, the US Senate voted down a Democratic-led resolution that sought to halt the war on Iran without formal authorisation from Congress.

Here is what we know:

In Iran

• Hormuz tensions remain high: Adviser Mohsen Rezaei warned that Iran could target US ships, if Washington continues to enforce its naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. The warning comes as the US tightens restrictions on vessels linked to Iranian ports, with ships already being turned back amid the standoff.
• Nuclear issue shows potential breakthrough: Analyst Abas Aslani says Tehran is open to nuclear transparency if Washington is serious about a deal, but new US sanctions and the blockade of Iranian ports are fuelling distrust.
• “There is a sense of distrust, and at the moment, Iran is ready for every possible scenario, either progress in the negotiations or returning to the military conflict,” he told Al Jazeera.

War diplomacy

• Lebanese PM welcomes ceasefire: Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said he “welcomes” Trump’s announcement of a ceasefire with Israel, which was due to start on Thursday evening.
• Trump invites Israel, Lebanon officials to White House: “I will be inviting the Prime Minister of Israel, Bibi Netanyahu, and the President of Lebanon, Joseph Aoun, to the White House,” the US president said on his Truth Social network.
•  Lebanon ceasefire may pave way for wider deal: Reporting from Washington, DC, Alan Fisher said the truce came quicker than expected and meets a key Iranian demand, a ceasefire in Beirut before engaging with the US. With Trump signalling Iran could agree to curb nuclear activity, the development may open the door to a broader deal involving the US, Israel and Iran.
• Round two of talks: The US is discussing holding a second round of peace talks with Iran and is optimistic about reaching a deal, the White House said.
• China supports ‘momentum’ of peace talks: China’s Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, told his Iranian counterpart that Beijing “supports maintaining the momentum of the ceasefire and peace talks”.

In the US

• US warning on blockade: The US will blockade Iranian ports for “as long as it takes,” US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said, threatening renewed strikes if Tehran does not make a deal.
• New oil sanctions: US officials targeted more than two dozen individuals, along with companies and vessels linked to the oil transport network of Iranian shipping magnate Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani.
• US says 10 vessels blocked from Iranian ports: The US military’s Middle East command (CENTCOM) said 10 ships were stopped or redirected within the first 48 hours of a naval blockade, with none leaving Iranian ports.
• US Congress divisions: The Senate rejected efforts to limit US involvement in the war and blocked measures targeting arms sales to Israel, though growing opposition signals shifting political pressure.

In Israel

• ‘Identical’ goals: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel and the US are fully aligned in their objectives to contain Iran.
• Israel warning: Israel’s defence minister warned Iran against rejecting a US proposal focused on renouncing “nuclear armament” and vowed to stage “even more painful” strikes on new targets if it did so.
• Netanyahu says Hezbollah ‘must be dismantled’: Netanyahu said disarming Hezbollah remains a key demand, adding that Israel will not comply with the group’s call to withdraw its troops beyond the border.

In Lebanon

• Lebanese leadership reaction: Prime Ministe Salam welcomed the truce, thanking Arab and European mediators, but analysts point to deep political divisions within Lebanon with no clear consensus.
• Hezbollah to act with ‘caution and vigilance’: Lawmaker Ali Fayyad said the group will approach the ceasefire carefully, warning any Israeli strikes on Lebanese sites would breach the truce. He described the next phase as “thorny” and cautioned against a worst-case return to civil strife. Fayyad also rejected calls to disarm Hezbollah while Israeli forces remain in Lebanon.
• Rising toll: Israeli strikes have killed at least 2,167 and injured more than 7,000 people, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. About 1.2 million people have been displaced since March 2. Israel has been accused of destroying homes in southern Lebanon, as happened in Gaza.
• ‘Homes that no longer exist’: “Even if a ceasefire is reached, the reality on the ground is devastating.. entire communities along the border have been destroyed,” Al Jazeera’s Malcolm Webb reported from Beirut. He added that Israel has yet to secure its objective of controlling territory up to the Litani River.

Global economy

• Growing hunger fears: The war could push millions more towards hunger as its economic fallout reverberates around the globe, the World Bank’s chief economist told AFP. “You have about 300 million people who suffer from acute food insecurity already,” Indermit Gill said.  “That’ll go up by about 20 percent very, very quickly,” as knock-on effects grow.
• Wall Street records: Major Wall Street stock indices finished at record highs on Wednesday following optimism about an accord in the US-Iran conflict.
• UK preparing for shortages: UK government officials have drawn up contingency plans for possible food shortages caused by a scarcity of carbon dioxide if the Strait of Hormuz remains severely disrupted, a report said.