Israel and Lebanon extended their three-week ceasefire at a White House meeting that was mediated by President Donald Trump. Trump said he would wait for the "best deal" to resolve his conflict with Iran. The fighting between Israel and Iranian Hezbollah militants in Lebanon is one of many sticking points to resolving a wider eight-week conflict. Other issues include Iran's nuclear ambitions, and control of the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump stated that he wasn't in a hurry to reach a peaceful agreement, and wished for it to last forever. He also continued to claim that the U.S. held the upper hand in the naval standoff in the Strait.

Trump said that Tehran's leadership was in turmoil, and therefore it would be difficult for them to reach a deal. He dismissed the threat of Iran's "little smart-guy" ships.

He said that the U.S. Navy had orders to "shoot down and kill" Iranian vessels laying mines within the strait. The U.S. also could stop any?refurbishing weapons made by Iran during the ceasefire, which has been in place since April 8th. Navigation in the passage was effectively blocked and the Iranian seizure of two large cargo ships was a reminder of the U.S. struggle to maintain control of the strait. Tehran continues to pose a major strain on the global economy and oil markets. The U.S. maintains a blockade

IRANIAN UNITY Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, rejected Trump’s claim that the Iranian leadership is in disarray on Thursday. He called it "the enemy’s media operations", which are designed to undermine Iranian unity and safety.

He said that "unity will 'become stronger and solider, and enemies 'will become weaker, and more humiliated," in a post he made on X. Since taking over for his father Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in early war days by U.S. airstrikes, he had remained away from the public eye.

Trump announced this week that he will extend indefinitely the two-week ceasefire between Iran and Israel to facilitate further peace talks.

When asked how long he would be willing to wait for an everlasting peace agreement, he replied: "Don't hurry me." "I want the best deal...?I want it to be everlasting."

He said that nuclear weapons were not necessary because conventional weapons had been used to "decimate" Iran.

"No, I would not use it." Trump responded to a reporter in the White House by saying, "A nuclear weapon should not be used by anyone."

The fighting in southern Lebanon continued despite the extension of their ceasefire as Israeli forces continued to pound Iranian-backed Hezbollah's targets following some of the deadliest weeks since their earlier agreement to stop fighting on April 16th.

Israeli soldiers said that they killed two armed men in southern Lebanon on Thursday after identifying the individuals as approaching soldiers who posed a 'immediate threat.

According to Al-Akhbar, a newspaper owned by a senior Lebanese official, Amal Khalil was among those killed in Israeli airstrikes this week.

Hezbollah has said that it conducted four operations in South Lebanon on Wednesday as a response to Israeli attacks. The group did not attend the Washington ceasefire talks.

Israel sought to'make common cause' with Lebanon's Government over Hezbollah. Hezbollah was founded by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and Beirut has been trying to disarm it peacefully since last year.

Israel also warned that it was prepared to resume attacks against Iran before the announcement made in Washington, DC on Thursday.

Israel Katz, Israeli Defense Minister, said that Israel was waiting on a "green-light" from the U.S. before resuming the war. He added that, if this happened, Israel would start by attacking Khamenei, and "return Iran into a dark era." (Reporting and writing by Bureaus; Editig, Lincoln Feast.

(source: Reuters)