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US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth holds a briefing amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, at the  Pentagon in Washington, DC, US, March 2, 2026. (photo credit: Elizabeth Franz/Reuters) US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth asserted that the American military is ready to restart combat against Iran if no ceasefire deal is reached during a Pentagon press briefing on Thursday. "You, Iran, can choose a prosperous future, a golden bridge, and we hope that you do for the people of Iran," he said. "But if Iran chooses poorly, then they will have a blockade and bombs dropping on infrastructure, power, and energy." Hegseth stated that he had a message for the Iranian leadership: "We are watching you. Your capabilities are not the same as ours. Remember, this is not a fair fight." Go to the full article > >

IDF troops from the 226th Brigade during targeted ground operations in southern Lebanon. (photo credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT) A 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel will begin at midnight Israel time, US President Donald Trump announced in a Truth Social Post on Thursday. Trump stated that the ceasefire was reached after separate conversations with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. US President Donald Trump stated that the ceasefire was reached after separate conversations with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. Go to the full article > >

US President Donald Trump waves to the media after walking off of Air Force One at Miami International Airport on April 11, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (photo credit: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images) US stops tenth Iranian vessel from crossing Strait of Hormuz blockade • US sanctions Iranian oil shipping network • US Senate Republicans block latest bid to rein in Trump Iran war powers US President Donald Trump posts on Truth Social on April 16, 2026. (photo credit: SCREENSHOT/TRUTH SOCIAL)

A ship passes through the Strait of Hormuz. (photo credit: somkanae sawatdinak/Shutterstock) The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Wednesday that an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel was intercepted after departing Bandar Abbas and transiting the Strait of Hormuz while attempting to evade a US maritime blockade. Meanwhile, the US Treasury Department said on Wednesday it was intensifying pressure on Iran's oil transportation infrastructure by imposing sanctions on more than two dozen individuals, companies, and vessels. The sanctions target entities within the network of Iranian oil shipping magnate Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, son of Ali Shamkhani, a key figure in Iran's security and nuclear efforts who was  killed in US-Israeli strikes  on Tehran on February 28. Shamkhani’s network had previously been sanctioned by the Treasury in July of 2025. The US issued 115 sanctions against the group, according to a Treasury press release at the time. "Treasury is moving ag...

I DF soldiers operating in southern Lebanon, published April 13, 2026; illustrative. (photo credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT) The security cabinet met on Wednesday evening to discuss the possibility of a  ceasefire in Lebanon , an Israeli official told  The Jerusalem Post,  with reports by Israeli media saying that it ended without a ceasefire in place. The meeting follows a US request to establish a “temporary, symbolic ceasefire” in Lebanon. The request comes in response to repeated appeals from the government in Beirut, which argues that such a move would help advance efforts to dismantle  Hezbollah . During recent cabinet meetings, several ministers voiced opposition to a ceasefire with  Hezbollah , with some even calling for a far more significant escalation in military action. The meeting comes after sources told the Post that no plans are in place for a ceasefire in Lebanon after Hezbollah-affiliated media claimed that a ceasefire would go into e...

The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) transits the Atlantic Ocean, Feb. 15, 2026. (photo credit: US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class John R. Farren) The  United States  plans to deploy additional troops to the Middle East in the near future to strengthen its military presence in the region amid a possible continuation of the fighting with Iran,  The Washington Post  reported on Wednesday.  According to US officials cited by the report, the deployment includes a carrier strike group with approximately 6,000 personnel aboard the  USS George H.W. Bush , alongside roughly 4,200 Marines with an amphibious ready group of Naval infantry, which is expected to arrive later this month.  The deployment of troops overlaps with a  US maritime blockade targeting the Iranian ports  and the Strait of Hormuz, one of several efforts to push Tehran from an economic perspective and corner it to concede on its n...

An electronic quotation board displays the Nikkei Stock Average on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in Tokyo on Thursday.   Yuichi Yamazaki/AFP/Getty Images Asian stocks rose on Thursday,  tracking record highs  in the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite, amid investor optimism about an extension of the ceasefire and a final deal with Iran. Japan’s benchmark index Nikkei 225 gained 1.58% shortly after the open, while South Korea’s Kospi climbed 1.89%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index grew 0.68%, and Taiwan’s Taiex was up 0.48%.