What to know

– Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the United States will continue its blockade of Iranian ports and ships near theStrait of Hormuz for “as long as it takes” during a press conference at the Pentagon this morning. Iran and the U.S. have seized vessels along the key oil route in recent days amid a ceasefire extension announced earlier this week.

– President Donald Trump said Lebanon and Israel agreed to extend their ceasefire by three weeks following negotiations at the White House yesterday. Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militia Israel is at war with in Lebanon, was not represented at the talks. A Hezbollah politician called the ceasefire extension “meaningless” this morning as Israel continued its strikes in southern Lebanon.

– Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to travel to Islamabad tonight with a small team to discuss next steps in peace negotiations with the U.S., a Pakistani government official told MS NOW. A second round of peace talks is expected to take place after discussions with the Pakistani mediating team, the official said.