President Trump says US Navy will begin blockade of Strait of Hormuz

Officials from the National Security Council, the State Department, and the Department of Defense are also traveling to Pakistan in support of the negotiations with Iran, according to a U.S. official.

"As the Vice President said this morning, he is hopeful for a positive negotiation if the Iranians are willing to work in good faith. President Trump has a proven track record of achieving good deals on behalf of the United States and the American people, and he will only accept one that puts America first," White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement.

The Trump administration has been criticized for failing to include subject matter experts during previous rounds of negotiations with Iran.

As previously announced by the White House, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner are traveling to Islamabad for the talks as well.

At least 1,953 people have been killed, and 6,303 injured, in Israeli strikes on Lebanon since the war began, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health.

Of those killed, 357 were killed in the massive Israeli strikes on Wednesday alone as the death toll continues to rise. Another 1,223 were injured in Wednesday strikes.

"This toll is still not final due to continued search and rescue efforts and presence of a very large amount of human remains, which requires time to complete DNA tests and confirm the identities of the victims, before determining the final toll of the victims of April 8," the health ministry said.

-ABC News' Ghazi Balkiz

President Donald Trump said that U.S. military vessels near Iran are being prepared and reloaded with ammunition in case the peace talks in Islamabad, Pakistan, fail, according to the NY Post.

“But we’re loading up the ships. We’re loading up the ships with the best weapons ever made, even at a higher level than we used to do a complete decimation … And if we don’t have a deal, we will be using them, and we will be using them very effectively,” Trump reportedly said.

“We have a reset going,” he also said, according to the Post.

When asked by the Post if he believes the upcoming peace talks will be successful, Trump reportedly said, “we’re going to find out in about 24 hours. We’re going to know soon.”

At least 13 state security personnel were killed in an Israeli strike on a government building in Nabatieh, south Lebanon, according to Lebanese State Security.

"The General Directorate of State Security condemns these attacks that target military personnel and civilians on Lebanese soil," Lebanese State Security said in a statement Friday.