Trump says US Navy attacked and seized Iranian-flagged cargo ship

"U.S. Marines have custody of the vessel," Trump said.

Last Updated: April 19, 2026, 10:21 PM EDT

President Donald Trump announced "major combat operations" against Iran on Feb. 28, with massive joint U.S.-Israeli strikes targeting military and government sites.

After initial U.S.-Iran talks in Pakistan failed to reach a peace deal, Trump announced Sunday, April 19, that U.S. negotiators would head back to Islamabad Monday for a new round.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Vice President JD Vance would accompany special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law, to Islamabad for the talks.

Iran's continuing blockage of the Strait of Hormuz and their alleged refusal to abandon their nuclear program remain key sticking points in negotiations, according to Trump.

Apr 16, 2026, 12:05 AM EDT

Leaders of Israel and Lebanon to speak Thursday, Trump says

In a post on his social media platform, President Donald Trump said the leaders of Israel and Lebanon would be speaking on Thursday, following high-level talks between Israeli and Lebanese diplomats mediated by the U.S. earlier this week. 

"Trying to get a little breathing room between Israel and Lebanon," Trump said in the post. "It has been a long time since the two leaders have spoken, like 34 years. It will happen tomorrow. Nice!"

The White House did not immediately respond to questions about who would be speaking from the Israeli and Lebanese sides.

Trump's announcement of additional talks between the two countries came after the State Department convened a trilateral meeting in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors.

The State Department on Tuesday called this week's talks "the first major high-level engagement between the governments of Israel and Lebanon since 1993."

-ABC News' Nicholas Kerr

Apr 15, 2026, 4:28 PM EDT

Iran stops exporting petrochemical products

Iran has suspended exports of petrochemical products until further notice, according to Iranian State run Mehr News. This does not include crude oil exports.

This is being done to "to meet domestic market needs," according to Mehr.

-ABC News' Cindy Smith

Apr 15, 2026, 4:06 PM EDT

White House offers few new details on ongoing negotiations between U.S. and Iran

Administration officials familiar with the ongoing negotiations between the U.S. and Iran remain bullish that another in-person meeting between the two will be arranged soon and likely take place before the ceasefire expires next week.

Communication between negotiators from both countries have continued at a steady clip since the first round of talks wrapped, two U.S. officials said, adding that these conversations have taken place primarily though indirect channels but also via direct lines.

The administration’s goal is to bring both sides to the brink of an overarching deal to end the conflict that can then be pushed over the finish line in a second face-to-face meeting, according to the officials.

The officials acknowledge that technical talks to hammer out the fine details and implementation of the arrangement will likely take longer to complete, perhaps eventually necessitating an extension of the initial ceasefire, but that pushing back the truce’s expiration date isn’t a top priority for the administration at the moment.

Vice President JD Vance, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have continued to be involved in negotiations throughout the week, but it’s not guaranteed that all three would represent the U.S. in second round of talks, one official said.

-ABC News' Shannon K. Kingston

Apr 15, 2026, 3:19 PM EDT

Nearly 2,200 killed in Lebanon as Netanyahu says Israel continues to strike Hezbollah

At least 2,167 people have been killed and 7,061 injured in Israeli strikes on Lebanon as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says strikes on Hezbollah continue, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.

Netanyahu said that Israeli forces are still striking Lebanon saying, "We are about to overwhelm Bint Jbeil, we are about to essentially eliminate this great stronghold of Hezbollah," in a video message Wednesday.

A photograph taken from the Israeli side of the border with Lebanon shows destroyed buildings in southern Lebanon on April 15, 2026.
Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images

"I gave instructions to the IDF yesterday to continue to deepen the security zone, and also to deploy it east to the slopes of Mount Hermon," Netanyahu added.

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