Iran…Trump …Evening….4/16/2026….Lebanon-Israel Cease-Fire…Another Iran-Trump Cease-Fire?

Israel and Hezbollah had continued to trade strikes in the hours before the cease-fire was set to take effect, according to statements from each military.

The U.S. State Department, outlining the truce in a memo on Thursday, said that Israel would retain its right “to take all necessary measures in self-defense,” but would not carry out “offensive operations” against Lebanese targets by land, air or sea. The Lebanese government, with international support, is expected to take “meaningful steps” to prevent Hezbollah from carrying out attacks against Israeli targets.

The Lebanese government does not have direct control over Hezbollah, an armed group considered more powerful than the state’s military. Still, Hezbollah has abided by some previous deals negotiated by the Lebanese government.

The fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, Iran’s most powerful proxy, has threatened to upend the two-week cease-fire between the United States and Iran, which is set to expire next week. Iran has insisted the cease-fire must cover attacks on its ally Hezbollah, too.

Mr. Trump told reporters at the White House that the next in-person negotiations with Iran might occur this weekend. Mr. Trump said he would consider extending the pause in fighting if the United States is close to a deal with Iran. He has repeatedly suggested a deal is near.

It was not clear whether Lebanese displaced from the country’s south would be able to return home; Israel has signaled recently that it was planning to occupy large parts of the area even after the current conflict.

More than 2,100 people have been killed in Lebanon during the current round of fighting, Lebanese authorities say, and over one million residents displaced. At least 13 Israeli soldiers have also been killed, along with two civilians, according to the Israeli authorities.

Here’s what else we are covering:

• U.S. threats: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday renewed U.S. threats to attack Iran’s power plants and other energy sites if its leaders did not agree to a peace deal.

• Help from automakers: The Pentagon has met with executives of Ford Motor and General Motors to gauge whether the auto industry could help the military replenish some supplies. Read more ›

• Iran talks: On Thursday, Pakistan said that it expected to host a second round of negotiations between the United States and Iran but declined to give a date, as senior Pakistani mediators visited Tehran in an effort to shore up the U.S.-Iran cease-fire.

• Timeline: Here’s a brief history of Israel-Lebanon relations.

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AP….

• A 10-day ceasefire announced by U.S. President Donald Trump and agreed on by Lebanon and Israel started at midnight local time. The Israeli and Lebanese governments agreed to the ceasefire following more than a month of war between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon. Nearly 2,200 people in Lebanon have been killed by Israeli air strikes.
• Hezbollah said in a statement that “any ceasefire must be comprehensive across all Lebanese territory and must not allow the Israeli enemy any freedom of movement.” Israel has staged a ground invasion in southern Lebanon, which Netanyahu says Israel will continue to occupy during the ceasefire. Hezbollah said that continuing Israeli occupation grants Lebanon the right to resist.
• Trump also said he’s inviting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to the White House for the leaders’ first direct talks in over 30 years. Aoun had refused to speak with Netanyahu hours earlier. Israel’s and Lebanon’s respective ambassadors to the U.S. held their first direct diplomatic talks in decades earlier this week.
• Pakistan’s army chief met with Iranian officials in Tehran on Thursday in a bid to extend the separate ceasefire between Israel, the U.S. and Iran. Uncertainty remains whether the frantic diplomacy can lead to a deal. A second round of US-Iran talks hasn’t been scheduled yet, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Thursda

ISW….Iran Update Special Report, April 16, 2026

1. The main sticking point in current US-Iran negotiations is reportedly Iran’s enrichment of uranium and its highly enriched uranium stockpile. The IRGC appears to be playing an outsized role in Iranian decision-making in these negotiations, traditionally meant for civilian leadership.
2. Iran appears to have not compromised on its stance over the Strait of Hormuz and its nuclear program, despite Iranian sources attempting to illustrate that Iran has compromised and the two sides have made progress in negotiations, however. Iran is leveraging its position over the Strait of Hormuz to extract concessions while maintaining its claim to control access to the waterway.
3. US President Donald Trump stated on April 16 that the United States is “very close” to reaching a deal with Iran. Trump stated that Iran “has agreed to almost everything” and added that Iran has agreed to hand over its enriched uranium stockpile. Iran has not publicly confirmed Trump’s remarks at the time of this writing.
4. The United States is targeting materiel support to Iran’s armed forces and military capabilities through the blockade. The blockade also continues to impose economic costs on Iran.
5. The Iranian missile force is exploiting the current ceasefire to reconstitute its tactical and operational-level units, but rebuilding the industrial facilities and other components that sustain the missile force at the strategic level will be extremely challenging.
6. US President Donald Trump announced that Lebanon and Israel have agreed to a 10-day ceasefire beginning at 5:00 PM ET on April 16. Netanyahu stated that Lebanon must disarm Hezbollah and establish a ”lasting peace agreement” with Israel.