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Sec. Hegseth, Gen. Caine update on Operation Epic Fury
Commander of U.S. Central Command Admiral Bradley Cooper joined Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine Thursday morning to provide an update on Operation Epic Fury from the Pentagon.
No vessels have made it past the U.S. naval blockade of Iran in the 48 hours it has been in effect, Adm. Brad Cooper, the head of the U.S. Central Command, said on Wednesday. Central Command reported that 10 vessels have complied with orders to turn around and return to Iranian ports or the country's coastal area.
Maps4Media processed and enhanced Sentinal-2 satellite imagery shows a broad view of the Strait of Hormuz between southern Iran and Oman's Musandam Peninsula, including surrounding islands, coastal terrain, and turquoise shallow-water zones at the en …
With the blockade in effect and expected to weigh heavily on the Iranian economy, officials in Washington looked to ramp up that pressure with what Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described as the "financial equivalent" of the bombing campaign. Bessent added that the administration has warned other countries and companies against buying Iranian oil or having Iranian money in their banks.
Meanwhile, talks between Iran and Pakistan got underway on Wednesday and were expected to continue Thursday, according to Iranian state media. Pakistani officials, who have been mediating talks between Tehran and Washington, were expected to talk about their latest communications with the U.S.
Here's the latest:
Trump willing to extend ceasefire
2:20 p.m. ET: President Trump spoke to reporters at the White House prior to departing for Las Vegas. He said he's willing to extend the two week ceasefire that is set to expire on Wednesday.
"If we’re close to a deal, would I extend?" Trump told reporters. "Yeah, I would do that."
Israel and Lebanon presidents invited to White House
Trump says Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a ceasefire
11:50 a.m. ET: President Trump took to social media and said Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a 10-day ceasefire.
Trump said he spoke with Lebanese President Aoun and Israeli President Netanyahu and said they have achieved a peace agreement between their countries.
The ceasefire will formally begin at 5 p.m.
President Trump via Truth Social
Pentagon pushes Iran to agree to a deal
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (R) speaks alongside US CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper (L) during a press briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, on April 16, 2026. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images)
9:15 a.m. ET: Secretary of State Pete Hegseth spoke with reporters in a press briefing at the Pentagon, urging Iran to make a deal.
"We’d prefer to do it the nice way through a deal led by our great vice president and negotiating team. Or we can do it the hard way," Hegseth said.
Part of the points of interest in negotiations continue to be focused on Iran's nuclear program. Iran insists that they are not seeking a nuclear weapon, saying their nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.
Trump says Israel and Lebanon to meet again
6:33 a.m. ET: President Trump took to social media to say that leaders from both Israel and Lebanon would be meeting to talk on Thursday to discuss a deal for a ceasefire between the two nations.
The two last spoke earlier this week in Washington for the first such meeting in decades.
President Trump via Truth Social
The Source: Information for this article was taken from the Associated Press. This story was reported from Orlando.