A Ceasefire, a Blockade, and a Clock Running Out for Trump

Conflict Update (as of 12:00 a.m. ET, April 18) The U.S. rushed to lock in a 10-day Israel-Lebanon ceasefire starting on Thursday because the Lebanon front was starting to blow up the Iran talks. The Lebanon ceasefire did not get off to a smooth start, with Israeli strikes continuing right up to the deadline, killing civilians, and Hezbollah openly signaling it doesn’t trust the deal. Iran backed the Lebanon pause immediately and tied it to its own ceasefire with Washington, making clear it expects the regional fighting to be part of any…