US-Iran ceasefire deal hangs in the balance as Israel, Lebanon slated for rare Washington talks

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Podcast host Joe Rogan said on Thursday that President Donald Trump’s strategy in the Iran conflict "doesn’t make sense," as he continues to ramp up his criticism of the administration's military campaign against the Middle Eastern nation.

Rogan, who endorsed Trump in 2024 before becoming openly critical of Trump's war against Iran over the last two months, made the comments on his podcast, "The Joe Rogan Experience."

When asked about whether it was "going to be okay," Rogan responded that "no one f---ing knows."

"I mean, what’s going on with the Iran's — the ceasefire? Supposedly, they extended, but then they’re shooting at ships," he added.

Trump extended a ceasefire with Iran earlier this week at Pakistan's request shortly before the previous two-week truce was set to expire. The president also said the U.S. would hold onto its naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.

McCann questioned whether the war was started in an attempt to force regime change, but Rogan responded that he was unsure why the administration elected to launch the initial strikes when it did in late February.

"People have wanted people of out of Iran, the people that are running Iran, for 47 years, but no one has actually gone and done it the way this administration did," he said. "And it doesn’t make sense they choose to do it when they did."

"I think the idea is that they’re trying to negotiate about something, you know, and I don’t know how this is ever going to work out. I really don’t know," he added.

Rogan also suggested on Thursday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu influenced Trump’s decision to become involved in the conflict.

"Why did we do it? I don’t know, I think because of Israel, if I had to guess," Rogan said.

This comes days after Rogan made an appearance alongside Trump for an executive order signing at the White House to accelerate research of psychedelic drugs, during which the podcast host said the president "called me a liberal."

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee on Thursday likened the terror group Hezbollah to a child throwing rocks at neighbors' windows.

"The people of Lebanon, the people of Israel are neighbors and they want to get along," said Mike Huckabee, who was present for the White House talks in the Oval Office, where President Donald Trump announced a three-week extension of the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire.

"They can get along," he said. "But it’s like neighbors who have a rough little kid living in the neighborhood who keeps throwing rocks at everybody’s window. And if the kid will quit throwing rocks, the neighbors can get along and start actually working together."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The U.S, government has put a $10 million bounty on the leader of an Iranian-backed Shiite militia in Iraq, according to a notice from the State Department’s Rewards for Justice program.

The notice said the U.S. sought the leader of Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada.

Hashim Finyan Rahim al-Saraji led the group, of which members "killed Iraqi civilians and attacked U.S. diplomatic facilities in Iraq," the notice reads.

The announcement also accused Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada of attacking U.S. military bases and personnel in Iraq and Syria.

There are several Iran-backed Shiite militias in Iraq that are part of the country’s Popular Mobilization Forces, which was established after the fall of Mosul in 2014 to formalize volunteer units that took down the Islamic State group.

Guyana said on Thursday that a tanker seized by the U.S. in Asia for allegedly carrying sanctioned Iranian crude oil was "FRAUDULENTLY" flying the Guyana flag.

In a statement, Guyana’s Maritime Administration Department said the vessel was formerly known as Phonix, which the U.S. Treasury acknowledged when it previously sanctioned the ship.

"This ship is NOT registered in Guyana; thus, the registration is false and fraudulent," the statement said.

"While the name of the vessel has changed, the [International Maritime Organization] number remains recorded in the international database as PHONIX. There is no record of this vessel or name in Guyana’s registry," it continued.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The U.N. development chief said on Thursday that more than 30 million people will be pushed back into poverty due to the war on Iran amid disruptions to fuel and fertilizer supplies as farmers are planting crops.

Fertilizer shortages have already cut agricultural productivity, which would likely impact crop yields later this year, the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme Alexander De Croo told Reuters.

"Food insecurity will be at its peak level in a few months — and there is not much that you can do about it," he said.

He said other fallouts caused by the war include energy shortages and falling remittances.

"Even if the war would stop tomorrow, those effects, you already have them, and they will be pushing back more than 30 million people into poverty," he said.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Iran’s economic losses from the ongoing conflict could range between $50 billion and $300 billion — roughly 40% of its prewar GDP — according to a preliminary assessment by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD).

In a recent report, the organization cautions that Iran’s opaque financial system, sizable informal economy, and disruptions caused by wartime conditions make precise estimates difficult.

The report also emphasizes that its figures likely understate the true cost, as several major categories — such as human capital losses and postwar reconstruction — were not included in the analysis.

Clearing out the Strait of Hormuz once it opens and restoring normal shipping flows will take “several quarters,” according to Dow CEO Jim Fitterling.

The Strait of Hormuz initially shut down in early March at the onset of the Iran war but was closed again by Iran after the U.S. implemented a port blockade.

“Some scenario planning that we did said that even if the Strait were to reopen today, just to clear the logistics logjam … is going to take 275 days, maybe more now,” Fitterling said on CNBC’s “Mad Money.”

“You’ve got to get empty ships back. We’ve got to clean out the Strait and the Arabian Gulf. We’ve got to get empty ships back in,” he said.

“This is not going to be in a month or two. This is going to be several quarters before you’re going to see things return to normal," he added. 

Iran has unretired a large crude carrier (VLCC), typically used for long-haul oil transport, amid mounting storage pressure at Kharg Island.

The move comes 10 days after the U.S. blockade was imposed to halt Iranian oil exports and pressure Tehran into a new deal during the ongoing conflict.

“To prepare for the possibility of running out of oil storage space at Kharg Island, Iran has brought NASHA (9079107) out of retirement,” Tanker Trackers said in a post shared on X.

“She’s a 30-year-old VLCC that’s been anchored empty for the past few years; currently spending four days on a trip that should take 1.5 to 2 days,” it said.

U.S. sailors and marines aboard three aircraft carrier strike groups across the Middle East eat more than 12,000 eggs each day, according to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).

The command also confirmed that a single aircraft carrier typically serves about 4,000 eggs daily to its crew.

“Sailors aboard aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) serve meals to crew members. A typical aircraft carrier strike group serves around 4,000 eggs daily,” the command said in a post shared on X.

“Three aircraft carrier strike groups are currently operating in the Middle East. Combined, the Sailors and Marines from these units consume over 12,000 eggs each day.”

Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi said Thursday that Hezbollah continues to gamble with citizens’ lives in southern Lebanon. His remarks came as ceasefire violations persisted in the region.

“Hezbollah continues to gamble with the fate of the southern villages and their people for agendas that have nothing to do with Lebanon’s national interest,” Raggi said in a post shared on X.

The Israeli Defense Forces said Thursday that they eliminated two armed terrorists who were identified as approaching IDF soldiers in the area of Ainata in southern Lebanon.

The forces also uncovered a 25-meter-deep underground Hezbollah command center inside a clothing store in al-Khiyam.

“Inside it were weapons and rooms used for managing terror operations by the terrorist organization’s operatives,” the IDF said on X.

Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter said Thursday that Israel is working in coordination with the Lebanese government to eliminate Hezbollah in the region and called the group a “malign influence.”

Speaking in the Oval Office, Leiter emphasized Israel’s broader goals, saying, “Israel wants peace with Lebanon, and Israel wants security for its citizens.”

“We’re united with the Lebanese government in wanting to rid the country of this malign influence called Hezbollah,” he added.

Addressing President Donald Trump directly during the meeting, Leiter said recent developments had shifted the regional balance of power.

“And now that, under your leadership, Iran has been so degraded, the possibility of degrading Hezbollah and liberating Lebanon from their occupation is real,” he said.

Leiter also expressed hope for a diplomatic breakthrough, adding, “We hope that together, under your leadership, we can formalize peace between Israel and Lebanon in the very near future.”

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday that Iran is not barred from entering the United States for the FIFA World Cup but cautioned that restrictions could apply to some.

“Nothing from the U.S. has told them they can't come,” Rubio told reporters, emphasizing that any concerns are not about Iran’s athletes.

Instead, he noted the issue lies with “some of the other people that we want to bring with them, some of whom have ties to the IRGC.”

Rubio stressed that individuals linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) would not be allowed to enter under false pretenses.

 “What they can't bring is a bunch of IRGC terrorists into our country and pretend that they're, you know, journalists and athletic trainers,” he said.

He added, “We may not be able to let them in, but not the athletes themselves.”

President Donald Trump said Thursday that the U.S. is continuing to demand that Iran end funding for proxy groups in the Middle East.

His remarks came as he hosted a meeting at the White House with Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to the U.S., and other officials.

Trump indicated that any deal between Washington and Tehran would hinge on ending such support, and he said Iran would “have to cut that,” responding to a question about supporting Hezbollah. “That’s a must.”

Trump also said he would be hosting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the White House in the “near future.” 

Iran’s supreme leader responded to President Donald Trump’s remarks about divisions within the Islamic Republic’s leadership Thursday.

“Due to the strange unity created among compatriots, a fracture has occurred in the enemy,” Khamenei said in a post shared on X.

“With practical gratitude for this blessing, cohesion has become even greater and more steel-like, and the enemies will become more wretched and diminished.

 “The enemy's media operations, by targeting the minds and psyches of the people, intend to undermine national unity and security; may our negligence not allow this sinister intent to come to fruition,” he said.

Mojtaba Khamenei’s comments came after Trump shared a post on Truth Social mentioning infighting among Iran's leaders.

“Iran is having a very hard time figuring out who their leader is! They just don’t know! The infighting is between the ‘Hardliners,’ who have been losing BADLY on the battlefield, and the ‘Moderates,’ who are not very moderate at all (but gaining respect!), and it is CRAZY!” he said.

President Donald Trump said Thursday that Iran is still seeking negotiations with the United States amid mounting economic strain and internal instability, declaring, “They want to make a deal.”

Speaking at the Oval Office, Trump also said that Tehran will not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon.

“They're not doing well economically, financially, and they're not doing any business because of the blockade. They want to make a deal,” he said at a Drug Pricing Regeneron Event.

“We have been speaking to them, but they don't even know who's leading the country.

“They're in turmoil. So we thought we'd give them a little chance to get some of their turmoil resolved,” before adding that he “took a little break” and “gave them a break.”

Addressing the nuclear topic, which remains a key sticking point between the two nations, Trump reiterated that Iran “cannot have the nuclear bomb,” before adding, “they're not going to have the nuclear bomb.”

“So we've taken out their military. We've hit about 75% of our targets,” he said.

Trump also went on to say that the military campaign stopped early “because they wanted to have some peace.”

Returning to the issues within the Iranian regime’s leadership team, Trump said that we don’t know who the leader is in Iran because “Khamenei is gone. He's gone to greener pastures. He's gone, and all of his team is gone,” he said.

“Then a second group came in. They're all gone. And now you have the third group. And they were a little concerned about being gone too,” Trump added.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced Thursday that a third aircraft carrier has arrived in the Middle East.

This came after President Donald Trump extended the Iran ceasefire indefinitely.

“Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) sails in the Indian Ocean in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, April 23,” the command said in a post shared on X.

The arrival of the carrier marks the first time three carriers have been in the Middle East at the same time since 2003.

The USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier is now in the Indian Ocean under CENTCOM's area of responsibility, CENTCOM said in a statement.

The Bush joined the USS Gerald Ford, which was last spotted in the Red Sea, and the USS Abraham Lincoln, which was last spotted in the Arabian Sea.

The USS Bush went around the African continent to avoid the Houthis in the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

It is expected to replace the USS Ford, which has already been at sea for more than 300 days.

That is the longest deployment of an aircraft carrier since the Vietnam War in 1973. In that instance, the USS Midway was deployed for 332 days, and the crew received a Presidential Citation, the highest award a unit can receive in the military.

Fox News’ Liz Friden contributed to this report.

Amid the charged exchanges between President Trump and Iran’s fragmented leadership over the regime's insistence that it retain its nuclear enrichment system, top experts on Iran’s atomic weapons program support the Commander-in-Chief’s ironclad goal to dissolve it.

One of the main sticking points during the intense talks between Tehran and Washington centers on Iran’s claim that the rogue regime has a right to enrich and possess weapon-grade uranium — the material required to build an atomic bomb.

The showdown over enriched uranium might be the core deal breaker issue when and if the next round of talks to reach a nuclear agreement goes ahead in Pakistan.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmael Baqaei, vehemently rejected Trump’s demand last week on state-controlled television.

"Iran’s enriched uranium is not going to be transferred anywhere under any circumstances," he declared.

Trump claimed Iran had agreed to "give us back the nuclear dust that’s way underground."

The President terms Iran’s 440 kilograms of enriched uranium as "nuclear dust" after sustained U.S. military strikes on the Iranian facilities that store the country’s stockpile of uranium.

"The United States should insist on a permanent ban of Iranian enrichment and its full dismantlement in negotiations.

Iran retaining any enrichment infrastructure in anticipation of the end of a moratorium would allow it to cheat as soon as Trump leaves office and resume its path to nuclear weapons," Andrea Stricker, deputy director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies' nonproliferation program, told Fox News Digital.

This is an excerpt from a report by Benjamin Weinthal.