President Donald Trump said Project Freedom will be paused in the Strait of Hormuz as "Great Progress has been made toward a Complete and Final Agreement with Representatives of Iran."

Trump threatens Iran with "higher level" strikes if it won't accept a peace deal, but says it's too soon for direct talks after reporting diplomatic progress.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the ceasefire is holding despite Iran’s attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and its neighbors.

Rubio led a White House briefing with pointed remarks on Iran before traveling to Italy for meetings with Pope Leo and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

It's the second time the Navy has used force against an Iranian commercial vessel since the Trump administration's blockade began last month.

The US stock market isn’t the only market that’s rebounded to record highs.

President Trump is once again claiming the U.S. is on the cusp of a deal with Iran and that the Iranians are desperate to negotiate, even as Tehran has shown no sign of agreeing and U.S. gas prices remain above four dollars and fifty cents a gallon.

Oil prices fell further, extending a sharp decline from a day earlier on investor optimism about diplomacy between the U.S. and Iran. Brent crude, the global benchmark, was more than 2% lower at around $99 a barrel.