US President Donald Trump said Thursday the US expects a complete ceasefire on all fronts, including Israel, Lebanon and Hezbollah, as Washington presses ahead with the Iran deal.
"We expect a complete ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon, Hezbollah, and Israel," Trump said in a Truth Social post.
Trump noted that the US was committed to peace. "The United States is committed to peace, and we encourage everyone in the Middle East Region to maintain their commitment to allowing our negotiations to beautifully unfold," he posted.
On markets, Trump said they were responding positively, with oil prices declining and stocks rising.
Earlier in the day, Vice President J D Vance told reporters during a press briefing at the White House that the Trump administration is in regular contact with Israeli officials.
"Israel has the right to defend itself, but fundamentally the Israelis, just like everybody else, have to respect this peace process that is fundamentally good for them and good for the entire region," Vance said, stressing that Washington expects all parties to support ongoing diplomatic efforts.
The vice president said Trump has been frustrated when violence threatens progress toward an agreement.
"What the president has grown frustrated sometimes is that we seem to be right on the cusp of a major breakthrough in the agreement, and then all of a sudden there's a major explosion that goes off in a civilian population center in Beirut, and a lot of people who have nothing to do with Hezbollah lose their lives." Vance said, calling such incidents "not acceptable."
Vance said Washington wants to curb Hezbollah's ability to threaten Israel. "We do not want Hezbollah attacking Israel," he said, adding that the US seeks a framework that cuts off funding and support flowing to the group from Iran.
Additionally, Vance doubled down on Israel, reiterating that Israel must not turn upon its allies.
"If I was in the cabinet of the Israeli government, I might not be attacking the only powerful ally that I have anywhere left in the entire world," Vance said, referring to criticism of the Iran agreement by some Israeli cabinet members.
Separately, the US Treasury Department on Thursday sanctioned Lebanese officials and business figures who the US claimed were allegedly helping Hezbollah retain influence and delay efforts to disarm the group. "Hizballah must disarm for Lebanon to achieve a secure and prosperous future," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement.
Treasury also expanded sanctions on a Hezbollah-linked business network operating across Lebanon and other countries, saying the measures target financial channels that generate revenue for the Iran-backed proxy group.