President Donald Trump announced the agreement, which went into force Thursday evening, as Pakistani mediators worked to extend a U.S.-Iran ceasefire and arrange new talks.

At least 11 people, including two children, were killed as Israeli invading forces demolished homes in southern Lebanon and issued evacuation diktats.

The Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed to most commercial shipping traffic due to Iran's threats and despite an ongoing U.S. military blockade of Iranian ports aimed at forcing a reopening. The tanker gridlock is keeping global oil and gas prices high, and keeping pressure on all parties to the conflict to find a solution.

At least 36 people were killed and dozens of others injured in Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon since dawn Wednesday, as regional escalation continued to flare up, Lebanese media reported.

Attacks hit the southern suburbs of Beirut, southern Lebanon and the eastern Bekaa Valley hours after a US-Iran ceasefire was announced.

Israel carried out strikes in Lebanon on Wednesday, hours after the United States and Iran reached a Pakistani-mediated two-week cease-fire.

Lebanon and Israel are set to hold the first direct diplomatic talks in decades on Tuesday in Washington following more than a month of war between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group that has rocked the tiny Mediterranean country.

Pakistan’s army chief is meeting with Iranian officials in Tehran to ease Middle East tensions and arrange U.S.-Iran negotiations. The Tehran meetings start Thursday even as China’s

AP journalists saw charred bodies in vehicles and on the ground at one of Beirut’s busiest intersections in the central Corniche al Mazraa neighborhood, a mixed commercial and residential area.

Iran continues executions amid fragile US ceasefire