The United States is set to host direct talks between Israel and Lebanon in Washington on April 14, 2026, the first such bilateral meeting in years. At the same time, President Donald Trump has warned Iran against charging tankers for passage through the Strait of Hormuz, putting diplomatic negotiations and shipping tensions into the same market frame by the close of April 10.
Washington meeting brings both sides to the State Department
According to the report, Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter and Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh Moawad will attend the session at the State Department. The U.S. side will be led by Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa under Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s office. The article also says Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu personally instructed his cabinet to pursue direct talks.
The agenda includes the current ceasefire framework, Israeli strikes on Hezbollah positions, the issue of Hezbollah disarmament, and broader regional stability. The report adds that Lebanon’s role as a possible complication in related Iran discussions has raised the urgency around the meeting.
Trump says the U.S. will not accept Hormuz tolls
While those talks were being arranged, Trump posted on Truth Social that there were reports Iran was charging fees to tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz. If that is true, he said, Iran should stop immediately. He described the practice as “dishonorable” and as a violation of the U.S.-Iran ceasefire terms referenced in the report.
In comments carried by Fox News, Trump said, “It’s international waters … If they’re doing that, we’re not going to let that happen.” Vice President JD Vance said the U.S. military is ready if Iran attempts to obstruct free passage. The article notes that the strait carries roughly 20% of global oil trade, which explains why any dispute over access quickly feeds into pricing across markets.
Oil and metals retreat as traders price in regional tension
The source lists key market figures from April 10. In its summary data, WTI crude fell 1.33% to $96.57. In the body, it also says WTI closed near $90 per barrel, down about 1.81% on the day, after trading between $95.53 and $100.40 earlier in the week. Brent settled near $94.25, down roughly 2.23%, after opening close to $96.38.
Gold also moved lower, closing at $4,748.20 per ounce on April 10, a decline of 0.38% after touching an intraday high of $4,795.40. Silver rose 0.73% to around $75.76. Platinum dropped 2.67% to $2,044.00, palladium fell 1.89% to $1,507.00, and rhodium slipped 1.54% to $9,600.00.
Stocks close mixed while bitcoin and ether stay relatively steady
U.S. equities ended the session with mixed results. The Nasdaq Composite gained 80.48 points to 22,902.90. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 269.23 points to 47,916.57. The S&P 500 fell 7.77 points to 6,816.89, and the NYSE Composite declined 96.21 points to 22,734.50.
Crypto prices showed smaller moves. Bitcoin traded at $72,880.82, down 0.35% on the day but up 1.62% on the week and 9% on the month. Ethereum traded at $2,242.06, off 0.45% on the day, with gains of 2.39% over the week and 9.34% over the month. Based on the source, traders were treating the Washington meeting, the Hormuz dispute, and the drop in oil as parts of the same regional risk story.