-- US equity indexes rose ahead of Thursday's close after Israel and Lebanon agreed to a 10-day ceasefire, removing a major obstacle to the Middle East diplomacy for a lasting Iran truce deal.
The Nasdaq Composite rose 0.2% to 24,069.1, with the S&P 500 up 0.2% to 7,035.2, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average higher by 0.2% to 48,583.5. Energy, real estate, and technology led the gainers. Health care was the worst performer.
President Trump said the US might hold discussions with Iran this weekend, The Wall Street Journal reported. "We're very close to making a deal," the president told reporters outside the White House, according to the WSJ. Trump said he wasn't sure the current two-week ceasefire in the war would need to be extended, according to the report.
Earlier on Thursday, Trump said on Truth Social that Lebanon and Israel have agreed to a 10-day ceasefire starting 5 pm ET. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said he welcomed the decision. In a follow-up social media post on Thursday, Trump said he will invite the Lebanese President, Joseph Aoun, and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House for talks.
Meanwhile, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Thursday that the naval blockade of Iran is an example of "polite" behavior during the ongoing ceasefire, and US forces are ready to strike power plants and the energy industry in the country, if ordered, according to a report from Reuters.
West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures rose 2.5% to $93.77, and Brent crude futures jumped 3.7% to $98.58.