Trump hopes to host Lebanese President, Netanyahu over 'next couple of weeks'

Day 24 of ceasefire

The US-Israel-Iran ceasefire has entered Day 24, and preparations for negotiations between Israel and Lebanon are also underway.

US President Donald Trump said he hopes to host Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "over the next couple of weeks" as the two countries prepare for direct negotiations.

Meanwhile, Iran said on Thursday it would respond with "long and painful strikes" on US positions if Washington renewed attacks and restated its claim to the Strait of Hormuz, complicating US plans for a coalition to reopen the waterway.

However, a senior Trump administration official recently said there has been no exchange of fire between the US armed forces and Iran since the ceasefire began.

Two months into the US-Israeli war with Iran, the vital sea channel remains closed, choking off 20 per cent of the world's oil and gas supplies, Reuters reported. This has sent global energy prices surging and heightened concerns about the risks of an economic downturn.

While the ceasefire has been in place since April 8, Iran is still blocking the strait in response to a US naval blockade of Iran ports.