Adm. Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command, visited the USS Lincoln aircraft carrier on Saturday, concluding a regional tour that included stops in Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the U.S. Central Command said. The carrier, which has been at sea for more than 240 days, is part of the U.S. effort to enforce a naval blockade on Iranian ports.

The blockade was imposed after U.S. and Israeli strikes began on February 28, following Iran's assertion of control over the Strait of Hormuz; prior to the conflict, the strait handled a large share of global oil and gas traffic. Diplomatic efforts to manage the strait involve Iran and Oman, while negotiations between the United States and Iran have stalled.

Cooper praised the carrier's leadership for emphasizing mental health and resilience among its crew, noting the extended deployment. He also met with civilian and military officials in the six countries visited, according to CENTCOM.

Jared Kushner, a U.S. negotiator and son‑in‑law to former President Donald Trump, met with Hamas leader Khalil al‑Hayya in Egypt on Sunday, a meeting confirmed by regional and Hamas officials speaking on condition of anonymity. Kushner was accompanied by envoys from Egypt, Qatar and Turkey, and discussed a roadmap calling for Hamas disarmament, Israeli withdrawal and the transfer of authority to Palestinian technocrats. Kushner will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, and earlier met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el‑Sisi, whose office said the discussion focused on fulfilling ceasefire obligations in Gaza.

Netanyahu has rejected a proposed ceasefire plan that would require Israeli withdrawal from territories it controls until Hamas is completely disarmed, a position he reiterated after meeting with Kushner and other envoys.

In the Lebanon front, Israeli forces struck two Hezbollah commanders in southern Lebanon on Saturday, killing at least 11 people, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry and state news agency. The military said the targeted individuals were senior commanders involved in attacks on Israeli soldiers.

An Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis wounded five people, including a child, and killed a member of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the military said. Since the October ceasefire, Gaza health officials report at least 1,262 Palestinian deaths, a figure cited by UN agencies and independent experts as generally reliable, though it does not differentiate between civilians and militants.

Israeli lawmaker Itamar Ben‑Gvir publicly advocated nightly killings of 30 to 40 people in Gaza during a podcast interview, a statement that has been presented as evidence in international proceedings; Israel denies allegations of genocidal intent.

Iran alleged that Qatar is holding three of its pilots who disappeared in March after their jets were downed, a claim Qatar denies; Iran's Missing Persons Committee commander urged Qatar to permit a field investigation, marking the first known instance in which Iran says a regional state is detaining its fighters.