The status of the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's nuclear enrichment program are among the biggest obstacles to extending the truce, which expires Wednesday evening.

Iran executed two men convicted of having links to Israel's spy agency, the latest in a string of executions since the outbreak of war with Israel and the United States. "The death sentences of Mohammad Masoom-shahi and Hamed Validi were carried out at dawn today,

Gas prices have been going down slowly over the past few days. But it may not last, as a U.S.-Iran ceasefire is about to expire. (AP Photo)

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.

The historic ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon reveals a shifting role for Hezbollah in the decades-long war. NPR's Leila Fadel speaks with Maha Yahya of the Carnegie Middle East Center.

U.S. Treasury yields were unmoved Friday as investors closely monitored events in the Middle East after Israel and Lebanon agreed to a 10-day ceasefire. The 10-year U.S. Treasury note yield — the key benchmark for U.S. government borrowing — held steady at 4.2994%.

Asian currencies consolidated against the dollar as traders assess Middle East developments.

Middle East ceasefire holds but skepticism remains over Strait of Hormuz traffic normalization. Market at 0% YES.