APTOPIX Iran War

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he has authorized direct negotiations with Lebanon aimed at disarming Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants and establishing relations between the neighbors. Israel and Lebanon have technically been at war since Israel was established in 1948. The announcement Thursday offered a potential boost to ceasefire efforts in the region. There was no immediate response from Lebanese authorities. The tentative ceasefire in the Iran war has staggered under the weight of Israel’s bombardment of Beirut and Tehran’s continued chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz. Netanyahu made the announcement amid disagreement over whether the ceasefire deal included a pause in fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance is heading to Pakistan for high-level talks with Iranian officials, as Israel and Hezbollah traded fire and Tehran maintained its stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz. Many issues could derail the truce and the negotiations aimed at making a broader deal to stop the fighting permanently. Earlier, President Donald Trump appeared to cast doubt on the effectiveness of a two-week ceasefire over Iran’s continued chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, while Kuwait accused Iran and its proxies of launching drone attacks despite the ceasefire. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has offered a potential boost to peace efforts by approving direct talks with Lebanon.