As thousands of displaced families flooded the main highway to southern Lebanon on Friday, analysts are crediting Iran’s peace talks demands for the 10-day truce between Lebanon and Israel that came into effect at midnight
Iran has insisted Lebanon and Hezbollah become part of the wider peace talks between it and the US. With President Donald Trump’s “desperation” to find an “off-ramp” out of the Iran war, sufficient pressure was brought to bear on Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to engage in peace talks with Lebanon and agree to a ceasefire between the two neighbouring countries, analysts say.
Meanwhile Iran’s foreign minister said on Friday that the Strait of Hormuz was “completely open” for all commercial ships after the cease-fire in Lebanon.
However, Trump said a US blockade of Iranian ports would continue until a “complete,” peace deal was achieved.
Earlier this week US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, hosted Lebanese and Israeli delegations in Washington for peace talks and which led to the ceasefire.
The New York Times reports that one of the main questions in Lebanon on Friday morning was if the cease-fire would hold. NNA, the state news agency, reported traffic jams on roads leading to southern Lebanon, from where many had fled because of Israeli evacuation orders and bombardment.
Earlier, the Lebanese army said it had recorded several Israeli violations since the cease-fire went into effect at midnight.
Yesterday Trump hailed the cease-fire in Lebanon as a “historic day for Lebanon,” he wrote on social media.
“Good things are happening!!!”
The president announced the 10-day truce after an American diplomatic push, removing a major obstacle in the efforts to end the war with Iran. “No more killing. Must finally have PEACE!” Trump said in a post earlier on Thursday.
However, Iran’s core set of demands remain. They include: The US must abandon “excessive demands”, negotiations based on mutual respect and on an equal footing, and Iran’s nuclear programme as a non-negotiable.
Over the past months the US has called on Iran to stop uranium enrichment and curb its missile programme. Iran has rejected both calls.