Ceasefire Prospects Remain Dim Amid Continued Bombing
Israel hasn’t changed its position on linkage between the Lebanese invasion and a US-Iran deal.
Prospects for the survival of a US-Iran ceasefire arguably remain dim as President Donald Trump expressed both optimism and new threats. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to bend slightly, deciding to open direct talks with Lebanon, whose territory Israel invaded as part of the war.
But Netanyahu hasn’t changed his position that Israel’s Lebanese bombing campaign, which he says is directed at Iran-aligned Hezbollah, isn’t part of the US-Iran deal. Iranian officials have said the attacks, which have killed more than 1,700 people since the war began, must stop if the Strait of Hormuz is to be fully reopened to traffic.