Israel, Lebanon to hold new round of talks hosted by US

Technical talks between Iran and the United States in Switzerland ended with a proposal to establish a negotiating group on nuclear issues and sanctions, Iranian state media said on Tuesday.

According to the IRNA state news agency, Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said the envoys “decided that four working groups will be established: sanctions termination, nuclear matters, reconstruction and economic development, and monitoring and implementation.”

Israel and Lebanon are set to begin a fifth round of talks in Washington DC on Tuesday, as a fragile ceasefire in Lebanon appears to be at a standstill.

Lebanon was drawn into the broader Middle East conflict in early March, when the Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorist group attacked Israel in retaliation for US-Israeli attacks on Iran. Israel responded with attacks across the country and later invaded the south, where Israeli troops are stationed.

Beirut has called for US-brokered talks with Israel as a means to ensure peace. Lebanese leaders, including President Joseph Aoun, say Tehran cannot negotiate on Beirut’s behalf.

Nevertheless, the interim peace agreement between the United States and Iran calls for an end to all hostilities, including in Lebanon, a key condition of Tehran, which it has negotiated on more than one occasion.

Fighting in Lebanon has subsided since Saturday night, a significant development that earlier rounds of Lebanon-Israel talks had failed to secure permanently.

Israel is not a party to the US-Iran peace agreement.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Israeli forces would maintain their “freedom of action” against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

“Iran wanted us to withdraw, but I stood firm,” Netanyahu said. “We are maintaining our freedom of action and we are maintaining a security zone to protect civilians in northern Israel.”

Beirut has said that Israel’s withdrawal from its territories was the main goal of the talks.

hello! Here are the latest updates on peace efforts between the US and Iran, as well as other developments related to the broader Middle East conflict and ongoing efforts to resolve it.

On Tuesday, Iranian state media reported that technical talks with Washington in Switzerland had ended. Meanwhile, Israel and Lebanon are set to begin a new round of talks in Washington.

Earlier on Monday:

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