Israel Seeks Lebanon Talks After Bombardments Threaten Iran Truce

ISRAEL – In a potential boost to Middle East ceasefire efforts, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he authorized direct negotiations with Lebanon “as soon as possible,” aimed at disarming Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants and establishing relations between the neighbors.

This comes just a day after the worst bombardment of the war killed more than 300 people in Lebanon and placed Donald Trump’s U.S.-Iran ceasefire in jeopardy.

In Pakistan, authorities were preparing for the first round of U.S.-Iran talks, locking down parts of the capital, Islamabad.

There was no sign Iran was lifting its near-total blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, with Israel’s ongoing attacks on Lebanon cited as a key sticking point.

In a defiant statement on Thursday, Iran’s supreme leader said that Iran was not seeking war but will not forfeit its rights.