Israel and Lebanon have resumed direct talks as their conflict involving Hezbollah has emerged as the biggest stumbling block in Iran ceasefire negotiations.
According to AFP on Tuesday (local time), Israel and Lebanon resumed direct dialogue in Washington, D.C. It marks the fourth time the two countries, which have no diplomatic relations, have held direct talks. The negotiations will take place over two days at the U.S. State Department building, AFP reported.
The talks come shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump made a phone call to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, sharply rebuking him over the attacks on Lebanon.
The armed clashes between Israel and Hezbollah, the pro-Iranian militant group in Lebanon, have emerged as a variable in the U.S.-Iran war-ending negotiations, which are seen as nearing their final stage. Iranian media reported that Tehran considers Israel's attacks on Lebanon a violation of the ceasefire and has decided to suspend dialogue with the United States.
In response, Trump said on social media a day earlier that he had communicated separately with Israel and Hezbollah to halt hostilities, expressing hope that both sides would reach a permanent peace agreement.
Israel and Lebanon reached a ceasefire agreement in April under U.S. mediation, but continued clashes since then have remained a destabilizing factor in the Middle East.
