Lebanon has announced a partial ceasefire agreement between Hezbollah and Israel, marking a limited effort to ease tensions in a conflict that has claimed thousands of lives and become increasingly intertwined with the broader war involving Iran, Israel and the United States.
According to Lebanon’s embassy in Washington, the agreement stops short of ending the conflict altogether. Under the arrangement, Israel is expected to halt airstrikes on Beirut and Hezbollah-controlled suburbs, while Hezbollah would suspend attacks against Israeli territory.
The announcement was first revealed by U.S. President Donald Trump, who said Hezbollah had conveyed through intermediaries that it would refrain from targeting Israel. Trump also stated that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had agreed to withdraw forces preparing for operations near Beirut.
Despite the development, fighting continued in southern Lebanon, where Israeli forces have been conducting military operations since March. The Israeli military reported early Tuesday that it intercepted two projectiles launched from Lebanon into northern Israel, with no injuries recorded.
Netanyahu later clarified that Israeli military operations in southern Lebanon would continue, particularly around the Zaharani River area, where Israeli troops have reportedly reached their deepest advance into Lebanese territory in more than two decades.
Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah said the group would support a comprehensive ceasefire across Lebanon if it led to the withdrawal of Israeli troops. However, he stopped short of confirming whether Hezbollah would immediately cease all attacks against Israel.
Lebanese officials said they would seek to broaden the ceasefire agreement during talks with Israeli representatives scheduled to take place in Washington on Wednesday.
The latest development could revive efforts to end the wider conflict that erupted following U.S. and Israeli military actions against Iran three months ago. Negotiations aimed at achieving a broader peace agreement have remained stalled despite a fragile ceasefire that has been in place since April.
Iran has repeatedly argued that any settlement must include an end to Israeli military actions in Lebanon. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said the ceasefire involving Iran and the United States should apply across all fronts, including Lebanon.
Meanwhile, reports from Iranian state media suggested Tehran had suspended indirect peace negotiations with Washington and was considering abandoning the ceasefire arrangement due to the continuing hostilities in Lebanon.
While Iranian officials did not formally confirm the reports, Trump dismissed concerns over the future of the talks, saying he was unconcerned if negotiations were to collapse.
The U.S. president also remarked that the discussions had become “boring” and indicated that he would not be troubled if the process came to an end.
Adding to regional tensions, Revolutionary Guards Quds Force commander Esmaeil Qaani warned that Iran could expand maritime restrictions beyond the Strait of Hormuz to include the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, another strategic shipping route linking the Red Sea to international trade corridors.
Iran has already disrupted shipping activity in the Gulf, a region responsible for transporting a significant portion of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies.
The escalating uncertainty pushed global oil prices higher, with crude prices climbing four per cent on Monday amid fears of wider disruptions to energy exports and regional stability.
Although the partial ceasefire offers a glimmer of hope for de-escalation, analysts caution that the broader conflict remains highly volatile, with multiple flashpoints still threatening to ignite a wider regional confrontation.
