Diplomatic sources familiar with the negotiations say the breakthrough came after Iran’s economic distress intensified under the American blockade. In exchange for reopening the strait, the US will unfreeze $20 billion in funds belonging to the Iranian regime. On the nuclear issue, Iran will be allowed to keep civilian facilities under full supervision and above ground.
Israeli and US officials say a fundamental change in Israel’s northern neighbor will be possible only if the regime in Iran stops supporting Hezbollah, an option that does not appear to be on the horizon.
According to the US president, the ceasefire will last 10 days, while the sides continue efforts to achieve "lasting peace." Trump says he will invite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to the White House for "the first meaningful talks between Israel and Lebanon since 1983."
A source in Tehran told Reuters that Pakistani army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir’s visit to Iran helped bridge some of the differences between the sides. Major disputes remain, however, particularly over the nuclear issue.
In Jerusalem, officials are not ruling out a halt to strikes deep inside the Land of the Cedars. At the same time, the IDF is expected to continue operating with relative freedom in the Litani River area. For now, even ministers remain confused after a cabinet meeting in which they did not receive an answer from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The next meeting is expected to take place as early as next week in Washington, with the sides preparing to map out the main issues, led by borders and civilian matters. Lebanon wants to avoid damage to civilian infrastructure, while Israel has made clear it will continue to act against any target that helps Hezbollah. The negotiations are later expected to step up, with the goal of reaching a broader agreement between the two countries.
After Netanyahu, whom he called “the butcher of Gaza,” said the Turkish president was “slaughtering the Kurds,” the Turkish leader responded: “They dare to slander our country through our Kurdish brothers without looking at the blood of 73,000 Gazans.”
Lebanese sources told Al-Diyar, a newspaper affiliated with Hezbollah, that the talks stalled because of Israel's insistence on holding diplomatic contacts while the fighting in Lebanon continued.
Images obtained by CNN show engineering work near a launch site close to the city of Khomein. "The activity is consistent with the missile city concept. They are digging themselves out in preparation for another launch," an expert explained.
The Financial Times reported that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps used a Chinese spy satellite called TEE-01B after control of it was transferred to the corps. The advanced technology reportedly enabled the Iranians to hit the US military with ruthless precision.
