Israel Agrees to Direct Talks With Lebanon

Summary

• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed Israel will participate in direct talks with Lebanon regarding the disarmament of the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah.
• This development follows earlier statements from Iran that they would not agree to a two-week ceasefire until attacks in Lebanon stopped.
• The White House has maintained that Israel's operation against Hezbollah was separate from ceasefire discussions.
• President Trump reportedly called Netanyahu directly and asked him to scale back Israeli strikes, indicating U.S. diplomatic pressure.
• Diplomatic efforts are proceeding ahead of weekend talks led by Vice President JD Vance.
• Reporting indicates Iran has scaled back its attacks on Gulf state energy sites.
• A key unresolved issue for a ceasefire is the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
• Iranian state media reported that vessels must now liaise with the Iranian military to transit the strait, creating a significant bottleneck.
• Data shows only about three ships left the Strait of Hormuz area yesterday, amid an 800-vessel backlog.
• The White House is calling on allies to help secure the strait, with NATO's Secretary General stating allies are doing "almost everything" to help meet US demands on Iran.