Representatives from Lebanon and Israel are meeting on Tuesday in Washington, under the mediation of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, for preliminary direct peace talks, but the prospects of an agreement seem slim. Since Lebanon was dragged into the regional conflict with Iran by Hezbollah on March 2, Israeli strikes have resulted in over 2,000 deaths and displaced over one million people, despite calls from the international community for a ceasefire.
On the other side, the Israeli army announced on Tuesday the death of a new soldier “in combat” in southern Lebanon, the thirteenth since the beginning of the war in the Middle East.
Furthermore, the US army continues its blockade of Iranian ports for the second day. Iran denounced on Monday a “serious violation of its sovereignty” while Donald Trump stated that the Iranians “would want to make a deal, at all costs”. He claimed that 34 ships went through the Strait of Hormuz this Sunday, “by far the highest number since the beginning of this senseless closure”. Donald Trump also threatened on Monday to “destroy” any Iranian “fast attack ship” violating the blockade.
France and the United Kingdom will soon organize a conference with the relevant countries to contribute to “a peaceful multinational mission aimed at restoring freedom of navigation” in the Strait of Hormuz.
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