Israel Holds Off Beirut Strikes After US Request; Fourth Round of Lebanon Talks Runs in Washington
Israel said it is holding off on striking Beirut after a US request from President Donald Trump. The Israel-Hezbollah cessation Trump announced on Tuesday appears to be holding overnight, although there were limited clashes near Ghandoureh and Wadi al-Saluki before the cessation took effect. The fourth round of US-hosted direct Israel-Lebanon negotiations runs in Washington Tuesday-Wednesday at ambassadorial level. Israeli forces remain at the Beaufort Castle / Beaufort Ridge / Wadi al-Saluki line beyond the Litani River, the deepest Israeli position inside Lebanon in 26 years.
The Lebanon-track formalisation in Washington is the structural next step in resolving the Lebanon coverage dispute that has been the principal binding constraint on the broader Iran framework deal. Iran has consistently insisted Lebanon coverage is binding on the framework; the US and Israel have said it is not. The Tuesday escalation to ambassadorial-level Lebanon talks plus the Israel-Hezbollah cessation may resolve that dispute in practice without requiring formal inclusion in the Iran deal text. The operational test: whether Israel agrees to a phased withdrawal from the Beaufort Castle / Litani River line under the Lebanon track will determine how durable the cessation is. The IDF said Tuesday it would maintain operational latitude in Lebanon despite the cessation; that position will need to soften for the Iran framework to fully re-engage.