The US backs a new Israel-Lebanon ceasefire amid efforts to secure a wider Iran deal

A new ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon has been announced, offering a potential path towards easing one of the Middle East’s most volatile conflicts. However, continued military strikes and deep political divisions have already cast doubt over whether the truce can hold.

The agreement was unveiled by the United States as part of a broader diplomatic effort to stabilise the region and remove obstacles standing in the way of a larger deal involving Iran.

According to a joint statement released after negotiations in Washington, Israel and Lebanon have agreed to implement a ceasefire aimed at ending hostilities along their shared border.

The deal is tied to strict conditions.

The United States said the ceasefire depends on a complete halt to attacks by the Iran-aligned group Hezbollah and the withdrawal of all Hezbollah fighters from areas south of the Litani River in southern Lebanon.

The agreement also includes plans for the creation of so-called pilot zones where the Lebanese Armed Forces would assume exclusive control, removing the presence of non-state armed groups.

Despite the announcement, uncertainty remains.

A Hezbollah official reportedly indicated that the group would not accept a partial ceasefire, and Hezbollah was not directly involved in the negotiations that produced the agreement.

Questions also remain regarding the future of Israeli military forces operating in southern Lebanon. The joint statement did not specify whether Israeli troops would withdraw from the territory they currently occupy along the border.

Complicating matters further, military action continued almost immediately after the ceasefire announcement.

Israeli drone strikes reportedly targeted locations in the Nabatieh area of southern Lebanon on Thursday morning. The attacks followed another day of violence in which Hezbollah claimed to have targeted Israeli troops, while Israeli operations reportedly killed several people in southern Lebanon.

The latest agreement is not the first attempt to stop the fighting.

A previous ceasefire was intended to take effect in April, yet both sides continued military operations while accusing each other of violating the terms of the truce.

The current negotiations mark the fourth round of direct talks involving Lebanese and Israeli delegations since hostilities intensified earlier this year.

Washington hopes the new framework will eventually lead to a more durable arrangement.

The ceasefire also carries significance beyond Lebanon.

The administration of Donald Trump is simultaneously attempting to secure a broader agreement with Iran. American officials view stability on the Israel-Lebanon front as a crucial component of wider regional diplomacy.

However, Tehran has repeatedly argued that the conflicts are interconnected.

Iran has warned that continued Israeli military operations in Lebanon could undermine ongoing negotiations with the United States. Iranian officials have also insisted they will not abandon Hezbollah during talks with Washington.

Meanwhile, the Lebanese government has maintained that Tehran cannot negotiate on Lebanon’s behalf.

The fate of Hezbollah is increasingly viewed as one of the most sensitive issues in regional diplomacy.

Trump recently said he had intervened to prevent an imminent Israeli strike on Beirut and claimed discussions with both Israeli and Hezbollah representatives resulted in commitments to halt attacks.

The US president has also publicly expressed frustration with Israeli military actions, suggesting they risk complicating broader peace efforts.

According to analysts, Israel is seeking to weaken Hezbollah before any comprehensive regional settlement limits its military options.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has indicated that disarming Hezbollah remains a key objective.

Meanwhile, continued violence elsewhere in the region highlights the fragile nature of the situation. Strikes, military operations and tensions surrounding Iran continue to influence diplomatic calculations.

While the new ceasefire represents a potentially important breakthrough, the road to lasting peace remains uncertain.

For now, negotiators have secured an agreement on paper. Whether it survives events on the ground is a question that remains unanswered.