On the eve of talks in Washington between Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Beirut would seek an extension of the 10-day, U.S.-mediated ceasefire, which is set to expire on Sunday.
The talks, set to continue on Thursday at the U.S. State Department, represent a diplomatic track that has so far paused strikes in Beirut and throughout much of the country, although sporadic border clashes and limited strikes are still taking place in the interim.
A Lebanese official told Reuters that Beirut wants a ceasefire extension as a prerequisite for talks to expand beyond the ambassadorial level to the next phase, in which Lebanon would push for an Israeli withdrawal, the return of Lebanese detained in Israel and a delineation of the land border.
Talks come two days after Trump announced an indefinate extension to the ceasefire with Iran, an initiative which the U.S. says is not linked to the negotiations ongoing with Lebanon. Tensions over the strait of Hormuz are also on the rise as ship interdictions have become more common by both sides.
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