Netanyahu Authorizes Direct Talks With Lebanon as Ceasefire With Iran Wobbles

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday he has authorized direct negotiations with Lebanon "as soon as possible," even as Israel's continued bombardment of Beirut threatened to collapse a tenuous ceasefire with Iran.

Netanyahu said he gave the order in response to requests from Lebanon, with talks set to focus on disarming the militant group Hezbollah and establishing peaceful relations between the two neighboring countries. The announcement came just one day after Israel pounded Beirut with airstrikes in what officials described as the deadliest single day in Lebanon since the war began on February 28.

A senior Trump administration official said Thursday that President Trump called Netanyahu on Wednesday and asked him to scale back strikes in Lebanon to protect the fragile Iran negotiations. Though Israel and the U.S. have both said Lebanon is not covered by the ceasefire agreement, Israel "agreed to be a helpful partner," the official said. That call came after Netanyahu had publicly vowed to continue striking Lebanon forcefully.

The ceasefire itself remained under significant strain. Iranian officials threatened to end the agreement if strikes continued, and semiofficial Iranian news agencies reported that forces may have mined the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for global oil that Tehran has effectively closed. Uncertainty over whether upcoming peace talks can find common ground added to the pressure on both sides.

Iran and the U.S. both declared victory following the ceasefire announcement, though each appeared to use the moment to apply pressure on the other. President Trump warned Thursday that U.S. forces would hit Iran harder than before if it failed to fulfill the agreement.