A fragile but significant calm is settling over parts of West Asia after a US-brokered ten-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon came into effect Thursday, marking what President Donald Trump called a potentially historic moment for the region. The truce, which follows six weeks of fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah, has held through its first full day, with thousands of displaced Lebanese families loading their cars and returning south toward homes they fled though Lebanese authorities have urged caution, citing reports of minor ceasefire violations by Israeli forces and ongoing structural damage across the south.
In a parallel and closely watched development, Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi declared the Strait of Hormuz completely open to all commercial shipping, framing the move as linked to the Lebanon ceasefire. Oil prices responded immediately, dropping nearly ten percent. However, the relief for global markets was tempered quickly President Trump confirmed that the US naval blockade targeting vessels servicing Iranian ports would remain fully in force until, in his words, Washington’s transaction with Tehran is one hundred percent complete. Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf then warned that if the US blockade on Iranian ports continues, the strait will not remain open, setting up a tense stand-off even as diplomats express cautious optimism.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the Lebanon ceasefire creates an opening for historic peace talks with Beirut, describing them as the first meaningful negotiations between the two countries since 1983. Trump confirmed that a meeting between Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun is being planned, possibly at the White House within the next two weeks. However, Netanyahu stressed that Israeli troops would remain in southern Lebanon for now, and Defence Minister Israel Katz said the primary objectives against Hezbollah have not been fully achieved, warning that demilitarisation of the border area must proceed either through diplomacy or through a resumption of military operations once the truce expires. Hezbollah, which opposed the ceasefire talks from the outset, said it would approach the agreement with caution and vigilance, warning that any Israeli targeting of Lebanese territory would constitute a breach.
