A tentative ceasefire in the Iran war staggered Thursday under the weight of Israel’s bombardment of Beirut, Tehran’s continued chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, and uncertainty over whether talks expected on Saturday can find common ground.
Iran and the US — which both declared victory after Tuesday night’s ceasefire announcement — appeared to apply pressure. Semiofficial news agencies in Iran suggested forces have mined the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway for oil whose closure has proved Tehran’s greatest strategic advantage.
President Donald Trump, meanwhile, warned that US forces would hit Iran harder than before if it did not fulfill the agreement.
And there was disagreement over whether the ceasefire deal included a pause in fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. Israel on Wednesday pounded Beirut with airstrikes, resulting in the deadliest day in Lebanon since the war began on February 28.
Questions also remain over what will happen to Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium at the heart of tensions, how and when normal traffic will resume through the strait, and what happens to Iran’s ability to launch future missile attacks and support armed proxies in the region.
200 killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon
BEIRUT, APR 9 (AP): Lebanon’s health ministry said Thursday that at least 203 people were killed in widespread Israeli strikes in central Beirut and other areas of Lebanon on Wednesday. It said more than 1,000 were wounded. The death toll Wednesday was the highest for a single day in Lebanon during more than five weeks of renewed war between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. The Israeli military said it targeted Hezbollah sites. However, several of the buildings that were struck without warning during the afternoon rush hour were in densely-packed commercial and residential areas, leading to widespread civilian casualties.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called the strikes “barbaric.”
Israeli vows to continue striking Hezbollah in Lebanon
Netanyahu said Israel will continue striking Hezbollah “with force, precision and determination.”
Israel said Thursday it killed an aide to Hezbollah leader Naim Kassem, Ali Yusuf Harshi. Hezbollah did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A New York-based think tank warned the ceasefire “hovers on the verge of collapse.”
Israel-Lebanon talks expected to start next week in Washington
WASHINGTON, APR 9 (AP): Israel-Lebanon negotiations are expected to begin next week at the State Department in Washington, according to a person familiar with the plans.
The talks are expected to be handled on the American side by US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa, and on the Israeli side by Israel’s Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter, according to the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the delicacy of the situation.
It was not immediately clear whom Lebanon was sending.
Axios first reported the timing and location of the talks.