The United States has proposed a new plan aimed at reducing tensions between Israel and Lebanon as fighting continues along the border, while President Donald Trump has reportedly sent back a separate proposed agreement with Iran for further revisions.US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on diplomatic negotiations between Israel and Lebanon, a US official said on Sunday.According to the official, Washington has proposed that as a first step, the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group would stop all attacks on Israel and, in return, Israel would refrain from escalation in Beirut.“This would create space for gradual de-escalation and an effective cessation of hostilities,” the official said.Also read | Fragile ceasefire faces fresh test as missiles keep flying as Iran, US trade new blows: Key detailsThe official added that Aoun sought to advance the proposal and secure an agreement. However, Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who claimed to “guarantee” Hezbollah’s commitment to a ceasefire, placed the burden on Israel to stop “shooting first.”The proposal comes as clashes continue despite a ceasefire announced more than six weeks ago. Netanyahu said on Sunday that he had ordered troops to move further into Lebanon in the battle against Hezbollah.In the latest advance, Israeli troops seized the 900-year-old Beaufort Castle and a strategic ridge in southern Lebanon, the military said earlier on Sunday. The move came a day after one of the heaviest days of Hezbollah fire toward northern Israel since the April ceasefire, prompting school closures and restrictions.The US official said Washington did not expect Israel to absorb ongoing attacks on its civilians from Hezbollah.
Trump seeks changes to Iran ceasefire proposal
At the same time, days after describing the proposed agreement as “largely finalised,” Trump reportedly returned the draft text for extensive modifications, extending the diplomatic process,According to US news outlets, the latest draft includes a 60-day cessation of hostilities, tougher provisions on Iran’s nuclear commitments and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz during a meeting with advisers. “The one guarantee that I have to have is that there will be no nuclear weapons,” he asserted during a broadcast interview on Fox News.However, no formal agreement has yet been announced.Trump has also reportedly expressed concern over the extent of financial relief that could be offered to Tehran under any agreement, wary of comparisons with the Obama-era nuclear deal, which he has repeatedly criticised as too lenient.Trump said there had been no discussion of exchanging money as part of the deal, while Iran has maintained that financial provisions must be included in any agreement.A White House official said, “President Trump will only make a deal that is good for America and satisfies his red lines.”The proposal has previously been described as a memorandum of understanding awaiting formal approval from both sides.Iranian officials have maintained that no agreement will be accepted without clear guarantees. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also urged caution over reports surrounding the negotiations. “Until a conclusion is reached… everything that is being said now is speculation,” he said.Democratic senator Chris Coons, a member of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, said the terms outlined by Trump appeared acceptable on paper but could prove difficult to implement, particularly regarding the Strait of Hormuz.The negotiations follow months of conflict and a fragile truce that began on April 8. Despite repeated indications from Trump that a final agreement was close, a formal deal has yet to be reached.Adding pressure to the talks, US secretary of war Pete Hegseth warned that military action could resume if any agreement fails to meet Washington’s requirements.“Our stockpiles are more than suited for that,” Hegseth said during an address in Singapore.
