US brokers new talks between Israel and Lebanon in Rome

Content of the framework agreement

A US official said the experiences from the first zones would help "to optimize the implementation of the pilot zone so that it can be gradually expanded." The pilot zones are intended to demonstrate whether the process works in practice before the approach is extended to additional areas. The goal is to consolidate the ceasefire between Israel and the pro-Iranian Hezbollah militia, which has long acted like a state within a state in Lebanon.

Israel and Lebanon have formally been in a state of war since 1948 and maintain no diplomatic relations. Direct political talks between the two governments have been underway since mid-April and are the first such talks in decades, after positions had hardened in the course of the Middle East conflict. Hezbollah is not participating in the talks; the US is mediating. The Lebanese government itself is not a party to the war.

Overview of the conflict

Israel's President Joseph Aoun said during a visit to Washington that his supreme goal was to end this state of war "once and for all." The Lebanese army recently began deploying soldiers in three agreed-upon pilot zones. However, Israel continues to hold parts of southern Lebanon and has said it wants to remain in a ten-kilometer-deep "security zone." According to varying accounts, 18 US soldiers and thousands of people in Iran and Lebanon have died in the war.

Parallel to the diplomatic efforts in Lebanon, tensions in the region persist. Yemen's designated Foreign Minister Afrah al-Suba said on Monday: "We are prepared for any escalation." The Houthi militia reported new drone attacks on Monday on "sensitive nodes" for oil transport to Yanbu on the Red Sea. A militia spokesperson said the Houthis wanted "to copy Iran's experiences in Hormuz" and believed they could "gain control over the Red Sea." The militia was acting "in line" with the Iranian escalation in the region. Since a UN-mediated ceasefire in 2022, fighting between Saudi Arabia and the militia had largely come to a halt; a Saudi-led military coalition had supported the Yemeni government in the fight against the Houthis since 2015.

Reactions and regional tensions

Against the backdrop of these tensions, the US is also looking at the domestic political effects of its Middle East policy. According to a survey, overall approval for President Donald Trump rose slightly over the weekend by three points to 37 percent. However, support among the US population has remained below 40 percent since then; 69 percent of respondents were of the view that Trump had not clearly outlined the goals of the intervention. Trump had promised during the 2024 campaign to keep the US out of protracted conflicts.