Israel, Lebanon to hold fresh talks in Washington as US awaits Iran’s response to peace deal
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Israel, Lebanon to hold fresh talks in Washington as US awaits Iran’s response to peace deal")
First responders inspect the rubble of a collapsed building following an Israeli airstrike a day earlier in Beirut’s southern suburb of Haret Hreik on May 7, 2026. Photograph: (AFP)
The current Washington sessions mark the first high-level direct diplomatic engagement between Israel and Lebanon in over 30 years.
Israeli and Lebanese envoys are set to hold a fresh round of peace talks in Washington next week amid continued Israeli Defence Forces operations against the militant group Hezbollah, despite a US-brokered ceasefire being in place from April 15. A US State Department official confirmed on Thursday that the talks will take place on May 14 and 15. This will be the third such meeting in recent months between the two countries, which have technically remained at war for decades and do not maintain diplomatic relations.
The renewed engagement comes even as tensions remain high on the ground. The conflict in Lebanon escalated alongside broader regional hostilities involving Israel and Iran, with Washington still awaiting Tehran’s response to its latest proposal aimed at de-escalating the wider Middle East crisis and restoring stability in the Strait of Hormuz.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday said a peace deal between the parties was “eminently achievable,” adding that Hezbollah remains the primary obstacle rather than any direct dispute between the two governments.
Lebanon was drawn deeper into the conflict after Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel, following the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The situation further intensified exchanges between Israeli forces and the Iran-backed group.
A ceasefire framework involving Israel, Lebanon and Hezbollah was extended until May 15 after the previous round of talks in Washington. However, Israel has continued targeted strikes against Hezbollah positions, while the group has also claimed attacks on Israeli forces operating in southern Lebanon.
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Meanwhile, US media outlet Axios reported, citing officials, that Washington and Tehran are close to finalising a one-page memorandum of understanding. The proposed document is expected to outline a framework to end hostilities and restart negotiations on Iran’s nuclear programme.
Oil markets reacted positively to the prospect of de-escalation, with Brent crude and US West Texas Intermediate prices falling around five per cent on Thursday, extending losses from earlier in the week. However, prices remain higher than pre-conflict levels.
The Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy route carrying nearly one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas trade, continues to remain under pressure amid ongoing instability in the region.
