Ambassadors from Lebanon and Israel are set to meet at the State Department today for a second round of US-brokered talks aimed at extending the ceasefire and tackling disputes along the neighbouring countries' border.
The talks come a week after the US announced a 10-day truce aimed at building conditions for “lasting peace”.
The ceasefire can be extended by “mutual agreement” between Lebanon and Israel, on the condition that progress is made during talks and if Lebanon “effectively demonstrates its ability to assert its sovereignty”, the State Department said.
A department representative told me last night that the US and other nations intend to support Lebanon as it works to restore state authority and fix the economy.
"The time has come to treat Lebanon as a sovereign state and to finally empower it to act like one, rather than letting an Iran-backed terrorist organisation have a veto on its future or block peace," the official said.
Although the two countries agreed to the ceasefire, Israel has been heavily bombing what it says are Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, razing villages and killing thousands of people, and has invaded the southern part of the country as it fights the Iran-backed militia. Hezbollah, meanwhile, has fired drones and missiles into Israel.
Today's talks come before the current ceasefire is due to expire on Sunday, and will be led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, along with officials including Mike Huckabee, the US envoy to Israel.
Meanwhile, it has been another head-spinning week of mixed messages and contradictory statements by the Trump administration as it seeks an end to the war with Iran.
The strategic ambiguity, if we can call it that, came to a head on Tuesday when US President Donald Trump announced that he was indefinitely extending the ceasefire with Iran, although continuing to enforce a naval blockade.
That decision came only hours after he said he didn't want to extend the truce, and shortly before his own deadline for Iran to reach a deal expired. Taco, anyone?
Eye on the White House
The Art of the Iran Deal: Former negotiators discuss tactics for Trump's team
Talks between the US and Iran might resume soon as a fragile ceasefire holds, but American officials involved in previous nuclear deal negotiations with Tehran have some advice for the Trump administration.
The first is that US officials need to understand how to deal with Iran before they can get a new agreement over the line. Former US diplomat Alan Eyre, who helped to negotiate the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, said resolving the nuclear dispute remained “eminently doable” but would require “serious and sustained negotiation”.
Whether the Trump administration is prepared to make that kind of commitment is an open question, Mr Eyre said.
The 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers was signed during former President Barack Obama's administration. It placed limits on Tehran's nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief.
What's Washington talking about?
Cabinet clear-out After more than a year of stability, Mr Trump's Cabinet is suddenly looking a lot more wobbly stable. In just six weeks, three members have left, with Labour Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer the most recent departure. She joins former attorney general Pam Bondi and former head of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, leading many to wonder if the churn of the first Trump administration may be making a comeback.
Fed up Meanwhile, the head of the FBI, Kash Patel, has sued The Atlantic for $250 million after it published an expose claiming his drinking habits and chronic absences had affected his ability to do his job.
Pump pain Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Sunday he believes petrol prices have peaked, but predicted that they may remain above $3 a gallon (79 cents a litre) until next year. Petrol in the US is typically about half the price of other western countries, but any increase is felt acutely in the vast country with few public transport options. Prices have risen during the war on Iran and Iranian attacks on nearby countries, creating political challenges for Mr Trump before the November midterm elections.
Rudderless US Navy Secretary John Phelan has left his post “effective immediately”, the Pentagon said last night, in the latest senior military departure amid growing tension with Iran.
Spotlight: Race to lead the UN - Four candidates seek world's top diplomatic post
The UN this week enters a pivotal phase in its leadership race, as four candidates prepare to set out their visions in public hearings at the world body's headquarters, giving a rare, live-streamed glimpse into the contest to succeed Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
The next UN chief will take office on January 1 next year, at a time when the organisation faces mounting financial pressure, unpaid contributions from key member states and growing doubts over its ability to manage conflicts and uphold its mandate.
In a break from traditionally closed-door selections, the process now includes public interactive talks aimed at increasing transparency and allowing member states and the public to assess the candidates competing for the top post.
The UN has never had a woman serve as secretary general in its almost 80-year history, a shortcoming the General Assembly acknowledged in a resolution last September that called for stronger consideration of female candidates.
Only in America
Grizzly crimes: Three people sent to jail in bear-suit insurance scam
Three people have been sentenced to jail in Los Angeles in a strange case involving a bear suit, luxury cars and bogus insurance claims.
Prosecutors said the defendants used a person in a bear suit to stage fake attacks on high-end vehicles, then submitted fraudulent claims seeking payouts from insurance companies.
The investigation began after an insurance company flagged a suspicious claim tied to a January 28, 2024, incident in Lake Arrowhead. The suspects claimed a bear entered their 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost and caused interior damage, submitting video footage to support the claim.
Upon further review, detectives determined the “bear” in the video was a person in a bear costume.
“What may have looked unbelievable turned out to be exactly that – and now those responsible are being held accountable,” said California's Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara.
Read more
The National produces newsletters across an array of subjects. You can sign up here. To receive The Editor's Briefing, our Editor-in-Chief's weekly newsletter that rounds up the top stories, sign up here.
