Iran Conditions Any U.S. Deal on Hezbollah Ceasefire and Israeli Withdrawal from Lebanon

Iran has made a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah a condition for any peace deal with Washington, Al-Monitor reported. The condition ties the outcome of the regional war, now in its fourth month, to the restart of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. -brokered pact between Israel and the Lebanese government.

The pact did not provide for an Israeli withdrawal, and Hezbollah had not been party to the negotiations. Israel has kept up strikes in southern Lebanon and has said its forces would not withdraw or halt operations in the country. Mohsen Rezaei, an adviser to Iran's supreme leader, said Hezbollah had "made great sacrifices in the recent war and it is our ally.

Rezaei cautioned Israel against following through on threats to resume strikes against Beirut. "Today we again warn this sinister regime to leave Lebanon," he said.

U.S. And Israel launched strikes against Iran. Hezbollah said its actions were in support of Tehran. President Donald Trump told reporters he believed progress was being made in Lebanon and the country deserved to have peace.

"It's been going on for a long time, you know," he said. -arranged ceasefires that Trump said involved "shooting in a more moderate manner" rather than a total halt to fighting.

U.S. Forces traded attacks in the Gulf in one of the most intense bouts of fighting since early April, when a ceasefire halted large-scale hostilities. On Friday, an alleged drone attack forced the suspension of oil loading at the Mina al Fahal terminal in Oman after an explosion, two people familiar with the matter said, before normal operations resumed.

U.S. bases and largely stopped shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Trade remains at a fraction of its former levels through the waterway, which previously carried about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies.