The United States and Iran will continue their talks aimed at ending the Middle East war, a US official said on Sunday, adding that both sides will stand down after recent clashes. This comes hours after Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri rejected a US–Israel–Lebanon framework deal, calling it “an agreement of ‘dictates’” that fails to protect Lebanon’s rights. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates.
US and Iran to continue talks as both sides stand down after clashes
The United States and Iran will continue their talks aimed at ending the Middle East war, a US official told AFP late Sunday, adding both sides will stand down after recent clashes.
“Technical talks are slated to continue on all areas of the MOU (memorandum of understanding). Both sides will stand down for now and vessels can move freely” in and around the Strait of Hormuz, the official said in an email.
The official did not confirm a US media report that talks would resume on Tuesday in Qatar.
US and Iran to stand down on strikes with technical talks set to continue
The US and Iran will stand down on strikes and vessels will be allowed to move freely, as technical talks are slated to continue on all areas of the memorandum of understanding, a US official said on Sunday.
“Technical talks are slated to continue on all areas of the MOU. Both sides will stand down for now and vessels can move freely,” the official said.
Hezbollah reserves right to self-defence
Hezbollah on Monday said it reserved the right to self-defence after several Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon despite a truce between the two sides and a US–Israel–Lebanon framework to end hostilities.
In a statement, the group said that it “reiterates that what the enemy has done is a blatant violation of the ceasefire to which it has adhered until now, and that it is monitoring and tracking these violations, and reserves its right to defend its homeland and its people”.
Lebanese parliament rejects US–Israel framework
Lebanese Parliament Speaker and Hezbollah ally Nabih Berri said early Monday that the trilateral framework agreement between Lebanon, Israel and the United States would not pass as it did not guarantee Lebanon’s rights.
“This agreement will not pass, and it will not be implemented in its current form,” Berri said in a statement shared by his party, the Amal movement, adding that it was “an agreement of ‘dictates’, not an agreement that preserves Lebanon’s rights”.
The deal paves the way for Lebanese–Israeli peace and conditions Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon on Hezbollah’s disarmament.
Welcome to the France 24 liveblog covering events in the Middle East. You can catch up on yesterday’s developments here.
• Iran launched drone and missile attacks targeting Bahrain and Kuwait, threatening a “complete halt” in negotiations if Washington continued its attacks against the Islamic Republic.
