The situation in the Middle East is at a turning point, marked by the entry into force of a new ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, following an extremely severe military escalation, Reuters reported.
Diplomatic moves around the Memorandum of Understanding signed earlier this week between the United States and Iran are clashing with the fragile situation on the ground.
A senior US official confirmed that after intensive negotiations brokered by the United States and Qatar (and with the help of Iran), Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to another ceasefire. It officially went into effect on Friday afternoon, and in the early hours of Saturday, it was reported that intense fighting in southern Lebanon had subsided, although the Israeli army remained in positions in the 5 percent buffer zone it occupies.
The US State Department announced that the next round of direct talks between Israel and the Lebanese government was scheduled for June 23-25 in Washington.
The goal is to achieve a lasting peace, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio stressing the need for Hezbollah to completely disarm.
Technical talks in Switzerland, which were supposed to detail the broader agreement between the US and Iran, were temporarily postponed after Vice President J.D. Vance canceled his trip due to the latest military escalation in Lebanon.
Before the temporary ceasefire was activated, Hezbollah carried out a successful attack in southern Lebanon (village of Kfar Tebnit), in which four Israeli soldiers were killed, including a battalion commander. In response, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a massive strike in which Israeli aircraft hit over 80-100 Hezbollah targets in the Nabatieh area. The Lebanese Ministry of Health reported at least 47 dead and 97 wounded before the fire subsided.
Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir issued a provocative warning on Platform X, stating that “all of Lebanon should burn“ because of the deaths of the Israeli soldiers. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi immediately quoted his words and warned the Trump administration that Israel was trying to sabotage peace and wanted a "permanent war."
Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem warned that the group would not accept a final agreement unless Israeli forces completely withdrew from Lebanese territory, accusing the United States and Israel of plotting to block the country's borders.
In the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces struck a residential building in Gaza City, killing at least three Palestinians.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations Centre (UKMTO) has lowered the threat level in the Strait of Hormuz to "moderate." However, ships were warned to use caution in the southern route due to ongoing mine clearance operations.