US President Donald Trump has cast doubt on the durability of the Iran war ceasefire, pointing to the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz as a major obstacle to any lasting calm. The comments come as the Middle East remains on edge, with Israel and Hezbollah still exchanging strikes and the situation in Lebanon continuing to deteriorate.
Trump also told US media that he has asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be more “low-key” in Lebanon. The remark adds another layer to an already fragile regional picture, in which diplomacy, military escalation and political signalling are unfolding at the same time.
Lebanon remains volatile
Netanyahu has said there is no ceasefire in Lebanon, even as Israel launched fresh strikes. The continued bombardment underscores how uncertain the broader regional landscape remains, despite hopes that diplomatic efforts could help halt the wider conflict.
Israel and Hezbollah have continued to trade strikes, keeping pressure high across the border area. The fighting has persisted even as international attention has shifted toward efforts to prevent the war from spreading further and to secure a political route out of the crisis.
Islamabad prepares for talks
Meanwhile, the streets of Islamabad are under strict lockdown as Pakistan’s capital prepares to host what have been described as historic negotiations between Iran and the United States. The talks are expected to take place over the weekend and are being viewed as a possible turning point in a war that has already devastated much of the Middle East.
Pakistani officials have said the make-or-break peace negotiations will go ahead as planned, despite the increasingly precarious nature of the US-Iran ceasefire and the broader regional tensions surrounding the talks.
The negotiations have attracted close attention because they are seen as one of the few remaining diplomatic avenues for reducing hostilities. But the atmosphere remains tense, with continued military action in Lebanon and disagreements over the terms of the talks adding to the uncertainty.
Ceasefire under strain
The ceasefire linked to the Iran war was already looking fragile before Trump’s latest comments, and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has further complicated the picture. The strategic waterway remains a central concern because of its importance to regional security and trade, and its continued closure has become a symbol of the unresolved crisis.
For now, the combination of ongoing strikes, disputed ceasefire terms and the difficult backdrop to the US-Iran negotiations leaves the wider conflict unresolved. The coming weekend talks in Islamabad are likely to be closely watched as one of the most significant efforts yet to prevent the war from deepening further.
