Israel and Lebanon agreed to implement a ceasefire but said it would require a “complete cessation” of fire by Iran-backed Hezbollah, according to a joint statement after U.S.-led talks in Washington.
The joint statement said the ceasefire was “contingent on a complete cessation” of fire by Hezbollah as well as evacuation of the group’s operatives from southern Lebanon.
West Asia war: Updates on June 3, 2026U.S. President Donald Trump had said he wanted to separate talks on the conflict in Lebanon and those on the war with Iran.
Tehran, however, insists the conflicts are linked and its Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that any attack on Beirut would trigger a “full-scale resumption” of war.
Mr. Araghchi also said that “no tangible progress” has been made in negotiations to end the West Asia war as fresh U.S. and Iranian strikes strained a fragile ceasefire.
Israel and Lebanon agreed to implement a ceasefire but said it would require a “complete cessation” of fire by Iran-backed Hezbollah, according to a joint statement after U.S.-led talks in Washington. The two sides, which do not have formal diplomatic relations, also agreed to create “pilot zones” in which the Lebanese armed forces “will take exclusive control of the territory to the exclusion of all non-state actors”. The joint statement said the ceasefire was “contingent on a complete cessation” of fire by Hezbollah as well as evacuation of the group’s operatives from southern Lebanon.
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The development came despite continued cross-border attacks, with Hezbollah saying it targeted Israeli troops and Israeli strikes killing at least nine people in southern Lebanon.
West Asia war: Updates on June 3, 2026
U.S. President Donald Trump had said he wanted to separate talks on the conflict in Lebanon and those on the war with Iran. Tehran, however, insists the conflicts are linked and its Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that any attack on Beirut would trigger a “full-scale resumption” of war. Mr. Araghchi also said that “no tangible progress” has been made in negotiations to end the West Asia war as fresh U.S. and Iranian strikes strained a fragile ceasefire. In contrast, Mr. Trump voiced optimism again, telling reporters at the White House “it could happen...over the weekend.”
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Meanwhile, oil prices eased on Thursday (June 4, 2026) as Israel and Lebanon’s ceasefire agreement boosted hopes for a broader deal to end the war in West Asia, while the U.S. House approved a resolution seeking to curb Mr. Trump’s war powers.
