US President Donald Trump on Monday (local time) said he held conversations with both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and representatives of Hezbollah, claiming progress toward halting hostilities in the Middle East.
Trump described his call with Netanyahu as "productive," noting that he urged the Israeli leader not to launch a major raid into Beirut, Lebanon. "He turned his troops around. Thank you Bibi!" Trump wrote in a post on his social media platform, Truth Social.
He added that "no troops will be going to Beirut" and that any forces previously en route had been "turned back."
In a separate exchange, Trump said he spoke with representatives of Hezbollah's leadership. According to him, Hezbollah agreed to stop firing at Israel and its soldiers, while Israel likewise agreed to cease attacks on Hezbollah.
"Let's see how long that lasts - Hopefully it will be for ETERNITY!" Trump wrote.
However, in Tehran, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that continued Israeli military action in Lebanon could jeopardize these diplomatic efforts.
On the other hand, Trump also posted that "talks are continuing at a rapid pace with the Islamic Republic of Iran. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" The statement suggests ongoing negotiations with Tehran, though no further details were provided.
This response from Trump comes hours after an Iranian news outlet linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said the regime was suspending talks and opening "other fronts" in the war.
In response to the geopolitical developments, oil prices held on to most of the previous session's sharp gains in early trade on Tuesday amid uncertainty over the status of ceasefire talks between the United States and Iran and the potential reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Both benchmarks rose more than 5 per cent in the previous session but later pared gains. As of 7:15 am, Brent crude futures were down 0.8 per cent to USD 94.66 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate fell 0.4 per cent to USD 91.82 a barrel.
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