Trump "Israel-Lebanon Ceasefire Extended by 3 Weeks"... Will it Revive Momentum for US-Iran War Negotiations?

U.S. President Donald Trump directly mediating high-level talks between Israel and Lebanon

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on the 23rd (local time) that "the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon will be extended by three weeks."

President Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social that he personally presided over a meeting with high-level representatives from Israel and Lebanon in the Oval Office of the White House on that day.

This meeting was the second one, held nine days after the first high-level talks in 33 years, which took place on the 14th in Washington D.C. between Nada Hamade Moawad, Lebanon's Ambassador to the U.S., and Yekiel Leiter, Israel's Ambassador to the U.S., mediated by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Two days after the first meeting on the 16th, President Trump announced that the two countries had agreed to a ten-day ceasefire.

This ceasefire was scheduled to end on the 25th, and President Trump's announcement today means it will be extended until mid-next month.

President Trump stated that the meeting went "very well" and that "the United States will work with Lebanon to help it defend itself from Hezbollah."

He also mentioned that not only he but also high-ranking U.S. officials, including Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary Rubio, Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, and Ambassador to Lebanon Michelle Isa, participated in the mediation role during this meeting.

The U.S. initially mediated the Israel-Lebanon war ceasefire (a war between Israel and Hezbollah, an Iran-backed armed group in Lebanon), which is linked to the war with Iran, because it believed this conflict could be an obstacle to peace negotiations with Iran.

While the U.S. and Iran have been engaged in peace negotiations after agreeing to a ceasefire, Iran has argued that Israel's attack on Lebanon violated the terms of the ceasefire agreement.

Therefore, it remains to be seen whether this ceasefire extension can positively impact the peace agreement between the U.S. and Iran, where uncertainty is growing.

In his post, President Trump reiterated his invitation to the leaders of both countries, stating, "I look forward to welcoming Israeli Prime Minister Bibi (nickname for Benjamin) Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun (to the White House) soon," and added, "It was an honor to participate in this very historic meeting."