US Vice President J.D. Vance confirmed that the United States is continuing its efforts aimed at establishing the ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel and preventing the situation from sliding into a new round of escalation, noting that the current scene is “trending towards improvement” despite the tensions that the region has witnessed during the recent period.
Vance said, in statements he made to reporters before his departure for Switzerland to participate in a new round of negotiations with Iran, that the upcoming talks will address the Iranian nuclear file in addition to the ceasefire file in Lebanon, expressing his hope that progress will be made in the coming days on the two tracks.
He explained that Washington seeks to ensure the security of both Israel and Lebanon, pointing out that the main challenge is to stop the exchange of fire for a sufficient period to allow the truce to be consolidated and transformed into a sustainable reality.
Vance stressed that the US administration will work to prevent Israel from launching new attacks on Lebanon. In return, he called on Hezbollah to stop targeting Israel, considering that stabilizing the situation requires the commitment of all parties to stop military actions and refrain from any steps that might lead to blowing up the front again.
He pointed out that the discussions with the Iranian side will continue for two days in Switzerland, stressing that the Iranian delegation has already arrived at the location of the talks, and that the US administration is continuing its diplomatic moves on more than one track with the aim of containing regional tensions and enhancing stability in the region.
Vance’s statements come in light of intense international efforts to maintain the calm on the southern Lebanese border, after the past weeks witnessed mutual military escalation and an increase in the pace of Israeli raids on a number of Lebanese regions, amid growing fears of the expansion of the confrontation.
These efforts also coincide with a new round of US-Iranian negotiations, which are widely followed internationally, given that their results are linked to a number of sensitive regional issues, most notably the situation in Lebanon, the future of the truce on the southern front, in addition to navigation and energy security in the region. These negotiations are seen as a new opportunity to reduce tension and open the door to broader understandings that may be reflected in the entire regional scene during the next stage.
