The fifth round of direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel began at the State Department in Washington on Tuesday, opening with a joint military-political session before splitting into separate tracks. A US official confirmed that the talks aim to advance a comprehensive peace and security agreement and permanently end the cycle of violence. The round convenes days after a US-Iran memorandum of understanding entered into force on 18 June, an accord that includes provisions binding the parties to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and has been accompanied by a marked, if fragile, reduction in hostilities.

Viewed from Washington, the stated objective is to enable Israel and Lebanon to negotiate as two sovereign states. Israeli government spokesman David Mencer said the goal is to disarm Hezbollah and reach a genuine peace agreement, describing the Iran-backed group as the sole obstacle. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, after calls with US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, declared that Lebanon will accept nothing less than a complete end to Israeli occupation and the simultaneous collapse of all foreign tutelage — a formulation widely read in Beirut as a reference to Iranian influence. Lebanese officials, speaking to Reuters, voiced scepticism that concrete progress can emerge, citing a fundamental trust deficit and arguing that the US-Iran deal has left the Lebanese state in its weakest negotiating position to date.

The US-Iran memorandum, signed electronically by Presidents Donald Trump and Masoud Pezeshkian, has produced the longest pause in fighting since the conflict escalated on 2 March, when Hezbollah fired rockets in support of Iran and triggered Israeli air and ground operations that, according to Lebanese official figures, have killed more than 4,100 people and wounded over 12,000. Yet the accord has also strengthened Hezbollah, which rejects the state-to-state talks and continues to rely on Tehran, according to Lebanese and foreign officials cited by Reuters. Israel maintains that its troops will remain indefinitely in southern Lebanon, including areas held for decades and territory seized during the 2023–2024 conflict, and reserves the right to respond to Hezbollah attacks. US and Iranian mediators have agreed on a de-escalation mechanism to enforce the cessation of military operations, but the mechanism’s durability remains untested.

The current round is scheduled to last three days. Lebanon intends to demand a reasonable timeline for Israeli withdrawal, which one Lebanese official described as the only chance to generate momentum in the talks and in the power struggle with Iran. The US administration has indicated that further details will be announced soon, while President Trump said he would examine the issue of Israeli troop presence and expressed confidence in resolving it quickly. The negotiations follow four previous rounds since April that failed to produce a durable ceasefire, with temporary truces repeatedly violated and extended amid mutual accusations of breaches.