Lebanon and Israel have agreed to renew their fragile ceasefire and establish "pilot zones" placing the Lebanese Armed Forces in exclusive territorial control, with all non-state actors excluded, according to a joint statement released on Wednesday.
"The ceasefire is contingent on a complete cessation of Hizbollah fire and the evacuation of all Hizbollah operatives from the South Litani Sector," said the statement, which was released after the fourth round of US-mediated talks at the State Department.
The two sides agreed to "swiftly advance the creation of pilot zones in which the Lebanese Armed Forces will take exclusive control of the territory to the exclusion of all non-state actors," the statement said.
"These steps will enable progress towards a comprehensive peace and security agreement," it said.
Read: 'Acting in self-defence': FM Araghchi says strikes will continue against sites 'used' in attacks on Iran
The parties agreed to reconvene political and security tracks the week of June 22, with a view toward reaching a comprehensive agreement, it added.
The two countries also reaffirmed that they have "no hostile intent toward one another" and discussed a security framework which includes "the dismantlement of non-state armed groups, and the prevention of their re-emergence," according to the statement.
The joint statement also condemned Iran’s attacks on countries in the region and its activities that "undermine stability throughout the Middle East, whether through support for proxies and all other acts of aggression."
According to Lebanese sources speaking to Anadolu, the second and final day of the negotiations at the US State Department headquarters lasted more than six hours.
The US-sponsored talks follow weeks of near-daily Israeli strikes on Lebanon that have killed nearly 3,500 people since March 2, despite a ceasefire that took effect on April 17 and was later extended until early July.
The conflict recently saw an escalation as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered troops to deepen the incursion and called for strikes on Beirut.
Netanyahu, however, was allegedly restrained after a "tense phone exchange" with US President Donald Trump, according to media reports.
'Ceasefire' violations
Since the US and Israeli strikes on Iran began on February 28, Tehran has repeatedly attacked targets in the Gulf region, home to US military bases.
Hostilities have periodically flared up in recent weeks despite a ceasefire agreed in early April, as the US has pushed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which handled roughly a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments before the war.
Last week, Iran and the US signalled progress towards a tentative initial agreement to halt the war and reopen the strait, but the two sides have yet to sign off on the deal, which would leave more complex negotiations for later.
Read more: Deadly drone strike on Kuwait tests shaky ceasefire
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Lebanese broadcaster Al Mayadeen on Wednesday that talks had not been cut off, but no progress had been made.
In addition to Tehran conditioning a deal on an end to fighting in Lebanon, it also wants access to billions of dollars in oil revenue, waivers on sanctions on crude exports, a lifting of a US blockade on its ports and continued leverage over the strait.
Trump, who is under pressure to bring down fuel prices, has said his top priority is to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Iran says its atomic program is for peaceful purposes. In a podcast interview released on Wednesday, Trump said Iran had agreed not to have a nuclear weapon and that Khamenei was involved in negotiations.
Later on Wednesday, Trump suggested there could be progress in negotiations with Iran as soon as this weekend.
“If it happens, it could happen over the weekend,” Trump told reporters in the White House’s Oval Office, without elaborating on what he expected to happen within that timeframe.
Trump said that parties were working to separate the issue of reopening the strait from the conflict in Lebanon.
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