Hopes for Middle East peace grow as Israel discusses Lebanon ceasefire

Optimism grew on Thursday that the war in the Middle East may be near an end, with a key Pakistani mediator in Tehran and the administration of President Donald Trump talking up hopes for a deal that would open the crucial Strait of Hormuz.



Israel's cabinet met on Wednesday to discuss a possible ceasefire in neighbouring Lebanon, a senior Israeli official said, more than six weeks into its war with Iran-backed Hezbollah. According to Lebanese officials, a ceasefire could be announced soon, the Financial Times reported.



Ending the fighting in Lebanon was a key sticking point in earlier peace talks, along with how to deal with Tehran's nuclear ambitions.



U.S. and Iranian officials were weighing a return to Pakistan for further talks as early as the coming weekend, after negotiations ended on Sunday without a breakthrough. Pakistan's army chief and key figure in the mediation, Field Marshal Asim Munir, arrived in Tehran on Wednesday to try to prevent a renewal of the conflict.



"We feel good about the prospects of a deal," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a news conference on Wednesday, calling conversations mediated by Pakistan "productive and ongoing."