Key facts
- Hezbollah rejected a US-brokered ceasefire proposal for Lebanon.
- Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem called the pact a 'shameless' attempt to force surrender.
- Israel stated its forces would not withdraw or halt operations in Lebanon.
- Iran linked a Lebanon ceasefire to any peace deal with Washington.
- Iranian and US forces exchanged attacks in the Gulf.
- Oil loading was suspended at Oman's Mina al Fahal terminal after an alleged drone attack.
Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militia, rejected a US-brokered ceasefire proposal for Lebanon on Thursday, undermining efforts by US President Donald Trump to halt fighting and forge peace with Iran. Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem described the pact as a 'shameless' attempt to force surrender and stated the group would not withdraw while Israeli forces remain in Lebanon. Israel, which invaded Lebanon in March in parallel with the Iran war, stated its forces would not withdraw or halt operations. The commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards Quds Force suggested Israel must at least withdraw to pre-war positions. The US State Department had presented a proposal contingent on a complete cessation of Hezbollah fire and evacuation of fighters, with eventual control by the Lebanese Armed Forces. Trump told reporters he believed progress was being made and the country deserved peace. Meanwhile, Iranian and US forces traded attacks in the Gulf on Wednesday, with Iranian forces striking Kuwait's airport and the US military launching strikes near the Strait of Hormuz. An alleged drone attack in Oman suspended oil loading at a terminal. Iranian oil exports have fallen to their lowest in six years, though global oil prices fell on hopes of a diplomatic off-ramp. Iran has made a Lebanon ceasefire a condition for any peace deal with Washington and suggested it could intervene directly if Israel continues attacks.