\n<\/p>\n
Ramallah, West Bank — <\/span>Post-October. 7 order in the Middle East – as it is<\/a> – barely held together by conditional ceasefires and mutual threats.<\/p>\n Iran has suffered losses serious blow<\/a>Still not enough to shake his posture at the negotiating table. Its allies Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza have been weakened but functioning, with Israel still regularly attacking both. Prime Minister is Benjamin Netanyahu under increasing pressure<\/a> Converting military achievements into visible dividends ahead of elections later this year.<\/p>\n US President Donald Trump, who boasts of his peacekeeping abilities<\/a>It appears he is still seeking a nuclear deal with Iran and broader peace in the Middle East. But the talks so far have yielded no results and there is a deadlock between the two countries. a growing impasse<\/a> Above strait of hormuz<\/a>.<\/p>\n Major military operations have halted, but underlying grievances \u2013 which have long been Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack<\/a> – has not been addressed. Millions of people are still displaced, and many fear that fighting could resume at any time.<\/p>\n The cease-fires “don’t fix anything \u2014 they just stop things from getting worse,” said Michael Ratney, the former U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia. “It’s part of the answer to an immediate political problem, in which (Trump) needs to get out of the war and he can’t figure out how to do that.”<\/p>\n For weeks, Trump vacillated between threats to carry out major attacks on Iran’s infrastructure \u2013 at one point threatening to destroy “An entire civilization”<\/a> \u2013 and attempts to negotiate a deal over its nuclear program and other decades-long disputes.<\/p>\n this week he ceasefire extended<\/a> But said he would maintain the US naval blockade of Iranian ports. On Wednesday, he vowed to attack Iranian fast boats in the Strait of Hormuz, which Tehran has effectively clamped down on since the start of the war, sparking a backlash. worldwide energy crisis<\/a>.<\/p>\n Iran has given no public indication that it is willing to make concessions on its nuclear program, ballistic missiles or support for regional proxies. It says the strait will remain closed until the US lifts its blockade and Israel stops attacks on Iran-backed groups like Hezbollah.<\/p>\n Neither side appears to want a full-scale war and a fresh round of ceasefire talks was planned in Pakistan on Saturday. <\/p>\n Based on his statements on social media, Iran’s leaders have concluded that they can withstand the blockade much longer than Trump. Rising gas prices and an unpopular war<\/a>Especially with the US midterm elections later this year.<\/p>\n John Alterman, chair of global security and geostrategy at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Trump’s record shows he has a tendency to seek headlines. Quick Result Declaration<\/a>.<\/p>\n “The most visible parts of the fight have stopped, but the less visible efforts are moving forward,” he said. “Ceasefires may seem comfortable but lock into unsustainable patterns, with one side feeling it has lost the urgency to resolve the underlying conflict.”<\/p>\n ceasefire in lebanon<\/a> The agreement reached last week has largely been held outside the border area, where fighting continues. Israel has indicated that it plans to occupy large parts of southern Lebanon indefinitely. Iran-backed Hezbollah, which is not an official party to the ceasefire, is demanding that Israel withdraw.<\/p>\n Trump announced three week extension<\/a> The ceasefire was reached on Thursday after a meeting between Israeli and Lebanese officials at the White House.<\/p>\n The US and Israel have demanded that the Lebanese government take responsibility for disarming Hezbollah. Beirut tried to do so as part of a plan before the outbreak<\/a> Of the latest fight. But Lebanese leaders acknowledged their limited capabilities, and their efforts were to no avail as Hezbollah retained the ability to fire thousands of missiles and drones toward northern Israel over the past two months.<\/p>\n Since Beirut is unwilling to risk civil war by directly confronting the militants \u2013 especially as Israel occupies Lebanese territory \u2013 the ceasefire provides a measure of relief.<\/p>\n Like Gaza, Israeli forces have drawn a “yellow line” in southern Lebanon, demolition of houses<\/a> Israel claims Hezbollah used it, preventing people from returning and announcing attacks on what it says are militants attempting to cross. Many in Lebanon fear a return to Israel’s 1982-2000 occupation of the south, which ended after years of deadly Hezbollah attacks on Israeli troops.<\/p>\n