News
April 17, 2026
Lebanon Ceasefire Key to Broader Middle East Peace TalksIslamabad: Pakistan said on Thursday a halt to hostilities in Lebanon was essential for broader Middle East peace talks, adding it considered the country part of a wider ceasefire framework following a temporary US-Iran truce that led to direct talks between Washington and Tehran in Islamabad.
The remarks came amid differing interpretations of the two-week ceasefire, with Iran and Pakistan saying it extends to Lebanon, which has been bombed by Israel, though the United States has denied this and Israeli operations there have continued.
Pakistan, which has positioned itself as a facilitator after hosting direct talks between senior US and Iranian officials, has emphasized the need for de-escalation across the region to sustain negotiations.
“Lebanon, in our interpretation, is part of the broader ceasefire,” Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said during a weekly press briefing.
“We are encouraged by recent improvements on the Israel-Lebanon front over the past two days,” he continued, as reports emerged that a ceasefire was expected.
“Peace in Lebanon and cessation of armed attacks there are essential, as they create a conducive environment for broader peace talks.”
Hours later, US President Donald Trump announced that both Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a 10-day ceasefire between them.
The truce will take effect at 9 p.m. GMT on Thursday, the US president announced in a social media post.
The agreement was reached after Trump said he held “excellent conversations” with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“These two Leaders have agreed that in order to achieve PEACE between their Countries, they will formally begin a 10 Day CEASEFIRE at 5 P.M. EST,” Trump said on his Truth Social network, without mentioning Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement.
The agreement comes two days after Lebanon and Israel held their first direct diplomatic talks in decades in Washington and aims to end more than a month of war between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group.
Lebanon has repeatedly insisted that a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel should precede negotiations.
Andrabi said Pakistan maintained close coordination with Saudi Arabia and China during the peace talks, describing its ties with them as “special.”
“We have had close discussions with China and Saudi Arabia,” he said. “If you see the list of telephone conversations between our leadership and the leadership in Riyadh and Beijing, these conversations took place just before or after the talks. So, these countries are very close, trusted partners in these talks, both KSA and China.”
He further noted that China and Saudi Arabia are supportive of Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts.
“They are our close partners and our numerous interactions with them at the highest level are a demonstration of this fact.” - Arab News
Courtesy Arab News
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