Dubai, UAE — Israeli and Lebanese officials began a new round of direct talks in Washington on Tuesday, as regional tensions linked to Iran and the broader Middle East conflict continued to reverberate across diplomacy, trade and humanitarian operations.
The fourth round of talks between the two countries, which do not have formal diplomatic relations, is being held at the U.S. State Department and is scheduled to last two days. The meeting follows U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement that he had received commitments from both sides aimed at reducing tensions.
The talks come amid renewed concern over security developments along the Israel-Lebanon border. Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz called on Israel to show restraint in its military campaign in southern Lebanon and urged Hezbollah to disarm, saying Berlin viewed the latest escalation with concern.
In Lebanon, the public Lebanese University postponed examinations at campuses in Beirut’s southern suburbs and Sidon after two students and their father were killed in what the institution described as an Israeli attack on civilians in southern Lebanon. The university said the safety of students and staff remained its highest priority.
Israel’s military on Tuesday called on residents of the southern Lebanese city of Nabatiyeh to evacuate ahead of planned strikes. Lebanon’s civil defence agency said an Israeli strike on the village of Marwaniyeh late Monday killed six people and wounded three others.
Meanwhile, the fallout from the Iran conflict continued to affect regional trade and humanitarian operations. UNICEF warned that rising transport costs and supply chain disruptions linked to insecurity around Gulf shipping routes were threatening deliveries of lifesaving aid. The agency said it had increasingly relied on air freight to move supplies into Lebanon and Gaza amid shipping delays of up to six weeks.
Iran’s economic pressures also intensified. The country’s central bank reported annual inflation of 77.2% in May, the highest level since World War II, with prices for everyday necessities, including medicine, transport and communications rising sharply.
Separately, shipping giant MSC said one of its vessels was struck by two projectiles while docked at Iraq’s Umm Qasr port. The company said Iran’s Revolutionary Guard had claimed responsibility for the attack, adding that no crew members were injured.
Trump said on Monday that talks with Iran were progressing at a “rapid pace” despite threats from Tehran to widen regional pressure by maintaining restrictions around the Strait of Hormuz and other strategic routes.
