New information has come to light as uncertainty remains over whether Israel will honour the agreement. United States President Donald Trump has announced what he has described as a “ great deal ” to end the war with Iran as leaders in Tehran and Washington outline an agreement that would bring an immediate halt to hostilities after more than 100 days of conflict. The story is expected to develop further.

Highlights

The issue at hand has deep roots and a history that continues to shape the current situation.

“ Based on the agreements reached, the war and military operations on all fronts, such as Lebanon, will end immediately and permanently as of tonight, and in addition, the naval blockade against Iran will end immediately and completely, ” it said on Sunday in a statement.

Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran ’ s deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, said negotiations for a final agreement would continue for 60 days.

It has also emerged that meanwhile, Trump indicated Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “ should be very thankful ” to the US for securing the deal as the president criticised Israeli strikes on the southern suburbs of Lebanon ’ s capital, Beirut, on Sunday, which he advised US media had nearly derailed the agreement.

Standout Performances

Analysts are now examining what this development means in both the short and long term.

The announcement was welcomed by financial markets while Trump urged ships stranded due to the Strait of Hormuz closure to “ start their engines ” as expectations grew that shipping through the waterway would resume.

Against this backdrop, nevertheless, significant questions remain over whether Israel will abide by the agreement and what will be decided about Iran ’ s nuclear programme, sanctions relief, the future of the Strait of Hormuz and the fate of Iran ’ s regional allies, including Hezbollah.

At the same time, while Iran said the agreement includes a ceasefire by Israel in Lebanon, it is not yet known whether this would also require Israel ’ s full withdrawal from the large swath of southern Lebanon that it occupies.

Numbers

The ripple effects of what has occurred are expected to reach well beyond the initial story.

More than 3,000 people have been killed in Israeli attacks on Lebanon since early March and more than one million people have been displaced from their homes.

Of particular significance is the fact that on Monday, however, Israel ’ s Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a statement: “ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I are pursuing a clear policy under which the [ military] will remain in the security zones in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza for an unlimited period of time in order to protect the border and Israeli communities from there against jihadist elements. ” Certain analysts said Sunday ’ s attack by Israel on Beirut ’ s southern suburbs was an attempt to gain leverage before the deal took effect and reinforced Israel ’ s longstanding position that attacks on Israel from Lebanon by the Iran-backed body Hezbollah would be met with attacks on Beirut.

Alongside the primary story, gideon Levy, a columnist for the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, flagged that Lebanon could become the biggest challenge facing the agreement.

Notably, “ One of the biggest challenges of the agreement with Iran is the situation in Lebanon given that the Iranians succeeded in creating a total linkage between Lebanon and the agreement, and now, really, I don ’ t see how it will work because Israel is still in Lebanon, has no intention to withdraw from Lebanon and, as sustained as the troops are there, there will be no ‘ total ceasefire ’. ” He described Sunday ’ s strikes on Beirut ’ s southern suburbs as “ ridiculous, childish attacks ”, adding: “ It ’ s very obvious that Israel only lost in this game. ” The agreement has intensified criticism of Netanyahu at home.

In a related development, levy informed Al Jazeera the agreement is widely seen in Israel as “ the defeat of Israel

Looking Ahead

With key questions still unanswered and the situation continuing to develop, observers are watching closely for the next steps. This outlet will continue to provide updates as the story progresses.