General Rudolph Haykal, chief of the Lebanese army, traveled this Saturday to Pakistan following an invitation from his counterpart, Marshal Syed Asim Munir, and the Lebanese military institution confirmed his departure from the country in a statement. Without detailing the duration or formal objective of the visit, sources close to the process linked the trip to Islamabad's efforts to mediate between the United States and Iran, amid a regional escalation.
In parallel, Islamabad, with Munir leading the mediation, consolidated itself as a channel of dialogue, while southern Lebanon experienced an escalation of violence.
In this scenario, Hezbollah, backed by Iran, maintained its rejection of ceasefire proposals and called on Lebanese authorities to withdraw from the talks. Sources with knowledge of the negotiations confirmed that Lebanon remained a focal point of discussions, as the Iranian demand to include Lebanese territory in the ceasefire became a sticking point.
Concurrently, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that the dialogue with Iran continues at an "accelerated pace" and denied a breakdown, despite the temporary pause attributed by Iranian state media to Israeli attacks in Lebanon. Trump argued that the dynamic of the negotiations required time and compared the situation to the Vietnam War, noting that a conflict of that magnitude does not allow for quick solutions.
"They are strong and proud. There are things they never thought they would do and that they will have to do. They have no other choice, and it takes time," he declared.
The U.S. leader maintained that Iran's regime, despite its strength and pride, had no alternatives to the negotiating table. He also stated that Washington destroyed part of Iran's military capability, including drone factories, launch platforms, and missile centers, and estimated that Tehran retained between 21% and 22% of its arsenal.
Tensions were also reflected in maritime traffic: the U.S. Central Command recorded nearly one thousand commercial vessel transits through the Strait of Hormuz in the past two months, with an increase in "dark" transits when ships turn off their transponders to avoid Iranian detection.
"Many. I don't want to say how many, but there are many. A lot of oil is entering the world that people don't even know about. And that's why it's at $97 a barrel instead of $300," Trump said.
On the Iranian side, high-ranking officials reiterated that the possibility of an agreement with Washington depends on the release of $24 billion in frozen funds. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi acknowledged the lack of concrete progress and described the talks as an exchange of messages through intermediaries, with no tangible progress.
Additionally, on this day, he questioned the statements of Lebanese President Michel Aoun and argued that they distorted the reality of Iranian influence in the region. Araghchi stated that Aoun's remarks divert attention from Israel's military attacks on Lebanese territory.
On social media, the minister quipped that, according to Aoun, it would seem Iran occupies part of Lebanon, displaces its population, and bombs the country, when that situation corresponds to Israeli military action.
"If Lebanon were a bargaining chip for Iran, we would have reached an agreement a long time ago," he said.
On the diplomatic front, Kuwait and Bahrain condemned the recent Iranian attacks and warned that they would defend their sovereignty with all available resources. In this context, Haykal's trip to Pakistan was interpreted as a significant move on the crisis board, although the Lebanese army did not provide details on the military chief's agenda.
(With information from EFE)
