U.S. And Iranian officials met in Muscat on Saturday for indirect talks aimed at de-escalating regional tensions, with a newly declared 10-day cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah appearing to hold on its first day, according to multiple diplomatic sources familiar with the proceedings. The cease-fire, which began at 6 a.m. Local time on Saturday, was announced late Friday by Hezbollah’s political leadership following a series of backchannel communications mediated by Qatar and Egypt. In a brief statement released through its official media arm, Hezbollah’s political bureau said it had entered into a “cautious commitment” to observe the truce, citing the need to “preserve civilian lives and allow space for diplomatic efforts to proceed.” Israeli defense officials confirmed via secure channels that no rocket fire had been launched from southern Lebanon into Israeli territory since the cease-fire took effect, and that the Israel Defense Forces had ceased all aerial and artillery operations in the designated buffer zone along the Blue Line. The Israeli military said it was maintaining heightened readiness but would not initiate action unless provoked. The timing of the truce coincides with the resumption of indirect U.S.-Iran negotiations in Oman, which had been stalled since April after a series of escalatory incidents in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Senior U.S. State Department officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the cease-fire removed a significant impediment to talks, as Hezbollah’s alignment with Iran had previously made Washington reluctant to engage while hostilities were active. “Iran’s ability to influence Hezbollah’s behavior on the ground is now being tested,” said one Western diplomat with direct knowledge of the talks. “If the group holds the line, it signals Tehran can deliver on de-escalation promises — which makes the U.S. More willing to discuss limits on uranium enrichment and regional proxies.” Iranian negotiators, led by Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Majid Takht-Ravanchi, did not reference Hezbollah directly in their opening remarks but emphasized Tehran’s commitment to “regional stability through dialogue.” U.S. Envoys, headed by Special Envoy for Iran Abram Rosenblatt, focused the discussion on confidence-building measures, including the potential exchange of detained nationals and a temporary freeze on certain enrichment activities. Neither side disclosed specifics of the talks, but both confirmed they would reconvene in Muscat on Tuesday to continue negotiations. A third round is tentatively scheduled for Friday, pending progress. Hezbollah’s political wing has not issued further public commentary on the truce since its initial statement, and its military wing has not responded to requests for comment. Lebanese caretaker government officials said they were monitoring the situation closely but had not been formally consulted on the agreement, raising questions about the group’s autonomy in decision-making. The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) reported no violations of the cease-fire line by either party as of Saturday evening and said its patrols remained active along the Blue Line. UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti said the mission was “ready to assist in de-escalation efforts” but had not been invited to mediate the truce. Analysts caution that the durability of the cease-fire remains uncertain, noting past instances where similar truces collapsed within 48 hours due to sporadic cross-border fire or internal Hezbollah factional disputes. Yet, the absence of any reported breaches on the first day, coupled with the parallel diplomatic engagement in Oman, has introduced a rare window of potential de-escalation in a conflict that has flared intermittently since October 2023. No further statements were issued by either Hezbollah or Israeli officials by the close of business on Saturday, and the U.S. State Department declined to characterize the Oman talks as “productive,” stating only that discussions were “ongoing and substantive.”
