Lebanon ceasefire raises hopes of progress for Iran deal

DUBAI, Jun 4 : A new US-mediated ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon raised hopes on Thursday for progress toward ending the wider US-Israeli war with Iran, though there was still uncertainty about how and when it would be implemented.

Tehran has made a ceasefire in Lebanon a condition for any peace deal with Washington, and has suggested in recent days that it could intervene directly in support of its proxy Hezbollah if Israel keeps up or escalates attacks there.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said the latest ceasefire would come into force within 24 hours of all concerned parties approving it, appearing to refer to Hezbollah, which is not directly part of the agreement and has not commented on it.

The commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force, Esmail Qaani, said the minimum demand would be for Israel to withdraw to positions held before the start of the war, Iranian state media reported.

AFP adds, Israel carried out new strikes in Lebanon on Thursday and again threatened Beirut, despite the two countries agreeing to a conditional ceasefire that Lebanon's president called the "last chance" for a durable end to the fighting.

A United Nations peacekeeper was killed and two others were wounded, the UNIFIL force said, after a base was hit the previous night in the south, where Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah are fighting.    �"AGENCIES