Rome Talks See Progress as U.S. Checks Israeli Hezbollah Escalation

In Rome, the third day of Israel-Lebanon peace talks yielded progress on technical issues and a path to expanding the pilot zone, while the U.S. blocked a broader Israeli strike on Hezbollah after a deadly blast in southern Lebanon killed two IDF reservists; Washington also denied Iranian claims of control or tolls over the Strait of Hormuz. A Gulf-European maritime-security study urged closer cooperation to stabilize shipping amid Iran-related disruptions, with other regional developments including reports of a deadly explosion near Damascus.