G’day, ABC Middle East correspondent Matthew Doran here in Beirut.<\/p>\n
Here’s the latest wrap-up of the war still crippling the region, on day 26 of the conflict.<\/p>\n
Here’s what you need to know today:The on-again, off-again, are-they-talking, aren’t-they-talking negotiations between the US and Iran<\/a> on the future of the war in the Middle East do appear to be ongoing<\/a> \u2014 even if they’re not yielding much at this point. There are a number of countries saying they’re trying to mediate the dispute, but it appears Pakistan is the go-between as it stands.Pakistan delivered a proposal for an end to the war<\/a>, drafted by the United States, to Iran. But Iranian state media reports it’s been rejected. All the while, others, including Egypt and T\u00fcrkiye, are seemingly passing notes between the two sides \u2014 particularly regarding shielding the Gulf states from further attacks.The prospect of some sort of a deal hasn’t stopped the attacks on Iran<\/a> by the US and Israel, or Iranian retaliatory strikes<\/a>. And the United States is reportedly considering sending thousands of troops to the region, in another sign that this could drag on and worsen. US Marines are already en route<\/a>.Hezbollah’s chief has vowed the group will continue fighting against Israel, in the face of a now public plan to occupy a large swathe of southern Lebanon<\/a>. On Tuesday, local time, Israel’s defence minister announced Israeli forces would occupy the area from the current Israel-Lebanon border to the Litani River \u2014 often considered the boundary of Hezbollah’s heartland in the south. Naim Qassem argued the group had no choice \u2014 it would either surrender, or fight.The Lebanese Army has confirmed its assessment of a missile which was intercepted and rained debris over an area north of Beirut was that it came from Iran \u2014 or at the very least, was manufactured by Iran. It was the first time an Iranian missile was intercepted in Lebanese airspace during the war, with speculation that it may have been fired towards the island of Cyprus in the Mediterranean. The president of Cyprus says talks are underway with the UK about the future of British bases on the island, given recent Iranian drone attacks.Here’s what all that means<\/p>\n The past few days have proven how anything Donald Trump says needs to be taken with a grain of salt. Or a teaspoon. Perhaps a ladle.<\/p>\n The US president has been speaking in very positive terms about the prospect of an end to the war. Two days ago, he backed down on his threat<\/a> to attack Iranian power plants if the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps didn’t open up access to the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n