US diplomat says ceasefire deal ‘more elusive,’ US working to make it ‘lasting, effective’

WASHINGTON — A senior U.S. diplomat said Thursday that the details of a ceasefire deal with Iran have proven a “little more elusive,” but stressed ongoing U.S. efforts to achieve a “lasting and effective” pause in the war, as a dispute continues over whether the deal covers Lebanon. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau made the remarks during a forum hosted by the Atlantic Council as concerns have risen over the implementation of the ceasefire amid Israel’s strikes on the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon and Iran’s continued restrictions on commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. “We are trying to have a lasting and effective ceasefire. I think that’s something that both sides have expressed a willingness for,” Landau said. “It has proven a little more elusive in the details as to how far does that extend, who does that cover, what theaters does that cover … But we are in talks, as we speak, to try to nail all that down.” On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced the two-week ceasefire deal with Iran, which he said is “subject to” Iran’s “complete,

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