ROB SCHMITZ, HOST:
Iran re-imposed its restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz this morning, one day after saying it would open the passage. The announcement came after President Trump had said yesterday that an American blockade would remain until a peace agreement with Iran is reached. Meanwhile, a 10-day ceasefire to pause the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon remains in place.
To catch us up on all of this and how it all fits together, we're joined by NPR's Kat Lonsdorf, who's in Beirut. Hey, Kat.
KAT LONSDORF, BYLINE: Hey, Rob.
SCHMITZ: So where do things stand with the Strait of Hormuz now?
LONSDORF: Well, yesterday, Friday, Iran had said that it would open the strait for commercial vessels during its ceasefire with the U.S. and Israel. But then this morning, it reversed course on that decision, accusing the U.S. of violating that deal by keeping the American blockade on Iranian ports in place. Iran's military said it will remain in control of the strait as long as that blockade continues, and that does very much seem to be the case now.
At least two commercial vessels came under fire today by Iran, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center, which monitors the strait. It said that one was an oil tanker that was approached by two gunboats belonging to Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps. Iran's National Security Council said it will keep these restrictions in place until, quote, "the war is definitively ended and lasting peace is achieved in the region."
SCHMITZ: Lasting peace - are there any updates on the talks to reach that lasting peace?
LONSDORF: Well, the U.S. and Israel and Iran are in the midst of a two-week ceasefire, but that deal is set to expire on Tuesday. Iran has said it is reviewing, quote, "new proposals" from the U.S., and Trump has said there are, quote, "very good conversations going on." But last night, Trump also said that U.S. attacks on Iran could resume if no deal is reached.
SCHMITZ: OK, a lot of different messaging here. You know, Iran has...
LONSDORF: Yeah.
SCHMITZ: ...Said that it would not engage in further talks with the U.S. unless there was a ceasefire deal in Lebanon - that's where you are - to end the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. We're on day two of that ceasefire now. What are you hearing from people there in Beirut?
LONSDORF: Yeah, so like you said, these two ceasefires are very much intertwined. If one falls apart, it's very likely that the other will fall apart as well. Here in Lebanon, it definitely feels less tense. People are resuming some activities. You know, my Uber driver last night, for example, told me it was his first day back driving since the war began because he didn't feel safe being on the streets before with potential Israeli strikes. But also people here recognize this is a temporary ceasefire, and they're skeptical that it will lead to lasting peace.
I went to an area in Central Beirut earlier today. It's a big parking lot that's been filled with tents and turned into an encampment for people displaced during this war. More than a million people have been displaced here in Lebanon, or about a fifth of the population. And I spent some time talking to the people who are still camped out there, despite the ceasefire, like 46-year-old Abir Muhammad el Masri.
ABIR MUHAMMAD EL MASRI: (Speaking Arabic).
LONSDORF: "I don't trust the ceasefire," she told me. "It's more of a truce than a ceasefire. We can't go home yet." She's been living in a tent with her six kids for weeks now.
SCHMITZ: Wow.
LONSDORF: She said she'd much rather be in their apartment in the southern suburbs of Beirut, but it just doesn't feel safe yet.
SCHMITZ: So have some people gone back home, though?
LONSDORF: Yeah, the highways have been packed with people heading south. That's where much of the fighting was happening. But it's dangerous to go back. The Israeli military, the Lebanese government and Hezbollah have all warned people not to go yet.
Many people are also finding they don't have homes to go back to. Israel is still occupying a huge swath of land in the South - about 10% of the country - where it's destroyed more than 40,000 homes, according to Lebanese officials - whole villages - for what Israel calls a buffer zone to keep Hezbollah from firing rockets into northern Israel. No one's allowed to enter that occupied area, but even the areas that people can return to have had a lot of destruction from Israeli airstrikes.
SCHMITZ: So, you know, this ceasefire has only been in effect for two days now, but I've read about these incidents of violence that have sort of tested it, right? Well, what can you tell us about...
LONSDORF: Yeah.
SCHMITZ: ...Those?
LONSDORF: Yeah, so, I mean, earlier today, a U.N. peacekeeper was killed in an attack in the South. French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed that it was a French soldier, adding that, quote, "everything suggests that Hezbollah was behind the attack." Hezbollah denied responsibility for that, saying it remains in cooperation with U.N. peacekeeping missions. The Israeli military also says it conducted an airstrike to take out what it said were terrorists earlier today. You know, I know it's confusing to talk about acts of violence during a ceasefire, but the agreement behind the ceasefire does seem to still be holding despite those.
SCHMITZ: That's NPR's Kat Lonsdorf in Beirut. Thanks so much for your reporting, Kat.
LONSDORF: Thanks, Rob. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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