Israel pounded Lebanon with its heaviest strikes yet on April 8, killing hundreds of people and drawing a threat of retaliation from Iran, which said the attacks violated a ceasefire deal agreed with the United States a day earlier.

Iran and the US, meanwhile, laid out sharply contrasting agendas for talks that aim to forge a more durable peace in the region.

Those talks, due to take place in Pakistan on April 11, will be led by US Vice-President J.D. Vance and Iran’s Parliament speaker, Mr Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi.

Both Iranian officials questioned whether the ceasefire could hold, saying the ceasefire agreement had been undermined by Israel’s continued attacks on Lebanon, where Israel has been pursuing a parallel war with the Iran-aligned militia Hezbollah.

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US President Donald Trump said on April 8 that imports from countries supplying Iran with military weapons will face immediate 50 per cent tariffs with no exemptions, threatening the new duties just hours after agreeing to a two-week ceasefire with Tehran.

After more than fi...