A complex set of negotiations to end Israel's overlapping wars

A complex set of negotiations to end Israel's overlapping wars April 16, 202612:27 PM ET Daniel Estrin Sonogram images of a baby lie among the rubble of a destroyed building that was hit a week ago in an Israeli airstrike, in central Beirut, Lebanon April 16, 2026. Hussein Malla/AP hide caption toggle caption Hussein Malla/AP TEL AVIV, Israel — Three wars, three negotiations. Israel's three main conflicts in the past couple of years — in Iran, Lebanon and Gaza — have now reached a pivotal stage of diplomacy. The U.S., which together with Israel attacked Iran at the end of February, is playing a central role in the efforts. With Lebanon, President Trump has announced that a ten-day ceasefire will take effect on Friday at midnight local time in Lebanon and Israel. With Iran, Trump says peace talks could begin again soon, with just six days left before the current two-week ceasefire with Iran expires. But a new U.S. economic blockade on Iran is escalating tensions. Sponsor Message With Gaza, Trump's Board of Peace has been meeting Hamas officials this week to convince them to lay down their weapons, but Hamas is not yet willing. Here are some takeaways from these negotiations. - Both Iran and the U.S. think they won the war - Iran withstood two powerful armies and despite weeks of intense bombardment has shown no sign that it is willing to capitulate on the core issues that have divided them from the U.S. and Israel over decades. The U.S. says it has completed a blockade of Iranian exports through the Strait of Hormuz, aiming to choke Iran's economy by cutting off its main international trade route — and hoping to force Iranian concessions at the negotiating table. But Iran has threatened to retaliate with blockades on other international shipping routes, and has threatened to sink American ships if the U.S. tries to "police" the waterway. In the view of Shay Har-Zvi, a former Israeli military and government strategist, Iran will not return to negotiations immediately,...