Israel frees four Lebanese detainees; Hormuz traffic stays thin
Israel released four Lebanese civilians Friday under a US-mediated deal. Strait of Hormuz traffic remains low after US-Iran attacks, pushing diesel prices to a record.
Israel handed over four Lebanese civilians to Lebanese authorities on Friday, completing a second round of releases under a bilateral arrangement. The detainees had been held by Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, where troops have occupied a significant area following renewed fighting with Hezbollah.
The release follows a deal struck between the two countries, with the first detainee freed a day earlier. Israel said it agreed to the releases after Lebanon helped in the search for the remains of Lebanese Jewish leaders who disappeared during the country's civil war in the 1980s. Officials described the process as resulting from US mediation and direct negotiations, with another round of talks expected in Rome later this month.
Separately, shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains subdued days after the US and Iran traded direct attacks for the first time in a month. The latest escalation included US strikes on Iranian targets and Iranian retaliation in the region, which saw fire directed at Kuwait, a US Gulf ally.
The disruption has pushed fuel prices higher. US diesel reached a record average of $5.85 a gallon on Friday, while benchmark US crude climbed above $91 a barrel amid uncertainty over the strait, which Iran has used as leverage throughout its six-month conflict with Washington.