Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Thursday that Israel was prepared for the possibility that it may soon need to resume its offensive to achieve the goals of its military campaign against Iran.

The remarks came a day after US Vice President J.D. Vance said progress was being made in talks with Iran, but that any deal must ensure Tehran does not develop nuclear weapons.

"Our mission is not over," Katz said at a memorial ceremony for soldiers. "We must complete the goals of the campaign in a way that ensures Iran will not again become a threat to the existence of Israel, to US forces ... for generations to come."

Katz also addressed Hezbollah's explosive drone attacks after an explosive drone launched from Lebanon struck northern Israel earlier on Thursday, wounding three people. "Hezbollah will pay the full price," he said.

Despite a fragile ceasefire, Israel has continued to carry out deadly daily strikes in Lebanon, while its ground forces have expanded operations in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah has responded with attacks on soldiers and the border area using drones and rockets.

Meanwhile, Israeli and Lebanese officials began a third round of peace talks in Washington on Thursday, an Israeli government official told Xinhua.

The talks are expected to continue on Friday, though it was unclear whether the sides were close enough to make progress.

The negotiations are being held at the US State Department, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Israel is represented by its ambassador to Washington, Yechiel Leiter, and senior security officials, while Lebanon's delegation includes its ambassador to Washington, Nada Hamadeh Mouawad, and former Lebanese Ambassador to the United States Simon Karam.

According to the Israeli official, the talks are being held to disarm Hezbollah and reach an agreement to form official ties with Lebanon.

Iran begins letting some Chinese ships cross Strait of Hormuz

It has become possible since Wednesday night for a number of Chinese ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz in compliance with Iranian management protocols, the semi-official Fars news agency reported Thursday, citing an informed source.

Fars quoted a senior official of the navy of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps as saying that 30 vessels have passed through the Strait of Hormuz since Wednesday night.

The official added that different countries have accepted the Iran-designated route for passage through the strait.

Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said on Thursday that the Strait of Hormuz is open to all commercial vessels, provided they cooperate with Iranian naval forces to pass through the waterway.

Fatah's eighth general conference re-elects Mahmoud Abbas as movement leader

The eighth general conference of the Palestinian National Liberation Movement (Fatah) on Thursday re-elected Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas as the movement's leader, according to Palestinian official news agency WAFA.

Citing a statement carried by WAFA, the conference said that members unanimously voted to elect Abbas as president and commander-in-chief of the movement, reaffirming their confidence in his leadership during what it described as a "sensitive stage" in Palestinian history.

Founded in 1959 by late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, Fatah remains the largest faction within the Palestine Liberation Organization and the dominant force in the Palestinian Authority. Abbas was previously re-elected as the movement's leader during Fatah’s seventh general conference in 2016.

(With input from Xinhua)