Trump says Iran peace deal is 'two to three days' away after Iran-Israel hostilities pause
The US president said diplomacy is in its 'final efforts' after Iran and Israel halted their first direct exchanges of fire since an April ceasefire.
Hostilities erupt and pause
Iran and Israel exchanged direct fire on Sunday and Monday for the first time since a fragile ceasefire took effect on 8 April, before both sides announced a halt to hostilities. Iran fired around 30 missiles at Israel, according to an Israeli military official, in what Tehran called a 'severe response' to an Israeli strike on Beirut's southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold. That strike killed two people and wounded 20. Israel then struck what it described as 'military targets' in western and central Iran, with explosions reported in Tehran, Tabriz and Isfahan. Fifteen people were injured in Iran, according to the head of the national emergency organisation.
At this time, hostilities on this front have ceased.
Trump's diplomatic push
Speaking after attending an NBA Finals game in New York, Donald Trump said American diplomacy was in its 'final efforts' to conclude an agreement with Iran. 'We are in the final efforts of what is going to be a very, very good deal,' he said, giving a timeline of 'two to three days' for an accord. The president, who is seeking an exit from an unpopular conflict ahead of midterm elections, had earlier urged both countries to cease hostilities 'immediately' via his Truth Social network.
We are in the final efforts of what is going to be a very, very good deal.
Lebanon remains a flashpoint
Despite the pause in Iran-Israel exchanges, Israeli strikes continued in southern Lebanon on Monday, hitting around 15 localities including the city of Tyre. Fourteen people were killed and more than 20 wounded, according to the Lebanese government and the Red Cross. Israel's military said it would continue targeting the pro-Iranian Hezbollah. Tehran has conditioned any agreement with the United States on a definitive halt to hostilities in Lebanon and has suggested it could break the truce to intervene in support of Hezbollah.
In the event of continued aggression and hostilities, including in southern Lebanon, far more severe and repressive actions than before will be undertaken.
A fragile regional picture
The latest escalation follows 100 days of war and a ceasefire that has struggled to hold. At least 3,637 people have been killed in Israeli attacks across Lebanon since 2 March, with 11,188 wounded, according to the Lebanese health ministry. Yemen's Houthi rebels, allies of Iran, claimed an attack against Israel on Tuesday and declared a ban on Israeli navigation in the Red Sea, while Israel's military said it intercepted an 'aerial target' from Yemen. Tehran's main international airport announced a 'return to normal' operations early Tuesday after the country's airspace, partially closed between Sunday and Monday, was reopened.
- Iran fires around 30 ballistic missiles at Israel in retaliation for Israeli strike on Beirut's southern suburbs.
- Israel strikes military targets in western and central Iran; explosions reported in Tehran, Tabriz and Isfahan.
- Iran announces cessation of its military operation. Netanyahu confirms hostilities on this front have ceased.
- Israeli strikes continue in southern Lebanon, hitting 15 localities including Tyre; 14 killed.
- Trump says peace deal is in 'final efforts' and could be concluded in two to three days.
What comes next
Iran's parliament speaker and lead negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Iran had 'broken the equation' of the conflict. Washington wants to conclude the Lebanese dossier in a second phase, while Tehran insists on simultaneous treatment of the Israel-Hezbollah conflict and the broader war triggered by US and Israeli actions against Iran on 28 February. Benjamin Netanyahu warned Israel would respond 'with force' to any new Iranian attack.
