Trump said an Iran deal could come within days, even as Israeli operations in Lebanon strain a fragile ceasefire and complicate diplomacy.
President Donald Trump said a deal with Iran could be reached within days, but renewed fighting in Lebanon is testing a fragile pause between Israel and Iran and complicating Washington’s push for a broader settlement.
Trump told reporters after attending the NBA Finals in New York that negotiations were in their “final throes” and that an agreement could come in two or three days. He said the prospective deal would prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. But he has made similar near-term predictions during the conflict, and the latest violence has left the status of the talks uncertain.
Lebanon has become the immediate pressure point. Lebanese health authorities said at least eight people were killed and 32 others wounded Tuesday in Israeli strikes on the southern city of Tyre. The Israeli military had earlier issued an evacuation warning for parts of the city, including the Christian Quarter and surrounding neighborhoods, saying Hezbollah was present there and warning that buildings used by the group could be targeted.
Israel and Lebanon renewed a ceasefire agreement last week, according to CBS News, but Hezbollah rejected it and was not a party to the deal. Israel and Hezbollah have continued to exchange fire, while Iran has warned that further Israeli attacks in Lebanon could draw retaliation.
The weekend brought the sharpest strain yet on the wider Israel-Iran ceasefire. Iran fired missiles toward northern Israel after accusing Israel of violating the truce through strikes in Lebanon, including an attack on Beirut’s southern suburbs. Israel said it responded with a large strike on strategic defense systems. Both sides later said they had halted military operations after Trump publicly urged them to stop shooting.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled that the conflict remained unresolved, saying Monday that the war against Iran and Hezbollah “has not yet ended.” Tehran’s Foreign Ministry told CNBC that Iran would resume hostilities if Israeli forces continue attacking Lebanon.
The fighting has widened the stakes of any U.S.-Iran agreement. Iran has repeatedly said any deal must include Lebanon, where Hezbollah is its most important regional ally. Analysts cited by Al Jazeera said Tehran’s direct fire at Israel suggested Iran was trying to enforce a harder line around Lebanon, even as it left room for diplomacy.
The conflict, which crossed the 100-day mark Sunday, has also carried global economic consequences. CNBC reported that the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil shipping route, has been essentially shut for the duration of the war, contributing to higher energy costs and market volatility. Trump said the strait would reopen immediately after a deal, while also saying a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports in the Gulf of Oman would remain until a final agreement is reached.
For now, the next test is whether U.S.-backed diplomacy can keep Israel and Iran from returning to direct exchanges while addressing the Lebanon front that Tehran says must be part of any settlement.
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