The American president says that a agreement with Iran has been reached and that the US have prohibited Israel from bombing Lebanon.
At a particularly critical juncture for the Middle East and the Washington-Tehran deal, Donald Trump made statements that are heightening international interest, stating that a deal with Iran appears to be on the horizon in the next 1-2 days, while revealing that the United States has prohibited Israel to proceed with bombing in Lebanon in an attempt to de-escalate tensions in the region. These postures come at a time of heightened instability, where diplomatic processes, military imbalances and regional conflicts are shaping a particularly fragile geopolitical backdrop with possible immediate developments.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced today that the passage of all merchant ships through the Strait of Hormuz will now be fully open for the remainder of the ceasefire, in line with the ceasefire in Lebanon.
The timeline
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said that his naval blockade of Iran remains in place until a final deal is reached.
A senior Iranian military official told Reuters for his part that warships are not allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, while clarifying that merchant ships can only pass through predetermined routes and with permission from the Revolutionary Guards navy. Another senior Iranian official told Reuters, without giving a timeline, that the release of Iranian assets was part of the deal to open the Strait of Hormuz.
The 10-day ceasefire in Lebanon appeared to be holding in the early hours of Friday, although the Lebanese army earlier accused Israel of violating it, with sporadic bombing in the south. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said Israeli forces would not withdraw from positions in southern Lebanon while Hezbollah reiterated that it reserves the right to respond to attacks. “Our flag will never fall,” the group asserted.
Trump, for his part, however, said the U.S. forbids Israel from bombing Lebanon.
For its part, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) also warned that the military and the IRGC are keeping “their finger on the trigger” and are ready “to deliver a strong, devastating response that will cause ‘regret’ to any aggressive or criminal action by the US-Israeli enemy and its allies against the Iranian nation.”
The IDF maintains and will continue to maintain control over the Lebanese areas it has cleared, Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Kats asserted, however.
Trump tells Axios he expects agreement with Iran ‘in a day or two’
U.S. President Donald Trump told Axios that U.S. and Iranian negotiators will likely meet this weekend and that he expects to reach a final agreement to end the war.
“The Iranians want to meet. They want to reach an agreement. I think there will probably be a meeting over the weekend. I think we will reach an agreement in the next day or two,” he said in a brief phone interview with Axios.
Trump also said he would not lift the naval blockade imposed on Iran until an agreement is reached and stressed that he wants the Strait of Hormuz to be open to all.
At the same time, he made clear that he wants an end to Israeli attacks on Lebanon as part of the ceasefire announced Thursday. “Israel must stop. They cannot continue to blow up buildings. I will not allow it,” he said.
