US President Donald Trump said Friday that he would soon make a “final determination” on a possible agreement with Iran, indicating that Washington and Tehran may be inching toward a temporary cease-fire arrangement after days of escalating tensions.
In a post on social media, Trump reiterated key American demands, insisting that Iran must permanently abandon any effort to develop nuclear weapons and allow the United States to remove its stockpile of enriched uranium. He also called for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical oil shipping routes.
Trump indicated that the United States was prepared to lift its naval blockade targeting Iranian shipping if progress was made. “Ships caught in the Strait due to our amazing and unprecedented Naval Blockade, which will now be lifted, may start the process of heading home,” he wrote.
Iran has not officially responded to Trump’s latest remarks. However, Iran’s senior negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf adopted a hard-line position earlier in the day, saying Tehran had “no trust in guarantees or words.”
U.S. officials familiar with the negotiations said the proposed agreement would extend the current cease-fire and create space for fresh talks on Iran’s nuclear programme. If finalized, the arrangement could provide Trump with a diplomatic exit from a conflict that has triggered rising oil prices and growing domestic criticism in the United States.
The deal could also pave the way for Iran to regain access to frozen overseas assets and restore billions of dollars in oil revenue.
Israel pushes deeper into Lebanon amid Hezbollah clashes
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday that Israeli troops had advanced further into southern Lebanon, including crossing the Litani River, in a major escalation of fighting with the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.
Speaking during a visit to troops near Israel’s northern border, Netanyahu said Israeli forces had crossed a line that has historically served as a key boundary in previous cease-fire arrangements.
The Israeli military also issued fresh evacuation warnings for villages and towns in southern Lebanon as airstrikes continued across the region. According to Lebanon’s health ministry, more than 3,300 people have been killed since the latest round of fighting erupted in March.
The latest escalation comes despite ongoing U.S.-brokered negotiations aimed at stabilizing the Israel-Lebanon border. Military officials from both countries were expected to meet at the Pentagon on Friday, while additional political talks are scheduled for next week.
Israeli officials say Hezbollah’s drone attacks on troops and northern Israeli communities remain a serious security concern. Under pressure from hard-liners in his coalition government, Netanyahu has ordered intensified military operations against Hezbollah, including a strike near Beirut earlier this week.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, after speaking with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, said achieving a cease-fire remained the “basic entry point” for broader negotiations.
Iran has reportedly demanded that any broader agreement with Washington include an end to Israeli strikes against Hezbollah, making Lebanon a key flashpoint in regional diplomacy.
