A 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel went into effect on Thursday, and US President Donald Trump said the next meeting between the US and Iran may take place at the weekend, adding to optimism the Iran war could be nearing an end.
Trump said Iran had offered not to possess nuclear weapons for more than 20 years. Tehran’s nuclear ambitions were a sticking point at talks in Islamabad last weekend.
“We’re going to see what happens, but I think we’re very close to making a deal with Iran,” he told reporters outside the White House.
Hours later at an event in Las Vegas, Nevada, Trump went further, saying the war “should be ending pretty soon”.
The war with Iran, which began on February 28 with a US-Israeli attack, has killed thousands and sent oil prices surging, creating a major political headache for the US president.
If the Lebanon ceasefire clears the way for a broader peace deal with Iran, it would be a significant win for the Trump administration, which has struggled to reopen the strategically important Strait of Hormuz and block Iran’s path to a nuclear weapon.
Celebratory gunfire rang out across parts of Beirut as the clock struck midnight on Thursday, the time the ceasefire was set to go into effect. For about 30 minutes, the sound of explosions from rockets fired in celebration could also be heard, witnesses said.
However, the pause in hostilities remained fragile.
The Lebanese army said early on Friday Israel committed violations of the ceasefire after it took effect, including intermittent shelling of several southern Lebanese villages.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military, which had said earlier its forces remained deployed in the area. In a post on X, Arabic-language military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said the deployment was in response to what he described as continued Hezbollah militant activity.
Hezbollah released a lengthy statement detailing what it described as its military operations against Israel throughout Thursday, which showed its last attack came at 11.50pm, 10 minutes before the ceasefire took effect.
Trump later issued a social media post urging Hezbollah to respect the ceasefire.
“I hope Hezbollah acts nicely and well during this important period of time. It will be a great moment for them if they do. No more killing. Must finally have peace,” he said.
More talks planned
Trump said in his earlier remarks to reporters that he thought the US had a chance of a deal with Iran.
“If that happens, oil goes way down, prices go way down, inflation goes way down and, much more importantly than that, you won’t have a nuclear holocaust,” he said.
The president said he was not sure a two-week ceasefire agreed with Iran last week would need to be extended beyond next week, adding Tehran wanted to make a deal.
“We have a very good relationship with Iran right now, as hard as it is to believe. I think it’s a combination of about four weeks of bombing, and a very powerful blockade.”
Conflict between Israel and the Iran-aligned Lebanese group Hezbollah was reignited by the US-Israeli war with Iran. Hezbollah opened fire in support of Tehran on March 2, prompting an Israeli offensive in Lebanon 15 months after their last major conflict.
Trump said he had held “excellent conversations” with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and planned to invite them both to the White House for “meaningful talks”.
If the Lebanon ceasefire clears the way for a broader peace deal with Iran, it would be a significant win for the Trump administration, which has struggled so far to reopen the strategically important Strait of Hormuz and block Iran’s path to a nuclear weapon.
He said later that the White House meeting could take place over the next week or two, and if an Iran deal was reached and signed in Islamabad, he might travel there for the occasion.
Trump said he had directed US vice-president JD Vance, secretary of state Marco Rubio and chair of the joint chiefs of staff Dan Caine to work with Israel and Lebanon to achieve lasting peace.
Iran welcomed the ceasefire in Lebanon, saying it was part of an understanding reached with the US and mediated by Pakistan, Iranian media reported, citing a statement by a foreign ministry spokesperson.
Possible compromise
Closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil and gas supply flows, has caused the worst oil price shock in history and forced the International Monetary Fund to downgrade its outlook for the global economy, warning prolonged conflict could push the world to the brink of recession.
At last weekend’s talks, the US proposed a 20-year suspension of all nuclear activity by Iran, an apparent concession from longstanding demands for a permanent ban. Tehran suggested a halt of three to five years, according to people familiar with the proposals.
Washington has pressed for any highly enriched uranium (HEU) to be removed from Iran. Tehran has demanded international sanctions against it be lifted.
Two Iranian sources said there were signs of a compromise emerging on the HEU stockpile, with Tehran considering shipping part, but not all, of it out of the country, something it had previously ruled out.
A diplomatic source said the key Pakistani mediator, army chief Asim Munir, arrived in Tehran on Wednesday and had made a breakthrough on “sticky issues”, though Tehran said the fate of its nuclear programme had not been resolved. Trump has said the accord would open the Strait of Hormuz.
A senior Iranian official told Reuters Munir’s trip had led to greater hopes for a second round of talks and an extension of the ceasefire, but said fundamental differences remain over the nuclear programme.
US defence secretary Pete Hegseth said troops were poised to restart combat operations if a deal is not reached.
A Pakistani security source told Reuters Washington was offering to lift sanctions and unfreeze billions worth of Iranian assets to secure a deal.
However, the source added Iran would open the strait only if a permanent ceasefire is reached and there are UN guarantees the US and Israel will not attack again in the future.
Reuters
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