Trump Says U.S. Should Not Rush Iran Deal as Strait of Hormuz Reopens

The United States is close to reaching a deal with Iran that would end the war, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and see Iran give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, while U.S. President Donald Trump said he told representatives "not to rush into a deal."

The proposed memorandum of understanding is described as a 60-day framework in which the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened and negotiations would be held on curbing Iran's nuclear program, according to a U.S. official cited by Axios.

Ain Libya

The Guardian reported that Israeli strikes hit southern and eastern Lebanon on Sunday despite signs of a U.S.-Iran peace deal, including a Saturday strike in Sir al-Gharbiyeh that Lebanon’s health ministry said resulted in "a massacre whose final toll is 11 dead including a child and six women."

In parallel, the Guardian said the Iran-backed group maintained attacks on Israeli targets in southern Lebanon and across the border, including firing rockets on Sunday at Israeli troops operating on Lebanese territory, even as a ceasefire began on 17 April and was extended for several weeks.

Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem expressed hope that Lebanon would be included in any agreement, saying in a televised address, "God willing, this agreement will be finalized and there are signs of its completion, and accordingly that we too will be among those included in this agreement."

The Guardian also quoted Hassan Fadlallah, a Hezbollah lawmaker put under US sanctions this week, saying "Iran has made its agreement with the United States conditional on stopping the war in Lebanon."

Al Jazeera

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Hezbollah of trying to plunge Lebanon "back into chaos" and said the pro-Iran armed group was "actively trying to drag Lebanon back into chaos and destruction," according to the Guardian.

In parallel, the Times of Israel reported that IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir approved plans for the continuation of fighting against Hezbollah in Lebanon after holding a situational assessment, with Zamir saying the IDF is "determined to deepen the blow against Hezbollah."

The proposed framework agreement is described as including an end to the war between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon, with Axios reporting that the U.S. official said it would not be a "one-sided ceasefire" and that "if Hezbollah behaves, Israel will behave."

The Guardian said Israeli strikes continued despite the ceasefire, and it described evacuation warnings covering more than a dozen villages in Lebanon’s south and in the eastern Bekaa valley, with AFP reporting smoke after strikes on Nabatieh and Zawtar al-Sharqiyah.

In Israel’s internal planning, the Times of Israel said the IDF was preparing for the possibility that an emerging U.S.-Iran deal would force it to rein in its war against Hezbollah, while also noting that it was unclear whether any agreement would extend to Hezbollah.

The Guardian further reported that Lebanese authorities began direct talks with Israel under US auspices and insisted the discussions must be independent from the Iran-US negotiations, as it said Israel reserves the right to act against "planned, imminent or ongoing attacks" under the ceasefire terms published by Washington.