Israel carried out airstrikes across southern Lebanon on Saturday after ordering residents to evacuate roughly 20 locations, even as diplomats reported that a peace deal between the United States and Iran could be signed within hours.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose country has been mediating talks between the US and Iran, wrote on X that a deal is closer than ever and that finalisation is likely within the next 24 hours. Iran’s Foreign Ministry, however, gave a more cautious timeline, saying the signing could still take place in the coming days.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump insisted the agreement is imminent. In a post on Truth Social, he declared,“The Deal is scheduled to get signed tomorrow, and immediately after it is signed, the Hormuz Strait is OPEN TO ALL.” The strait, a critical chokepoint for global oil and gas shipments, has been closed for months, driving up fuel prices worldwide.
Trump said the new agreement would ensure Iran does not “purchase, develop, or in any other form procure” a nuclear weapon, adding: “They no longer want a Nuclear Weapon, nor will they have one.” He also warned: “If it doesn’t work out, we have the ultimate alternative, hopefully never to be used again.”
Iran has not responded directly to Trump’s remarks. Both sides have offered differing accounts of the deal’s contents throughout the week, with Trump rejecting details published by Iranian media as inaccurate.
The war began February 28 with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran. Despite a ceasefire reached in April, both sides have continued exchanging intermittent fire, and the Strait of Hormuz has remained closed, disrupting global energy markets for months.
