Escalation continues: IDF strikes over 100 Hezbollah targets across Lebanon

The IDF said it struck over 100 Hezbollah targets overnight, including weapons depots and command centers across Lebanon.

The IDF confirmed on Monday that overnight, it struck more than 100 Hezbollah infrastructure sites and terrorists in the Beqaa Valley and across southern Lebanon. In several strikes in the Beqaa Valley, terrorist infrastructure sites were struck, including a Hezbollah weapons storage facility.

In southern Lebanon, more than 90 weapons storage facilities, command centers, observation posts, and infrastructure sites used by Hezbollah terrorists to advance attacks against IDF soldiers and Israeli civilians were struck.

Footage from one of the strikes overnight in the area of Mashghara shows several strikes within seconds against Hezbollah infrastructure sites where terrorist activity was identified. During the strike, the terrorists were eliminated. (Ed note: These articles are tallking about the IDF attacking the southern suburbs of Beirut, the Upper Galilee, the coastal city of Tyre, the Beqaa Valley, and across southern Lebanon.) (Source)

Eighty Five Precision Strikes: Air Force Pulverizes Ten Separate Command Headquarters Across Tyre

The Upper Galilee Regional Council issued an extraordinary emergency directive warning border residents to prepare for an intense night of heavy bombardment as the Air Force launched over eighty five precision strikes across Lebanon.

The security environment along the northern frontier has reached a violent boiling point, prompting the Upper Galilee Regional Council to issue an extraordinary, direct notification ordering frontline communities to prepare for an intense night of offensive operations. The official municipal dispatch warned residents that heavy artillery echoes and massive explosions would reverberate continuously throughout the sector as security forces execute wide scale maneuvers across the border. The domestic mobilization followed closely on the heels of formal executive declarations confirming a massive increase in tactical velocity against hostile infrastructure. 

The sudden escalation follows a definitive policy pronouncement from the Commander of the Northern Command, Major General Rafi Milo, who stated that continuous projectile impacts targeting civilian centers would no longer be tolerated as a baseline reality. Milo asserted that the terror apparatus had deliberately chose to inflame the border sector, executing direct hits on the civilian communities of Metula and Shomera earlier in the day. The regional commander declared that the enemy had crossed a severe, unacceptable red line, prompting an immediate, unyielding counteroffensive by all available combat components.

...In immediate alignment with these directives, the Air Force and the Northern Command launched a massive wave of synchronized strikes, deploying more than eighty five precision guided weapons against critical military infrastructure within a twenty four hour window. The primary focus of the aerial bombardment targeted the coastal city of Tyre, a major logistical and operational hub for the terror group's southern front. Elite flight wings successfully leveled ten separate command headquarters, deeply embedded communications bunkers, and subterranean weapon storage facilities utilized to direct rocket fire against domestic towns.

...Beyond the destruction of static command infrastructure, the aerial campaign maintained a continuous, active hunt against mobile threats operating in close proximity to advancing ground forces. Military intelligence units successfully identified multiple terror cells navigating the undulating terrain on motorcycles, attempting to orchestrate ambushes against frontline infantry components. Armed reconnaissance aircraft closed the loop instantly, deploying lightweight munitions that eliminated the operators before they could execute their tactical plans. Defense officials conclude that this synchronized wave is part of a broader offensive layout designed to permanently strip the enemy of command capabilities. (Ed note: First the southern suburb of Beirut, then Tyre, then Hezbollah could be trapped in a city called Sidon, which is also in the Bible.) (Read More)

IDF strikes city of Tyre in southern Lebanon following surge in Hezbollah drone attacks

The IDF struck Tyre on Monday evening after multiple public warnings in response to an escalation in Hezbollah drone strikes. Tyre is in the southern half of Lebanon, but it is beyond the smaller security zone that the IDF took over in March. The lack of an IDF presence in that area allows Hezbollah to launch attacks from there. The IDF had begun attacking Tyre in recent days with long-range airstrikes and appeared ready to up the ante this week.

In its warnings, the IDF said residents in parts of Tyre and nearby areas were being used as human shields by Hezbollah, but that it would still strike Hezbollah officials. Due to “Hezbollah’s violation of the ceasefire... we call on residents whose buildings will be marked in red on the known maps... to immediately evacuate their homes for their own safety, as the IDF does not intend to harm them,” IDF Arabic-language Spokesperson Col. Avichay Adraee said.

There were several Hezbollah drone attacks against Israel on Monday. An explosive drone hit a home in Metula. No casualties were reported.There were fewer drone attacks on Monday than on Sunday, when Hezbollah launched about 30 drones in the morning. Although the IDF has been shooting down regular Hezbollah drones and rockets, the terrorist group’s first-person view (FPV) drones, which operate on fiber optics, are much harder to track. Despite the IDF’s increased attacks on Tyre, it is still mostly refraining from striking Hezbollah in Beirut. (Source)

Residents flee southern Beirut after Netanyahu orders escalation against Hezbollah

Following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s call for escalation in strikes against Hezbollah, an AFP correspondent reports residents fleeing the southern suburbs of Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold.

Lebanese security sources also tell Reuters that residents are evacuating.

Except for a strike targeting a Hezbollah commander in the area earlier this month, there have been no strikes on Beirut or its surroundings since the April 16 truce. Netanyahu did not say in his video message whether Israel planned to resume broader attacks in Beirut. (Ed note: Watch for war to heat up from the southern suburbs of Beirut to Sidon, to Tyre.)  (Source)

US launches ‘self-defense strikes’ on Iranian missile launch sites, boats near Strait of Hormuz amid ceasefire talks

The US military carried out ‘self-defense strikes’ targeting Iranian missile launch sites and boats near the Strait of Hormuz on Monday (May 25), even as a ceasefire between the two countries remained in place and diplomatic efforts to end the conflict continued. “U.S. forces conducted self-defense strikes in southern Iran today to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces,” CENTCOM spokesman Timothy Hawkins told CNN in a statement after explosions were reported around the Strait of Hormuz. “Targets included missile launch sites and Iranian boats attempting to emplace mines. US Central Command continues to defend our forces while using restraint during the ongoing ceasefire,” he added.

According to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), three explosions were heard in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas early on Tuesday local time. The group cited sources but did not immediately confirm the reason behind the blasts. In another statement issued later, the IRGC said an explosion was also heard near Bandar Abbas airport. It added that Iran’s air defense system in Bandar Abbas has been activated to counter hostile targets.

Iran’s state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported that “the sound of several consecutive explosions was heard around midnight … in Bandar Abbas city, the cause of which has not yet been announced by official sources.” Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency, citing eyewitnesses, reported similar sounds in parts of the Persian Gulf near Sirik and Jask. Earlier, Iranian armed forces claimed they had destroyed a hostile drone in the Persian Gulf region, according to local reports. Bandar Abbas, located in southern Iran, hosts a major Iranian naval and air base and sits along the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz. (Source)

Netanyahu admits to aides he has little influence over Trump on Iran — sources

Israel ‘has no maneuver to influence the president right now,’ sources quote those close to premier as saying, amid Israeli wariness of emerging deal; PM’s Office doesn’t comment.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told confidants in private conversations that Israel has little ability to influence US President Donald Trump’s decision-making on Iran as the president negotiates a deal in the nearly three-month-old war, according to two sources speaking to Reuters on Monday. Netanyahu’s comments, described by two Israeli officials with knowledge of the conversations, come as Israel has largely been left out of talks to reach an initial deal to halt a war that began with joint US-Israeli strikes on February 28.

Since Trump said on Saturday that the deal would be announced “shortly,” both the US and Iran have played down hopes for an imminent breakthrough in talks, and they remain at odds over Iran’s nuclear weapons ambitions, Tehran’s demands for the lifting of sanctions, and Israel’s war against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Netanyahu is demanding the right to continue operations against threats on multiple fronts, including attacks by the Iranian-backed Hezbollah terror group in Lebanon, a caveat that could derail a deal if Iran insists on a complete halt to Israeli military operations in southern Lebanon.

One of the Israeli officials, involved in Netanyahu’s private conversations, said the premier had expressed concerns about the memorandum of understanding currently being negotiated. Both of the sources spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations. Netanyahu’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report. (Read More)

The $12 Billion Standoff: Iran Won't Sign Until It Gets the Money and Qatar Won't Pay

Iran is demanding $12 billion in frozen assets before signing anything, Qatar just denied it offered to front the money, and the clock is ticking on a deal that could reshape the Middle East. As indirect US-Iran talks continue under Qatari mediation, frozen Iranian financial assets, particularly approximately $12 billion held in Qatar, have solidified as the last major point of contention blocking progress toward an initial Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). 

Iranian negotiators are insisting on immediate, guaranteed access to this $12 billion tranche as a strict precondition before any preliminary diplomatic framework can advance. Sources describe this as only the first installment, with Tehran seeking broader unfreezing of tens of billions more in frozen assets worldwide as part of a fuller agreement.

These funds largely trace back to restricted Iranian oil revenues, including portions transferred to Qatar under the 2023 prisoner swap (later re-frozen after October 7, 2023, and subsequent escalations). Recent high-level Iranian visits to Doha, including by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, focused heavily on securing operational mechanisms for rapid access.

Qatar has categorically denied reports suggesting it offered or would front $12 billion to Iran as an interim bridge (potentially with later US reimbursement). Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari called the claims “utterly baseless,” attributing them to parties attempting to sabotage diplomatic efforts and undermine Qatar’s role as a trusted mediator. This denial effectively grounds speculation of a quick Qatari-funded workaround, leaving the onus on direct US-Iran arrangements regarding the existing frozen sums in Doha banks. (Read More)

Trump says ‘mandatory’ for Muslim nations involved in Iran deal to join Abraham Accords

US president urges Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Qatar to normalize ties with Israel; Saudi source says not without ‘irreversible pathway’ to Palestinian state.

US President Donald Trump insisted on Monday that six Muslim-majority countries join the Abraham Accords normalization agreements with Israel ahead of any deal between the US and Iran to end the war, negotiations on which he said were “proceeding nicely.” The remarks were the second time in as many days that Trump tried to link the emerging deal with Iran to the accords, which were first signed in September 2020 by the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, followed by Morocco and Sudan months later.

“Negotiations with the Islamic Republic of Iran are proceeding nicely! It will only be a Great Deal for all or, no Deal at all,” Trump announced on Truth Social on Monday, reiterating his oft-uttered threat that if no deal is reached, it will mean “Back to the Battlefront and shooting, but bigger and stronger than ever before.” He said that during discussions with leaders of Muslim and Arab states, he told them that “after all the work done by the United States to try and pull this very complex puzzle together, it should be mandatory that all of these Countries, at a minimum, simultaneously, sign onto the Abraham Accords.”

He specified that the countries he wished to see sign onto the accords included Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, and Jordan. He said he also spoke to the UAE and Bahrain about this possibility. It was not clear why Egypt and Jordan would be required to sign the Abraham Accords, given that both have had peace treaties with Israel since 1979 and 1994, respectively. Turkey and Israel have had rocky relations almost since the founding of the State of Israel, with long periods of amicable ties, although those have nosedived in the past decade.

After the US leader’s comments, a Saudi source told international outlets that Riyadh will only normalize relations with Israel if an irreversible pathway” to Palestinian statehood is established. (Ed note: And that last sentence would be the nail in the coffin of the state of Israel. Trump had better not let that happen.)  (Read More)

Trump: Iran’s Enriched Uranium to Be ‘Immediately Turned’ Over to U.S. or Destroyed in Iran

President Donald Trump explained in a Truth Social post on Monday that Iran’s enriched uranium would either be “immediately turned over” to the United States or would be destroyed “in place” in Iran.

In the post, Trump said that if the enriched uranium was not turned over to the U.S. to be “destroyed,” it would be “destroyed in place” in Iran or at another location. “The Enriched Uranium (Nuclear Dust!) will either be immediately turned over to the United States to be brought home and destroyed or, preferably, in conjunction and coordination with the Islamic Republic of Iran, destroyed in place or, at another acceptable location, with the Atomic Energy Commission, or its equivalent, being witness to this process and event,” Trump said.

The news that Iran would give up its enriched uranium came after “two senior Iranian sources” told Reuters on Thursday that Supreme Leader of Iran Mojtaba Khamenei had said Iran’s “stockpile of enriched uranium should not leave the country.” “The Supreme Leader’s directive, and the consensus within the establishment, is that the stockpile of enriched uranium should not leave the country,” one Iranian source explained to the outlet. (Source)

Three Fault Lines That Could Easily Sink the US-Iran Deal

The US and Iran can't even agree on what they've agreed. A breakdown of the nuclear, Hormuz, and Lebanon fault lines threatening to collapse the MOU before the ink dries. Trump says it's "largely negotiated." Iran says it isn't. Israel is alarmed. And Lebanon may be the tripwire that brings the whole thing down. The United States and Iran are closer to a formal agreement to end their war than at any point since joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on February 28 ignited the current conflict. U.S. officials say a deal has been agreed in principle, with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei having endorsed the broad framework. Trump declared on Saturday that the agreement was "largely negotiated" and that an announcement would come "shortly."

Tehran's response was rather different. Iran did not officially confirm the deal, and state media contradicted parts of it. The gap between what Washington is announcing and what Tehran is confirming is not a minor communications problem. It is the story. The proposed instrument, a Memorandum of Understanding, not a treaty, is a 14-point framework crafted by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner alongside Iranian officials. If signed, it would trigger a 60-day ceasefire extension and open the door to further talks toward a final agreement. Three issues threaten to prevent that signature from ever appearing.

Fault line one

The nuclear questionThe central American demand has always been clear: Iran cannot have nuclear weapons, and its enriched uranium must go. Netanyahu told Trump that any final agreement must include "dismantling Iran's nuclear enrichment sites and removing its enriched nuclear material from its territory." Trump has echoed this publicly. 

The problem is that the MOU does not actually deliver this. A senior Iranian source told Reuters that Tehran has not agreed to hand over its highly enriched uranium stockpile under the preliminary agreement. Instead, the draft MOU includes Iranian commitments to never pursue nuclear weapons and to negotiate over a suspension of uranium enrichment and the removal of its stockpile, with those steps deferred to a later stage. (Read More)

Trump: Iran agreement will be ‘great and meaningful’ or ‘there will be no deal’

U.S. President Donald Trump pushed back on Monday against critics of the potential agreement being negotiated with Iran, writing on his Truth Social account that any such accord “will either be a great and meaningful one, or there will be no deal.” Trump continued, “It will be the exact opposite of the [2015] JCPOA disaster negotiated by the failed Obama Administration, which was a direct and open path to a Nuclear Weapon for Iran. No, I don’t do deals like that!” The White House said in a social media post on Sunday that negotiations with Tehran are progressing smoothly. The statement followed an announcement on Friday by Trump that Iran and “various other countries” had “largely negotiated” an agreement to end hostilities.

The negotiations are proceeding in an orderly and constructive manner, and I have informed my representatives not to rush into a deal in that time is on our side. ... Both sides must take their time and get it right. There can be no mistakes!” the White House posted, quoting Trump. The post included an attached statement from the president saying that the relationship between the United States and the Iranians was becoming much more “professional” and “productive. “They must understand, however, that they cannot develop or procure a nuclear weapon or bomb,” Trump said.

Reportedly, the proposed deal with Iran includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz and easing sanctions to allow Tehran to resume oil exports. In return, Iran reportedly committed not to advance its nuclear program. Trump defended the potential deal in a Truth Social post on Sunday, saying that if an agreement is reached, “it will be a good and proper one, not like the one made by Obama, which gave Iran massive amounts of CASH, and a clear and open path to a Nuclear Weapon.” The president continued: “Our deal is the exact opposite, but nobody has seen it, or knows what it is. It isn’t even fully negotiated yet. So don’t listen to the losers, who are critical about something they know nothing about. Unlike those before me who should have solved this problem many years ago, I don’t make bad deals! President DJT.” (Read More)

Iran has legal right to manage Strait of Hormuz, supreme leader's military advisor says

Trump said the Iran blockade will remain until a deal is signed, as Tehran claimed control over the Strait of Hormuz was needed for security.

Mohsen Rezaei, a military advisor to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, said on Sunday that managing the Strait of Hormuz was Tehran's "legal right" in order to ensure national security. "Iran's management of Hormuz Strait ends 50 years of insecurity in the Persian Gulf," Iranian news agencies quoted Rezaei as saying. Additionally, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that Iran is ready to "reassure the world that it does not seek nuclear weapons," in a Sunday statement.

Pezeshkian further blamed "regional instability" in the Middle East on the "Israeli regime" and its "envisioning of a 'Greater Israel,'" according to the regime's official Islamic Republic News Agency. Iranian negotiators will not "compromise on Iran's dignity or honor," he added.  

Meanwhile, a potential deal between Iran and the United States stipulates that the number of ships able to transit the Strait of Hormuz would return to the pre-war level within 30 days, according to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-affiliated Tasnim News Agency. (Read More)

Trump's Predicament - William Koenig

President Trump has been in a very difficult position. He believed he could intimidate Iran, pressure them with threats, and potentially destabilize or remove elements of the leadership. But at the same time, he was facing enormous geopolitical and domestic constraints. The global economy was already under pressure. Inflation remained elevated. Energy prices were high. Midterm elections were only six months away. The United States was preparing to host the World Cup, and the last thing the administration wanted was to become deeply entangled in a prolonged regional war during such a sensitive period.

Iran understood those pressures.

Despite President Trump’s strong rhetoric and repeated threats, Tehran appeared to conclude that Washington’s room for escalation was limited. Iranian leaders calculated that a broader conflict would become politically costly for the United States and economically destabilizing for the world. From their perspective, time was on their side. Iran’s strategy seemed clear: prolong negotiations, delay decisions, create uncertainty, agree one day and retract the next, and steadily wear down American leverage. Their objective was not necessarily immediate resolution, but exhaustion — politically, economically, and diplomatically.

At the same time, President Trump faced another major concern: the vulnerability of the Sunni Arab Gulf states. Countries such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates were deeply nervous about Iranian retaliation. One day they supported a tougher American posture; the next day they feared the consequences of escalation.

A major reason was desalination infrastructure.

Roughly 75% to 95% of the drinking water supply in many Gulf nations comes from desalination plants along the Persian Gulf coastline. If Iran targeted those facilities, it could create an immediate humanitarian and economic crisis throughout the region.

President Trump also demanded major concessions from Iran — including the removal of uranium from the country, unrestricted access through the Strait of Hormuz, and some form of international oversight mechanism to guarantee maritime security. But Iran negotiated from a position of significant leverage. They understood the pressure points: oil markets, shipping lanes, regional infrastructure, water vulnerability, election-year politics, and growing fatigue within Congress over the prospect of another Middle East conflict. 

Over time, President Trump’s options narrowed.

And despite the administration’s strong rhetoric and public threats, Iran appeared unconvinced that the United States was prepared to fully follow through militarily under those circumstances. That is ultimately the core argument of this commentary. President Trump was out-negotiated. Not because Iran was stronger militarily, but because Tehran successfully leveraged geopolitical risk, economic pressure, regional vulnerabilities, and American political realities to weaken Washington’s negotiating position.  (Ed note: Great analysis by Bill Koenig as he suggests that the "Deal Maker" just got had.) (Source)

Republican politicians warn Iran ceasefire deal could strengthen Tehran, would be 'disaster'

Republican lawmakers and former Trump administration officials sharply criticized reports of an emerging 60-day ceasefire agreement with Iran, warning that the proposed deal could hand Tehran a strategic victory and undermine the results of the US campaign against the Islamic Republic. US President Donald Trump said Saturday that a peace agreement involving the US, Iran, and several Middle Eastern countries had been “largely negotiated,” adding that the deal would include the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Trump also said he had spoken separately with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, describing the call as having gone “very well.”

The reported framework, which has not yet been finalized, would extend the current ceasefire for 60 days while further negotiations take place on issues including Iran’s nuclear program and the Strait of Hormuz. Several senior Republicans responded with alarm, arguing that any deal that leaves Iran with influence over the strait, access to funds, or nuclear capabilities would represent a failure. “I am deeply concerned about what we are hearing about an Iran ‘deal,’ being pushed by some voices in the administration,” Sen. Ted Cruz wrote on X/Twitter.

Cruz said Trump’s decision to strike Iran was “the most consequential decision of his second term,” but warned that ending the conflict on the reported terms would be a mistake. “If the result of all that is to be an Iranian regime — still run by Islamists who chant ‘death to America’ — now receiving billions of dollars, being able to enrich uranium & develop nuclear weapons, and having effective control over the Strait of Hormuz, then that outcome would be a disastrous mistake,” Cruz added. (Read More)

Iranian President Says Tehran ‘Ready to Assure World’ They Are Not Seeking Nuclear Weapons

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that Tehran is “ready” to demonstrate to the world that it is not seeking to acquire nuclear weapons as talks of a potential peace agreement between the Islamist regime and the United States appear to be advancing. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday afternoon that an “agreement has been largely negotiated” with what remains of the Iranian regime. While the president did not divulge the specifics of the deal, reports emerged from U.S. officials briefing that negotiators for the Mullahs had intimated their willingness to give up their nuclear programme and to hand over their enriched uranium.

Although Tehran has yet to officially confirm the details of the planned memorandum of understanding, Iranian President Pezeshkian indicated that his government would be willing to make such a deal. In comments reported by the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (INRA) on Sunday, Pezeshkian said: “Prior to the martyrdom of Ayatollah Khamenei, Iran’s late Leader, we declared—and we reiterate now—that we are ready to assure the world we do not seek nuclear weapons.”

Pezeshkian went on to claim that Tehran does not seek to create regional instability, but did not elaborate on what measures the regime would be willing to take to demonstrate its commitment to not acquiring a nuke.Separately, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said that the regime was in the final stages of reaching a memorandum of understanding with the United States. “We are in the stage of finalizing a memorandum of understanding, and the issues being discussed, as I mentioned before, are generally focused on ending the war,” he said. (Ed note: It has been widely reported that Iran has over 970 pounds of uranium that has been enriched up to 60%, and would only be used to produce an atomic bomb. They say they don't "seek to create regional instability" but it's no secret that they support such terrorist groups as the Houthis, Hamas and Hezbollah. It can be said that if the Iranians lips are moving, they are lying.) (Read More)

Prospect of US-Iran deal fuels attacks on Ghalibaf

Talk of a possible agreement between Tehran and Washington has intensified political attacks on parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, a central figure in Iran’s diplomatic push and a politician widely seen as backing a more pragmatic approach to negotiations. The pressure comes as parliament prepares to elect its new presidium on Monday. An unusually blunt report published Sunday by the semi-official Iran Labour News Agency (ILNA) described what it called “organized destruction,” media pressure campaigns and coordinated text-message attacks targeting Ghalibaf ahead of the vote.

A lawmaker interviewed by ILNA, Rouhollah Lak Aliabadi, accused political rivals of orchestrating text-message campaigns against Ghalibaf in an effort to influence members of parliament before the leadership vote. He said opponents were portraying support for negotiations as a form of surrender or deviation from revolutionary principles, even though decisions regarding diplomacy ultimately rest with Iran’s top leadership. The attacks reflect broader tensions inside Iran’s conservative establishment as indirect negotiations with Washington appear to be gaining momentum. US President Donald Trump struck a cautiously optimistic tone over the weekend, saying negotiators should “not rush into a deal” because “time is on our side,” while administration officials indicated progress had been made on the outlines of a possible agreement.

At the same time, officials and media outlets close to the Revolutionary Guards have emphasized deep skepticism toward Washington, insisting major disagreements remain unresolved and warning against excessive optimism. Among the most contentious issues are restrictions affecting the Strait of Hormuz, sanctions relief, the future of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile and the sequencing of commitments by both sides. The growing attacks on Ghalibaf suggest hardliners fear that even a limited diplomatic breakthrough could shift the balance of power within the Islamic Republic toward figures advocating a more controlled and pragmatic form of engagement with the West.

A similar dynamic is also visible in Washington, where prominent Republican hawks and conservative commentators have begun warning against any agreement they believe would leave Iran’s military or nuclear infrastructure substantially intact. Senator Ted Cruz has been among those signaling concern that the administration may be softening its position, while Democratic critics such as Senator Chris Murphy argue the war failed to achieve its objectives and ultimately left Tehran in a stronger position. (Source)

IDF draws up Lebanon plans amid concern Iran deal could curb fighting with Hezbollah

Israel said to inform US it wants freedom of operation in southern Lebanon, although terms of deal reportedly stipulate it may only act if Hezbollah attacks first.

The Israel Defense Forces has been preparing for the possibility that an emerging deal between the US and Iran would force it to rein in its war against Hezbollah in Lebanon, according to Hebrew media reports on Sunday. It was unclear as of Sunday afternoon whether any agreement to end the war with Iran would extend to Hezbollah, as, recently, the matter of Israel’s fight against the Iran-backed terror group has been dealt with in separate negotiations in Washington.

On Saturday, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem, expressed hope for an agreement that would include Lebanon, and reiterated the terror group’s ongoing refusal to disarm. He also urged Lebanese authorities to abandon direct talks with Israel, ahead of a fourth round of such discussions next month, charging that Washington “is not an honest broker.”

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, meanwhile Sunday, approved plans for the continuation of fighting against Hezbollah in Lebanon after holding a situational assessment, the military said. During a visit to the Northern Command and later to the headquarters of the 401st Armored Brigade, which has been operating in Lebanon, Zamir said the IDF is “determined to deepen the blow against Hezbollah.”

Sources familiar with the matter were cited by Walla as saying that Israel would refuse to return to the status quo in Lebanon, and was insisting that it be allowed to maintain freedom of operation within the parts of southern Lebanon that it has captured since the fighting with Hezbollah renewed on March 2. The sources said that Israel had expressed its intentions to the US to keep hold of roughly seven or eight kilometers of land on the Lebanese side of the border. (Read More)

Rubio slams Hezbollah: Plotting to drag Lebanon into chaos and destruction

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio launched a blistering attack against Hezbollah on Sunday, slamming the Iranian-backed terrorist organization for attempting to push Lebanon "back into chaos." In an official statement quoted by AFP, America's top diplomat strongly condemned the group's destabilizing behavior. Rubio denounced what he called Hezbollah's "reckless call to overthrow Lebanon's democratically elected government" and said the pro-Iran armed group was "actively trying to drag Lebanon back into chaos and destruction.

The Secretary of State's sharp rebuke follows a provocative speech by Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem. Addressing his followers earlier on Sunday, Qassem declared that "the people have the right to go down onto the streets and to bring down the government." The terror chief's call for an insurrection comes as the group faces intense pressure from targeted Israeli airstrikes and severe American economic sanctions.

Washington's financial restrictions have heavily targeted the Al-Qard Al-Hassan financial institution, a crucial banking firm linked directly to Hezbollah. While the organization claims it functions merely to grant interest-free loans to financially struggling, predominantly Shiite Muslim communities caught up in Lebanon's internal economic meltdown, the US has long recognized it as a financial lifeline for terror operations.

Defending the targeted financial network, Qassem claimed, "The aggression against Al-Qard al-Hassan is an aggression against hundreds of thousands of poor people and those with limited income." For months, the White House has been applying steady diplomatic pressure on the official government in Beirut to dismantle the illicit financial firm as part of a broader Western strategy to squeeze the Iranian proxy's resources. Secretary Rubio made it clear that the US will not tolerate the group's thuggery. (Read More)

Map shows potential blast zones should chemical tank explode in Garden Grove

Orange County officials revealed more details on the potential areas that could be affected if the leaking chemical tank in Garden Grove explodes. The toxic leak was reported at the GKN Aerospace facility at 12122 Western Ave. around 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 21 and has resulted in the evacuation of around 40,000-50,000 people. Orange County Fire Authority crews responded to the facility and found that the tank was leaking methyl methacrylate, a volatile and flammable liquid used to make acrylic plastics. As crews worked to cool the overheating tank, they initially thought they had a handle on the situation, but later confirmed on Friday that they were not able to fully stabilize the tank and that it was only a matter of time before the tank would rupture or explode.

...“We’ve indicated some daily wind shifts that can and will occur throughout the incident and are constantly monitoring the wind and weather as we expect it to change from day to night,” Freeman added. Officials said the highly toxic methyl methacrylate chemical poses severe health risks to people and animals in the immediate area. “Respiratory is our primary concern, so it’s a respiratory irritant,” Freeman said. “It can start off very mild but it can progress to a point where you would probably require hospitalization, if not more.”

...“We’ve indicated some daily wind shifts that can and will occur throughout the incident and are

constantly monitoring the wind and weather as we expect it to change from day to night,” Freeman added Officials said the highly toxic methyl methacrylate chemical poses severe health risks to people and animals in the immediate area. “Respiratory is our primary concern, so it’s a respiratory irritant,” Freeman said. “It can start off very mild but it can progress to a point where you would probably require hospitalization, if not more.”

...As of Saturday, May 23, around 50,000 residents were evacuated from all areas north of Trask Avenue, south of Ball Road, east of Valley View Street and west of Dale Street. Cooling efforts are ongoing and the tank’s temperature is being monitored by a drone. “They discovered the primary tank that’s in crisis, we were unable to access the valves,” said OCFA Division Chief Craig Covey. “The valves are broken, they’re gummed up with the agent and we’re unable to offload the material through the systems that it has.” “This is not precautionary. This thing is going to fail, and we don’t know when,” Covey said. “We’re doing our best to figure out when or how we can prevent it. There are literally two options left remaining. One, the tank fails and spills a total of about 6,000 to 7,000 gallons of very bad chemicals into the parking lot in that area. Or two, the tank goes into a thermal runaway and blows up.” (Read More)

Tehran says in final stages of drafting framework for deal with US, ‘final agreement’ to be reached in ’30 to 60 days’

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei says that Tehran is in the final stages of drafting a framework for a deal to end the war with the United States.

“Within a reasonable period of 30 to 60 days, the details of these points will be discussed and a final agreement will ultimately be concluded. We are currently in the process of finalizing these memoranda of understanding,” he tells state broadcaster IRIB.

“Our intention was first to draft a memorandum of understanding, a kind of framework agreement composed of 14 clauses,” he says. He notes what he calls “a trend toward rapprochement” with Washington but says “it does not necessarily mean that we and the United States will reach an agreement on the important issues.” Meanwhile, the Pakistani army says negotiations over the previous 24 hours have resulted in “encouraging” progress toward a final understanding. (Ed note: Notice how Iran plays the US at every turn for more time?)   (Source)

Iran denies agreeing to hand over uranium as 'Islamabad Declaration' nears final negotiations

Iran has denied agreeing to give up any enriched uranium in a US ceasefire deal, stating it had not yet accepted any action on the nuclear issue, a source told Reuters on Sunday morning. The source added that the nuclear issue is not part of the preliminary agreement. The statement came after The New York Times published that Iran expressed a willingness to give up a certain amount of its stockpile.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) - labeled the 'Islamabad Declaration' according to Al Arabiya - that both parties would sign would start a 60-day ceasefire extension, and would include the possibility of further talks and an extension during the two-month period. If the MOU is approved by Iran's supreme national council, it will be sent to Mojtaba Khamenei for final approval.

According to Al Arabiya, final negotiations regarding a peace deal will come only after both parties sign the MOU and agree to the 60-day ceasefire. One important element of the deal is the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. According to Axios, the current draft of the MOU specifies that the Strait would be open without tolls, and Iran would clear the mines it had deployed there.

In exchange, the US would lift its blockade on Iranian ports and waive some sanctions it had imposed, allowing the country to sell oil freely. Issues relating to Iran's nuclear capabilities and enriched uranium stockpile would still be largely under negotiation, although the MOU would call for Iran to cease any pursuit of nuclear weapons. One US official told Axios that the deal might not last the full 60 days if the US believes that Iran is not serious about the nuclear negotiations. (Read More)

Iran Rejects Trump's Hormuz Deal Claims Outright

Iranian media pushed back on US President Donald Trump’s claim that an emerging agreement to end the Iran war would include reopening the Strait of Hormuz, saying the waterway would remain under Iranian control. Iranian media pushed back on US President Donald Trump’s claim that an emerging agreement to end the Iran war would include reopening the Strait of Hormuz, saying the waterway would remain under Iranian control.

Trump wrote on Truth Social that an agreement with Iran had been “largely negotiated” and that final details were being discussed. He said the deal would include reopening the strait, the key route for global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments that Iran has largely restricted since the war began in late February. “Final aspects and details of the Deal are currently being discussed and will be announced shortly,” Trump wrote. He said he had taken part in a call with leaders and officials from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain, and had also spoken separately with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump said the call with Netanyahu went “very well.” 

But Fars, a semi-state Iranian outlet close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, dismissed Trump’s description as “incomplete and inconsistent with reality.” The outlet said the strait would remain under Tehran’s management under the latest draft text exchanged between the sides. Ebrahim Zolfaghari, a spokesman for Iran’s military command, also rejected Trump’s claim.

“Hormuz will stay fully under Iranian control. We decide who passes, when, and how,” he wrote on X. The dispute points to one of the central tensions in the talks. Iran has effectively restricted the Strait of Hormuz since the war began, rattling global energy markets and increasing pressure on Gulf states and Washington to secure a deal. (Read More)

IDF says it attacked Hezbollah sites, as at least 5 reported killed in south Lebanon (TYRE)

The Israel Defense Forces on Saturday said it hit Hezbollah sites in the terror group’s strongholds in south and east Lebanon overnight following evacuation warnings. The military issued further warnings Saturday afternoon for 10 southern Lebanese villages on both banks of the Litani River, pending more strikes on Hezbollah. Meanwhile, Lebanese media reported at least five people were killed in separate Israeli strikes in the southern region of Tyre later Saturday. Several Syrian workers were also wounded in another strike on an agricultural area in south Lebanon on Saturday, state media said. The IDF did not immediately comment on the daytime strikes.

Separately, Lebanon’s Hamas-aligned terror group Jamaa Islamiya (Islamic Group) and its armed wing, al-Fajr Forces, said in a statement Saturday that one of its members was killed in an IDF strike in east Lebanon. According to the military, the overnight strikes targeted an underground Hezbollah weapons production site in Lebanon’s northeaster Beqaa region, as well as other infrastructure of the Iran-backed terror group near Tyre.

To mitigate harm to civilians, evacuation warnings were issued in advance and precise munitions and surveillance were used in the strikes, the IDF said. Earlier Saturday, after a lull of some 14 hours, sirens warning of a suspected drone attack from Lebanon sounded in northern Israel’s Kiryat Shmona Saturday morning. The IDF said shortly afterward that a suspect “aerial target” fell in Israel, close to the Lebanese border.

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said one overnight Israeli strike that targeted a site near Tyre’s Hiram Hospital caused “severe damage” to the medical center, which was included within the evacuation area advised by the IDF. (Ed note: Remember, both Hezbollah and Hamas like to hide in schools, hospitals, mosques and other civilian environments. The photo above this article is from part of the city of Tyre.)  (Read More)

IDF issues evacuation warnings for 10 towns in Lebanon ahead of strikes targeting Hezbollah

The IDF issues evacuation warnings for ten villages and towns in Lebanon ahead of airstrikes targeting the Hezbollah terror group.

Residents of Mashghara, Deir al-Zahrani, al-Sharqiyah, Doueir, Qlaileh, Sohmor, Zibdin, Nabatiyeh at-Tahta, Arabsalim and Kfar Jouz are instructed to evacuate at least a kilometer away.

“In light of the Hezbollah terror organization’s violations of the ceasefire agreement, the IDF is forced to act against it with force and does not intend to harm you,” warns army spokesman Col. Avichay Adraee. (Source)

Hezbollah to be included in US-Iran deal?

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi promises to include Hezbollah terror group in any ceasefire agreement, despite terror group's repeated violations.

The Hezbollah terror group on Saturday said that it had received promises from Tehran that the impending US-Iran agreement would include them as well, Arab News reported. In a statement, Hezbollah said that its Secretary General Naim Qassem had received a message from Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi promising that Iran "will not give up its support for movements demanding justice and freedom, foremost among them Hezbollah."

According to the statement, in Iran's latest proposal, which sought "a permanent and stable end to the war, the demand to include Lebanon in the ceasefire was emphasized." Hezbollah, for its part, has not kept the so-called ceasefire with Israel, which took effect last month: On Saturday, an IDF soldier was killed and two others injured by a Hezbollah UAV which penetrated Israeli territory; throughout Friday and Saturday numerous sirens sounded warning of Hezbollah UAVs infiltrating Israeli skies. Since the start of the ceasefire with Hezbollah, nine IDF soldiers have been killed by Hezbollah, and additional soldiers have been wounded.

Meanwhile, reports said that US President Donald Trump is under pressure from Arab leaders to take the proposed Iranian offer, even if it does not meet the US' demands. Senator Roger Wicker, in a tweet blasting the deal, claimed that the window for negotiations would last 60 days, not the reported 30: "The rumored 60-day ceasefire - with the belief that Iran will ever engage in good faith - would be a disaster. Everything accomplished by Operation Epic Fury would be for naught!" (Source)

UAE accelerates oil pipeline bypassing Strait of Hormuz

The United Arab Emirates has completed about half of a new crude oil pipeline designed to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, with the project being accelerated toward a planned 2027 launch, according to Reuters. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, CEO of state-owned oil company ADNOC (Abu Dhabi National Oil Company), told a May 20 Atlantic Council event that construction of the West-East Pipeline, fast-tracked by Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed Al Nahyan to double export capacity through Fujairah, is “almost 50% complete.”

Al Jaber said global oil flows may take at least four months after the end of the Iran war to recover to 80% of pre-conflict levels and are unlikely to fully normalize before the first half of 2027. After the late-February U.S.-Israeli strikes, Tehran largely closed the Strait of Hormuz to foreign shipping, allowing passage mainly to Iran-approved vessels, while attacking or threatening ships to enforce control over the waterway. Washington later imposed a blockade on Iranian ports.

Al Jaber said the existing Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline, which carries up to 1.8 million barrels per day, has proved crucial as the UAE seeks to maximize exports from the Gulf of Oman coast outside the Strait. “Once you accept that a single country can hold the world’s most important waterway hostage, freedom of navigation as we know it is just finished,” he said. “If we don’t defend this principle today, we will spend the next decade defending against the consequences.” (Source)

Netanyahu 'sidelined' by Trump, has little control over Iran decisions - report

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanayhu is being "sidelined" by US President Donald Trump regarding Iran, The New York Times reported on Saturday. Citing two unnamed Israeli defense officials, the NYTsaid that Israel is "almost entirely out of the loop" in talks between the United States and Iran. According to the officials, Israel has been forced to use other roundabout avenues to seek information on the peace talks, including other diplomatic connections and intelligence sources within Iran.

The report comes after an Axios report on Wednesday cited a US source as saying Netanyahu's "hair was on fire" after a phone call with Trump on the subject of the Iran talks. According to Axios, Trump called Netanyahu on Tuesday to discuss a "letter of intent" being drafted by mediators to end the war and launch a month-long negotiation period. The negotiations would cover matters such as Iran's nuclear program and opening the Strait of Hormuz, Axios reported. Axios cited two Israeli sources as saying that there was clear disagreement between Trump and Netanyahu on how to deal with Iran moving forward.

Trump told reporters on Wednesday that Netanyahu will "do whatever I want him to do," adding that the Israeli prime minister is "a very good man." Trump further told reporters that US-Iran negotiations are "right on the borderline" between war and peace. "If we don't get the right answer, it could happen very quickly," said Trump. "We have not got the right answer. It will have to be 100% good answers.” Trump added that he would give Iran "a few days” for talks. (Source)

Israel Was Shut out of Secret US-Iran Negotiations Entirely

President Donald Trump declared Thursday that the United States and Iran are "getting very close" to a historic agreement, telling CBS News that a final decision could come as soon as Friday. According to AP, a draft deal brokered in secret by Pakistan could be signed within 48 hours, potentially extending the ceasefire by 60 days and establishing a framework for broader nuclear talks.

But behind the diplomatic momentum lies a deeply uncomfortable reality for Jerusalem. According to a New York Times report, the Trump administration kept Israel completely in the dark throughout the intensive negotiations that preceded the April 8 ceasefire. With no official information from Washington, Israeli intelligence agencies were forced to piece together what was happening through back-channel diplomatic contacts and deep penetration of Iranian regime institutions, effectively spying on their own closest ally's negotiations.

According to the Financial Times, mediators believe a ceasefire extension agreement is closer than ever. The framework would include a gradual reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, eased sanctions, and the phased unfreezing of Iranian overseas assets. Critically, the nuclear question — Iran's enriched uranium stockpile and its ballistic missile program, has reportedly been sidelined from the current round, with an Iranian official telling Al Jazeera the issue is "too complicated" and will only be addressed 30 days after any signing. For Israel, which views both as existential threats, this is the core of its alarm.

The US also appears to have dropped its earlier demand that dismantlement of Iran's ballistic missile program be included in the deal, a concession Jerusalem was not consulted on. Tehran is speaking from both sides of its mouth. A senior Iranian official told Al Jazeera that Iran has reached full understanding on the Pakistani draft and is awaiting an American response. But Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told the Tasnim news agency that the two sides remain both "very far and very close," with deep and significant differences remaining. (Read More)

Iran could launch surprise attack against Gulf States, Israel, say officials

Iran could potentially be planning a surprise attack involving missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles against Gulf States and Israel, intelligence officials warned on Thursday. The possibility of a preemptive Iranian attack was raised following a situational assessment with top military leaders and Defense Minister Israel Katz. The warnings come as the US and Iran continue ceasefire negotiations, with US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly disagreeing about how to move forward with Iran.

Security officials noted that Tehran might attempt to act before the US and Israel decide that the diplomatic path is no longer viable and launch a surprise attack similar to the one at the start of Operation Epic Fury and Operation Roaring Lion. The Air Force and IDF’s Operations Directorate, under the direction of Maj. Gen. Hidai Zilberman and other senior officials, conducted a series of discussions with American counterparts to improve readiness, including the transfer of intelligence on unusual Iranian activity.

Additionally, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir conducted security briefings with military commanders as part of an overall situational assessment, both defensive and offensive. Zamir has also maintained conversations with American counterparts to coordinate a response in the event of an attack from Tehran. A military source told Walla that a thorough review was conducted following US-Israeli operations regarding the detection, identification, and interception of a range of threats from Iran.

The assessment helped to strengthen joint IDF-US military operations, including missile interceptions, state-military cooperation, integration of technologies and software improvements, and reinforcement of troops. Over the past month, the volume of US military equipment being transferred to Israel has increased sharply. (Source)

Trump reportedly moving toward ordering strikes on Iran but no final decision made

The Trump administration is readying to launch a wave of fresh US strikes against Iran, CBS News reports, amid ongoing diplomatic mediations for a deal between the United States and Islamic Republic. The report stresses no decision has been made, but notes US President Donald Trump is skipping his son’s wedding to stay at the White House and quotes sources with direct knowledge of the planning as saying that some American military personnel and members of the intelligence community have cancelled their plans for Memorial Day weekend.

A separate report by the Axios news site says Trump met Friday with top members of his national security team to discuss Iran, with sources saying he is seriously weighing new strikes unless there is an eleventh hour breakthrough in the talks. Citing unnamed sources, the report says Trump has “grown increasingly frustrated about the negotiations with Iran over the past several days,” with his position through the week shifting from favoring diplomacy toward ordering a strike.

Like CBS, Axios reports Trump has yet to make a decision on whether to resume the conflict. A White House spokesperson, Anna Kelly, tells CBS in response that “the president has been clear about the consequences if Iran fails to make a deal.” (Source)

Iran moves to broaden its control over Hormuz, infuriating its Gulf neighbors and the US

Iran has asserted expanded control over the Strait of Hormuz, publishing a map showing its claims extending into the coastal waters of the United Arab Emirates and Oman, and holding talks with Oman about sharing fees from ships traversing the waterway. The move was denounced on Friday as unacceptable by US Secretary of State Mario Rubio, who urged all countries to oppose it, and prompted a letter of protest from five Gulf states. US President Donald Trump on Thursday stressed, “We want [the Strait of Hormuz] open, we want it free. We don’t want tolls. It’s an international waterway.” Iran’s newly created Persian Gulf Strait Authority announced the new arrangements on Wednesday, declaring there would henceforth be a “controlled maritime zone” at the strait.

The authority set the zone as the “line connecting Kuh-e Mobarak in Iran and southern Fujairah in the UAE at the eastern side of the strait, to the line connecting the end of Qeshm Island in Iran and Umm Al Quwain in the UAE at the western side of the strait,” and published a map of the designated area in both English and Persian. “Transit in this zone for passage through the Strait of Hormuz requires coordination with the Persian Gulf Strait Authority and permission from this entity,” it declared. On Friday, The New York Times reported that Iran has been holding talks with Oman on charging fees from ships that traverse the strait, with the US-allied Gulf state potentially sharing in the profits, despite Washington’s insistence that freedom of navigation be restored to the blockaded waterway.

Two people familiar with the talks cited by the Times said that the discussions are ostensibly about fees, which are charged for services rendered to transiting vessels, rather than about tolls, which are charged for the transit itself and are illegal under international law. “Still, if the fee system is just a toll by another name, it will not be considered legal,” the report quoted experts saying. Oman, a US ally, originally dismissed the idea of partnering with Iran in the strait, but has more recently realized the scheme could benefit Muscat and expressed willingness to push the plan with Gulf neighbors and with the US, the Times said, citing two Iranian officials.

...It further reported that five other Gulf states — Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — have written to the global shipping watchdog, the International Maritime Authority, denouncing the move and urging that it be prevented. (Read More)

Iran’s top negotiator warns of ‘crushing, bitter’ consequences if US ‘foolishly’ restarts war

Iran’s top negotiator and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf told Pakistani army chief during a meeting in Tehran that Iran would not compromise on the rights of its nation and country, state TV reports.

He said that Iran’s armed forces had rebuilt their capabilities during the ceasefire and that if the US “foolishly restarts the war,” the consequences would be “more crushing and bitter.” (Source)

No deal in sight if US insists on discussing nuclear issue, Iranian FM spokesperson says - report

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei claimed that US demands aimed at tempering Iran’s nuclear ambitions were “unreasonable” and “excessive."

No conclusion will be reached in US-Iran peace negotiations if the US insists on discussing Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei told state media outlet Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) on Friday. “The negotiations are focused on ending the war, and the issues related to the nuclear issue are not going to be discussed in detail at this stage,” Baghaei stated. “Therefore, if we try to go into the details of this issue at this stage, we will not reach a conclusion.” Baghaei claimed that US demands aimed at tempering Iran’s nuclear ambitions were “unreasonable” and “excessive,” blaming the American efforts for causing previous peace negotiations to collapse.

Baghaei noted to IRNA that senior Pakistani officials had arrived in Tehran to further mediation efforts aimed at resolving Iran’s war with the US and Israel.“We cannot say that we have reached a point where an agreement is close,” Baghaei asserted, describing the peace process as ongoing but “neither unnatural nor natural.” “I have said before that the differences of opinion between Iran and the United States are so deep and numerous,” Baghaei continued, adding that he can not give a definitive estimate for when an agreement may be reached.

Baghaei emphasized that Tehran’s main focus for negotiations is “the issue of ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon.” He noted that ending the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is also a priority. “For now, our focus is on ending the war,” Baghaei told IRNA, stating that Iran may be willing to discuss the nuclear issue once a deal that meets Iran’s interests and concerns is reached. (Source)