Israeli and Palestinian civil society groups have delivered an appeal in France to urge the international community not to abandon a two-state solution, as Paris seeks to keep the issue alive amid the Middle East war.
The meeting on Friday brought together foreign ministers and senior officials from dozens of countries alongside civil society groups. It marks one year since the UN-backed New York declaration that set out a roadmap towards Palestinian statehood and prompted about a dozen countries – including France, the UK, Australia and Canada – to recognise a Palestinian state.
“We could find every reason in the world to give up. But you are here! Your testimonies alone are grounds for hope and action,” France’s foreign minister, Jean-Noel Barrot, told 250 civil society representatives from both sides.
France refuses to let the side of war prevail over the side of peace.”
The gathering ended with an eight-point “call for action” urging a permanent ceasefire, a halt to settlements, Gaza reconstruction, governance reforms and stronger international backing for civil society, Reuters reports.
It will be delivered to the G7 leaders who meet in the French Alps from Monday.
Updated
What exactly’s in the potential deal between the US and Iran as it stands?
Draft terms described to Reuters by multiple sources indicate the US would begin releasing billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets and waive sanctions on its oil exports, in return for Iran opening the strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s nuclear program would be addressed during a 60-day period of talks. A senior Trump administration official said the agreement would ultimately lead to the dismantling of Iran’s nuclear program, with its stockpile of highly enriched uranium to be destroyed and removed.
The terms also include an inspection regime to ensure compliance over the long term.
But Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araqchi told state television that Iran, which sources said had not accepted the dismantling of its nuclear program, wanted to retain the uranium in diluted form. He said:
For Tehran, the only preferred solution for its highly enriched uranium stockpile is down-blending the material.”
The proposals include discussion of possible war reparations for Tehran and dropping longstanding US demands for limits on Iran’s missile program, Reuters quoted the sources as saying. The US official disputed that account.
“None of their money released until they perform. Strait of Hormuz will be open. No Iran funding of terrorist groups,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
This is what they have agreed to. This is a performance-based deal.”
The negotiation process to date has been characterised by claim and counter-claim from both sides.
Updated
India foreign minister calls Rubio over Indian sailors killed in US military strikes in Gulf
Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, the foreign minister of India, said on Friday that he has spoken to US secretary of state Marco Rubio about the three Indian seafarers who were killed in US military strikes against oil tankers travelling through the strait of Hormuz.
“I reiterated India’s strong protest at the attacks by the US Navy in the Gulf that killed three Indian mariners,” Jaishankar posted on X. “Such lethal actions against commercial shipping are not justified.”
Read more about the strikes here:
Today so far
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US president Donald Trump had earlier reposted a social media post by the Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araqchi that said a memorandum of understanding to end the Iran war had “never been closer”. Araqchi echoed that sentiment on Iranian state TV a few hours later, but also repeated some points about the agreement that Trump had previously declared “fake news”.
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One of those points was about the strait of Hormuz – while both the US and Iran agree that it will reopen once the memorandum is signed, Araqchi said transit through the strait would be under Iranian management. “Our sword will always hang over the strait of Hormuz,” he said.
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Araqchi also said the agreement did not include anything about Iran’s nuclear programme and that nuclear talks with the US will only take place at a later stage. Trump has been adament that the interim deal includes Iran giving up its nuclear programme entirely and the prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, said he is “in full agreement” with Trump to keep Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
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Araqchi also said that ending the war in Lebanon was part of interim deal, which would mean Israel’s withdrawal from occupied areas. Israel Katz, the Israeli defence minister, had said earlier today that Israel would not withdraw from security zones in Lebanon, Syria or Gaza.
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Switzerland has offered to host the peace deal signing ceremony after a number of US media outlets cited sources who said it may happen in Geneva ahead of (or during) the G7 summit that begins in France on Monday. Araqchi said that the signing would take place “digitally”, with each side signing remotely.
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Hezbollah said on Friday that its fighters had confronted Israeli forces advancing towards a southern Lebanese town, as Israel pressed on with its strikes in Lebanon. In a statement, Hezbollah said its fighters first targeted Israeli troops advancing towards Majdal Zoun, around five kilometres (three miles) from the western side of the border, on Thursday evening “with repeated rocket barrages, forcing them to retreat”.
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The Israeli military said it struck 310 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon in the past week, as it claimed to have killed “80 terrorists”. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) also revealed it conducted a raid in the southern Lebanese village Dibbine several weeks ago.
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Global oil prices fell on Friday to lows not seen since the first week of the Iran crisis after Donald Trump claimed he was close to reaching a peace deal with Tehran. The price of Brent crude began to tumble from about $93 a barrel in overnight trade after the US president called off further military strikes against Iran which were scheduled for the evening.
Chaotic talks on a US-Iran deal continue on the Trump rollercoaster
Donald Trump has said the US and Iran are on the verge of a peace agreement. Oil prices are down, and the stock market is up. This comes only hours after Trump warned Iran was about to be struck “VERY HARD”, a threat that had sent oil prices up and stocks down.
It has been another ride on the Trump rollercoaster, keeping traders on edge, most of the world poorer, and people of the Middle East constantly whiplashing between fear and hope. But whether the ride veers up or down, the management always makes money.
This is the 39th time that the president has declared US-Iranian talks to be on the point of fruition (other counts have the figure higher – it depends on what you term a prediction or just a hint). On five of those occasions, the promise of peace has involved walking back the threat of mass devastation, including the destruction of critical civilian infrastructure, a near-certain war crime if carried out.
While Abbas Araqchi told Iranian state media that the agreement with the US includes ending the war in Lebanon – which means the withdrawal of Israel from occupied areas – Israel Katz, the Israeli defence minister, posted on X earlier today that Israel would not withdraw from security zones in Lebanon, Syria or Gaza.
Iranian foreign minister: Nuclear program is not part of this stage of talks
Though Donald Trump was adament that the interim deal included Iran giving up its nuclear program, Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araqchi told Iranian state media that nuclear talks with the US will only take place at a later stage, Reuters reports.
The talks will not proceed until the proposed interim agreement is implemented. Araqchi added that a memorandum of understanding has not yet been signed and could still change.
Management of strait of Hormuz will not return to pre-war era, Iranian foreign minister says
Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araqchi told Iranian media that while the interim deal between the US and Iran will include reopening the strait of Hormuz, sovereignty of the strait belonged to Iran and Oman.
Management of the strait wil not return to the pre-war era, Araqchi said – Iran will secure safe passage of the ships.
Donald Trump had earlier today dismissed Iranian media reports that Iran would not cede control of Hormuz under the agreement as “fake news”.
Iranian foreign minister: Lebanon is part of the US agreement
Abbas Araghchi, the Iranian foreign minister, is speaking to Iranian media and saying that an end of war on all fronts – including Lebanon – will be announced as part of the deal, Reuters reports.
An end of war in Lebanon, Araghchi said, means Israel’s withdrawal from occupied areas.
More to come.
Donald Trump spoke to Benjamin Netanyahu about latest efforts to reach deal with Iran, reports AP
Donald Trump spoke on Thursday with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the latest efforts to reach an agreement with Iran, a senior US administration official told the Associated Press.
The official, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House, said that the US administration is stressing to Israeli officials that any deal will require Iran to begin delivering on concessions in the deal before Tehran receives any potential benefits from the settlement.
Updated
The United Arab Emirates has agreed to unlock billions of dollars for Iran, sources told Reuters, in a tactical shift after weeks of Iranian attacks on the wealthy Gulf Arab state during the US-Israeli war with the Islamic Republic.
Word of the move coincides with the final stages of broader negotiations between Tehran and Washington on ending the war, talks that diplomats say could involve the release of tens of billions of dollars in Iranian oil revenues frozen in foreign banks under US sanctions.
Two regional sources told Reuters the UAE had agreed to release a total of $10 billion, more than $3 billion of which had already been delivered. Two other sources with knowledge of the arrangement put the total funds involved at $20 billion, adding that the move had been agreed in return for a halt to Iranian attacks on the UAE.
Switzerland offers to host peace deal signing, AFP reports
We reported earlier that a number of US media outlets were citing sources who were saying that the peace deal signing ceremony may happen in Geneva, Switzerland ahead of (or during) the G7 summit that begins in France on Monday.
AFP is now reporting that the Swiss foreign ministry is offering to host the signing.
The ministry told AFP that it “has proposed Switzerland as the venue for a possible signing, should the parties agree to it”.
“Switzerland is fully engaged. We are in close contact with the United States and Iran,” the ministry said, adding that it was playing an active role “to support efforts toward a memorandum of understanding intended to consolidate the truce and pave the way for de-escalation in the context of the conflict between Iran and the USA”.
Meanwhile, Esmaeil Baqaei, the spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry, told Reuters that he cannot comment on a time or place for the signing of the memorandum of understanding before a decision is reached in Iran.
Senior US official tells Reuters 'we are very close' to deal with Iran
An anonymous senior US official told Reuters on Friday that though “we’re not quite at the finish line yet”, the US is “very close” to resolving the conflict with Iran.
The terms of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) accomplish the core aims of Donald Trump and his administration, the senior official said. This includes:
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Reopening the strait of Hormuz and lifting the US blockade on Iranian ports
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Dismantling Iran’s nuclear program and destroying its highly enriched uranium, which would then be taken out of the country
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Relieving some economic pressures, including unfreezing assets and lifting some sanctions
“The Iranians don’t get anything upon the signing of the MOU or upon the negotiation itself,” the official said.
“They get rewarded economically for complying with their obligations under the deal. So if they turn over the nuclear material as promised, they’ll get something. If they dismantle their nuclear program or their nuclear facilities, they’ll get something else.”
Here are some images coming out Lebanon today:
The day so far
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Pakistan’s prime minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that a final, agreed text of a peace deal between the United States and Iran had been reached. Islamabad is working with both sides to finalise next steps, Sharif added in an X post.
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US president Donald Trump has reposted a social media post by the Iranian foreign minister (see our previous post here). Abbas Araqchi had said a memorandum of understanding to end the Iran war had “never been closer”.
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An emerging deal between the United States and Iran is “performance-based”, a senior Trump administration official said on Friday. They added that Tehran will get none of its frozen assets until it carries out its part of the agreement.
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Trump dismissed Iranian media reports on an imminent deal with the US as “fake news”, saying they were not the terms Washington agreed to. Several Iranian media outlets have been reporting what they described as details of a draft proposal being reviewed by Iran’s leadership. Some of the terms of the agreement, according to the reports, include Iran’s control of the strait of Hormuz and postponed discussions on its nuclear programme (see posts at 12:49 and 09:32).
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The prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, said he is “in full agreement” with Donald Trump to keep Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
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Hezbollah said on Friday that its fighters had confronted Israeli forces advancing towards a southern Lebanese town, as Israel pressed on with its strikes in Lebanon. In a statement, Hezbollah said its fighters first targeted Israeli troops advancing towards Majdal Zoun, around five kilometres (three miles) from the western side of the border, on Thursday evening “with repeated rocket barrages, forcing them to retreat”.
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The Israeli military said it struck 310 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon in the past week, as it claimed to have killed “80 terrorists”. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) also revealed it conducted a raid in the southern Lebanese village Dibbine several weeks ago.
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Global oil prices fell on Friday to lows not seen since the first week of the Iran crisis after Donald Trump claimed he was close to reaching a peace deal with Tehran. The price of Brent crude began to tumble from about $93 a barrel in overnight trade after the US president called off further military strikes against Iran which were scheduled for the evening.
Final agreed text of peace deal between US and Iran has been reached, says Pakistan's prime minister
Pakistan’s prime minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that a final, agreed text of a peace deal between the United States and Iran had been reached.
Islamabad is working with both sides to finalise next steps, Sharif added in an X post.
Updated
Hezbollah said on Friday that its fighters had confronted Israeli forces advancing towards a southern Lebanese town, as Israel pressed on with its strikes in Lebanon.
In a statement, Hezbollah said its fighters first targeted Israeli troops advancing towards Majdal Zoun, around five kilometres (three miles) from the western side of the border, on Thursday evening “with repeated rocket barrages, forcing them to retreat”.
It then said it engaged with an advancing force there on Friday “engaging them with light and medium weapons and rockets”.
The group also claimed other attacks on Israeli troops in southern Lebanon.
The Israeli military meanwhile issued an evacuation warning for three southern Lebanese villages.
US president Donald Trump has reposted a social media post by the Iranian foreign minister (see our previous post here).
Abbas Araqchi had said a memorandum of understanding to end the Iran war had “never been closer”.
Updated
An image that shows damaged cars at the site an Israeli strike in Tyre, Lebanon, earlier today:
Iran's foreign minister says Islamabad memorandum has 'never been closer'
Meanwhile, Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araqchi said on Friday that an “Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding” for addressing the US-Israeli war on Iran had “never been closer“, but urged media outlets to refrain from speculating about its contents until it was finalised.
Araqchi said Iran would share all details with the public in due course, in what he called Tehran’s responsible and transparent approach.
An emerging deal between the United States and Iran is “performance-based”, a senior Trump administration official said on Friday.
They added that Tehran will get none of its frozen assets until it carries out its part of the agreement.
Trump lashes out at 'dishonourable' Iran over terms of deal reported in state media
Donald Trump has dismissed Iranian media reports on an imminent deal with the US as “fake news”, saying they were not the terms Washington agreed to.
Several Iranian media outlets have been reporting what they described as details of a draft proposal being reviewed by Iran’s leadership. Some of the terms of the agreement, according to the reports, include Iran’s control of the strait of Hormuz and postponed discussions on its nuclear programme (see posts at 12:49 and 09:32).
Trump said the reports were inaccurate and lashed out at Iran.
He wrote on Truth Social:
The terms that Iran leaked out to the Fake News have NOTHING to do with the terms that were agreed to, in writing. What they said, including their weak and pathetic statement on having a deal, bears no relation to the truth. Very dishonorable people to deal with. With them, there is no such thing as dealing in good faith. AMAZING! Also, their totally rebuffed Drone attack last night against Indian Ships leaving the Hormuz Strait is TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE. They better get their act together, and FAST!”
Updated
Here are the latest images from southern Lebanon, showing the aftermath of Israeli strikes in the ancient coastal city of Tyre:
Reports of Iran signing an agreement with the US on Sunday in Geneva are false, the country’s Fars news agency has reported.
It cites a source close to Iran’s negotiating team.
Hezbollah is confident that Iran will insist on Lebanon being included in a deal with the United States, a leading Hezbollah politician said on Friday, as hopes grew for an agreement between Tehran and Washington.
Hezbollah, founded by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in 1982, entered the regional conflict in support of Tehran on 2 March, opening fire at Israel and prompting an Israeli offensive that has killed thousands of people in Lebanon.
Iranian officials have repeatedly insisted on an end to fighting in Lebanon as part of any wider agreement.
“If the agreement happens, we have complete confidence in the Islamic Republic ... we have confidence that it will insist on any agreement including the file of Lebanon,” Hassan Fadlallah, a Hezbollah politician, said in an excerpt of a speech broadcast by the group’s al-Manar TV.
Netanyahu says he is 'in full agreement' with Trump on Iran nuclear issue
The prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, said he is “in full agreement” with Donald Trump to keep Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
In a statement on X, he said:
As long as I am prime minister of Israel-Iran will not have nuclear weapons.
There is full agreement between me and President Trump on this issue.
For over 30 years, I have been at the forefront of the international campaign against Iran’s nuclear program.
Had it not been for this campaign, Iran would long ago have had atomic bombs to destroy Israel.
Iran is working to destroy the Jewish state, and I dedicate my life to preventing them from doing so.
As long as I am prime minister of Israel, this will not happen.”
There were no further comments from the Israeli prime minister on other aspects of a potential deal between the US and Iran, including the situation in southern Lebanon where the Israeli military continues its bombing campaign.
Iranian state media reported any nuclear negotiations will be held within 60 days after the signing of a memorandum of understanding “within the framework of its fundamental principles”, including its right to enrich uranium.
Updated
Tehran would not cede control of Hormuz in deal with US, Iran state media report
Iran’s official Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) has cautioned against media speculation about a potential memorandum of understanding to end the war, particularly on claims regarding the strait of Hormuz.
IRNA reported that Iran will not surrender its control of the strategic waterway and the US will have no role in its future management.
Here is a translation of the report (originally in Persian):
Contrary to some bizarre claims in the media, Iran in no way makes a commitment in this text to hand over its management or to restore the strait of Hormuz to the state before the military aggression of the US and Israel. The only point mentioned is the normalisation of transit through the strait of Hormuz upon the end of the war, the establishment of maritime security by the coastal states, the end of the illegal blockade, and the removal of threats to commercial shipping by the US and Israel. At Iran’s request, the US will have no role whatsoever in the future management of the strait of Hormuz. It has been made clear that the future administration of the strait will be based on an Iranian initiative and proposal, within the framework of a matter pertaining to the countries of the region. In this framework, discussions about the future of the strait of Hormuz will not take place even in negotiations after the signing of the agreement, and Tehran will directly resolve this issue in talks with Oman.”
Updated
Global oil prices fell on Friday to lows not seen since the first week of the Iran crisis after Donald Trump claimed he was close to reaching a peace deal with Tehran.
The price of Brent crude began to tumble from about $93 a barrel in overnight trade after the US president called off further military strikes against Iran which were scheduled for the evening.
It traded briefly below $85 a barrel on Friday morning in fresh hope that a deal between the US and Iran could mean a reopening of the strait of Hormuz over the weekend, and was later trading at about $87.50, a 3% fall on the day.
“Headlines are driving the market once again, as confidence grows that an eventual deal will be struck and the strait reopens,” said Tamas Varga, an analyst at PVM Oil Associates.
Read more:
The Pakistani foreign minister, Ishaq Daar, has welcomed the “progress” made between the US and Iran, signalling that a deal between the warring parties is materialising.
Daar discussed the recent developments “regarding United States-Iran understanding” with the EU foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, in a phone call this morning, according to a statement on X.
Both sides welcomed the progress achieved through sustained diplomatic engagement and expressed hope that these efforts will soon lead to a durable understanding and peaceful resolution.
They reaffirmed that dialogue and diplomacy remain the only viable means to resolve conflicts and advance lasting peace and stability.”
Pakistan has positioned itself as a mediator between the US and Iran, with reports suggesting that a possible initial agreement would be named the “Islamabad declaration” in recognition of its role.
Updated
The Israeli military continued to strike southern Lebanon this morning, according to the Lebanese National News Agency, amid reports the US and Iran are nearing a deal to cease hostilities. It is unclear whether the deal would include Lebanon, where the Israeli military has been fighting the Iran-backed Hezbollah group, but American and Iranian media reports seem to suggest it will. Israel is not directly involved in the US-Iran talks and there has been no indication on whether it would agree to halt its military campaign in Lebanon.
Updated
US and Iran preparing for potential agreement ahead of G7, reports say
There’s been a flurry of reports in the US media of a potential signing ceremony for a memorandum of understanding in Geneva, Switzerland. Axios, CNN and Bloomberg have cited sources saying the signing ceremony may happen ahead of (or during) the G7 summit that begins in France on Monday
Reports say the delegations of the world’s largest economic powers are expected to land at Geneva airport for the summit in Evian-les-Bains, near the Swiss border.
Updated
The Israeli military said it struck 310 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon in the past week, as it claimed to have killed “80 terrorists”.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) also revealed it conducted a raid in the southern Lebanese village Dibbine several weeks ago. The village is located north of the IDF’s so-called “yellow line” (an area carved out and occupied by the military) and is about 12km (7.5 miles) from the Israeli border. The IDF said its troops located “significant” weapon depots during the raid.
Updated
Donald Trump has claimed that the US has been conducting a “secret mission” in the strait of Hormuz to help Gulf petrostates bypass Iran’s chokehold on oil flows – which has roiled global energy markets for months.
The US president claimed Iran was unaware that dozens of tankers had been escorted out of the blockaded channel at night with their transmitters off.
He wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform that 200 vessels had got out this way, transporting more than 100m barrels of oil to global buyers.
So what is actually going on? Jillian Ambrose and Joanna Partridge explains here:
US-Iran memorandum of understanding includes end to war in Lebanon - report
Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency has published a list of terms that are reportedly in the draft memorandum of understanding with the US. It cites a source close to the Iranian negotiating team, but the details have not been confirmed publicly by either Tehran or Washington. The report says the text is yet to be finalised by the Iranian leadership.
According to the report, the draft includes 14 points:
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Permanent and immediate cessation of war on all fronts, including Lebanon.
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The US’s “commitment to non-interference in Iran’s internal affairs” and respect for its sovereignty.
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Lifting of US naval blockade within 30 days.
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Withdrawal of US forces from around Iran.
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Reopening the strait of Hormuz within 30 days “with Iranian arrangements”.
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Suspension of US sanctions on Iranian oil.
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US and allies to draw up reconstruction plans for Iran “worth at least $300bn”.
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Sixty days of negotiations to reach a final agreement “based on nuclear issues and the complete lifting of” sanctions.
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Reiterating Iran’s commitment not to produce nuclear weapons.
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During the negotiations, the US will not increase its forces in the region or impose new sanctions.
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Release $24bn in blocked Iranian funds.
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Establishing a monitoring mechanism to implement the agreement.
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Final agreement to be approved by a UN security council resolution.
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The final negotiations will not begin before the release of half of Iran’s frozen funds, the suspension of oil sanctions and the lifting of the naval blockade. “Discussions about Iran’s missile programme and support for resistance groups have been definitively removed from the agenda.”
Israel has previously said it would continue its ground operation in southern Lebanon despite a ceasefire agreed in April which has all but collapsed. The Israeli military has taken over swathes of the country as it attempts to dismantle Hezbollah, Iran’s most powerful armed proxy in the region. Reports on the ongoing discussions to end the war suggest a potential deal between the US and Iran hinges on what happens with Israel’s war in Lebanon, with Hezbollah demanding the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the country.
Updated
American news outlet Axios reported that four US air force planes departed for Europe to prepare for a possible signing ceremony between the US and Iran on a deal to end the war.
The planes are reportedly heading to Geneva where US vice-president JD Vance is expected to sign on Washington’s behalf, according to Axios, citing sources familiar with the preparations.
While Donald Trump claimed a deal could be signed as soon as this weekend, Iran said it has not yet made a final decision.
Summary: Iran contradicts Trump claim to be on verge of peace deal
Hello and welcome to the Guardian’s continuing coverage of the crisis in the Middle East.
Iran’s foreign ministry has contradicted claims from Donald Trump that a peace deal between Washington and Tehran could be signed as soon as this weekend.
The deal, if confirmed, would be the most significant diplomatic breakthrough yet to end the three-month-old war, which has killed thousands and sent global energy prices sharply higher. But Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, has said that while large parts of the text under negotiation have been finalised, “a final conclusion” has not been reached.
“This is a very important issue that is currently being reviewed by the relevant decision-making bodies,” Baghaei said, adding that Tehran would not compromise on its red lines.
Trump told reporters at the White House: “We just made a great settlement of the war with Iran.
“The strait will officially open as soon as we sign, which could be soon, very soon, maybe over the weekend in Europe,” he said, adding that vice-president JD Vance could sign for the US.
Since mid-March, Trump has repeatedly claimed a deal with Iran to end the war was close, but no agreement has materialised.
In other key developments:
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Trump said he was cancelling a third day of US airstrikes and bombings that he had earlier said would happen because “discussions” with Iran “have been brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership and approved”. He also said on social media: “Discussions and final points have been, in both concept and great detail, approved by all parties involved, including the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt, and others.”
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Israel, however, said it was “not a party to” what prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office described as an emerging memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran. But the office said Netanyahu had spoken with Trump and that the final agreement at the conclusion of negotiations would include the removal of enriched material, the dismantling of enrichment infrastructure, limits on missile production, and the cessation of Iran’s support for its terrorist proxies in the region – measures that have been red lines for Iran in the past.
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The strait of Hormuz would open “as soon as we sign” the documents of the “great settlement” reached with Iran, Trump said. “The whole Middle East is happy.”
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Iranian media said the country’s forces had stopped a “violating tanker” from entering the strait of Hormuz. The report from the Fars news agency – closely linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards – came shortly after the sound of explosions were reportedly heard near the port city of Bandar Abbas.
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Trump had earlier posted on social media that the US would seize Iran’s Kharg Island “in the not too distant future”, but later said the seizure would be off the table “if we sign this agreement”.
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The price of oil rose after Trump threatened a “very hard” attack on Iran, but plunged hours later after he said he was cancelling the strikes. US West Texas Intermediate crude futures fell 1.9% to $86.08 a barrel, on top of a 2.6% drop overnight, and Brent dropped 1.5% to $89.08 a barrel, having fallen nearly 3% overnight. Asian stocks joined a global rally, with South Korea’s Kospi surging 7.4% and Japan’s Nikkei up 2.7%.
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A strike wounded 10 staff members of a hospital in the Lebanese city of Tyre on Thursday, the facility’s director told the AFP news agency, as Israeli raids continued in the country’s south. All three of the historic city’s hospitals have been hit since the start of the latest war between Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah and Israel in early March.
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India’s government voiced a “strong protest” after three Indian seafarers were killed in US military strikes against oil tankers travelling through the strait of Hormuz.
